CCNA Official Guide question

I was looking at the official guide to CCNA (the Odom book), and saw two editions. One is just the books for CCENT and CCNA, the other includes simulator software. Obviously the one with software is a lot more expensive. My question is whether anybody here tried the software, and was it helpful?

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blatini

In my experience not relative to the cost. I prefer the book, boson, home lab and packet tracer. Everyone's brain clicks differently so you might wanna look on youtube for a video review of it or something and see if that's up your alley.

ElGato127

I guess my real question was whether anybody found the software helpful enough to justify the price.

stryder144

Honestly, since Packet Tracer is free, I would just get the books then build the labs there. Look up Packet Tracer 101 for links to the software.

WastedHat

I bought the full version and regretted it. You get a trial version with the normal book so you could go down that path and upgrade if you like it. For me it was too limited and long winded. The labs spoon feed you all the way through, even when you get to know the commands really well, you still need to read each step and enter it exactly as it wants or you won't get a full score at the end. I can see how it would benifit an absolute beginner but I would say the free options are much better - Packet Tracer / GNS3.

kloppyo

Can you suggest a good website for packet tracer labs? Ideally a link with labs to cover the course syllabus as you step through the book.

Thanks

blatini

You might want to take a look at this

https://learningnetworkstore.cisco.com/cisco-learning-labs?utm_campaign=Promo-CLL&utm_content=labs-cln-seo&utm_medium=link&utm_source=cln-seo

They're especially good if you don't feel comfortable creating your own scenarios to lab with.

blatini

Actually I remember those being significantly cheaper than 300 bucks.....

A good idea would be to dig through these forums or the Cisco Learning Network ones and recreate environments people have posted there looking for advice. See if you can solve the issues on your own.

JD20

I used Packet Tracer along with Odom's book for the ICND2. As I was reading the material, I made sure to lab it in PT. Every time I read a new chapter, I would start a network from scratch starting from layer 2 and working my way up to layer 3. Doing it this way gave me a refresher on previous topics. I also used GNS3 for layer 3 material that PT doesn't support. Good Luck!

kloppyo

Yes creating labs from scratch in PT is one way to go and I'm comfortable doing that. I guess it's more about those times when you want a pre built lab with a mistake and the lab requires you to trouble shoot and get it working.

I might use the Cisco lab stuff for that particular use case and use PT for everything else where I wil create my own topology.

Thanks all

rob42

This link Wendell's CCNA Skills Blog may be of use to you.

blatini

Thanks for that link - very cool stuff.