Studying for the CCNA

junir

Hello,
Im about to start studying for the CCNA. I am going to book the exam before hand to motivate me to study it.

I have a good working knowledge of basic networking. I have a technical aptitude so I will have little problems (hopefully!) in figuring stuff out.

My question: How long should I give myself to study? Two months?

I am willing to study up to two hours every day.

Thanks.

Webmaster

Hello and welcome,

2 hours per day for 2 months is doable 'if' you have a proper set of study material (or a whole bunch of experience). I.e. a good book, a good set of practice exams, and a couple of used Cisco routers and preferably a switch to get the necessary hands-on and practice for the sims.

Good luck!

junir

Thanks for your quick reply. I have the CCNA 3 ad 4 companion guide from cisco press and I will be doing plenty of practice tests from the internet and supplemental material I can find. I will of course, cover the more basic stuff from the internet.

Currently, I don't think my budget will allow me to get my hands on the second hand gear. Will simulation software not provide me with the necessary tools to practice commands and configuration?

Webmaster

I think simulators, such as the one from Boson, is a lot better than nothing, but nothing beats the real thing. A couple of 2501 routers with a back to back cable is really not that expensive ($200 or less even), and if you plan to become certified for implementing and configuring Cisco equipment, you should at least have actual experience with some of their models.