Networking fundamentals, hands-on labs for Tier 1 staff?

mgeoffriau

I have recently taken over a management position in charge of Tier 1 and Tier 2 technical support teams. I have a number of Tier 1 staff who are hungry for advancement but really need to strengthen their networking fundamentals. Something like CompTIA's Net+ exam would be an appropriate goal.

However, while I am a classic book-learner, several of these folks really need the explain-demonstrate-perform pattern to absorb knowledge. Reading a book or watching a video course is not going to cut it - they need the ability to learn this stuff in a hands-on environment, but with some direction.

I recently did eLearnSecurity's eJPT cert a couple months ago, and the format seems like it would be a good fit. Each module had info presented in HTML5 slides, followed by a video demonstrating how that information was applied, followed by a lab where you have complete certain objectives using the same information.

Are there any similarly-structured courses out there for networking fundamentals? It could be specific to MS's MTA Networking Fundamentals cert or CompTIA Net+, as long as it covers the relevant material. I don't anticipate that most of these folks care that much about actually taking a certification exam, but a training course that's structured in a way that meets their learning styles would be a great boost and help them take the next step in their careers.

Jon_Cisco

I would be interested in the sites that might be recommended. It is always good to try out new materials.

Here is a site the I have skimmed a few times but not really had the time to try out.

https://www.edx.org/course

Of course CBT Nuggets has the videos with associated hands on labs. Unfortunately they are sometimes to structured so all your doing is clicking along with the instructor. If I had to recommend them to people I would say watch the video take notes then try the lab when the video is off.

JDMurray

I recommend checking if any of your local community colleges are a member of the Cisco Networking Academy. If so, they will have a lab with racks and racks of Cisco equipment for students to learn from. If your company has a tuition assistance program you can have your team use to attend networking and security courses (and maybe pick up an Associates degree too) and save your department's training budget for other cool stuff.

jasper_zanjani

GNS3 is good if you have the time and patience to use it to develop scenarios for them. Might be overkill