Learn the equipment or study for the test?

echo-delta

I work for one of the major telecommunications companies and will be moving into another position in 1 month. In my current position I work on long distance voice switches. In my new position I will be working pretty heavily with Cisco routers. When they offered me the job they told me that I need to take this month to learn as much as I can about Cisco routers. While I have very little experience using Cisco equipment, I am not unfamiliar with networking and the fundamentals of troubleshooting networks.

So my questions are:
Would picking up a Sybex certification book (5th edition) help me learn the equipment or just pass the test? I'd like to do both, of course.

I went to Barnes and Noble today and picked up a box kit, CCNA Certification Kit. It includes the 5th edition CCNA book and the CCNA Virtual lab, Platinum edition. Is there something better out there?

I don't plan on taking the exam in a month or even in two months, but my goal is to get it done before the end of the year. My near term goal is to get as far ahead of the curve ball as I can before I start my new position.

Thanks,
Ed

markzab

I think you're heading in the right direction. The book you got won't only teach you to pass the exam, it will teach you router configuration and a whole lot more. The virtual lab kit you got will help you get a feel for the Cisco IOS as well. You may want to get your hands on a couple cisco routers. Check out the CCNA FAQ for more info.