How to memorize Show Commands?

Just wondering how ppl are memorizing this... Has anyone come up with a chart of all of them. The many various show commands are just like my kryptonite. Any ideas/suggestions would be much appreciated...

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kafifi13

Best Method is to make Flash cards. Write down the command and the back write down waht it does. Then jsut carry it every were you go. Work, Gym, out for a walk. Just keep going through them. Also it doesn't hurt to practice them on a Sim or an actual pieace of equimpent to get the feel for it. That's my advice.

Webmaster

kafifi13 wrote:

Also it doesn't hurt to practice them on a Sim or an actual pieace of equimpent to get the feel for it.

That's major understatement imho. Practicing them on a sim and actual equipment is the ONLY way you should 'learn' the show commands. You shouldn't attempt to 'memorize' any show commands. You don't learn Kung Fu moves by memorizing them, but by practicing them, 'doing it', over and over. Repetition is the key to learning. Same goes for all the practical topics in Cisco exams, don't try to remember them by reading about it, use them, type them, read the output, again and again. Actually typing the commands and seeing the output will make the commands stick by itself, and they will stick much longer so you'll still know which one(s) to use when you are configuring Cisco router 12 months from now.

Additionally, I recommend using the Tab and ? key a lot more often than you need. For example:

show ?
show ip ?
show ip route ?

iproute

Webmaster wrote:

You shouldn't attempt to 'memorize' any show commands. You don't learn Kung Fu moves by memorizing them, but by practicing them, 'doing it', over and over.

Awesome quote of the week. Anything that can combine Cisco with Kung Fu = winner.

tech-airman

LOkrasa wrote:

Just wondering how ppl are memorizing this... Has anyone come up with a chart of all of them. The many various show commands are just like my kryptonite. Any ideas/suggestions would be much appreciated...

LOkrasa,

It's not so much a matter of memorization, but understanding the technology and why you are EXECuting (tiny IOS humor there) the show and debug commands.

For example, the task of "assign an ip address of 192.168.1.1 to the router's FastEthernet 0/0 interface."

Ok so you type...

> enable
Password:
# config t
(config)# int fa0/0
(config-if)# ip address 192.168.1.1 255.255.255.0
(config-if)# exit
(config)# exit
#

Now, that seemed straight forward. However, how do you verify what you just configured? By...

# show ip interface brief
Interface                  IP-Address      OK? Method Status                Protocol
FastEthernet0/0            192.168.1.1     YES NVRAM  up                    up

See how "show" was used to verify the configuration you just did? Show is also definitely involved in troubleshooting which your deep understanding of show is checked/tested.

Here's the overall strategy I used to study for the 640-801 CCNA exam:

Technology
Planning and Design
Implementation and Operation
Troubleshooting

In the Implementation and Operation phase, you use "show" and "debug" to verify your configurations. In the Troubleshooting phase, you use "show" and "debug" to determine the trouble you are trying to shoot by first verifing if what was supposed to be configured was Implemented completely. By understanding the Technology, how to properly Plan and Design for it, and how to Implement and Operate it, you can Troubleshoot by completing the implementation. If the problem isn't due to incomplete Implementation, then you have an Implementation error situation where the depth of your knowledge of Technology, Planning and Design, and Implementation and Operation will be tested.

So, to jump onto the philosophical bandwagon, using "show" properly helps you to look at the bark, the branches, the leaves and figure out that you're looking at a tree and by looking at other trees, realize that you're in a forest. Also, using "debug" would be looking at streams joining to form a river and seeing where the water is going.

*lotus position*

Pash

Webmaster wrote:

That's major understatement imho. Practicing them on a sim and actual equipment is the ONLY way you should 'learn' the show commands. You shouldn't attempt to 'memorize' any show commands. You don't learn Kung Fu moves by memorizing them, but by practicing them, 'doing it', over and over. Repetition is the key to learning.

I have split too many pairs of trousers thinking i am bruce lee when ive been out drinking.

On topic, my style is to make big diagrams and pictures, then also include show commands with them. You dont have to make a diagram as meaningless as just applying an IP to an interface...you could for example, make a diagram of how to implement OSPF, put a diagram out that shows the requirements of OSPF.......how it works..........its principals and then wack in your commands to configure...also through your show commands on the diagram also, with a nice flow chart to memorize. Use these to practice on your simulator or lab, and it should stick like glue.

Slowhand

Webmaster wrote:

You don't learn Kung Fu moves by memorizing them, but by practicing them, 'doing it', over and over. Repetition is the key to learning.

Oddly enough, I can speak to this from personal experience. My Sifu gave a lecture on this exact topic, telling us "make sure you practice your forms, and always make sure you give the correct calls with the correct moves". Not a month later, I overheard a student tell him "Don't worry, Sifu. I know I don't give the right shouts in class, and I don't practice much on my own, but I've got the forms memorized, I can pass the test." That Sunday, I watched that same student completely bomb his fringe-test (that's belt-test, to those of you not in the kung fu business) in front of Grand-Master Doc Fai Wong, the head of our organization of schools and father or our head trainer.

Webmaster is right about one very key thing, any skill worth learning can't simply be memorized. My math teacher in high school used to tell me that you don't learn algebra by memorizing formulas, you learn it by doing the work and solving the problems, step by step. Learning commands on a router, learning how to install software on a server, learning how to troubleshoot firewall issues, or any other IT skill, takes practice. . . then practice. . . and once you're done with that, you practice. If you don't, there'll always be somebody better out there, (who did put in the practice,) to kick your butt; whether it's in the ring or on the job.

markzab

Slowhand wrote:

Webmaster is right about one very key thing, any skill worth learning can't simply be memorized. My math teacher in high school used to tell me that you don't learn algebra by memorizing formulas, you learn it by doing the work and solving the problems, step by step. Learning commands on a router, learning how to install software on a server, learning how to troubleshoot firewall issues, or any other IT skill, takes practice. . . then practice. . . and once you're done with that, you practice. If you don't, there'll always be somebody better out there, (who did put in the practice,) to kick your butt; whether it's in the ring or on the job.

Everything about that was excellent.

Delirious

I might as well not even bother learning something if i dont have hands on time with it. I'm far more likely to foget something by just reading it. Memorizing something only helps it stay in my mind longer but practice cements it in.

Slowhand wrote:

Webmaster wrote:

You don't learn Kung Fu moves by memorizing them, but by practicing them, 'doing it', over and over. Repetition is the key to learning.

Oddly enough, I can speak to this from personal experience. My Sifu gave a lecture on this exact topic, telling us "make sure you practice your forms, and always make sure you give the correct calls with the correct moves". Not a month later, I overheard a student tell him "Don't worry, Sifu. I know I don't give the right shouts in class, and I don't practice much on my own, but I've got the forms memorized, I can pass the test." That Sunday, I watched that same student completely bomb his fringe-test (that's belt-test, to those of you not in the kung fu business) in front of Grand-Master Doc Fai Wong, the head of our organization of schools and father or our head trainer.

Webmaster is right about one very key thing, any skill worth learning can't simply be memorized. My math teacher in high school used to tell me that you don't learn algebra by memorizing formulas, you learn it by doing the work and solving the problems, step by step. Learning commands on a router, learning how to install software on a server, learning how to troubleshoot firewall issues, or any other IT skill, takes practice. . . then practice. . . and once you're done with that, you practice. If you don't, there'll always be somebody better out there, (who did put in the practice,) to kick your butt; whether it's in the ring or on the job.

LOkrasa

Thanks for all the words of wisdom guys. I will surely try the practice route with my simulator.

Darthn3ss

Slowhand wrote:

Webmaster wrote:

You don't learn Kung Fu moves by memorizing them, but by practicing them, 'doing it', over and over. Repetition is the key to learning.

Webmaster is right about one very key thing, any skill worth learning can't simply be memorized. My math teacher in high school used to tell me that you don't learn algebra by memorizing formulas, you learn it by doing the work and solving the problems, step by step. Learning commands on a router, learning how to install software on a server, learning how to troubleshoot firewall issues, or any other IT skill, takes practice. . . then practice. . . and once you're done with that, you practice. If you don't, there'll always be somebody better out there, (who did put in the practice,) to kick your butt; whether it's in the ring or on the job.

HUmmmmmm...... so thats why i never did good in math or chemistry in highschool.