best sim?

bucko2005

what is the best simulator to use for the ccna?

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billyr

Probably GNS3 as it uses a real IOS. But there's your first problem, getting hold of an IOS.
Packet tracer 5 is pretty good though .

human151

I have this:

http://www.routersim.com/CCNA6_home.html

and I really like it.

Cisco Press is also comming out with one, but not until next month.

looky here:

http://www.ciscopress.com/bookstore/product.asp?isbn=1587202166

I also have my own equipment but I really like the sims and have learned from from using my router sim at this point becayse the SIM has labs that have me practice stuff where as with my equipment I have only done stuff with my real lab after I have practiced it with my sim, needless to say, the equipment does not come with and labs or practice material.

in the long run its better to have your own equipment but when your just starting out SIMS are fine.

nel

+1 for gns3. The best out there for routing.

dynamik

That Cisco Press one actually looks kind of cool. I have my own equipment as well as GNS3 (which I just installed yesterday and is pretty slick.. still have to figure out my idle pc values though..), but it would be nice to work through those 250 labs. Right now I'm just kind of using my imagination to come up with things to do. $150 is a bit steep just for the labs though. Does anyone have a good CCNA lab book they'd like to recommend?

shednik

dynamik wrote:

That Cisco Press one actually looks kind of cool. I have my own equipment as well as GNS3 (which I just installed yesterday and is pretty slick.. still have to figure out my idle pc values though..), but it would be nice to work through those 250 labs. Right now I'm just kind of using my imagination to come up with things to do. $150 is a bit steep just for the labs though. Does anyone have a good CCNA lab book they'd like to recommend?

I'm always a fan of setting up a network and then doing something to break it and having to work to fix it again.

JavonR

GNS3 is amazing, but most people don't know that it's a violation of the EULA to run a cisco IOS image on a non cisco device. Keep that in mind

Talic

GNS3 is really hard to get up and running, I'm not sure where to get the right IOS images for it either... Which might be the problem

I assume Cisco doesn't let you just go on their site and download any image you want? It seems like you need the IOS if you want to run Routers c1700 c2600 c2691 c3600 c3700 c7200. Would other models work too?

I looked through some less... legal means but I'm not ready to download 26 GB file... hehe

I'd like to get something with more lab objectives rather then just the hardware / software.

ken.perez.8541

I am using Boson NetSim it is pretty good for helping get the basics down. I am planning on buying my own equipment as well. But I think the simulator has been great for getting the basics down, when I get my equipment that will be the test of whether the simulator was worth it.

tiersten

Talic wrote:

I assume Cisco doesn't let you just go on their site and download any image you want?

Sorta. You can download things that aren't covered by your SMARTnet contract to but Cisco may suddenly send you a fat bill in the post.

According to the license agreement, you're not allowed to run any IOS on any non Cisco platform anyway so you're not even allowed to run the IOS from something you have the hardware for.

Talic wrote:

It seems like you need the IOS if you want to run Routers c1700 c2600 c2691 c3600 c3700 c7200. Would other models work too?

Yup. Nope.

As we're mentioning licensing anyway, you're only able to get Packet Tracer if you attend the Cisco Networking Academy.

wbosher

shednik wrote:

dynamik wrote:

That Cisco Press one actually looks kind of cool. I have my own equipment as well as GNS3 (which I just installed yesterday and is pretty slick.. still have to figure out my idle pc values though..), but it would be nice to work through those 250 labs. Right now I'm just kind of using my imagination to come up with things to do. $150 is a bit steep just for the labs though. Does anyone have a good CCNA lab book they'd like to recommend?

I'm always a fan of setting up a network and then doing something to break it and having to work to fix it again.

The only problem breaking it yourself, is you know how to fix it...kind of defeats the purpose.