CCNA Training

mbock7

I want to get my CCNA, i have taken a basic cisco class which covered TCP/IP and OSI models, sub-netting, and just a basic overview on router config. my question is what would be the best way for me to prepare for the certification. I would prefer a cheap solution but i want it to prepare me.

Bokeh

Cheap - pick up some good study guides, some gear from ebay or craigslist, and set up your own home lab. Cheaper than going through a class somewhere.

famosbrown

I've had the opportunity of going to the Offical INCD1 and 2 courses through certified Cisco Learning partners along with having a small lab at home. The classes are great since I can read the course material first, then go back through the class at no extra charge to get questions asked and to use their remote lab gear.

It all depends on how you learn. If you feel you can really comprehend by just sitting down and reading, then do so along with some lab practicing. If you tend to day-dream a lot when you are reading, an instructor-led class might suit you if you can get the material ahead of time and try to get thorugh it before the class. This will ensure that everything the instructor goes over, you would have at least seen it already and getting a more down to earth explanation and application.

Just my opinion .

msteinhilber

If you are the type that has the discipline to go through your own self-study program, then I would pickup some books such as Lammle's CCNA Study Guide Sixth Edition and perhaps Odom's CCNA Official Exam Certification Library and go through those along with working any examples on a home lab if you can afford to piece together something off ebay fairly cheap.

For home lab equipment, I'm not sure if it's common in many areas but the University of Wisconsin system has a place where they sell all of their decommissioned gear dirt cheap which I've used to equip my lab with maxed out 2500's for $5 a pop, sure they are older than dirt but they do fine for many topics. I even scored a AS-2511RJ for $10 last year!

That's the route I would take, just hit the books and lab anything you can. If you run out of material, or want a change of pace - look through the forums here for people posting for help with problems with a config or something the are running into and try to solve it.

mbock7

Ok well i think i decided. Im actually supposed to be graduating with my BA in network security and one of my teachers suggested i just go for a double BA in network security and networking because they are fairly close and it would only take one more year to get the double BA. This way i will get both BA's and i will cover classes for CCNA, CCNP, MCSA. So i think im going to do it this way.