PIX/ASA practice tests

Turgon

Are there any ligit ones for this test?

Thanks

Turgon

Ok I think I answered my own question now. Im looking for a practice test to get up to speed with PIX or ASA. Studyexams4less had one for PIX advanced, but you cant add it to the shopping cart. I imagine this is because Self Test and Transcender no longer do CCSP tests It's also not the current test for the CCSP. But that doesn't matter to me right now Im just looking for something to zap through to get my feet wet again.

SelfTestSoftware, Transcender and Boson do not do CCSP practice tests. Cool.

broc

Yep I know the feeling, I have been looking for some in the last few months but couldn't find anything! But there is very good study material for the ASA/PIX, Cisco ASA PIX and FWSM Handbook 2nd Edition by David Hucaby is a brilliant book, I read it while practising and breezed through both of the ASA exams (SNAF & SNAA).

The only subject missing from the book is VPNs, I used Cisco Website for that.

On the other hand, I'm working on the IPS exam right now to finish off my CCSP and there is very little material and no practice exams... I can't find any decent book and it's a shame as I'm a beginner with Cisco IPS really, I configured it in routers but never actually worked with a "proper" Cisco IPS.

Turgon

broc wrote: »

Yep I know the feeling, I have been looking for some in the last few months but couldn't find anything! But there is very good study material for the ASA/PIX, Cisco ASA PIX and FWSM Handbook 2nd Edition by David Hucaby is a brilliant book, I read it while practising and breezed through both of the ASA exams (SNAF & SNAA).

The only subject missing from the book is VPNs, I used Cisco Website for that.

On the other hand, I'm working on the IPS exam right now to finish off my CCSP and there is very little material and no practice exams... I can't find any decent book and it's a shame as I'm a beginner with Cisco IPS really, I configured it in routers but never actually worked with a "proper" Cisco IPS.

Examforce have tests! Woot!

642-524 Securing Networks with ASA Fundamentals :: Test Prep :: Cisco :: ExamForce

I will be getting some books but they will take time to get here and with an interview next week I need a test prep tool to bone up on things quickly. I will be getting the handbook you mentioned. Its been a few years since I supported PIX. All Checkpoint in my shops lately.

I may give this place a whirl for some PIX simulation..

http://networksims.com/

I was hoping to grab an old PIX exam practice test but none are available now at passexams4less.

Turgon

Interesting comment by Richard Deal who I have a lot of time for (great Switching book back in 2000)..

"Of all Cisco’s Professional-level exams, the SNAF is, hands-down, the most difficult exam. I teach ASA Specialist and CCSP bootcamps and all my students would heartedly agree with me."

Cisco ASA Specialist certification: SNAF 642-524 exam | Certiblog

Turgon

Ok I purchased the examforce ASA fundamentals test. Im working through this now and picking up on the terminology.

I also purchased a guide from here that looks pretty good.

Cisco ASA Firewall Fundamentals eBook Tutorial Guide

I will purchase the networksim PIX emulator next. If I can find some decent remote hire of PIX/ASA for a few hours that would be cool. Will get that Cisco Press Huckaby next week. Put this off for too long really but use Checkpoint mostly in the field

broc

Turgon wrote: »

"Of all Cisco’s Professional-level exams, the SNAF is, hands-down, the most difficult exam. I teach ASA Specialist and CCSP bootcamps and all my students would heartedly agree with me."

Makes me feel good about obtaining a good score on this exam I have to agree with him when he says that the SNAA is no more difficult than the SNAF. I actually passed both of them within a week. There is not much more material in the Advanced and I even had some questions repeated between the two exams!!

On another matter, I just saw that the latest version of gn3 (0.7RC1) can emulate an ASA. I haven't had the chance to try myself as Pemu doesn't run on my Mac nor my Windows 7 x64...

Turgon

broc wrote: »

Makes me feel good about obtaining a good score on this exam I have to agree with him when he says that the SNAA is no more difficult than the SNAF. I actually passed both of them within a week. There is not much more material in the Advanced and I even had some questions repeated between the two exams!!

On another matter, I just saw that the latest version of gn3 (0.7RC1) can emulate an ASA. I haven't had the chance to try myself as Pemu doesn't run on my Mac nor my Windows 7 x64...

Sounds like fun!

Any good links on getting the GN3 jazz set up to play with PIX or ASA?

broc

Here is a little tutorial for the GNS3 config using the 0.6 version :

I used the pix image 8.0.3 (and ASDM 8.0.3).

First thing is configuring a loopback on your host with 192.168.1.2 then you need to use a switch between the PIX and the cloud in GNS3.

You then configure E4 with 192.168.1.1 and give it a name.

pix(config)#int E4
pix(config-if)#ip address 192.168.1.1 255.255.255.0
pix(config-if)#no shut
pix(config-if)#duplex full
pix(config-if)#speed 100
pix(config-if)#nameif management

You then transfer the ASDM image using your ftp server:

pix(config)#copy tftp://192.168.1.2/asdm-603.bin

You then enable the https server and define the range of management ip addresses :

pix(config)#http server enable
pix(config)#http 192.168.1.1 255.255.255.0 management

Tell the PIX which ASDM image to use:

pix(config)#asdm image flash:asdm-603.bin

And finally create a username and password to access the HTTPS server:

pix(config)#username USER password PASSWORD privilege 15
pix#wr

You should be able to access the HTTPS server, try a reboot if it doesn't work the first time then install the ASDM on your computer and you're good to go. I had to downgrade my Java on XP to get it work... in case ASDM doesn't launch properly.

You should be able to use a similar procedure with an ASA image with GNS3 0.7 but I haven't tried it.

HTH

Broc

mikej412

Turgon wrote: »

Any good links on getting the GN3 jazz set up to play with PIX or ASA?

blindhog.net Pemu – Pix Emulator with GNS3

The PIX emulation finally made it worthwhile to keep GNS3 loaded on my laptop -- plus the last version I loaded used (or didn't mess up) my existing Dynamips/Dynagen like an earlier GNS3 version did. I can stick with my old NET files and Dynagen for my Routing & SP stuff and only fire up GNS3 when I want to PIX (and route).

Turgon

Well I did my first change on an ASA. I needed a little help, I suppose I dont have the 'Knack' just yet but pleasingly I was on precisely the right lines in terms of what I thought I need to do. The ADSM interface is very intuitive like Checkpoint.

Does anyone know of a playpen one can use to set up VPNs using the wizards and what not? Failing that I will have to rent some INE security racktime.

Bl8ckr0uter

Turgon wrote: »

Ok I purchased the examforce ASA fundamentals test. Im working through this now and picking up on the terminology.

I also purchased a guide from here that looks pretty good.

Cisco ASA Firewall Fundamentals eBook Tutorial Guide

I will purchase the networksim PIX emulator next. If I can find some decent remote hire of PIX/ASA for a few hours that would be cool. Will get that Cisco Press Huckaby next week. Put this off for too long really but use Checkpoint mostly in the field

When you are done, (if you have the time) could you do a brief write up on how well those two items are? I am going for my ASA specialist (working with some at work and emulating some in GNS3) some time this year (more than likely late June/early July) and I want to pool some resources. CCSP material is somewhat hard to come by.

Turgon

knwminus wrote: »

When you are done, (if you have the time) could you do a brief write up on how well those two items are? I am going for my ASA specialist (working with some at work and emulating some in GNS3) some time this year (more than likely late June/early July) and I want to pool some resources. CCSP material is somewhat hard to come by.

To be honest I cant. I spent the money and they are now useless resource. I got them to get a feel for the genre, which it gave me.

Having played with PIX/ASA in the field I would say 95% or admins do a good job and dont use this stuff.

For PIX emulator I would say its ok but after a few exercises I was lost.

For the document. It was ok but I got fairly bored. So far as I can see its mostly ADSM these days and the interface is intuitive like checkpoint. So you just have to use it and hope you dont break anything.

For the exam the practice exam I downloaded got into all kinds of spurious arcane details of ASA that I imagine most admins who work with ASA really dont know or care about. Add to which the exam itself is sim tested which the practice exam I used wasnt. So you most probably need the course to pass that or a ****.