Just starting out on CCENT.

Well, Santa left me my Cisco Press ICND1 Official Study Guide and my Sybex CCENT Study Guide - don't know how he knew

. I've started my studies, and I'm currently reading the Odom book.

I noticed you guys talking about GNS3 and Cisco's Packet Tracer. I downloaded GNS3 but it needs an IOS licence from the look of things.

In addition, I can't find the packet tracer on the Cisco site - at least, it looks like I'd have to be studying through the CNA, which I do not want to do, in order to download it. Is my assumption correct?

One more thing... having the hardware and/or simulators is great; however, is there anything that actually walks me through setting up the switches/routers on a sample LAN and/or WAN correctly? What I don't want to do is merely 'fanny' around with the stuff; I actually want to delve deep and get a thorough understanding.

All help gratefully received.

John

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mikej412

You have to be a Cisco Network Academy Student or Alumni to download Packet Tracer. It's great for homework assignments and 3rd world country Network Academies that don't have enough real hardware to go around. It is getting better, and someday might be a full blown simulator (like Boson) -- but it still isn't there yet.

Dynamips -- and the frontends Dynagen/GNS3 -- requires an IOS image -- but the Cisco Software License states the IOS images are to be used on Cisco Hardware. So even if you had a Cisco Support Contract and access to download supported IOS images you'd still not be legal. But the same is true for the 2nd hand routers you purchase off eBay -- software licensing is the responsibility of the buyer, any valid license from the original owner for any IOS image installed on a 2nd hand router doesn't transfer to a new owner. Cisco hasn't shut down the sale of old hardware with IOS images installed -- so as long as you're not installing the used hardware and unlicensed IOS images at customer sites, you probably won't attract the attention of the Cisco IOS Software Police. A home lab with unlicensed IOS images also flys under the radar -- as long as you don't start running a rack rental business and undercutting the prices of the "legal companies."

The Cisco Press website is selling the CCNA Simulator which has Java or Flash based "labs." I think it probably walks you through the tasks, similar to the Labs that come with Boson CCNA Simulator -- just lots more of them.

GiddyG

Mike.

Thanks very much for the information. I find it weird that Cisco obviously want us to use their kit, but they seem to make it difficult for people to actually self-study using it. I presume that, should any kit I buy have an old IOS, then I would find it almost impossible to upgrade the IOS unless I was a proper business and/or training partner. Such is life...

I've just been on the Cisco Press site, and become a member. This gives me a whopping 30% discount on the CCNA Lab simulator, so worth signing up just for that. And it looks like the CCNA Lab simulator is split for ICND1 and ICND2 as well which is even better.

I am still going to get some hardware as well, but the CIsco Press simulator will help a heck of a lot.

Thanks again for your help.

John

veritas_libertas

GiddyG wrote: »

Mike.

Thanks very much for the information. I find it weird that Cisco obviously want us to use their kit, but they seem to make it difficult for people to actually self-study using it. I presume that, should any kit I buy have an old IOS, then I would find it almost impossible to upgrade the IOS unless I was a proper business and/or training partner. Such is life...

Not completely true... Cisco web site would let me get the latest update for the 2950, but for some reason not the 3500... odd.

I have finished the Odom book (It was a good read), and I am now almost half way through the ExamCram book which is also a very good read! I love finishing off certifications with an ExamCram book because it narrows down the reading to very precise books. I think this one is also doing a better job of explaining some things that I found confusing.

tiersten

veritas_libertas wrote: »

Not completely true... Cisco web site would let me get the latest update for the 2950, but for some reason not the 3500... odd.

Switch IOS files are available with guest level CCO access. I assume that the 3550 and other switches which have licensed feature sets (i.e. paid upgrade) require a service contract associated with your CCO account.

GiddyG

veritas_libertas wrote: »

Not completely true... Cisco web site would let me get the latest update for the 2950, but for some reason not the 3500... odd.

Ah... OK. Thanks.

I have finished the Odom book (It was a good read), and I am now almost half way through the ExamCram book which is also a very good read! I love finishing off certifications with an ExamCram book because it narrows down the reading to very precise books. I think this one is also doing a better job of explaining some things that I found confusing.

I've never been a fan of Exam Cram but, given the low cost of the book, I may well give it a try this time. Cheers.

GiddyG

tiersten wrote: »

Switch IOS files are available with guest level CCO access. I assume that the 3550 and other switches which have licensed feature sets (i.e. paid upgrade) require a service contract associated with your CCO account.

So, some are subject to licensing and others aren't? Sorry for sounding dim but what's a 'licensed feature set'? Merely a paid upgrade?

Thanks

SephStorm

Veritas, How long did it take you to read the book?

veritas_libertas

SephStorm wrote: »

Veritas, How long did it take you to read the book?

If I didn't have a busy life I could have done it in two weeks. Took a month...

The material is not complicated if you have a background in networking.

RouteThisWay

veritas_libertas wrote: »

If I didn't have a busy life I could have done it in two weeks. Took a month...

The material is not complicated if you have a background in networking.

Same issue I am running into atm

Finding the time, especially this time of year.

thenjduke

Study hard and you will do fine

GiddyG

Well... slowing down at the moment, as I try to get to grips with subnetting. Not doing too badly, using the site

IP Subnet Practice

The only issue I seem to have is that, even though I appreciate a mask of /19 is in the third octet, and the block size is (24-19=2^5=) 32, I still (for some insane reason) start working in the fourth subnet. I'm getting there though...

GiddyG

Just bought the 640-802 Network Simulator from Cisco Press. It was $130-ish, down to $105, but at checkout I got it for $97. Not bad, as it has 250 labs covering ICND1 and ICND2.

Looks good.

Turgon

GiddyG wrote: »

Well, Santa left me my Cisco Press ICND1 Official Study Guide and my Sybex CCENT Study Guide - don't know how he knew . I've started my studies, and I'm currently reading the Odom book.

I noticed you guys talking about GNS3 and Cisco's Packet Tracer. I downloaded GNS3 but it needs an IOS licence from the look of things.

In addition, I can't find the packet tracer on the Cisco site - at least, it looks like I'd have to be studying through the CNA, which I do not want to do, in order to download it. Is my assumption correct?

One more thing... having the hardware and/or simulators is great; however, is there anything that actually walks me through setting up the switches/routers on a sample LAN and/or WAN correctly? What I don't want to do is merely 'fanny' around with the stuff; I actually want to delve deep and get a thorough understanding.

All help gratefully received.

John

You could try some old gear. These come with IOS but the version varies. Years ago I would buy 2500's one at a time and upgrade them all to the highest version that came with one of them. Then I obtained through a friend a later version so I could practice more features. I had to upgrade the flash and dram on the devices to run it though but that was all part of the learning process. I still have a trusty stack of 2500's at home which I have used for hundreds of hours of practice. For the latest things I use remote rack hire. Get an old router off ebay and you could use the IOS provided for GNS. Just be sure to pick up a device that has a later version of IOS. The seller should confirm that.

Im not a GNS dynamips fan myself, although I never put in enough time attempting to set it up to allow myself to be converted. I have just got used to a noisy rack over the years

A couple of 'real' routers off ebay should give you plenty of that deep and thorough understanding experience you are looking for. Try 2 x 2500's if money is too tight to stretch to 2 x 2600 XM's.

GiddyG

Turgon wrote: »

You could try some old gear. These come with IOS but the version varies. Years ago I would buy 2500's one at a time and upgrade them all to the highest version that came with one of them. Then I obtained through a friend a later version so I could practice more features. I had to upgrade the flash and dram on the devices to run it though but that was all part of the learning process. I still have a trusty stack of 2500's at home which I have used for hundreds of hours of practice. For the latest things I use remote rack hire. Get an old router off ebay and you could use the IOS provided for GNS. Just be sure to pick up a device that has a later version of IOS. The seller should confirm that.

Im not a GNS dynamips fan myself, although I never put in enough time attempting to set it up to allow myself to be converted. I have just got used to a noisy rack over the years A couple of 'real' routers off ebay should give you plenty of that deep and thorough understanding experience you are looking for. Try 2 x 2500's if money is too tight to stretch to 2 x 2600 XM's.

Thanks for that Turgon.

Another couple of friends have suggested a seller off ebay who puts together useful labs for CCENT/CCNA. They're not cheap (£200 plus) but I will probably go with one of those... just need to smuggle it into the house...