Passed CCNA - 987

Yesterday I passed CCNA, so I just wanted to thank everybody on this forum for sorting out some dilemmas that I had while preparing for the exam.

If anybody has any question about the exam, just ask.

Now I have some more questions

So, what do you think about going for CCNP and preparing on my own? I have some lab equipment, few 2610 routers and 2950 switches and 3550 switch, but most CCNP labs require XM series routers...What about books? Are Cisco Press books enough for the exams? And what about the changes in the exams that are happening in 2 months? Any tip or advice about should I try this or not and how hard it is and how to prepare is really welcome.

Thanks!

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danb83

newman555 wrote: »

Yesterday I passed CCNA, so I just wanted to thank everybody on this forum for sorting out some dilemmas that I had while preparing for the exam. If anybody has any question about the exam, just ask.

Now I have some more questions

So, what do you think about going for CCNP and preparing on my own? I have some lab equipment, few 2610 routers and 2950 switches and 3550 switch, but most CCNP labs require XM series routers...What about books? Are Cisco Press books enough for the exams? And what about the changes in the exams that are happening in 2 months? Any tip or advice about should I try this or not and how hard it is and how to prepare is really welcome. Thanks!

Are the exams changing?

newman555

Well, I was thinking about the change from BSCI, BCSMN,ONT,ISCW to CCNP ROUTE, SWITCH and TSHOOT. I know that's old news, but since this is really happening in 4 months, I guess I'm not sure where to start my prep for CCNP and what sort of prep to use?

mikem2te

newman555 wrote: »

Yesterday I passed CCNA, so I just wanted to thank everybody on this forum for sorting out some dilemmas that I had while preparing for the exam. If anybody has any question about the exam, just ask.

Now I have some more questions

So, what do you think about going for CCNP and preparing on my own? I have some lab equipment, few 2610 routers and 2950 switches and 3550 switch, but most CCNP labs require XM series routers...What about books? Are Cisco Press books enough for the exams? And what about the changes in the exams that are happening in 2 months? Any tip or advice about should I try this or not and how hard it is and how to prepare is really welcome. Thanks!

Go for the CCNP, I've recently started it and it answers loads of unanswered questions left over from the CCNA.

Don't worry about the change of exams, the amount of overlap between Switch & BCMSN and Route & BSCI is huge so it is safe to get hold of material for the older exams and use them to study for the later exams. Loads of people self study using the Cisco Press books and get the CCNP, remember though getting the "Exam Guide" only will not be sufficient, you'll need to lab, get the CiscoPress "Self Study" books, read around the internet etc to get a good handle on everything.

People recommend Jeff Doyles "Routing TCP/IP" as well for the BSCI/Route.

Not sure XM series routers are required for the CCNP, another Layer 3 switch could come in handy.

notgoing2fail

Congrats! Good to see other new CCNA's around here. My test is scheduled for next week. Hope I can bring some good news as well.

Without getting too ahead of myself, I've been thinking about the CCNP as well.

I wasn't sure if I should do CCNA wireless/voice/security first then move onto CCNP, but I think Mike is right, go for the CCNP.

Once you get your CCNP, then you can look at the specialties like wireless/voice/security, even if you have to go back and do the CCNA level tests....

peanutnoggin

CONGRATS on your pass!!! Good luck on your future endeavors!

captobvious

Congrats on the pass!

And a Friday pass means you can enjoy more

As far as what to do next, it depends on what you do and like to study. Good luck!

CiskHo

mikem2te wrote: »

Loads of people self study using the Cisco Press books and get the CCNP, remember though getting the "Exam Guide" only will not be sufficient, you'll need to lab, get the CiscoPress "Self Study" books, read around the internet etc to get a good handle on everything.

Having just taken (and failed) the CCNP SWITCH exam I would definately agree with this. I only had the Official Exam Guide and it was not enough. Several topics were not addressed in enough detail. Get your hands on a copy of the SWITCH Quick Reference Guide if you can find it. It helps fill the holes in the Official Guide. I do not believe the Self Study books are out yet for the SWITCH/ROUTE/TSHOOT track.

mikem2te wrote: »

Not sure XM series routers are required for the CCNP, another Layer 3 switch could come in handy.

Again, I agree. I do not see why an XM would be needed but then again I haven't made it over to ROUTE just yet. Still the XM should mean "high performance" and you simply don't need that for a home lab. Another 3550 or a 3560 would be great if you can swing it.

mikej412

Congratulations!!

The Exam Certification Guides are out for the new exams, but only the TSHOOT Self Study book is out right now -- and you want to do that exam last. When I checked a couple of days ago, the ROUTE Self-Study book was due out in June and the SWITCH Self-Study was due out in May.

You might consider getting Doyle's Routing TCP/IP Volumes and reading those (and doing labs) while you wait for the rest of the new CCNP books to come out.

notgoing2fail

CiskHo wrote: »

Having just taken (and failed) the CCNP SWITCH exam I would definately agree with this. I only had the Official Exam Guide and it was not enough. Several topics were not addressed in enough detail. Get your hands on a copy of the SWITCH Quick Reference Guide if you can find it. It helps fill the holes in the Official Guide. I do not believe the Self Study books are out yet for the SWITCH/ROUTE/TSHOOT track.

Sorry to hear that, I'm sure you'll ace it next time! I have some questions regarding CCNP so please read below....

mikej412 wrote: »

Congratulations!!

The Exam Certification Guides are out for the new exams, but only the TSHOOT Self Study book is out right now -- and you want to do that exam last. When I checked a couple of days ago, the ROUTE Self-Study book was due out in June and the SWITCH Self-Study was due out in May.

You might consider getting Doyle's Routing TCP/IP Volumes and reading those (and doing labs) while you wait for the rest of the new CCNP books to come out.

After the CCNA(which I don't have just yet) I'd like to hit the CCNP hard. I went back on some of your links to see what kind of lab is good for CCNP. I still haven't figured out the right equipment to get yet. I'd like to consolidate as much as possible and get equipment that would suffice for Route, Switch and TS. But I have to do my due diligence first...my question anyways is...

I have the CCNP library from the most recent retired set(I bought it years ago). I'd like to try the Switch exam first. I hear that many topics from the BCMSN is the same on the Switch book by Cisco Press.

I'd like to be prepared as possible, so from a book standpoint, do you guys feel I should read the BCMSN AND the new Switch book or is that wasting my money? I'm just concerned that if there is even one chapter in the new Switch book that's not on the BCMSN, I could miss out on some important info....

I've never even heard of the "exam certification guides" so I have to look into that to see if maybe that will fill in the gaps?

I also heard that there's another set of books that are suppose ease you into the CCNP from the CCNA.

mikej412

notgoing2fail wrote: »

I have some questions regarding CCNP so please read below....

The old Cisco Press self-titled self-study guides are now the Foundation Guides & the old Exam Certification Guides seem to be the Certification Guides now. Just check out the Cisco Press CCNP web page for the available books and the description of the different "series" of books.

If you don't have years of experience working will all the technologies at a Cisco Business Partner (or Global Enterprise Organization) you'll probably start with the Foundation Guide for the exam and use the Certification Guide as your review & final preparation before the exam.

You can fill in your studies with the other books/ebooks if you want to spend some more money. The Quick Reference Sheets could be a quick intro to the subjects to give you an idea of what's going to be important in the Foundation Guide -- and it could be your exam day review reading material. The command references may be useful if you don't want to keep a separate command list/doc as you study -- but unless you're planning to read & review that regularly, it may not be as effective as just taking notes.

The lab portfolios are good if you have the time, the money, and the inclination to work through them. I did the CCNA Network Academy and my eyes would glaze over as I was "led through the tasks" in the old CCNA Lab Portfolio -- but I stayed awake by asking myself what I was supposed to be learning and muddled through.

If you feel you need more lab work than the exercises and demo networks & examples in the Cisco Press Books, then you probably need the Lab Portfolios.

If you have the "old books" you can read those while you wait for the rest of the "new books" to be published -- but you're going to want to read the new books.

I haven't taken the time to go through the updated exam blueprints or the Exam Certif.... er, Certification Guides yet, so I'm not sure what's changed for "lab purposes."

In the past, because if the MPLS in the CCNP, one of your initial CCNA lab routers would have to support MPLS, and then you'd add a 5th router (that ran MPLS) to that. Toss in a layer 3 switch to a CCNA Lab and you had a good CCNP lab. Other option was to skip the 5th router and use Dynamips for the BSCI exam -- and that should still work for ROUTE.

notgoing2fail

mikej412 wrote: »

The old Cisco Press self-titled self-study guides are now the Foundation Guides & the old Exam Certification Guides seem to be the Certification Guides now. Just check out the Cisco Press CCNP web page for the available books and the description of the different "series" of books.

If you don't have years of experience working will all the technologies at a Cisco Business Partner (or Global Enterprise Organization) you'll probably start with the Foundation Guide for the exam and use the Certification Guide as your review & final preparation before the exam.

You can fill in your studies with the other books/ebooks if you want to spend some more money. The Quick Reference Sheets could be a quick intro to the subjects to give you an idea of what's going to be important in the Foundation Guide -- and it could be your exam day review reading material. The command references may be useful if you don't want to keep a separate command list/doc as you study -- but unless you're planning to read & review that regularly, it may not be as effective as just taking notes.

The lab portfolios are good if you have the time, the money, and the inclination to work through them. I did the CCNA Network Academy and my eyes would glaze over as I was "led through the tasks" in the old CCNA Lab Portfolio -- but I stayed awake by asking myself what I was supposed to be learning and muddled through.

If you feel you need more lab work than the exercises and demo networks & examples in the Cisco Press Books, then you probably need the Lab Portfolios.

If you have the "old books" you can read those while you wait for the rest of the "new books" to be published -- but you're going to want to read the new books.

I haven't taken the time to go through the updated exam blueprints or the Exam Certif.... er, Certification Guides yet, so I'm not sure what's changed for "lab purposes."

In the past, because if the MPLS in the CCNP, one of your initial CCNA lab routers would have to support MPLS, and then you'd add a 5th router (that ran MPLS) to that. Toss in a layer 3 switch to a CCNA Lab and you had a good CCNP lab. Other option was to skip the 5th router and use Dynamips for the BSCI exam -- and that should still work for ROUTE.

Great write up! I read it over about 3x time and I still have to figure out what is what, what is new and what is now old. LOL...

I'm sure I'll figure it out....hopefully it all becomes clear for everyone as well pretty soon....

I don't have much real world experience. I've done some consulting hear and there believe it or not but I'd say they were pretty basic setups. Everything I do now is going to be from my own labs which I have to build from scratch and just mingling with people here, and as many books I can possibly pick up.

I just don't have a Cisco partner or any other place like a college to gain access to a lab. But that's ok, I knew this going forward and I'm fine with it. As long as I spend my money carefully and not over buy or buy the wrong things....

I'm definitely a hands on guy, I need to physically touch the equipment. I think the more experienced people around here are ok with GNS3 and some simulators, but I believe it's because they have the experience so they are just looking to build some quick networks for testing. For new guys like myself, there's something to be said about simply plugging and unplugging cables to a router/switch and putting it up on a rack....

newman555

A big thanks to everybody!

After celebrating (or should I say, continuing celebrating) and resting for a while, I think I'll go for the BSCI/ROUTE.

I've got 3X2610s and I can borrow one 2610XM, so I guess that should be enough for BSCI, right?

Maybe I'll try to get one more XM router. I have Doyle's Routing TCP/IP volume I and I'll think I'll try to get BSCI official exam guide from Cisco Press and also CCNP ROUTE, I heard it's really a good book. And of course, some lab guide. I hope that is enough for that one. And after that I'll start thinking about SWITCH and TSHOOT.

Equipment is the biggest problem, especially for me, cause getting it over customs and explaining why I need it, is a real drag. But, I guess I'll have to figure something out, cause the ultimate goal is to get the CCNP and maybe open some new job opportunities...

mikem2te

newman555 wrote: »

Equipment is the biggest problem, especially for me, cause getting it over customs and explaining why I need it, is a real drag.

That sounds a pain. Having real equipment is a real plus but I find I'm playing around with GNS3 more lately, yes, it crashes a lot but it integrates with Wireshark really well allowing me to see the packets routing protocols pass around. Still use the real lab when messing around with network scenarios though.