Is there a calculator on the CCNA?

abefroman

Is there a calculator on the CCNA?

And if so can it calculate powers?

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mikej412

No calculator -- other than your fingers and your dry erase note sheets & dry erase marker (or pen/pencil and paper).

abefroman

mikej412 wrote: »

No calculator -- other than your fingers and your dry erase note sheets & dry erase marker (or pen/pencil and paper).

OK, I am actually pretty good calculating in my head, but I do make a few mistakes, so a calculator is always nice.

jamesleecoleman

abefroman wrote: »

OK, I am actually pretty good calculating in my head, but I do make a few mistakes, so a calculator is always nice.

Just use the information that you put down on the dry erase sheets to help check to see if you're right about the information.

mikem2te

abefroman wrote: »

OK, I am actually pretty good calculating in my head, but I do make a few mistakes, so a calculator is always nice.

I always write a few number sequences on the dry wipe board to help. It goes something like-

  8   7   6   5   4   3   2   1
128 192 224 240 248 252 254 255
128  64  32  16   8   4   2   1

notgoing2fail

mikem2te wrote: »
I always write a few number sequences on the dry wipe board to help. It goes something like-
  8   7   6   5   4   3   2   1
128 192 224 240 248 252 254 255
128  64  32  16   8   4   2   1

That's awesome. I have it memorized with those numbers as well. If you can remember those numbers, subnetting is quite easy...

It can be daunting at first for newbies, but it all makes sense...

DevilWAH

notgoing2fail wrote: »

If you can remember those numbers, subnetting is quite easy...

Why remember? Just plan what your table needs and work the values out as you write it down..

my table is my head is

bit
vlaue
mask
slash notation,
hosts
subnets

I still find even though I can do much of it in my head now, taking those few minutes to actualy work though it on paper, rather than just remembering a string of values. settles down the brain and give you a quick revision on sub netting before you start.

notgoing2fail

DevilWAH wrote: »

Why remember? Just plan what your table needs and work the values out as you write it down..

my table is my head is

bit
vlaue
mask
slash notation,
hosts
subnets

I still find even though I can do much of it in my head now, taking those few minutes to actualy work though it on paper, rather than just remembering a string of values. settles down the brain and give you a quick revision on sub netting before you start.

Oh no don't get me wrong, I think everyone should take advantage of writing everything they can before the test.

I actually didn't do that yesterday in my exam. I was just too eager to get started. I didn't even both to go through the tutorial before the exam started.

But at the end of the day, you should write it down, it will help you to avoid mistakes, especially in the heat of the moment during the test...

mikem2te

DevilWAH wrote: »

I still find even though I can do much of it in my head now, taking those few minutes to actualy work though it on paper, rather than just remembering a string of values. settles down the brain and give you a quick revision on sub netting before you start.

I religously write the table down in every exem, never needed to use them though, like you say, the act of writing them down brings them to the front of my mind ready for the exam.

steve514

No table. Remember the subnet table by heart

xciton

I just wrote my CCNA yesutrday and the first question that came up that needed subnetting I wrote the whole table out:

[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Times New Roman][FONT=arial][FONT=Courier New]
  9   10   11   12   13   14   15   16
 17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24
 25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32
--------------------------------------
128  192  224  240  248  252  254  255
128   64   32   16    8    4    2    1[/FONT]
[/FONT][/FONT][/COLOR]

Then I know quickly the CIDR, Netmask, and block size.

blackninja

It's like having a gun - better to have one and not need it, than to need it and not have one

Write it down, just to stop stupid mistakes!

thehourman

xciton wrote: »
I just wrote my CCNA yesutrday and the first question that came up that needed subnetting I wrote the whole table out:
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Times New Roman][FONT=arial][FONT=Courier New]
  9   10   11   12   13   14   15   16
 17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24
 25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32
--------------------------------------
128  192  224  240  248  252  254  255
128   64   32   16    8    4    2    1[/FONT]
[/FONT][/FONT][/COLOR]
Then I know quickly the CIDR, Netmask, and block size.

What exactly the 1st 3 lines for?

DevilWAH

thehourman wrote: »

What exactly the 1st 3 lines for?

Bit numbers of the last 3 octects

also givs you your slash notation

VAHokie56

xciton wrote: »

I just wrote my CCNA yesutrday and the first question that came up that needed subnetting I wrote the whole table out:

[FONT=Times New Roman][FONT=arial]
[FONT=Times New Roman][COLOR=#000000] 9   10   11   12   13   14   15   16[/COLOR][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][COLOR=#000000]17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24[/COLOR][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][COLOR=#000000]25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32[/COLOR][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][COLOR=#000000]--------------------------------------[/COLOR][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][COLOR=#000000]128  192  224  240  248  252  254  255[/COLOR][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][COLOR=#000000]128   64   32   16    8    4    2    1[/COLOR][/FONT]
[/FONT][/FONT]

Then I know quickly the CIDR, Netmask, and block size.

This almost the exact table I have been using. Did you pass the exam btw?

xciton

VAHokie56 wrote: »

This almost the exact table I have been using. Did you pass the exam btw?

Yes, I passed first try with 885 with 25 minutes to spare. I should have gone slower I guess.

rsutton

I think most Prometric centers give you a calculator, you could call the center you are going to ahead of time and ask.

mikej412

rsutton wrote: »

I think most Prometric centers give you a calculator, you could call the center you are going to ahead of time and ask.

Even if the Prometric centers gave someone a calculator, the Pearson VUE Test Center where the Cisco Exams are given wouldn't allow the person to take it into the test room.

xciton

I was barely allowed to take a clean unused tissue into the exam area (I had a cold); I'd suggest you'd never get a physical calculator in. If Cisco wanted you to have it, they would have incorporated a software calculator into the testing application.

But honestly, if you can't workout bit <-> decimal conversions manually (in your head or paper), then that may be a sign that you're not ready to attempt the exam.

notgoing2fail

xciton wrote: »

I was barely allowed to take a clean unused tissue into the exam area (I had a cold); I'd suggest you'd never get a physical calculator in. If Cisco wanted you to have it, they would have incorporated a software calculator into the testing application.

But honestly, if you can't workout bit <-> decimal conversions manually (in your head or paper), then that may be a sign that you're not ready to attempt the exam.

Wow you're just like me! I was sick as a dog on Monday. I was allowed to bring my tissues, I even showed them that it was blank and I wasn't trying to ****, they laughed....

I really appreciated it because it would have been damn impossible to do the exam with a runny nose....

rsutton

When I took my ICND1 there was a calculator at the computer. Whoops?

Robinhood6062

I find that memorizing those grids is a lot harder than just remember the powers of 2 :P also once you understand binary, wildcard/subnet masks are just as easy as the powers of 2.

fly351

mikem2te wrote: »
I always write a few number sequences on the dry wipe board to help. It goes something like-
  8   7   6   5   4   3   2   1
128 192 224 240 248 252 254 255
128  64  32  16   8   4   2   1

very nice, thanks for sharing that. I already right out the bit value but never thought about subnet. I am going to begin studying (again...) next week and hope to pass my CCNA first week or so in June.

ogbucket1901

Very cool to see all the different ways everyone writes their sub chart. I actually replace the top line with 2 4 8 16 32 64 128. This allows me to quickly figure/relate subnets to hosts and hosts to subnets.