simulators?

Does anyone know some sort of simulator I can use to help me with the simulations for the exam?

I just don't have the practice with the routers and all the commands that I need to pass the simulation on the test. I'm not in college right now and I don't have my own lab but I really want this cert.

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thenjduke

Packet Tracer, GNS, Boson. GNS or Packet Tracer would be my recommendation.

Norbie

thenjduke wrote: »

Packet Tracer, GNS, Boson. GNS or Packet Tracer would be my recommendation.

How do I get Packet Tracer if I'm not in college? I would really like to use it.

alan2308

Norbie wrote: »

How do I get Packet Tracer if I'm not in college? I would really like to use it.

You have to be a Cisco CNA student, instructor or alum to legally obtain a copy of PacketTracer.

However, if you take the time to learn GNS3, you'll be better off in the long run. Packet Tracer is quite limited and wont do much more than what you need to know for the CCNA, but GNS3 will take you all the way through the CCIE since its running an actual IOS image and therefore does everything.

DevilWAH

alan2308 wrote: »

You have to be a Cisco CNA student, instructor or alum to legally obtain a copy of PacketTracer.

However, if you take the time to learn GNS3, you'll be better off in the long run. Packet Tracer is quite limited and wont do much more than what you need to know for the CCNA, but GNS3 will take you all the way through the CCIE since its running an actual IOS image and therefore does everything.

Although I strongly agree that GNS3 is by far the more indepth tool, it does assume you have good computer skills and a fair bit of network/IOS knowledge to get up and running. Where as Packet tracer is very point and click to get up and running.

And the ability to be able to watch the packets cross the network in packet tracer and open them up to see what is happing as they cross devices and what discesions and getting made at the different layers of the OS model is great. You also have Switch simulation in packet tracer some thing that is lacking in GNS3, as well as clients, dhcp, dns, webserver, radias server all built in to packet tracer (OK at a basic level but it will teach you the basic ideas)

If you are starting out in networking and you can get hold of packet tracer it is in my view a much better tool to learn with, no other tool out there will show you graphical where you problems, are and explain in easy to understand terms what exactly is happening.

Yes GNS3 allows you to run real IOS's from real switches/routers. however the average CCNA student will not touch 90% of the features on the real hardware.

Getting hold of it??? Well as people have said you need to be a official CCNA student with CISCO.............

thehourman

alan2308 wrote: »

You have to be a Cisco CNA student, instructor or alum to legally obtain a copy of PacketTracer.

However, if you take the time to learn GNS3, you'll be better off in the long run. Packet Tracer is quite limited and wont do much more than what you need to know for the CCNA, but GNS3 will take you all the way through the CCIE since its running an actual IOS image and therefore does everything.

Does GNS3 have switches?
All I can get are routers. The switch that is available does not have CLI.

Monkerz

You have to purchase the switch's IOS image, as well as, the router's. GNS uses the hardware's actual image to operate.

alan2308

thehourman wrote: »

Does GNS3 have switches?
All I can get are routers. The switch that is available does not have CLI.

It's unable to do switches directly, but you can put a switching module into a 3640 router. Look here (go to the switching labs, it walks you through the setup) and here. It also has the advantage of being able to simulate PIX and ASA firewalls, and can connect to real equipment. Look here for that.

@DevilWAH - For anyone that has access to a copy of Packet Tracer, then yes, they should use it. The self scoring activities alone make PT an invaluable tool. But for those who didn't elect to take the CNA route, GNS3 is really their only free alternative.

dairou18

I used Wendell Odom's network simulator as well as a 2500 router I got off of ebay for $20. I also bought the Sybex CCNA simulator when I was buying Todd Lammle's CCNA book from Amazon. I liked Odom's simulator a lot better, but I would get a cheap $20 router and practice with that too if you can.