CCNA Router Simuluators

xetrev

Who makes good CCNA router sims? I Just finished TESTouts sim's and they seem easy. I noticed it did not have a OSPF config lab. Can anyone suggest any sims? Money is no problem here!

Webmaster

Check out www.routersim.com or www.boson.com for a good sim...

but if money is no problem, why not go for the real deal and get yourself a couple of used routers and switches and built your own lab?

hhisgett

I agree with Webmaster. Routersim is really easy to learn to use, but they lack alot of the necessary support for the entire IOS command sets. Go to eBay and get ya some used equipment.

xetrev

i have the equipment at my house but i never get a chance to study when i am at home. I have all the time in the world at work!

Lynx

Personally i'd recommend Boson over Routersim.. i've tried both and found that Routersim didn't have enough of the IOS commands implemented..

Boson has a good list of routers & switches and if you get the Beta2b which is for CCNP you can implement a large amount of configs.. more than enough for CCNA..

network visualizer only gives u 3 devices if I recall..

i tend to study stuff on the train, makes it a bit hard to setup "physical" networks :P

medic

I'm pretty happy with Boson's (now Cisco Press) simulator. This is the only one I have used so I have nothing to compair it to though.

Like the saying goes, "ain't nothing like the real thing". But, this is pretty close.

xetrev

where are you guys getting ideas for your physical setup labs? like what to setup?

Fu Loser

I have Boson CCNP 6.0 and I would recoomend it for everyone.

get it now for $250 instead of $500 after full-release.

It comes with about 80 detailed labs for CCNA at the moment. CCNP labs in full version. The labs are very specific to labs for just general/scenario. Most of them have summeries and practice questions about the lab.

You can also grade your labs, which is very nice. The grading compaires the commands you have entered to the ones required. Works about 95% of the time, not bad at all.

c_g

I have both Sybex CCNA Virtual Lab and I jsut got the Boson (now Cisco Press) CCNA simulator. I used the Virtual Lab for a while and I just got frustrated when the functionality was limited. It made me start to really question if I knew who to do some things, really frustrating at times. I have only had the Cisco/Boson simulator a short time and I really like. It comes with a lot to it. Although it didn't come with a lab manual like the Virtual Lab did. It does however have pdf files of book chapters, which are quite helpful. Anyway, thats my 8 cents worth.

Fu Loser

You should have bought Boson CCNP, it comes with CCNA for free.

Nocturnal

If money is no object, get a sim and two or three routers and a couple of switches, including at least one 2900 series switch. I recommend getting used routers so you can get used to putting the hardware together and also password recovery; the sims for experience working with lots of nodes.

The real routers are great for exploring the additional functionality you don't get from the sims, and the sims are great for working with all of the additional hardware you can't afford...but if you can afford to buy 10 routers, and three or four switches, go for it!!!

The cabernet is talking tonight!!!

Jerz

Fu Loser wrote:

You should have bought Boson CCNP, it comes with CCNA for free.

I bought the Boson Cisco CCNA Network Simulater from Amazon for $92.46 shipped and I can upgrade to CCNP for half price providing I act within 30days of purchase... So I'll have CCNA & CCNP for $124.98 + $92.46 = $217.44

asoft

Hello,
Two other router simulator resources not as well known yet (in addition to popularly known boson.com simulator) are:
http://routersimulator.certexams.com
http://www.semsim.com/router-simula...reen-shots.html

However, note that a simulator is a software tool and will not give the same experience as working on real routers. The advantage is that they are inexpensive, and provide some basic to advanced commands support along with practice labs.

albin1e4

Jerz,

Is that an advertised special? I'm looking on Amazon right now, but I'm not seeing any mention of a CCNP discount with the purchase of Boson CCNA.

Brian

Jerz

albin1e4 wrote:

Jerz,

Is that an advertised special? I'm looking on Amazon right now, but I'm not seeing any mention of a CCNP discount with the purchase of Boson CCNA.

Brian

I didn't se it advertised anywhere... I just kind of stumbled on it the other day when I was going through boson's site so since I received the cisco ccna network simulator from Amazon already I though I'd give it a whirl (figured I'd eventually end up getting boson ccnp anyway) and entered my serial # in on the online checkout page, updated and it gave me the discount so I went ahead and bought it, downloaded it, and will be getting the cd version mailed to me when the official release is out.

Oh, not sure if you noticed this on the link in the other thread (I guess Boson is advertising the discount):
After purchasing the Cisco CCNA Network Simulator you are eligible to receive 50 percent off the retail price of any one Boson.com Shopping Cart software-only order. You will need to use your unique serial number from the retail Cisco CCNA Network Simulator. Your serial number will be used as a discount code for the Boson software shopping cart.

xetrev

hey what you guys have to realize is when you take the test, you are taking it on a simulator. So it does help to use the sims.

zillah

Thanks for this information

hmclean100

I'm using Semsim, and it's pretty decent, not enough labs though, but it has good troubleshooting exercises. check it out ...

I actually blew through Semsim, I was checking out boson, the product is ExSim-Max for Cisco 640-802 and the cost is $150 dollars,any one of you guys ever used it.

tiersten

You registered on the forum just to resurrect a 3 year old thread? o.O

djhss68

xetrev wrote: »

hey what you guys have to realize is when you take the test, you are taking it on a simulator. So it does help to use the sims.

Quote of the century right here.