Physical Lab needed for CCNA?

Hi People,

I was wondering what peoples opinions where on whether it is really necessary to have a physical lab for a CCNA?

You can do pretty much everything with packet tracer. Sure it would be nice to have more physical experience with the equipment, and with having to purchase ans spec. them too, but surely it's really a luxury?

That said, I do think i'll get a couple of 2611's and a switch or two

your thoughts :P

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Comments

Slowhand

A lab is only a luxury if you're working with the equipment you need to learn every day. If you think you can get away with what Packet Tracer can do, that's fine. If you want to build a physical lab or at the very least work with GNS3, then that's much, much better.

Netwurk

If you have hands on at work, then a lab might not be necessary. But if you don't, a lab might be a good idea. Or at least try GNS3 as Slowhand said.

At any rate, good luck with your studies.

alan2308

Theres still a lot of things you'll never experience if you've only worked with a simulator. At some point you really need to touch some real equipment, even if it's just a couple of 2500's you got off of ebay for $15 each.

iSpaZZZ

I'm starting to come round to the idea that a physical lab is really worth it, especially for doing things like password recovery etc.

Sure you can pass the exams, but you are not going to look good, if you have barely even touched a router in the real world!

I think I'm going to the bay to grab a couple of routers!

alan2308

That's a very wise attitude iSpaZZZ. You really will be better off in the long run.

A lot of those who argue for using the simulators exclusively have the attitude that if it's not going to be on the CCNA, then it's not worth learning. And by that logic, PT will really teach you everything you should ever need to know.

WilliamK99

alan2308 wrote: »

That's a very wise attitude iSpaZZZ. You really will be better off in the long run.

A lot of those who argue for using the simulators exclusively have the attitude that if it's not going to be on the CCNA, then it's not worth learning. And by that logic, PT will really teach you everything you should ever need to know.

And that is why you have so many "paper" certified people. It's worth learning regardless if it is on a certification exam because knowledge is power.... If you are just studying to get a certification, without learning anything, I suggest another profession.

mark_s0

I started off using packet tracer and found it useful for getting used to IOS commands. I decided to fork out for a lab, just some 2611's and a 2610xm off ebay to get a more hands-on experience and I would really recommend it. It's little things like unplugging a physical cable and seeing the effects on the router i.e. interface status messages or setting up a physical tftp server and uploading configs. It's not the same doing it on packet tracer.

If anything it also made me work harder because I've paid for it using my own money. It sounds silly but it's motivating, especially when money is tight and the money could have been used elsewhere.

Good luck in your studies.

TheSuperRuski

Also, when I was messing around with packet tracer there are some commands I don't think you can do with it. I forgot where I got the lab manual from but it was pretty in-depth and I remember not being able to complete the trunking lab because some of the commands wouldn't work with packet tracer. So I would opt for a lab even if it's just a router and a switch at the moment.

iSpaZZZ

mark_s0 wrote: »

It's little things like unplugging a physical cable and seeing the effects on the router i.e. interface status messages or setting up a physical tftp server and uploading configs. It's not the same doing it on packet tracer.

Agreed, also PT always has up to date IOS etc, I started playing with a spare switch at work, with IOS 12.0 and it threw me, and also I messed up the config, meaning I had to use the micro-IOS, all good experience, and not easily reproduced on PT ...

cyberguypr

Years ago I took a Cisco course and used simulators. I was going for CCNA but completely lost interest as I couldn't afford equipment. I put CCNA in my to-do list for 2011 and already purchased two 2610XMs and two 2950s are next. For me, being able to have a lab definitely brought excitement and motivation. I say go for it if you can spare a few hundred bucks.

mikej412

iSpaZZZ wrote: »

I was wondering what peoples opinions where on whether it is really necessary to have a physical lab for a CCNA?

If you're in a 3rd world country competing for the few CCNA jobs available in that country against everyone else who also doesn't have access to real hardware -- then you can get by without a physical lab.

If you're in the US, not having ever touched a real router would put you at a disadvantage competing against other noob CCNAs -- but you still might be considered for the job if you dazzle your interviewer with your Cisco knowledge and skills (and the fact you've never touched Cisco router or switch doesn't ever come up during the interview).

If you do have a hands on lab test as part of your technical interview, don't ask "which one is the router" if there's a rack of equipment -- pretend to admire the rack first and look for the Cisco logos -- and read the port/module descriptions. The console port usually has a label that says console -- so don't plug the console cable into an Ethernet port.

Greenmet29

I've been studying for my ccent for about 6 months now.... and have built a fairly decent lab (imo) for my level of studies. IMO, the knowledge that i've gained from having the equipment is priceless, and most of it could not have been learned from using gns3 or packet tracer.

For example, I bought a 2501 router off craigslist for $20.00. When I got it home, it didn't have 16/16, so it was pretty much useless. So I upgraded the ram and the flash. When I got the ram and flash, I figured out that it wouldn't use the flash (I think it was flash) that I bought because the bootrom was old. So I had to upgrade the bootrom.

There are other things too, like upgrading the IOS to support different things like ssh.

CollegeBoi

Greenmet29 wrote: »

I've been studying for my ccent for about 6 months now.... and have built a fairly decent lab (imo) for my level of studies. IMO, the knowledge that i've gained from having the equipment is priceless, and most of it could not have been learned from using gns3 or packet tracer.

For example, I bought a 2501 router off craigslist for $20.00. When I got it home, it didn't have 16/16, so it was pretty much useless. So I upgraded the ram and the flash. When I got the ram and flash, I figured out that it wouldn't use the flash (I think it was flash) that I bought because the bootrom was old. So I had to upgrade the bootrom.

There are other things too, like upgrading the IOS to support different things like ssh.

Greenmet29,

I am looking CCENT and recent purchased some routers and a switch but after reading some blog posts online, I found they were not ideal for CCENT/CCNA work. What books did you use for labs. I am a newbie and missing alot of information on putting this together after my Net+ test tomorrow. Any advice would be a great help.

Greenmet29

I purchased the cisco press set by wendell odem at barnes and noble for like 80 or 90 bucks. You can probably get it online a little cheaper. I've read it once through completely and will have read it a second time through in a few more days.

I have also watched the cbtnugget videos for icnd1 twice through. The cbt nuggets, in my opinion, are supplemental to the book.

Hope this helps!

Greenmet29

Oh and my advice as far as buying equipment, is do your research before you buy it. From what I have found, you're not going to get a router or a switch for less than about 50 bucks on ebay that will be of much help for you in your ccent/ccna studies. You could take a chance and get one that the seller doesn't specify the flash and memory, but you may get stuck upgrading the memory (which isn't the cheapest either) in order for it to work for your needs.

With computer memory so cheap nowadays, I find it difficult to spend $10.00 on a stick of 16MB of memory for anything, lol

Netwurk

Research, research, research. Keep at it and you'll learn a lot.

We have kids at work who have CCNA's but most of them are clueless. I help them out when I can, they are smarter than me in a way as they don't fail the Cisco tests the first time around like I do.

Anyhow, go with the real equipment if you can afford it (and the utility bill that goes with it - I catch hekk from my wife about the electric bill but she understands in the long run). And my son thinks it's cool when my voice router rings our old rotary phone.

And go Phils - how the fook did we get so lucky to land Cliff Lee?????