Crash Course or self study for CCNA?

Been highly considering a crash course 7 saturdays 8 hours each day, a local it school teaches, they want about $1700 is it that a fair price. I like the idea of being ready for the test that soon and not having to study/wait for several months, On the other hand i know a little about networking and was wondering is it possible to self study for the ccnet/cnna, in a couple months time? I ask because i will be free for the next couple months, what books materials would i need? thanks in advance?

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Comments

xenodamus

You have to remember that the most important part of the certification process is the knowledge you gain studying for it. The CCNA is worth taking your time on. There is alot of information to grasp that may be totally new to you.

I self studied for the CCENT and then CCNA and spent about 3 months on each. I spent only a few hundred dollars on test prep materials and that included books, practice exams, and a real Cisco routing/switching lab that I put together on ebay.

Unless there's a reason to rush it, take your time and save your money.

Murder after Midnight

xenodamus wrote: »

You have to remember that the most important part of the certification process is the knowledge you gain studying for it. The CCNA is worth taking your time on. There is alot of information to grasp that may be totally new to you.

I self studied for the CCENT and then CCNA and spent about 3 months on each. I spent only a few hundred dollars on test prep materials and that included books, practice exams, and a real Cisco routing/switching lab that I put together on ebay.

Unless there's a reason to rush it, take your time and save your money.

I understand, which gear? books? did you use?

Murder after Midnight

xenodamus wrote: »

You have to remember that the most important part of the certification process is the knowledge you gain studying for it. The CCNA is worth taking your time on. There is alot of information to grasp that may be totally new to you.

I self studied for the CCENT and then CCNA and spent about 3 months on each. I spent only a few hundred dollars on test prep materials and that included books, practice exams, and a real Cisco routing/switching lab that I put together on ebay.

Unless there's a reason to rush it, take your time and save your money.

I understand what your saying i was just asking because i was going to have the next two months free........

mikej412

From the CCNA Forum FAQ
Odom Certification Library AND Todd's Sybex book (6th Edition)
The Wendell Odom Cisco Press CCNA Official Exam Certification Library (CCNA Exam 640-802), 3rd Edition and Todd Lammle's CCNA: Cisco Certified Network Associate Study Guide: Exam 640-802, 6th Edition are the books most recommended by TechExams.Net members.

You can find future update links for the CCNA FAQ (and a CCNA Lab Workbook link) in this post

You can find some more CCNA Lab guides in this FAQ Post

And links to the most recent CCNA Lab discussions (and pricing guesstimates) are in this FAQ post

A cheap CCNA Lab can be built starting around $200 -- and can turn into a good start on a CCNP lab (with an upgrade or two) if you spend $400. The books can be bought used for easily under $100, and the single or two exam options for the CCNA will cost $250.

It is possible to pass using a simulator, but you have to remember that you will probably be competing for networking jobs against people who probably have touched the real hardware either in school, on the job, or in their home labs -- or at least worked on real hardware via remote rack access. Boson is the best and most complete simulator. Stick to the labs that come with it and you probably won't find any of the software bugs.

The $1700 may buy you a piece of paper that you can list on your resume and gets you a phone call for an interview -- but you may not remember enough to get past that first interview.

BrandonX

Murder after Midnight wrote: »

Been highly considering a crash course 7 saturdays 8 hours each day, a local it school teaches, they want about $1700 is it that a fair price.

$1700 is a very fair price if they are going to cover the whole ICND1 book. In San Diego, something like that would run around $3250 for ICND1 and another $3250 for ICND2. Just make sure you understand that the course by itself might not be enought to teach you everything that Cisco want you to know. If you do pay this price, make sure you study on off days and run lab like a mad man on top of teh lab designed my the Cisco acadamy people.

But in 7 - 8 weeks, you can teach yourself the foundations and skills for a lot less.

Hypntick

Murder after Midnight wrote: »

Been highly considering a crash course 7 saturdays 8 hours each day, a local it school teaches, they want about $1700 is it that a fair price. I like the idea of being ready for the test that soon and not having to study/wait for several months, On the other hand i know a little about networking and was wondering is it possible to self study for the ccnet/cnna, in a couple months time? I ask because i will be free for the next couple months, what books materials would i need? thanks in advance?

So 7 days at 8 hours a day? Good lord. I'm planning on taking at least around 40 days or so at 3-4 hours a day and that's just for ICND1. 56 hours vs 160 hours, that 160 is also spread over a decently long period of time so it'll have more time to soak in. I would suggest self study, that's just me.

johnwest43

Self study did it for me.
Wendell Odem's books, a couple of 2600xm's and 2501's and a couple of 2950's.

Also would recommend checking out the stickies on this forum for the lab book, they are a great way to learn the real hardware configuration.

Having your own hardware teaches you about the most important aspect of networking the cabling. I would even recommend buying a rj45 crimping tool and learning how to make your own straight through crossover and t1 cross over cables.

greenerek

Murder after Midnight wrote: »

Been highly considering a crash course 7 saturdays 8 hours each day, a local it school teaches, they want about $1700 is it that a fair price. I like the idea of being ready for the test that soon and not having to study/wait for several months, On the other hand i know a little about networking and was wondering is it possible to self study for the ccnet/cnna, in a couple months time? I ask because i will be free for the next couple months, what books materials would i need? thanks in advance?

I think It depends on your experience and knowledge. If you already familiar with almost all CCNA aspects and you just need to repeat some theory than you can try a crash course, however if you don't have a experience and knowledge you might have a find a difficulty in the real world after taken those kind of courses...

7 Saturdays is about less than 2 months so is quite intensive....

badboyeee

I'm taking the Cisco Network Academy. To complete the whole course is 1 year worth of Saturdays, lol. Might be a little too long for me but I plan to do other certs at the same time.

MAC_Addy

johnwest43 wrote: »

Having your own hardware teaches you about the most important aspect of networking the cabling. I would even recommend buying a rj45 crimping tool and learning how to make your own straight through crossover and t1 cross over cables.

I definitely agree with you. I'm just starting out on my CCNA studies and I have bought all the equipment I need. Also, I've been in IT for nearly 10 years and I think it's VERY benifitial to get some RJ45 crimpers and learn how to cable.

You probably won't get asked about the color codes for the CCNA, probably more on the network+ guide... but if you're in IT... you should know how to make usual network cables/crossovers.

iSpaZZZ

erm it's kinda useful to know how, I certainly wouldn't say its essential by any means. I mean seriously, who doesn't just buy cable?

alan2308

iSpaZZZ wrote: »

erm it's kinda useful to know how, I certainly wouldn't say its essential by any means. I mean seriously, who doesn't just buy cable?

People who don't want their stuff to look like this

MAC_Addy

iSpaZZZ wrote: »

I mean seriously, who doesn't just buy cable?

Don't get me wrong. I buy them ALL the time. Especially when I'm installing a switch into a new building. I'm not going to sit there and make 24+ 3' cables.

I only make a few cables, usually one's that need a more specific length.

2URGSE

I started with a self study, then tried a crash course and scored 66% on my first try.

Self Study is the way to go.

You can't master all CCNA concepts in 1 week. Too much material.

johnwest43

iSpaZZZ wrote: »

erm it's kinda useful to know how, I certainly wouldn't say its essential by any means. I mean seriously, who doesn't just buy cable?

Dont get me wrong I buy the pre mades all the time.

The knowledge and skill come into play when you are on the job and need to change a cable that runs from the first floor to the second floor from a straight through cable to a crossover cable. Even if you have the right length cable at hand, crimping on a new end is easier then fishing a new cable:)

Also if you are short on cash making your own cables for your lab is 1/2 the cost of buying the pre mades, plus you get a custom length cable:D