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Just starting CCNA

mikeszmikesz Member Posts: 115
in CCNA & CCENT
Hi All,
can you advise where to start? Should I start with reading the books, with lab or CBT?

I have done 2 bootcamps, and was thinking about jumping straight to labbing and if any knowledge missing, read on it.

Any suggestion for good labs - I have CCNA Lab and 30 days before exam books.

Any comments/advices welcomed.

Thank you

Mikesz
Long term plan:
2011: CCNA (70%), CCNA: Security, MCITP:Messaging
2012: VCP, CEH, Linux+, start RHCA/E
2013: finish RHCA/E, CCNP
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    alan2308alan2308 Member Posts: 1,854 ■■■■■■■■□□
    The first question that I would ask is what is your level of knowledge/experience in the Cisco world coming in? If you weren't already fairly knowledgeable in all things Cisco before the bootcamps then your retention of them might not be that good. Those are better suited as a review, not an introduction.

    Google books has previews of Todd Lammle and Wendell Odom. See who's writing style you prefer. Get a book and start there.

    And what's your plan for labbing? Real gear, Packet Tracer, GNS3, something else?
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    mikesz81mikesz81 Registered Users Posts: 3 ■□□□□□□□□□
    For now packet tracer, for CCNP I'll get proper equipment
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    alan2308alan2308 Member Posts: 1,854 ■■■■■■■■□□
    Unfortunately there aren't a lot of lab resources that are written for specifically for packet tracer, but most of what you come across should work fine in PT with minimal differences. The only problem is that PT doesn't always support every command you'll need in order to complete a task, or it'll support the command on one model of switch but not another model. PT actually comes with a good assortment of activity files, and there's a bunch of lab manuals listed in the CCNA FAQ sticky.

    Beyond that, the general recommendation is to use more than one study source (with at least one of them being a book, the videos don't have the level of detail a good book has), lab up EVERYTHING you read about, and visit the official exam topics to know exactly what you'll be expected to know for the exam.

    You'll also want to make the one exam or two exams choice fairly early on.
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    alkamaljualkamalju Registered Users Posts: 6 ■□□□□□□□□□
    For labbing, I would strongly suggest to use GNS3.

    It just consumes a bit more process/memory.
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    mikesz81mikesz81 Registered Users Posts: 3 ■□□□□□□□□□
    Thank you for your prompt replies. I'll try GNS3, if it comes to books I have both Sybex and Syngress.
    Mikesz
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