What do you think of self my study curriculum?

After viewing CBT Nuggets twice I'm not sure of what to do next. I drew up a study plan, what do you guys think?

I no particular order things I've done so far,
-Viewed CBT Nuggets twice
-Partially read Odom Wendell Odom ICDN1 book
-Daily practiced subnetting
-Practiced IOS with Packet Tracer, still having trouble competing a simple network i.e. pinging across doesn't work.
-Barely started Odom practice exam

To do list
-Need to be proficient with Show commands
-Need to be able to solve subnetting problems fast
-Create flash cards with definitions

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Comments

mikej412

SurferdudeHB wrote: »

-Practiced IOS with Packet Tracer, still having trouble competing a simple network i.e. pinging across doesn't work.
-Barely started Odom practice exam

You can't practice what you don't know.

And using up the practice questions before you at least attempted to learn the material is a waste of practice questions. If you guess on a question now and accidentally get it right that doesn't mean you've mastered that topic.

Read Odom's ICND1 book -- and do lab practice as you read it.

The do the practice question to see where your knowledge of the material is and guide your review before the exam. Going through the practice questions multiple times doesn't prepare you for the exam -- it just shows you recognized the questions and know which answer to pick.

Todd's Sybex CCNA book is also good -- but you'd have to pick out the ICND1 parts at the beginning. It also has useful exercises to do.

SurferdudeHB

Ok got it, read the book. Argh.. lol

thx for the input Mike.

ccnaomkar

read wendell odom book dont rely only on cbt nuggets

if possible avoid boson test just use for to get what type of questions there will be.
real exam easier than boson test

chmorin

ccnaomkar wrote: »

if possible avoid boson test just use for to get what type of questions there will be.
real exam easier than boson test

I wouldn't avoid that test engine. I would certainly suggest using it once you think you are prepared for the exam BECAUSE it is harder than the actual test (supposedly).

j-man

Lab, Read, Lab, rinse and repeat.

Another source to look into is the CCNA flash cards from Cisco Press.

SurferdudeHB

j-man wrote: »

Lab, Read, Lab, rinse and repeat.

Another source to look into is the CCNA flash cards from Cisco Press.

Yes sensei!

Do the lab from the book right?

alan2308

SurferdudeHB wrote: »

Yes sensei!

Do the lab from the book right?

Do what ever is in the book, then download the free lab manuals listed in the CCNA FAQ sticky and do those.

viper75

SurferdudeHB wrote: »

After viewing CBT Nuggets twice I'm not sure of what to do next. I drew up a study plan, what do you guys think?

I no particular order things I've done so far,
-Viewed CBT Nuggets twice
-Partially read Odom Wendell Odom ICDN1 book
-Daily practiced subnetting
-Practiced IOS with Packet Tracer, still having trouble competing a simple network i.e. pinging across doesn't work.
-Barely started Odom practice exam

To do list
-Need to be proficient with Show commands
-Need to be able to solve subnetting problems fast
-Create flash cards with definitions

You sound to be fairly new to Cisco and the CLI. The Cisco Press books are great to learn from, and yes, all the info. in the ICND 1 and 2 books will help you pass the CCNA. But being that you sound like you're fresh into Cisco I would recommend you take a look at the Sybex CCNA book by Todd Lammle. He has A LOT info in his book. The book is also easy to read and understand. It doesn't go into great detail like the ICND1 and 2 go into, but you will start to get a better understanding of the material. Once you read the Sybex book you will be more prepare for the Cisco Press books by Odom.

Odom's book are a tougher read than the Sybex, but the Sybex book will help you break the ice for sure.

That's what worked for me when I started to work with Cisco many, many, MANY moons ago.

I understood the routing and switching concepts from the Sybex which made the Odom books easier to understand.

Also, CBT Nuggets are great, but like someone said before, don't rely on them alone. Jeremy will give you a lot of useful info. but he's info alone is not enough to pass the test(s). What I would do is - read a topic like STP from the Cisco Press or Sybex books then watch the video to help you tie lose ends.

Subnetting has to become like 2nd nature. Practice everyday!!!!! You have to do every subnetting practice test, quiz, whatever you can get your hands on to practice subnetting. Did I say subnetting has to be like 2nd nature?

IMHO, if you can get yourself a few cheap routers and switches from ebay. Two of each you will be good to go for lab gear. You can also try GNS3. I personally never used it for practicing, but I heard it was pretty good. Nothing beats real gear. I never used Packet Tracer either, but people swear by it for the CCNA.

Don't even try the practice exams from Odoms book. They will discourage you because those practice test are hard. Again, you sound like you're fresh into Cisco so you will probably get crusified by the test.

In a nutshell here's what I recommend:

Read the Sybex Book (Lab while reading book) (Watch Nuggets and TrainSignal Videos)
Then
Read Odoms Books (Lab while read book) (Watch Nuggets and TrainSignal Videos)

Once you start to understand the material try the practice test.

The TrainSignal videos are great as well. I feel Chris goes into a little bit more detail than Jeremy does. Chris is also a little bit more dry than Jeremy, but worth watching.

My friend just an FYI...you have to be proficient with more than just the "Show" commands.

Good Luck with your studies. You have to stay with it and study everyday for hours for the material to start sticking. Studying for 4 hours one day and then not studying again for a few weeks is just a waste of time. Get into the routine and you'll be fine. All the time you put into it will pay off at the end. Believe me. There's nothing better than seeing the passing mark at the testing center.

Good Luck!

SurferdudeHB

viper75 wrote: »

You sound to be fairly new to Cisco and the CLI. The Cisco Press books are great to learn from, and yes, all the info. in the ICND 1 and 2 books will help you pass the CCNA. But being that you sound like you're fresh into Cisco I would recommend you take a look at the Sybex CCNA book by Todd Lammle. He has A LOT info in his book. The book is also easy to read and understand. It doesn't go into great detail like the ICND1 and 2 go into, but you will start to get a better understanding of the material. Once you read the Sybex book you will be more prepare for the Cisco Press books by Odom.

Odom's book are a tougher read than the Sybex, but the Sybex book will help you break the ice for sure.

That's what worked for me when I started to work with Cisco many, many, MANY moons ago.

I understood the routing and switching concepts from the Sybex which made the Odom books easier to understand.

Also, CBT Nuggets are great, but like someone said before, don't rely on them alone. Jeremy will give you a lot of useful info. but he's info alone is not enough to pass the test(s). What I would do is - read a topic like STP from the Cisco Press or Sybex books then watch the video to help you tie lose ends.

Subnetting has to become like 2nd nature. Practice everyday!!!!! You have to do every subnetting practice test, quiz, whatever you can get your hands on to practice subnetting. Did I say subnetting has to be like 2nd nature?

IMHO, if you can get yourself a few cheap routers and switches from ebay. Two of each you will be good to go for lab gear. You can also try GNS3. I personally never used it for practicing, but I heard it was pretty good. Nothing beats real gear. I never used Packet Tracer either, but people swear by it for the CCNA.

Don't even try the practice exams from Odoms book. They will discourage you because those practice test are hard. Again, you sound like you're fresh into Cisco so you will probably get crusified by the test.

In a nutshell here's what I recommend:

Read the Sybex Book (Lab while reading book) (Watch Nuggets and TrainSignal Videos)
Then
Read Odoms Books (Lab while read book) (Watch Nuggets and TrainSignal Videos)

Once you start to understand the material try the practice test.

The TrainSignal videos are great as well. I feel Chris goes into a little bit more detail than Jeremy does. Chris is also a little bit more dry than Jeremy, but worth watching.

My friend just an FYI...you have to be proficient with more than just the "Show" commands.

Good Luck with your studies. You have to stay with it and study everyday for hours for the material to start sticking. Studying for 4 hours one day and then not studying again for a few weeks is just a waste of time. Get into the routine and you'll be fine. All the time you put into it will pay off at the end. Believe me. There's nothing better than seeing the passing mark at the testing center.

Good Luck!

THank you Viper, great words of encouragement. I'll get the Sybex book.

ccnaomkar

viper75 wrote: »

You sound to be fairly new to Cisco and the CLI. The Cisco Press books are great to learn from, and yes, all the info. in the ICND 1 and 2 books will help you pass the CCNA. But being that you sound like you're fresh into Cisco I would recommend you take a look at the Sybex CCNA book by Todd Lammle. He has A LOT info in his book. The book is also easy to read and understand. It doesn't go into great detail like the ICND1 and 2 go into, but you will start to get a better understanding of the material. Once you read the Sybex book you will be more prepare for the Cisco Press books by Odom.

Odom's book are a tougher read than the Sybex, but the Sybex book will help you break the ice for sure.

That's what worked for me when I started to work with Cisco many, many, MANY moons ago.

I understood the routing and switching concepts from the Sybex which made the Odom books easier to understand.

Also, CBT Nuggets are great, but like someone said before, don't rely on them alone. Jeremy will give you a lot of useful info. but he's info alone is not enough to pass the test(s). What I would do is - read a topic like STP from the Cisco Press or Sybex books then watch the video to help you tie lose ends.

Subnetting has to become like 2nd nature. Practice everyday!!!!! You have to do every subnetting practice test, quiz, whatever you can get your hands on to practice subnetting. Did I say subnetting has to be like 2nd nature?

IMHO, if you can get yourself a few cheap routers and switches from ebay. Two of each you will be good to go for lab gear. You can also try GNS3. I personally never used it for practicing, but I heard it was pretty good. Nothing beats real gear. I never used Packet Tracer either, but people swear by it for the CCNA.

Don't even try the practice exams from Odoms book. They will discourage you because those practice test are hard. Again, you sound like you're fresh into Cisco so you will probably get crusified by the test.

In a nutshell here's what I recommend:

Read the Sybex Book (Lab while reading book) (Watch Nuggets and TrainSignal Videos)
Then
Read Odoms Books (Lab while read book) (Watch Nuggets and TrainSignal Videos)

Once you start to understand the material try the practice test.

The TrainSignal videos are great as well. I feel Chris goes into a little bit more detail than Jeremy does. Chris is also a little bit more dry than Jeremy, but worth watching.

My friend just an FYI...you have to be proficient with more than just the "Show" commands.

Good Luck with your studies. You have to stay with it and study everyday for hours for the material to start sticking. Studying for 4 hours one day and then not studying again for a few weeks is just a waste of time. Get into the routine and you'll be fine. All the time you put into it will pay off at the end. Believe me. There's nothing better than seeing the passing mark at the testing center.

Good Luck!

right said
dont try boson test

mella060

I would have pretty much said what Viper said. First book you should read is Todd Lammles book. It is an easy read and he explains things really well. Go through the first couple of chapters and get a good grasp of the basics of how everything works. Go through the subnetting chapter. There are a heap of exercises in there. Do them again and again until you really have it down pat.

The key with subnetting is to write it all down on paper. That way it sticks in your brain. Get a blank piece of paper and write every thing down. Bit by bit. I did the exercises again and again until it finally 'clicked'...Once it 'clicks' you wonder what all the fuss was about. It took me around 3 weeks of solid practice, doing exercises every day until i could do it in my head.

To break up the book theory, watch come CBT Nuggets. Jeremys method for subnetting is really good. That is what i use now. Basically a combination of Todd's and Jeremy's method. Basically, Jeremys method, makes solving subnetting problems a piece of cake. But i would really master the method Todd uses first.

j-man

The biggest hurdle I've had with taking the ICND1 is the subnetting. I bought the Odom CCNA pack and was hammering out chapter after chapter until I hit the subnetting chapter. Everything slowed to a crawl.

He explains how to subnet via binary and then via decimal. When I went through it the first time, binary seemed easier but I learned both ways.

Learning the binary way first really helps you visualize the bits and then after that, it all starts to click.

SurferdudeHB

mella060 wrote: »

I would have pretty much said what Viper said. First book you should read is Todd Lammles book. It is an easy read and he explains things really well. Go through the first couple of chapters and get a good grasp of the basics of how everything works. Go through the subnetting chapter. There are a heap of exercises in there. Do them again and again until you really have it down pat.

The key with subnetting is to write it all down on paper. That way it sticks in your brain. Get a blank piece of paper and write every thing down. Bit by bit. I did the exercises again and again until it finally 'clicked'...Once it 'clicks' you wonder what all the fuss was about. It took me around 3 weeks of solid practice, doing exercises every day until i could do it in my head.

To break up the book theory, watch come CBT Nuggets. Jeremys method for subnetting is really good. That is what i use now. Basically a combination of Todd's and Jeremy's method. Basically, Jeremys method, makes solving subnetting problems a piece of cake. But i would really master the method Todd uses first.

Just ordered my Todd Lammles book

the Cisco Press book got me discouraged it's so hard to remember and understand it.

Regarding subnetting, how do I know if I got it down?
I can fairly easily solve problems on the following sites subnettingquestions.com - Free Subnetting Questions and Answers Randomly Generated Online & Subnetting Quiz #1

Any other source to practice subnetting?

SneakDogg

Hey Surfer, I wrote you an e-mail. Did you get it?

I am pretty much in the same boat. I took Cisco at school and, to be honest, I really struggled with it. I decided to get back on the horse and try for the CCENT after I passed the Net+. I just finished the ICND1 Skillsoft course and I've moved on to the practice tests. I have a book and also Ucertify practice tests. I would like to get my hands on the boson practice exam that comes with the Wendel Odom book. The problem is that after my experience with the cisco curriculum, I swore I would not buy any official cisco study materials. I knew that there had to be more easy to understand and readable materials out there than what cisco was offering. I've had to re-teach myself subnetting after basically putting it out of my head. I read the subnetting made easy thread but I still think the method I learned where you just count out the bits is easier. You need to write out the bits but I suppose you could do it in your head.

Eildor

mikej412 wrote: »

You can't practice what you don't know.

And using up the practice questions before you at least attempted to learn the material is a waste of practice questions. If you guess on a question now and accidentally get it right that doesn't mean you've mastered that topic.

Read Odom's ICND1 book -- and do lab practice as you read it.

The do the practice question to see where your knowledge of the material is and guide your review before the exam. Going through the practice questions multiple times doesn't prepare you for the exam -- it just shows you recognized the questions and know which answer to pick.

Todd's Sybex CCNA book is also good -- but you'd have to pick out the ICND1 parts at the beginning. It also has useful exercises to do.

I agree with mikej412. If you can't put together a simple network and get them to ping, you haven't learnt the basics. Read through ICND1, and make sure you do labs to reinforce what you have learnt. It's no good just reading the theory if you can't implement it on a network. Forget CBT Nuggets, it hasn't got enough information to help you pass CCNA. Sure, if you are studying a topic in ICND1, like subnetting for example, and you want to use the videos to supplement your study then go ahead.

At the end of each chapter, do the labs. Don't move to the next chapter until you understand and can implement what you have learnt in that chapter. If you move to the next chapter prematurely, then you may not have sufficient knowledge to understand what is in that chapter, because you failed to understand some important concepts. Ultimately, you will end up having to go back and read the whole thing again.