I need advice from the pros.......HELP!!

Long story short...Got into IT dept @ my job...All equipment as far as networking(s) is CISCO(routers,switches,VoIP....),The surface of the workings and knowledge grabbed my attention and has kept it.....Jumped in head first with Chris Bryant's Train Signal videos(watching for 3rd time) and read Todd Lammle's 6th Ed CCNA once(gonna read @ least 2 more x's)...Downloaded Cisco's Packet Tracer,but only scratched the surface(Named router(s),designed hub and spoke,assigned ip address and loop-backs)...All of the sudden,now I feel frustrated b/c I feel as though I should be a bit further with my understanding than I am(or think I am)...BTW,subnetting is a breeze(since I love dealing with numbers,binary or otherwise)....Could I get some study tips(especially for labs) from the more experienced CCNA-P-IE guys(gals too ; ) about where my focus really needs to be and the best path(in your opinion) to achieve it? BTW I'm not giving this up....I will take over CISCO.It will not be the boss of ME(gulp)....lol Thanks.............

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alan2308

Cisco exams are not the read a book and memorize some facts kind of exams. If you have read the book then it's time to put in some hours implementing what you've read about. Go through all of the exercises that come with Packet Tracer, then grab one of the free lab books listed in the CCNA FAQ sticky. You'll learn more in one hour of labbing than you do in 5 hours of reading.

This is not to say that you shouldn't spend time reading about all the little facts, you need to know that too.

iwannaknowIT

alan2308 wrote: »

Cisco exams are not the read a book and memorize some facts kind of exams. If you have read the book then it's time to put in some hours implementing what you've read about. Go through all of the exercises that come with Packet Tracer, then grab one of the free lab books listed in the CCNA FAQ sticky. You'll learn more in one hour of labbing than you do in 5 hours of reading.

This is not to say that you shouldn't spend time reading about all the little facts, you need to know that too.

I appreciate that and I will retrace my steps back,but let me be clear.I'm in NO WAY attempting to learn this material through memorization or ******** tricks.I am going to become a REAL Network Admin with the skill level of the utmost confidence

I just felt a bit overwhelmed with the absorbtion of the material and you have just given me the compass coordinates to restart my journey...Thanks again

iwannaknowIT

alan2308 wrote: »

Cisco exams are not the read a book and memorize some facts kind of exams. If you have read the book then it's time to put in some hours implementing what you've read about. Go through all of the exercises that come with Packet Tracer, then grab one of the free lab books listed in the CCNA FAQ sticky. You'll learn more in one hour of labbing than you do in 5 hours of reading.

This is not to say that you shouldn't spend time reading about all the little facts, you need to know that too.

Just wanted to report that I printed ALL the CCNA labs and now Im about to go to work.....Thanks again

MrBrian

Good luck with your labs! A useful tool that I do when labbing is once I've set it all up and it's working (for whatever I was trying to accomplish), I then create precise and/or random problems. Treat it like a science experiment...

Before you're about to "break" something, like disabling a certain interface, reconfiguring some random setting, etc, write down what you think the outcome will be. Then do it, and see if you were right. If not, try to figure out why you weren't. With each lab, try to throw in as many problems as you can come up before you want to put your head through the wall lol. It seems silly to write down expected problems beforehand, but it really helps you out! When you break something and get expected results, it really helps solidify all those dry facts you read in the book.

The process sounds easy on the outside, but it's pretty difficult. Reason being, if something doesn't react the way you thought it would, you may not know why, and just pass it off, but this is the best place for learning! Don't waste those times lol! Get to the bottom of it, because it happened (or didn't) for a reason. You sound determined, just don't get burnt out and keep chuggin along and it will start clicking

superbabe_uk

not sure if this is at all practical in your situation but I took a tutor lead 6-day course which was amazing. ?

iwannaknowIT

MrBrian wrote: »

Good luck with your labs! A useful tool that I do when labbing is once I've set it all up and it's working (for whatever I was trying to accomplish), I then create precise and/or random problems. Treat it like a science experiment...

Before you're about to "break" something, like disabling a certain interface, reconfiguring some random setting, etc, write down what you think the outcome will be. Then do it, and see if you were right. If not, try to figure out why you weren't. With each lab, try to throw in as many problems as you can come up before you want to put your head through the wall lol. It seems silly to write down expected problems beforehand, but it really helps you out! When you break something and get expected results, it really helps solidify all those dry facts you read in the book.

The process sounds easy on the outside, but it's pretty difficult. Reason being, if something doesn't react the way you thought it would, you may not know why, and just pass it off, but this is the best place for learning! Don't waste those times lol! Get to the bottom of it, because it happened (or didn't) for a reason. You sound determined, just don't get burnt out and keep chuggin along and it will start clicking

I just spent an hour(lunch break) on Packet tracer,adding to the 2 hours last night of basic setting up a RIP network....did it so much that the commands came easy(hmmmm...I wonder why?? lol) My views have been re-focused b/c just like I was told before,reading it over and over without practical is just wasted bandwidth....oops,I mean time. That small configuration I set up over and over out me back into Chris Bryant's video and I started seeing clearly "the method to the madness"....Once i get it down pat,I'll initiate your suggestion(s) of self-break/troubleshooting.I really appreciate the helpful ideas from the WHOLE forum........

iwannaknowIT

superbabe_uk wrote: »

not sure if this is at all practical in your situation but I took a tutor lead 6-day course which was amazing. ?

I saw that you passed your CCNA in a previous post......Congrats!! Could you give me a bit more info b/c I listen/look/learn from all experienced ppl in the field I look to enter.............

mikej412

iwannaknowIT wrote: »

My views have been re-focused b/c just like I was told before,reading it over and over without practical is just wasted bandwidth....oops,I mean time.

That's worth repeating.

The more time and effort you put into Lab work, the easier the Cisco CCNA exam(s) become.

iwannaknowIT

I am starting to feel it now....a message to all my fellow newbies in the cert. field....a piece of advice.....ALWAYS double check your CABLES!!!!! Finally got good ping throughout my setup!! Hey I'm proud of that and about to move on.....Gonna assign my OWN IP(s) and test it out!! Thanks again.....

Corndork2

Build a lab and lab often! That's the only way to simulate the real world!

NOC-Ninja

Keep reading and doing the labs. Understanding the technology and repetition is the key. Also, having the passion helps a lot.

iwannaknowIT

It cool how Chris Bryant taught me about creating a password on the vty line,but it's even cooler when I couldn't Telnet into my switch lab.....until I remembered that you must have a vty 0 15 password set up to Telnet!! Trial and error to go along with my studies....I'm now running into a bit of a jam with the Frame Relay lab and setting up the "cloud"(WAN).....Up for air,now time to submerge.............

alxx

Might be worth setting yourself a learning schedule and give yourself time to absorb and revise.

Don't burn out your enthusiasm . Need a balance and stay passionate

iwannaknowIT

alxx wrote: »

Might be worth setting yourself a learning schedule and give yourself time to absorb and revise.

Don't burn out your enthusiasm . Need a balance and stay passionate

Way ahead of you....gonna start back on Lammle's 6th,but now with more understandability(Almost a real word......) Now it will sink in to form a more solid foundation.I really want to thank everyone for the suggestions for they have really help me tune in.............

superbabe_uk

iwannaknowIT wrote: »

I saw that you passed your CCNA in a previous post......Congrats!! Could you give me a bit more info b/c I listen/look/learn from all experienced ppl in the field I look to enter.............

thanks for the congrats - I'm really pleased myself!

I basically started by spending a few weeks browsing through a Comptia N+ study guide. Just to get familiar with the basic concepts of Ethernet, routing, switching, OSI Layer Model etc. and terminology. But only very vaguely not in-depth.

Then I took this course
Cisco Certified Network Associate(CCNA) courses in London - Demanded Courses IN LONDON (London, UK)

6 full days over 6 weeks. The course gave me a great insight into all exam objectives and introduced me to packet tracer. After the course I spent a good two months working through Wendell Odom's books to get into more detail of what I had come across in the class. About three weeks before the exam I took a few practice exams and realised I failed all of them horrendously LOL I panicked for a bit, then pulled myself together and got the CBT Nuggets to watch. After watching those I went back to the books again and re-read the main chapters.

then passed!

I would certainly recommend this path