Looking for advice for study preperation.

Hey Guys.

So this week I passed my Network + and am now going to take the CCent line for my CCNA. I have over 6 + years of coporate level IT experience but am now focusing on Networking and want to eventually become a CCNP. With that said here are my questions.

At my current job I have tons of free time... usually only 2-3 easily fixable issues a day.. and I am there from 8-5... I have my own office space where I can do whatever I want, just waiting on tickets to arrive.. So I literally can and will be able to study while at work upwards of 5 hours a day. My boss reimburses me for getting certifications and promotes the down time for studying as well so its optimal.

Any time after work Is free for studying as well...So between 5 and Bed I am going to study...(I studied for network plus from start to finish...about 6 hours a day for two weeks and passed with no issues)

I Have the CBT nuggets videos which I hear are very good. I was wondering about what else I might want to pick up. I am willing to invest in the boson sims, but I'm wondering if the CCNP version will cover me with everything i need from ccent-through ccnp sim wise?

Also a study book which one is known to be the best? I don't want to waste money.. I have about 400-500$ I can spend on this.. I got a kid on the way in November and I am using this time to position myself and gain more knowledge to support my family. The wife knows this is for us to have a better life so I have no time restraints and I am crazily obsessive about stuff I am learning so I have nothing to stop my progress... I would like to avoid buying equipment until after I at least get the CCNA just because I want to save some money up and get really good equipment, but I hear the sims and virtual labs.. cbt nuggets and press book can at least get me the ccent/ccna.. and ill get equipment then.. Any opinion on the best book and or best virtual lab for doing the sims? Thanks guys.. sorry for all this text.. I'm serious so i'm giving all the info needed.

Crap I pulled a noob move and didn't read the stickies! (I just did but information seems from a long time ago.. its may 2012 and want to make sure it hasn't changed)

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Comments

Chitownjedi

Well I picked up the Kindle fire and Todd Lammle and Wendell Odom latest CCNA books, as Well as the Boson CCNA package. Hopefully depleting all my savings will be worth this in the long run... Ill check back In a few months (want to take it first week of august.) Hopefully if someone else is wondering Ill be able to provide some insight, once I gain that knowledge.

Carl_S_901

I used the Lammle book for my Network+ and absolutely loved his writing style and sense of humor. I also purchased his CCNA book as well as both Odom books. I had intended to use both for ICND1 but ended up only using the Odom ICND1 book because of time constraints. For ICND2, I definitely want to used both. Odom is good and I definitely learned some new things that I have never picked up anywhere else. A lot of people comment that Odom can be dry and I wouldn't disagree with that but I would say that although I did not find Odom to be dry, I would say that it felt less engaging. For example, with Lammle when I finished a chapter I always feel like tearing into the next chapter. His writing is like a good novel to me whereas Odom is more like a textbook. Both are good, but just different.