Advice before starting Academy

bwillford

Hey guys,

Starting the academy classes at a local community college in about 6 weeks, wanted to get my feet wet before I start. While I do have a decent general knowledge of networking, probably a network+ level, I have never worked with cisco.

Can anyone recommend some things I should know, purchase, prepare for before the start of the class?

Thanks!

oli356

If starting at discovery 1 it will be stuff you probably already know. Discovery 2 is when you start looking at the cisco IOS.

If you can, get a hold of the CBT Nuggest videos on ICND1/2, fantastic series of videos. Really helped me through ICND1, watching the 2 ones currently.

Jasiono

You will enjoy these classes!

Textbooks are not required, they have everything in slide show format. I bought the books for myself though because I wanted something to read on the go. They should be in your course outline.


Just fiddle around with packet tracer a little to get the controls down a little.
Enjoy the ride! I did all 4 semesters.

Your first semester will be network+ material. You learn the basics and the tcp/ip model. It's a very broad overview of what a network is. The second semester on is when you start using the IOS in depth.

All I learned in the first semester was setting up IP addresses and renaming switches and routers. Learned basic troubleshooting, basic like ping and a couple of show commands.

Also learned subnetting.

bwillford

I am starting with discovery 1. I am really looking forward to these classes, a few others who have taken all 4 told me it gets pretty intimidating but is well worth it.

If I understand correctly the first two classes teach the icnd 1 (ccent) and the second two teach the icnd 2 (ccna), correct?

Will taking the first two classes along with watching the CBT nuggets be enough to pass the ccent in your guys opinion?

Should I try to put together a lab at home or will the hands on during the course give enough experience to successfully pass the ICND 1/2?

Thanks guys, sorry for all the questions!

Jasiono

Take the first two classes and read an icnd1 book before you take it. Pay attention in the classes and you should be fine.

After every chapter the netacad gives scenarios and labs. I would do them all. They have an easier set and a challenging set at the end of each chapter

Hands on portion depends on your teacher. My teacher didn't let us touch a single piece of hardware until half way through the second semester, which I think was bullshit.

oli356

Discovery 1 + 2 will do the CCENT yes, and 3+4 is ICND2 (the CCNA part). Yup..

I did 1+2 with CBT Nuggets and the academy content alone, though for most of Discovery 2 it was CBT Nuggets that helped, especially when it came to the CLI stuff, and subnetting. I did do a few various tests from the CBT Nuggets website before my exam as well for ICND1 which helped as I learned a few things.

For CCENT I would just use packet tracer, even for ICND2 you can use packet tracer or GNS3 though I have gone and spent a bit on a lab instead. I have a feeling I will use GNS3 or packet tracer though a few times.

Throughout the chapters there will be packet tracer exercises, I didn't bother with the Discovery 1 ones, Discovery 2 I didn't either really... I just sort of made my own scenarios up and got routing working using RIP.

I found Cisco have a way with words and sometimes struggled to understand what they wanted me to do...

Some chapters I found extremely long, the one in discovery 2 about configuring routers/switches just felt like it took all day to read.. While watching CBT nuggets it felt like it didn't take as long and was far more useful!

I just noticed my college (I'm a full time student) is doing adult classes for discovery 1 + 2, 1 year course, 1 day a week for 3 hours (they expect 3 hours of homework each week as well). The price of £750 ($1180 USD).
I find that a long time and very expensive. Though most of our class has taken from last September-May just to do Discovery 1, I completed 1+2 but I was motivated unlike everyone else.

zrockstar

I just finished the Exploration Series 1-4. My advice is even if the textbooks aren't required, GET THE TEXTBOOKS! Going through the online modules is boring and they do not have all the information in the book. Also, don't think you are above the knowledge even if you already know something. What I am talking about is read and understand even the most basic stuff starting from chapter 1. Remember, this test is the world as Cisco knows it so make sure you understand everything the Cisco way, don't skip stuff just because you feel you already know it. I saw a lot of people crash and burn on test days because of that attitude. As others said, having a good video series like CBT Nuggets will help smooth out some of those issues where you read something in the book and get hit with the WTF bat. I also recommend buying the CCNA Portable Command Guide. This is totally optional, but it is cheap enough and has a quick reference on how to configure every feature in the CCNA curriculum. I write all this info in reference to the Exploration Series, I assume it is the same for Discovery. I am kind of surprised that a college would have Discovery, it was my understanding that that curriculum was more target for High Schoolers.

EDIT: Go to this link and launch the curricula guide, it will tell you a lot about the course http://www.cisco.com/web/learning/netacad/course_catalog/newCCNA.html

prtech

Get the textbooks and read them. Get the study guide and do the labs on the CD on the back of the book. Practice subnetting. I did all 4 classes and took the CCNA right after. If you read the book, do the labs, and listen to your instructors, then the classes are all you need to pass the exam.