Working towards the CCENT

Itztal

Hello,

I have been on and off with my CCENT studies and due to a recent injury in the family I had to place it on the back burner.

After a month or so of being completely out of the loop I discover the exam changes. So starting tomorrow I am goingto to start fresh and try to get it done by September. I have two little kids and work 45 hours..can it be done? Also I would like to get my hands on real equipment so if someone could point me to a list if what I would need and where to buy..that would be awesome and as well as a CCENT lab for idiots packet.

Thanks a ton

webgeek

Itztal wrote: »

After a month or so of being completely out of the loop I discover the exam changes. So starting tomorrow I am goingto to start fresh and try to get it done by September. I have two little kids and work 45 hours..can it be done?
Thanks a ton

Sorry to hear about your family member, I hope they are ok and feeling a lot better. You are the only one who knows if this can be done........
From what I have read on these forums, you don't need equipment to pass the CCENT...something that is software based but I do not remember the name....

TehToG

You can get by with GNS3 or GNS Workbench to play with virtualised cisco kit but hardware is always a good start. Try and pick up a 2950 or 3550 on ebay and play about with it and go from there. The general rule is that if you don't know how to pick your hardware, you aren't ready for it yet.

Maggers

If you've already put some effort into studying towards CCENT and have already bought materials I would go for the old exam - the last day to test is Sept 30th and it should be easy to get ICND1 and 2 by then. I took ICND1 on Thursday and got 912 - passmark was 804. I read the book and watched some videos over the course of a month. I didn't use anything for hands on. I expect to pass ICND2 in 4-5 weeks. Good luck with your studies

Ltat42a

Here is some info on lab ideas -
http://www.techexams.net/forums/ccna-ccent/28660-ccna-ccent-home-lab-ideas.html

Itztal

Thanks a bunch for the advice and links. Has know of a lab book that goes with Odoms chapters? Or a highly regarded ccent lab book?

d6bmg

Itztal wrote: »

Thanks a bunch for the advice and links. Has know of a lab book that goes with Odoms chapters? Or a highly regarded ccent lab book?

If you wish, then you can use Boson's Netsim for CCNET & CCNA.
Talking about lab-book, I don't know of anything good.
But Lammle's book have both theoretical & practical ideas.

mdomino

Check out freeccnaworkbook.com. Some of the labs will be CCNA scope, not CCENT, but you can just not do those. And as the site says, it's free!

Dakinggamer87

Good luck!!

I'm also on my Cisco journey hoping to have my CCNA by May/June

Itztal

thanks

So has anyone just used CBT nuggets? I have nuggets and Odoms book..both of which are great but I was thinking just going through Nuggets several times and maybe scanning through Odoms stuff. I know it all comes down to me, but wanted to know if anyone just used nuggets

Dakinggamer87

I'm using CBT Nuggets with Jeremy Cioara in combination with Todd Lammle's book and it's been working for me in my studies

jdballinger

Can you pass the test only using nuggets? Yes. However it will be ridiculously more difficult than if you did hands-on labbing. Whether you use virtual methods (GNS3, Packet Tracer, or renting lab time) or actual equipment (my preferred method, but can be quite costly if you let it), in my opinion you really need to know how to apply what you have read and seen.

Bear in mind that doesn't necessarily ring true for everyone, but I feel confident in saying that it is a necessity for a majority of the people who would attempt this exam. That being said, if you work with Cisco equipment on a daily basis or something, then you might not need lab work and will be fine.

Is it a time factor that causes you to not want to do any hands on at all? Or is it something like cost of equipment?

Itztal

At this point cost

xagreus

Thanks for the link, mdomino - looks like a great resource!

NetworkVeteran

Itztal, getting hands-on with Boson Netsim is $99, and GNS3 is free but requires more time to learn. The cost of hands-on experience thus shouldn't be a barrier. CBT Nuggets is great, but I wouldn't recommend it as an only-source. If you're really pinching pennies, a used copy of Odom or Lammle plus Boson Netsim is probably a sounder investment.

Itztal

Ah thanks..

Has anyone gone through a bootcamp? if so please tell me your good and bad experiences. I was thinking about lammles bootcamp

jdballinger

I haven't been through a Cisco boot camp, but I did go through one for my A+ and another for my Security+. I really feel like boot camps are best as a sort of final test prep. I would not rely on them at all to get you from zero to hero. I'm not saying you can't walk out with enough information to pass a test, I'm just saying that there is no way you will reliably retain and/or understand said information.

IMHO you'd be better off spending the money that would have paid for the boot camp and buying more learning resources.

Itztal

That makes sense

One more question and i'll hush up.

Is there a day to day or week to week check list/Study Guide something that says..Monday Read this and Do this..Tuesday do this this and this etc..came to the realization that's what will help me the most. Thanks

oli356

Make one yourself? A general one isn't going to work....

NetworkVeteran

If you want someone to make a reasonable schedule for you and help you stick to it, check out www.in60days.net. It's by Paul Browning, a lesser-known but well-respected name in certification training.