CCENT/ Lab Setup

catak

Hello, I'm new here and really to the whole world of networking. My only experience with networking is home networks. I recently decided that I needed to learn something new to help me get a better job and I've always wanted to know more about networking, so decided to go for the CCENT and eventually CCNA.

I purchased the Official Exam guides from Cisco press and have started looking through them, and it seems I need some hardware to practice on. I've heard that there are simulators, but I usually learn better with hands on stuff and dont mind spending some money if it will help me in the long run.

From the sound of things I'm going to need two routers and possibly a switch. Sounds easy enough, but I don't know exactly what I'm getting myself into, and therefore have no idea what models and features I should be looking for. If anyone has any input I'd greatly appreciate it. I'm not tech illiterate, I fix and build computers, but some of these router features and networking terms are way over my head at this point.

Thanks in advance!

iamme4eva

Have a look through the other posts in this forum. This gets covered quite extensively. Just take the advice from those posts and have a look on ebay.

Ltat42a

Check out the thread in my SIG below, it has some good info on labs...

hth