Packet Tracer or Wendel Odom's New Simulator?

Agent47

I know this is all a matter or personal preference but I am looking to take the ICND 2 and refresh my memory on the ICND 1. I am about to pull the trigger to pre-order the new Simulator for the current CCNA exams by Wendell O. from the Cisco site. Should I stick with the latest Packet Tracer or order the Official Simulator? What say you?

DoubleNNs

Don't you get the lite version of his simulator w/ purchase of his book?

Maybe try that and see whether you like it or not 1st.

7255carl

Yes the lite version comes with the new book, and works well for the material covered therein, but the new packet tracer is a far more complete program, and i think as such is a better long term option

Carl

Agent47

Thank you both for your suggestions. I have Lammle's book (through an online subscription). I think Packet tracer is interesting but personally I like to have something where labs go along with the chapters. It seems like I would have to go out, find labs, match them up and really I just don't have the patience. It's not that I can't learn it, I just need something that is straight-forward.

Carl, I shall copy & paste bunny to help him gain world domination! hahahah!!

j.petrov

I used Packet Tracer for CCENT and CCNA. It worked great and is very easy to use. I definitely would not have passed the exam with out doing a ton of labs in Packet Tracer. If you go any further down the Cisco track you will probably need to consider GNS3.

For the labs I basically created my own. I would basically connect up a whole network, labeling the IPs of each device. Then I would just go through setting up, OSPF for instance, with the IP info I notated for each device. Once I got the whole network up and running I would just load up the bare-bones file again and run through the config over and over.

Good luck with your studies.

DoubleNNs

Agent, I see you've completed your CCENT.
I had the same concerns when I was starting to lab for my CCENT but ended up using GNS3 and Packet Tracer instead of kits w/ included labs. Did you use labs or do something similar to me when you studied your CCENT?

Agent47

Thanks J, I had installed and loaded packet tracer the other day and I'm going through the help files at the moment to see how I could learn how to use it. Initially (to me) it seems like alot to figure out how to gather all the correct resources. I just like direct items that are like ok chapter 1, here are the labs/questions, do them, done etc & so on. I do though appreciate you're advice, I just need to figure it out.

Double, I actually used labsim by testout through my ICND 1 class and my license (which is close to expiry) was only for the old exam topics. The labs went along with the chapters in labsim. The decent thing was, it was included with the class. I liked that program but if I wanted to buy it now? Would be $700 and that's cray.

This is what testout looks like and labs go along with the sections.

DoubleNNs

I think if you already have Packet tracer now, you should try using it first. Then if you find that it's not sufficient, go w/ a lab pack.

The thing is, the ICND2 looks like it ha a lot more troubleshooting than the ICND1 (I'm int he middle of studying for it now myself). So something less guided like Packet tracer might actually be better in the long run, even if it takes a little bit more creativity.

Agent47

Thanks Double, since that simulator isn't coming out until Dec 9th, that should give me enough time to try and tackle the basics of Packet Tracer and see how well it works. I want to take the ICND2 eventually but I have to go over ICND 1 again to refresh my memory. Been a while since I took that exam! Meh. Looks like you are well on your way to completing your 2013 cert goals too!

goldenlight

Packet tracer rocks.. Make your own labs to correspond with the chapters you are reading. save that money for real equipment

Agent47

True. Plus I just found that lammle has a free simulator that goes along with the chapters of his book. Would love to make my own labs and practice but I've never used packet tracer and have no idea where to start with it (aside from the help menu). Definitely want to get some real equipment after CCNA.

jvrlopez

Lammle's labs were easy to set up on my own in packet tracer. Plus, it's extra practice and hands on time.

I believe if you email him (I reach him via his LinkedIn) and send him a copy of your receipt for a purchase of his CCNA book, he'll send you some packet tracer labs that go hand in hand with his books.

And packet tracer is pretty straight forward to use. Just drag and drop your routers, etc to set up your topology, click on their icons, and configure them via the command line.

DoubleNNs

Packet tracer was pretty intimidating when I first started using it. I planned on looking up tutorials and reading instructions in how to use it. But one day I just sat down and meddled w/ it for 2-3 hours and that was all it took to get the hag of it all.

Agent47

Yeah it does look a little intimidating, and considering all of the topics I need to master, hopefully I can figure it out along the way get past how I feel about Packet Tracer at the moment lol.

j.petrov

Go on youtube and watch some videos. You'll be amazed at how easy it actually is to use. Much easier than GNS3

Ltat42a

This guy does his online CCNA course with Packet Tracer -
https://www.youtube.com/user/danscourses/videos?view=1&flow=list