CCNA 200-125 Study Plan

Howdy all fine folks,

I just paid for my CCNA 200-125 exam for 2nd March '17, and now getting in the groove.
I already have an MS in Computer Networks (circa '05) and loads of work experience, however, I never sat down to attempt a certification previously. In 2017, we will change this and finally make it happen.

However my weakening is that for past 6-7 years, I have been working mainly in IT Management/Team Management, and lately (4 years now) in Systems Solution Design. So I feel far away from hand-on work, protocols etc.

So the plan is to start from the ground up, hence I would like to tackle CCNA first. I want to do a bit of labbing as well, so I am looking into VIRL. I already have a HP Microserver (Dual Core, 16GB memory) at home for labbing.

My question is without investing too much in physical hardware, is investing in Cisco VIRL sensible or should I go traditional route and acquire used boxes off eBay for labbing ? After CCNA, I will continue onto CCDA, CCDP and hopefully CCDE.

Thanks for reading my long post.

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Comments

atippett

Physical equipment is not necessary to pass the CCNA. I used Packet Tracer for my studies. I know quite a few people that has done the same. But if you can buy physical equipment, why not? You can't get any better than physical equipment.

MAC_Addy

Physical equipment is not really needed, but you can see the big picture in mind. If you're a quick learner, you'll be set to pass the CCNA and then continue on from there. GNS3 and Packet Tracer are both perfect pieces of software for the CCNA.

bym007

atippett wrote: »

Physical equipment is not necessary to pass the CCNA. I used Packet Tracer for my studies. I know quite a few people that has done the same. But if you can buy physical equipment, why not? You can't get any better than physical equipment.

Thanks.

MAC_Addy wrote: »

Physical equipment is not really needed, but you can see the big picture in mind. If you're a quick learner, you'll be set to pass the CCNA and then continue on from there. GNS3 and Packet Tracer are both perfect pieces of software for the CCNA.

I guess I will look into GNS3 and Packet Tracer, as getting recommendations for both. VIRL is out of question, I guess ?
On a side note, everyone I know nearby recommends relying on Nuggets videos of some brand. I know of CBT, INE etc. And if I have gaps, go back to the book and read the topic in detail to clarify. Is this the correct approach ?
Thanks.