Starting my CCNA journey Monday!

Hey there TE!

So I see a lot of these threads and I figure'd I would create one.

I'm sure I will have a lot of questions along the way and I am already starting to get information overload!

Looking for any words of wisdom, advice, pittfalls to avoid , anything really.

So my company is paying for my ccna course through cbt nuggets. I have already acquired packet tracer as well as train signal video series. I've always taken cbt nugget for my certs and its worked well in the past. However CCNA seems to be a different animal altogether. Has anyone had tried both, any clear winner.. any disadvantage to viewing both video series?

My company is closing my call center and I'll be afforded some time to just focus on this course. Great company to work for, killer benefits just not what I thought it would be 2 years ago and just been hanging in there lately anyway.

I want to own it, master it and move on to voice within the year. I've never worked in a network or help desk environment before and my job currently isn't very technical despite the positions title. I took the network+ but I failed the first time with a 710 and got a 820 on the second try so I would say thats pretty weak based on how much further cisco seems to dive into topics.

Any suggestions to prevent burn out? I'm thinking 3-4 hours a day throughout the day or w/e should be fine. I am just a little nervous as I had some trouble with subnetting (I have class C down finally..lol?) and just in general no experience.

Like I said this will just be a general question thread, I see the community so far is really helpful so I know this will be a good resource in my training.

If things go well I might attend WGU after and try to be a one-two semester rockstar like some of the people here

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Comments

Cerebro

I'd watch both set of vids. The cbt nuggets first, as they are more of an introduction...and then the train signal; which are more indepth.

Paul Brownings subnetting secrets has been the best way to master subnetting. Learn the theory with binary first, but his chart helps me blitz through questions.

3-4 hours is plenty. Are you taking the two or one test route? I'd personally recommend the former, but ICND2 is where all the fun begins....getting more indepth with routing protocols.

I hardly watch movies these days, and don't play video games at all. So in my down time, I'm watching some vids or mma vids. Btw Keith Barker has some good tutorials on youtube.

Roguetadhg

Pitfalls to avoid - Giving up. Even saying "I'll come back to this" means to me "I'm giving up".

Now, if you just don't want to. That's okay. I can accept that, there's other stuff you can learn!

jamesleecoleman

The ICND2 is more fun but it's more difficult. The ICND1 is the easiest because it's less confusion.

Don't give up and always ask for help even if you think it's a stupid question. No question is stupid but just show that you've tried to research things before you ask question. If you need clarification then it's all good.

Make sure you study the mess out of subnetting now so that it won't be a problem for you later.

This website : Practice Subnet Skills: A Place to Practice Your Subnetting Skills is really good. Under the design section is where you'll really apply what you've learned in subnetting.

INE also has free streaming videos for a while.

The Odoms CCNA library kit is pretty good but it has a lot of detail in it.

Roguetadhg

Yeah. Subnetting will be a big role. Knowing how to do it fast, knowing how to do it right is important. For ICND1, you won't need to know VLSM. However, for ICND2, you will. It's not a big change.

Knowing how to subnet can be a deal breaker. Practice every day to keep those skills sharp like a sushi' chef's knife!

jamesleecoleman

Yea VLSM combined with routing protocols can be crazy.

We're not trying to scare you or make things sound very difficult. It's just that we know the test can be tough.

sizeon

I actually thought that the ICND2 was easier than the ICND1 because ICND2 is really more focused on routing and switching. ICND1 is more general and more theory focused. ICND2 is more lab and troubleshooting focused.

Illumanati

sizeon wrote: »

I actually thought that the ICND2 was easier than the ICND1 because ICND2 is really more focused on routing and switching. ICND1 is more general and more theory focused. ICND2 is more lab and troubleshooting focused.

Isn't a lab and troubleshooting focus easier since you don't have to deal with tons and tons of terms related to theory that are "general" like you said? I think a LOT of those here would say troubleshooting is way harder then terms. What made it easy or easier for you?

OP: we are physically in same location. would it expedite if we unite?

tbhouston

I didn't really do any research into which track was better or which was preferred. I just took the two test one because a few of my friends went that route and I think thats what the course I'm taking prefers.

I've been working on subnetting since I know its my weakest point. Everytime I watch a video or read a section on it I think "yah that makes sense".. then I come back an hour later and go WTF when i try some examples lol
I almost have it, I just fumble a bit when toggling between class b and c ip's

My book should arrive today and then away I go!!

VLSM ....Yah.. I think I should invest in a good coffee pot as well...