complete newbie to networking CCNA good option?

Im a 19 year old complete newbie to networking and i was told to start with CCNA. On this website called ine they have videos for CCNA, and i was watching some, but couldn't understand alot of it. My question is where is the best place to start? i really want to get a CCNA qualification fast so that i can get a job and start with CCNP.

All advice is appreciated.

Thanks

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Comments

bull313

First off let me say that I admire you determination and drive. Without prior networking knowledge the CCNA will be a very difficult exam to pass. I'm working toward it myself, and despite having 10 yrs of experience in IT I find a lot of material hard to digest.

My best advice would be to get a hold of this guide and a decent router simulator such as Boson's. Your best bet, if you can afford it is instructor led training where you can work hands on with actual routers and switches.

Best wishes for you future success!

YFZblu

The CCNA stats with the absolute basics - So yes, it is possible and many here have done it.

wegotbellys

Thanks for the advice

wegotbellys

YFZblu wrote: »

The CCNA stats with the absolute basics - So yes, it is possible and many here have done it.

Well in the video they were going over ipv4, ipv6, switches, serial links etc stuff which i had no idea of what they were. I mean even stuff like packets i had no idea of what they exactly meant.

DoubleNNs

The book bull313 recommends is good. I'm using it now to study for my CCNA.

Altho it's outdated now, CCENT for Dummies was a good read and I think it was highly beneficial that I read that before jumping into Odom's book.

However, what specific topics are going over your head? Which ones are you grasping? Outside of networking, what does your experience entail? Do you have any methods of practicing the Cisco CLI at the moment?

And as a side note - it will probably take you a while to get thru the CCNA material, esp w/ no experience or networking knowledge. Don't rush it. Take your time so the material fully sinks in. And on top of that, you'll probably want to keep from rushing into the CCNP for a while from now.

f0rgiv3n

You might take a look at Chris Bryant's CCNA videos. He does a great job explaining and showing via examples in his videos.

DoubleNNs

Reading your response, maybe you might want to check out Mike Meyers Network+ text:
Amazon.com: CompTIA Network+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide, 5th Edition (Exam N10-005) eBook: Michael Meyers: Books

You don't necessarily need to take the corresponding exam when you're done. However, going over the basics first in an easier to understand format will streamline your CCNA efforts.

wegotbellys

DoubleNNs wrote: »

The book bull313 recommends is good. I'm using it now to study for my CCNA.

Altho it's outdated now, CCENT for Dummies was a good read and I think it was highly beneficial that I read that before jumping into Odom's book.

However, what specific topics are going over your head? Which ones are you grasping? Outside of networking, what does your experience entail? Do you have any methods of practicing the Cisco CLI at the moment?

And as a side note - it will probably take you a while to get thru the CCNA material, esp w/ no experience or networking knowledge. Don't rush it. Take your time so the material fully sinks in. And on top of that, you'll probably want to keep from rushing into the CCNP for a while from now.

I guess im finding it hard because i don't know the definitions of the terminology that they use.

Jon_Cisco

Videos are great for overviews but you will need to read some to learn the material. If you are starting out at 19 with no previous experience then CCENT and CCNA are the right direction. CCNP is great but it's down the road and you are getting ahead of your current needs.

In your position I think the Netacademy classes would be a great option if you can afford them.
At a minimum I agree you should get a simulator to start playing with. This kind of studying takes time and continues for years after you start working.

good Luck

JaneDoe

No, the CCNA is not a good place to start. You say you're 19, and have no experience, and I'm assuming no formal higher education. Networking jobs are hard to come by if you have no experience and no formal education even if you have your CCNA. The CCNA doesn't qualify you in the basics of maintaining systems, which is where you can easily find job without formal education or experience. Also the Cisco equipment required to learn what you need for you CCNA is expensive, isn't usually found in households, and can't easily be simulated, because of this, it's much easier to tech yourself Windows or Linux.

If you're interested in breaking into IT without a degree, I would go for your MSCA: Windows 7 and/or A+ certification first. These certifications focus on content that is much closer to your experience as someone who uses computers, and they will help you qualify for a help desk position that's more likely to hire someone without experience or a degree. After you get a job as a helpdesk technician, you'll see some of the systems the CCNA tests on, and you'll have experience on your resume so you'll be able to get a better job with your CCENT or CCNA. You may decide you prefer working with Microsoft systems and go for further Microsoft certifications instead. Doing the CCNA as your first certification exam without a lot of experience and/or formal education is trying to run before you can walk.

If you aren't interested in doing helpdesk work, I encourage you to apply to college. I don't think everyone should go to college right out highschool, but wait to figure out why they want to go to college. If you're ready to further your education and professional career the best thing you can do is stay in school, or go back to school after you took a year off.

JaneDoe

wegotbellys wrote: »

I guess im finding it hard because i don't know the definitions of the terminology that they use.

The definitions and terminology are not the hard part of the CCNA. The concepts, subnetting and Cisco CLI are the hard part. Learning the terminology is a good place to start, but you need to learn the concepts the terminology refers to for it to make sense. Have you ever worked with any command line before?

olaHalo

I think its a good place to start yes.
However it may be hard and there are some things they will assume you already know.

If you start studying and things are over your head consider the Network+ exam instead.

wegotbellys

JaneDoe wrote: »

The definitions and terminology are not the hard part of the CCNA. The concepts, subnetting and Cisco CLI are the hard part. Learning the terminology is a good place to start, but you need to learn the concepts the terminology refers to for it to make sense. Have you ever worked with any command line before?

Like i said im a compete newbie it netwoking, so no i havent worked with any command line before

JaneDoe

You see command lines in many places other than routers and switches. If you use Linux or do certain administrative things with Windows, you would be familiar with command line interfaces. Having some familiarity with a command line will help a lot with your CCNA. If you don't know what a packet or a router is then the CCNA is not a good place to start, but it isn't a bad long term goal.

Imagine yourself learning to swim. Consider the CCNA tryouts for the varsity team, and right now you're learning different strokes, and trying to swim across the pool. It's a reasonable goal to get on the varsity team, but don't expect it happen any time soon or without a lot of work. Go for your CCENT first, that's the first half of the CCNA and it's much easier than trying to get through all of the materiel at once, even that going to a be stretch for a while.

Learning is a social process. Working with people while you learn this material, whether at school or at work, will help you a lot especially in the early stages. If you can find an affordable class at a community college in networking, that would be a good place to start. Your professors can help you study for the CCNA or point you in the right direction.

I'd suggest looking at the A+ material first, then the Net+ material, even if you don't want to take the those exams. The A+ material assumes you're starting where you are now, and covers the basics of networking in a way that's understandable to someone who knows nothing about the topic. If you pass the A+ exam, and find a job at geek squad or a helpdesk, you'll have people and equipment around to help you learn the CCENT & CCNA topics. If you don't plan of taking the A+ exam, ignore the sections about hardware, except knowing what each competent in a computer does, but you should learn most of that material, especially the networking section.

wegotbellys

JaneDoe wrote: »

You see command lines in many places other than routers and switches. If you use Linux or do certain administrative things with Windows, you would be familiar with command line interfaces. Having some familiarity with a command line will help a lot with your CCNA. If you don't know what a packet or a router is then the CCNA is not a good place to start, but it isn't a bad long term goal.

Imagine yourself learning to swim. Consider the CCNA tryouts for the varsity team, and right now you're learning different strokes, and trying to swim across the pool. It's a reasonable goal to get on the varsity team, but don't expect it happen any time soon or without a lot of work. Go for your CCENT first, that's the first half of the CCNA and it's much easier than trying to get through all of the materiel at once, even that going to a be stretch for a while.

Learning is a social process. Working with people while you learn this material, whether at school or at work, will help you a lot especially in the early stages. If you can find an affordable class at a community college in networking, that would be a good place to start. Your professors can help you study for the CCNA or point you in the right direction.

I'd suggest looking at the A+ material first, then the Net+ material, even if you don't want to take the those exams. The A+ material assumes you're starting where you are now, and covers the basics of networking in a way that's understandable to someone who knows nothing about the topic. If you pass the A+ exam, and find a job at geek squad or a helpdesk, you'll have people and equipment around to help you learn the CCENT & CCNA topics. If you don't plan of taking the A+ exam, ignore the sections about hardware, except knowing what each competent in a computer does, but you should learn most of that material, especially the networking section.

Thanks, i know alot about hardware in computers (built a couple in the past) and i have played around in CMD windows before. Also i have set up routers in my house if that helps. I have done quite a bit of research since yesterday on simple things like frames, frame relays, headers, trailers, tcp/ip, different types of topology's (logical and physical) osi systems (7 layers), utp, stp etc trying understand all these terms before i start with ccna. The site im reading through atm is CCNA Basics and its explaining stuff in a very basic way.

DoubleNNs

I don't think you need to study the A+ materials if you're main goal is networking.

However, I think you should make a small investment and get a textbook. Whereas it's not necessary, it will make things easier. Just about any of the ones mentioned above in this post would be great, w/ the addition of Todd Lammle's (don't think that one was mentioned yet.)

You also need to figure out some way to practice the Cisco command line.

In addition to your research, there is a sticky in the CCENT/CCNA section of this forum which gives a short walkthrough on ways to study for the exams. I think taking a quick look would be very beneficial.

Good luck.

JaneDoe

wegotbellys wrote: »

Thanks, i know alot about hardware in computers (built a couple in the past) and i have played around in CMD windows before. Also i have set up routers in my house if that helps.

You aren't quite starting from zero then

. If you know a lot about hardware in computers, you can set up your home network, and you're looking to get the certified fast, then the A+ will be an easy exam for you (you could probably do it in a few weeks at most). The CCENT, which is the first part of the CCNA, may take a few months if you work on it full time. Don't start studying with CCNA material, start by studying how networks work in a general sense (the site you mentioned seems to cover a lot of that, but what it's showing you is nowhere near the depth you need to understand for the CCNA).

Many people do the CompTIA trio when they're trying to get started in IT, which is the A+, Network+ and Security+ exams. You can switch out the CCENT exam with the Network+ exam if you're planning to do your CCNA (and the CCENT is cheaper than the Network+). That would show your competence in many basic areas employers expect to see.

I highly encourage you to play with Linux on your desktop as you're learning more about networking and computer systems. Set up game servers, web and/or file servers, or IRC servers, whatever interests you, to learn how the systems work. Have fun as you're going along.

JaneDoe

DoubleNNs wrote: »

I don't think you need to study the A+ materials if you're main goal is networking.

It will be very hard for someone with no degree and no work experience to break directly into networking. They'll be expected to show proficiency with helpdesk tasks first, which involves having proficiency with A+ type material.

j1mgg

First few pages to Todd's book says that Cisco advises you have at least the a+ and network+.

The more important part is as mentioned above , you won't get a networking jib just cause you have the ccna, you would still be expected to start off with a help desk or desktop job, unless very very lucky

Iristheangel

Just because Todd Lammle's book says it doesn't mean you have to follow it.

The CCENT/CCNA are entry-level exams. They may seem hard at first but any new concept is. If the OP knows the basics of computer hardware and wants to jump into the CCENT/CCNA, he very well could skip the helpdesk and go right to a NOC tech position. Many people on this forum have done so before and will continue to do so. If he has an interest in networking, I would jump to the CCNA-level first and if servers are something that interest him or he feels would benefit, it might be worthwhile to circle back and hit up the MCSA afterwards.

OP - The terminology, ports, and acronyms definitely seem overwhelming at first. When I first studying Network+, I felt like I was drowning in them. I eventually passed and moved onto my CCENT. It felt like 60-80% of the CCENT materials were what made up the Network+ material. Whether you want to go the Network+ route first is up to you but you absolutely will study almost the same material in the CCENT exam. I would recommend picking up the CCENT/CCNA Official Certification Guides by Wendell Odom. I thought his writing was the best in this series but if you find his writing too dry, a lot of people really like Todd Lammle's guide. I would also recommend NEVER EVER just use one medium for studying. Never just do videos or just do books. There are a lot of really great videos out there for the CCENT/CCNA, you just need to find the right one for you. Check out udemy, INE, TrainSignal, and CBT Nuggets for the video aspect.

So reading and videos aside, you have to practice and lab. You could always buy your own equipment but at the CCNA-level, that's not necessary. Some nice little programs like PacketTracer and GNS3 would be great for you. GNS3 is probably the best free tool to use but you have to find some IOS images to run on it. There are plenty around if you search the internet enough.

Anyways, if you have any questions about anything I posted above, feel free to PM me and good luck in your studies. Don't feel overwhelmed! We all started at the same place you are and eventually got to where we wanted