im goin to start self teaching myself cicso so when i accually take the course ill have an advantage and can ask questions that wont be covered by the basics. I want to get a router or routers switches, etc to build a small network and mess around. what series and models would u recommend. also how many pcs should i hook up to the network. i havent planned on putting it in my main network untill im comfortable with the software. any insight on this would be greatly appreciated
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studing for CCNA
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BobSutan
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Hardware: 2500 and 1600 series routers are popular. You'll also want to play around with a couple of Catalyst 1900 switches (CLI models preferably).
Study Material: Sybex/Lammle CCNA study guide, CiscoPress Internetworking Technologies Handbook, and Mike Myer's CCNA Certification Passport (study guide).
Give Cisco's website a look around and check up on the ever changing requirements for their CCNA program. Try and learn as much as you can about the test objectives and match your labs to those. You should also strive to exceede the CCNA requirements when it comes to building your foundation and personal knowledge. Don't be one of those people that just knows enough to pass the test. Go beyond that and keep on learning. A good way to develop troubleshooting skills is to set up a fully functioning lab (routers, switches, clients, servers, etc) and then have the wife, gf, parent, whoever come in and break things. Let them go nuts with the place for 30 minutes. Then make yourself actually fix the network without anyone's help. A couple of times doing that will do more for you than any book could teach you. It'd be even better if the person doing the damage knew what they were doing so then they could guide you in the skill development process. That's one of my training goals for the classes I give at work.
Study Material: Sybex/Lammle CCNA study guide, CiscoPress Internetworking Technologies Handbook, and Mike Myer's CCNA Certification Passport (study guide).
Give Cisco's website a look around and check up on the ever changing requirements for their CCNA program. Try and learn as much as you can about the test objectives and match your labs to those. You should also strive to exceede the CCNA requirements when it comes to building your foundation and personal knowledge. Don't be one of those people that just knows enough to pass the test. Go beyond that and keep on learning. A good way to develop troubleshooting skills is to set up a fully functioning lab (routers, switches, clients, servers, etc) and then have the wife, gf, parent, whoever come in and break things. Let them go nuts with the place for 30 minutes. Then make yourself actually fix the network without anyone's help. A couple of times doing that will do more for you than any book could teach you. It'd be even better if the person doing the damage knew what they were doing so then they could guide you in the skill development process. That's one of my training goals for the classes I give at work.
ciscokid454
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as long as your getting first hand knowledge and not just book smarts you should be preparing yourself fine for the exam..
Just reading the ccna material is a great start, I actually found that reading the ccda and ccnp material as well, made a big difference when it came time to testing.
If you have any questions on the testing/studying don't hesistate to ask..
Also, i'm sure you're aware of ebay being a great way to get some cisco stuff. For the ccna/ccda stuff, your best equipment would be what bob stated..
teh 2500/3500 and 1600/1900 switches/routers.
I've actually been finding alot of 5000 series switches on ebay for cheap..they are for more advanced networking/studying.
Just reading the ccna material is a great start, I actually found that reading the ccda and ccnp material as well, made a big difference when it came time to testing.
If you have any questions on the testing/studying don't hesistate to ask..
Also, i'm sure you're aware of ebay being a great way to get some cisco stuff. For the ccna/ccda stuff, your best equipment would be what bob stated..
teh 2500/3500 and 1600/1900 switches/routers.
I've actually been finding alot of 5000 series switches on ebay for cheap..they are for more advanced networking/studying.
Wiseguy2001
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This is what i do to with family and friends, but make sure they all have admin privileges. I fixed a guys pc earlier that whilst he added a new scanner, he disabled digital audio extraction and could not play audio cd's. I dont think i will ever know how he managed that
BobSutan
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Just have them do what they think a typical user would do to their computer (barring actual physical damage). Deleting stuff, tugging on cables with the feet (when PC is under the desk), things like that.
If they have some expertise they can toy around with the protocols, addressing, and more. That's why I recommend it being someone that has a networking background.
If they have some expertise they can toy around with the protocols, addressing, and more. That's why I recommend it being someone that has a networking background.
BobSutan
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You're talking about on the test right? Because the 2600s have been on the market for like several years now.
thanks for all the replys, all teh feedback helps alot.
how could i go about building my cicsco based network?
i would like to buy one at a time and gradually add to it. not do it all at once and spend alot of money and not learn to use each part to its potential.
i was thinking about starting with a 2509 router
how could i go about building my cicsco based network?
i would like to buy one at a time and gradually add to it. not do it all at once and spend alot of money and not learn to use each part to its potential.
i was thinking about starting with a 2509 router
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i cant stand the CCNA test... i swear to god, they make up stuff on the tests...
in my semister one, part three test... they ask in which direction does electricity flow? from positive to negative, or negative to positive...
their answer? negative to positive, which is wrong... ELECTRONS flow from negative to positive, but its accepted that "electricity" flows from positive to negative
and dont get me started on multiple choice questions that have more than one correct answer
i swear, every day i hate cisco that much more
in my semister one, part three test... they ask in which direction does electricity flow? from positive to negative, or negative to positive...
their answer? negative to positive, which is wrong... ELECTRONS flow from negative to positive, but its accepted that "electricity" flows from positive to negative
and dont get me started on multiple choice questions that have more than one correct answer
i swear, every day i hate cisco that much more
Originally posted by FLECOM
i cant stand the CCNA test... i swear to god, they make up stuff on the tests...
in my semister one, part three test... they ask in which direction does electricity flow? from positive to negative, or negative to positive...
their answer? negative to positive, which is wrong... ELECTRONS flow from negative to positive, but its accepted that "electricity" flows from positive to negative
and dont get me started on multiple choice questions that have more than one correct answer
i swear, every day i hate cisco that much more
I think this is every certification exam. No one ever bases their tests off there own test prep material/classes =\.
I've talked with several instructors at my school who have taught the cisco material for many years and they all recommend this book.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...104-1679236-4952716?v=glance&s=books&n=507846
Granted this is not a study guide but the author Todd Lammle was envolved in the design of the CCNA material and tests. its a great book that give you good direction on what material to really focus on.
I'm on module 1 right now and I can already tell you that a lot of the stuff covered in this module will not be on CCNA. What cisco tech needs to know how light bends and refracts, and reflects blah blhah. yadda yadda.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...104-1679236-4952716?v=glance&s=books&n=507846
Granted this is not a study guide but the author Todd Lammle was envolved in the design of the CCNA material and tests. its a great book that give you good direction on what material to really focus on.
I'm on module 1 right now and I can already tell you that a lot of the stuff covered in this module will not be on CCNA. What cisco tech needs to know how light bends and refracts, and reflects blah blhah. yadda yadda.
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Icewindius
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I'm still trying to determine what my next step is after Network + is done....
I finally got a job in the IT industry, and its been educational to say the least. I'm still trying to figure out what areas i'm best at, and others I hate. ONe day I hate everything network wise, the next, I hate everything people and computer wise.
And just last night, the thought of starting my own personal modded computer shop has come to mind. For some reason, I enjoy the aspect of working on desktops and learning about all the new tecnologies coming out, whats good, bad, ect....
Routers and switches and scripts oh my. Hmmm, blinking LED's and don't do much...hmmm yah..woopee dee dooo. I just don't excited about the aspect of trying to program a CISCO router much or figuring out WTF a DSL line won't work..I dunno why.
One thing I AM getting really tired of is the constant bitching, whining and general lack of complianncy with companies when shit does down or breaks. People are so impatient and rude at times like that, its just slowly eating me alive each place I go to, and I haven't even been in the damn industry a year!
Not to mention the fact that alot of the IT industry is going overseas, leaving nothnig but overworked underpaid crappy tech jobs for us who can't even make enough to move out of our parents house!!!
Sometimes I wonder if I chose the correct career path....
I finally got a job in the IT industry, and its been educational to say the least. I'm still trying to figure out what areas i'm best at, and others I hate. ONe day I hate everything network wise, the next, I hate everything people and computer wise.
And just last night, the thought of starting my own personal modded computer shop has come to mind. For some reason, I enjoy the aspect of working on desktops and learning about all the new tecnologies coming out, whats good, bad, ect....
Routers and switches and scripts oh my. Hmmm, blinking LED's and don't do much...hmmm yah..woopee dee dooo. I just don't excited about the aspect of trying to program a CISCO router much or figuring out WTF a DSL line won't work..I dunno why.
One thing I AM getting really tired of is the constant bitching, whining and general lack of complianncy with companies when shit does down or breaks. People are so impatient and rude at times like that, its just slowly eating me alive each place I go to, and I haven't even been in the damn industry a year!
Not to mention the fact that alot of the IT industry is going overseas, leaving nothnig but overworked underpaid crappy tech jobs for us who can't even make enough to move out of our parents house!!!
Sometimes I wonder if I chose the correct career path....
ciscokid454
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that's a good book to start with, if you're either unfamiliar with networking or have a good understanding..
It's just a good start to learning fundamentals and some more advanced networking skills/terminology.
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BobSutan
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Thats teh very same book I recommended in my first post to this thread. However, just this week I'm hearing that if you only use this one book for your cert prep, you had better already have a solid understanding of the CLI and how to interconnect cisco devices. Something tells me the test is asking about stuff that isn't covered very well in the current edition of this book.
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I think it'd be funny if Cisco started updating the test every 2 or 3 months to keep all of those "buy this study guide and you WILL pass...garunteed" vendors on their toes and raise their costs of pushing out new editions. I think they're starting to get serious about making the CCNA harder, they want to get some of the credibility back. I dont think Cisco is going to sit there and let the CCNA become worthless, which is quickly what it's going to be unless they make it much more difficult to pass it.
If you want to be a Cisco tech just going out and installing Cisco cable modems, or 1700 routers for the phone company or something like that - you dont. However, if you want to be an Engineer, you hopefully want to know whats going on behind the equipment you're working with. They're trying to teach you things other than just what you need to know to pass the exam. Cisco doesn't want CCNA's who are lost when their router or switch doesnt perform exactly like the one in the SIM they got with their book. Some of the course is going to be Cisco specific, and some of it is going to be very general...the ratio probably depends a lot on your teacher.
If you want to be a Cisco tech just going out and installing Cisco cable modems, or 1700 routers for the phone company or something like that - you dont. However, if you want to be an Engineer, you hopefully want to know whats going on behind the equipment you're working with. They're trying to teach you things other than just what you need to know to pass the exam. Cisco doesn't want CCNA's who are lost when their router or switch doesnt perform exactly like the one in the SIM they got with their book. Some of the course is going to be Cisco specific, and some of it is going to be very general...the ratio probably depends a lot on your teacher.
Wiseguy2001
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I'm half way though CCNA 2 and ive come to the conclusion that the simulators are way too easy e.g. it guides you though every single little step and if you make a mistake the simulator will tell you what u need to type in. I found the first few sims hard but now they are just way too easy.
Thats why im going to contact my local college and find out if a can have a router to play with for the day.