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CCNA Self Study - Equipment Required?

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  • 09-02-2011 11:34am
    #1
    FPAON
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18 ✭


    I am currently looking into getting CCNA certified and have decided I will go with one of the following two options:
    1. Part time over 12 weeks, one evening a week for 4 hours, through the IACT http://www.iact.ie/iopen24/product_info.php?products_id=92
    2. Self study

    Has anyone here done the CCNA certification through option 1 above and if so would you recommend it? I am not working in IT but have an Engineering background and an MSc in Applied Computing.

    If I was to go with the self study option what hardware and software would I need to get and where would be the best place to get it (buy new or secondhand)?

    Any tips/advice is greatly appreciated.


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    #2
    mickman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,661 ✭✭✭mickman


    FPAON wrote: »
    I am currently looking into getting CCNA certified and have decided I will go with one of the following two options:
    1. Part time over 12 weeks, one evening a week for 4 hours, through the IACT http://www.iact.ie/iopen24/product_info.php?products_id=92
    2. Self study

    Has anyone here done the CCNA certification through option 1 above and if so would you recommend it? I am not working in IT but have an Engineering background and an MSc in Applied Computing.

    If I was to go with the self study option what hardware and software would I need to get and where would be the best place to get it (buy new or secondhand)?

    Any tips/advice is greatly appreciated.

    no course or hardware / software needed for ccna. book will suffice


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    #3
    rolion
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,362 ✭✭✭rolion


    get books:self study from Cisco and another publisher too...
    get the cisco simulator
    get lots of exams preps

    get some hardware to "touch"...otherwise you won't have the exposure, the "reality touch" for routers/switches...

    plenty of CCNA kit out there for sale second hand,maxim 300-500 that you can resale it later somehow.

    also,if no job in networking,forget it...there are guys out there that never touched a router and are CCNPs / CCIEs...so be carefull ! :)


  • Options
    #4
    mickman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,661 ✭✭✭mickman


    rolion wrote: »
    get books:self study from Cisco and another publisher too...
    get the cisco simulator
    get lots of exams preps

    get some hardware to "touch"...otherwise you won't have the exposure, the "reality touch" for routers/switches...

    plenty of CCNA kit out there for sale second hand,maxim 300-500 that you can resale it later somehow.

    also,if no job in networking,forget it...there are guys out there that never touched a router and are CCNPs / CCIEs...so be carefull ! :)

    indeed - heard of someone who intereviewed someone recently who was a ccnp and didnt know what etherchannel or a vlan was!!! amazing stuff


  • Options
    #5
    NullZer0
    Registered Users Posts: 1,629 ✭✭✭NullZer0


    GNS3 is enough for CCNA.
    If you feel that you MUST get hardware then you NEED the following:
    One/Two 2950 switches
    One/Two 2600 (preferably 2611XM) routers

    Obviously it's better to get two of each but if you can't, you will certinly get away with just the one.


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    #6
    FPAON
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18 ✭FPAON


    Thanks for all the info :)

    Rolion - can you explain what you mean by:
    rolion wrote: »
    also,if no job in networking,forget it...there are guys out there that never touched a router and are CCNPs / CCIEs...so be carefull ! :)

    Do you mean that the market is already flooded with CCNP/CCIEs? I'm looking to move from manufacturing into networking/IT but with very little experience I'm finding it difficult. I have been told that the Cisco qualifications may help?


    iRock - where would you recommend picking up the hardware (new or secondhand)?
    iRock wrote: »
    GNS3 is enough for CCNA.
    If you feel that you MUST get hardware then you NEED the following:
    One/Two 2950 switches
    One/Two 2600 (preferably 2611XM) routers

    Obviously it's better to get two of each but if you can't, you will certinly get away with just the one.


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    #7
    mickman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,661 ✭✭✭mickman


    the market is not flooded with ccnps and most certainly not with ccies. its just important that you are not a paper ccnp


  • Options
    #8
    FPAON
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18 ✭FPAON


    From other threads it seems that these two books are what is recommended for the CCNA:
    http://www.amazon.co.uk/CCENT-Official-Certification-640-822-640-802/dp/1587201828/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1297545132&sr=8-1
    and
    http://www.amazon.co.uk/ICND2-Official-Certification-640-816-640-802/dp/158720181X/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b

    Is there any other reading material people would recommend or will these two books be sufficient?


  • Options
    #9
    NullZer0
    Registered Users Posts: 1,629 ✭✭✭NullZer0


    mickman wrote: »
    the market is not flooded with ccnps and most certainly not with ccies. its just important that you are not a paper ccnp

    I understand where your coming from but I do not think that is the case anymore. The market is NOT flooded with CCNP's.


  • Options
    #10
    NullZer0
    Registered Users Posts: 1,629 ✭✭✭NullZer0


    FPAON wrote: »
    Thanks for all the info :)

    Rolion - can you explain what you mean by:


    Do you mean that the market is already flooded with CCNP/CCIEs? I'm looking to move from manufacturing into networking/IT but with very little experience I'm finding it difficult. I have been told that the Cisco qualifications may help?


    iRock - where would you recommend picking up the hardware (new or secondhand)?


    You can pick up geat on Ebay fairly cheap - thats what I'd go for if I was you.

    Don't listen to anyone else - just get the stuff you need and study hard.
    The rest will come in time.

    You'll find that everyone else seems to be an expert on what YOU are doing.


  • Options
    #11
    NullZer0
    Registered Users Posts: 1,629 ✭✭✭NullZer0


    rolion wrote: »

    also,if no job in networking,forget it...there are guys out there that never touched a router and are CCNPs / CCIEs...so be carefull ! :)

    Firstly - if you want to be a Network Engineer you certainly aren't going to spend your day physically moving devices / plugging them in / out.

    Secondly - This stuff is for the most part trivial.

    Yes it is nice to be familiar with real equipment - but its not a luxury that all can afford when starting out.

    As for CCIE's not having touched real equipment - what does it matter?
    One won't achieve the CCIE unless they are worthy of it.


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    #12
    Feelgood
    Registered Users Posts: 2,191 ✭✭✭Feelgood


    Todd Lammle's book published by Sybex is the only book you need to pass this exam.

    I also recommend trying to get a copy of Cisco's packet tracer which will allow you to complete 90% of the labs (except for the security device manager - SDM labs). Todd explains in the book how to download a dummy version of SDM.

    The CCNA isn't particularly hard, its just that theres an awful lot of crap to remember. 6-8 weeks x 15-20 hours a week study should suffice to pass, just be able to subnet in an instant and you will do fine :)


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