CCNA through FAS

Lenstroni

Has anyone had an experience with or any feedback on the online CCNA course which is available though FAS? I was thinking of doing the course through some of the other training schools in Dublin but the FAS alternative is a hell of a lot cheaper. Your thoughts appreciated.

Cork24

CCNA is alot of Lab work which will req a Lab Class, I have done CCNA with FAS and find it very hard to do while study at my own speed. I since i did it with the Computer Sci. Course in College i still find my self not with the enough amount of Work Covered to go in and do the Exam so i am thinking of coughing up the 2k and redo the whole Course that will cover every thing that will be needed to do that Exam where in college even tho we were doing the CISCO CCNA course it was just covering what was needed to do modules in College.

If you are going to do the CCNA with FAS i would Rec. you get your hands on CBT Nuggets & Train Signal CCNA Training Courses that will teach you every thing you need. This is the Stuff that got me all the passes in the Exams covering Networking.. I couldnt learn Subnetting alone with FAS which in Turn i had to stop doing the CCNA with FAS. if you cant do subnetting you may aswell pack up and do something else.

funkyship

Completely agree with Cork24. CCNA needs to be learned in classroom environment and requires lots of practical work with cisco equipment that just cannot be learned online. I have seen some examples where students who learned CCNA via online methods struggle when it comes to troubleshooting or connecting on to a physical router or switch. There are some good ccna courses in Dublin if thats where you live but definitely shop around because there is a big difference is some course prices.

L1011

funkyship wrote: »

I have seen some examples where students who learned CCNA via online methods struggle when it comes to troubleshooting or connecting on to a physical router or switch.

I've found people who learnt it in a classroom environment have similar problems, unfortunately.

There is an assumption in Ireland that a CCNA is a passport to an IT job, even with no other qualifications and far more importantly, no other experience.

If you have no networking experience, there is no point in doing a CCNA either online/at home or in a classroom.

As goes the difference between doing it at home or in a classroom - I got a (now expired) CCENT by studying at home but I did have a small amount of physical Cisco equipment. I see that to do the Open University module that includes the CCNA you must attend a number of day schools though, and that's from an organisation who try to do as much by distance learning as possible.

Nate--IRL--

MYOB wrote: »

I've found people who learnt it in a classroom environment have similar problems, unfortunately.

There is an assumption in Ireland that a CCNA is a passport to an IT job, even with no other qualifications and far more importantly, no other experience.

If you have no networking experience, there is no point in doing a CCNA either online/at home or in a classroom.

How to get experience then? It's the old Chicken and egg situation. Having a CCNA can only improve your chances, however slim.

Nate

funkyship

I have got some ccna graduates jobs doing desktop support and junior Network admin roles without any problems. If you do a ccna course you should ensure there is adequate practical work involved in the course to back up the Networking theory.

L1011

Nate--IRL-- wrote: »

How to get experience then? It's the old Chicken and egg situation. Having a CCNA can only improve your chances, however slim.

Nate

Anything other than doing a course for a specific, not actually as common as people seem to think, brand. <dreadful analogy>Need to learn to fly before you can get an A380 type rating...</dreadful analogy>

Effectively, don't assume a CCNA will get you an IT job with nothing else (even just personal knowledge) underneath it.

starlit

Even for those who have already got third level qualifications and work experience in the IT field related to technical support/networking would that not be adequate as a form of lab work whilst just doing the theory for studying the CCNA afterwards?

I have had mixed reactions on this whether classroom or self-learning/long distance online learning is the correct path in completing CCNA.

Nate--IRL--

Not really - you will want lots of time with either real equipment or GNS3 or Cisco Packet Tracer.

Also a Lab Manual for scenarios to try would be good.

Nate

Lenstroni

Well thanks to all of you for your very helpful comments. I think I might invest the €120 and try out the first half of the course anyway. I've been a Network admin for nearly 5 years so shouldn't have too much trouble with the subnetting etc and I also have access to some old Cisco equipment here and I'm administering our ASA firewall as it is. If I had had no experience with Networking I wouldn't have asked the question as I agree that Labs (or on the job) are the best ways to learn. Cheers!

L1011

Lenstroni wrote: »

Well thanks to all of you for your very helpful comments. I think I might invest the €120 and try out the first half of the course anyway. I've been a Network admin for nearly 5 years so shouldn't have too much trouble with the subnetting etc and I also have access to some old Cisco equipment here and I'm administering our ASA firewall as it is. If I had had no experience with Networking I wouldn't have asked the question as I agree that Labs (or on the job) are the best ways to learn. Cheers!

With that info, I think you'll be fine doing it online! Had nowhere near that level of experience when I did the first exam (which was just after it had been specified as a qualification in its own right).