learning Routing

Static M.e.

Big question
If you wanted to learn how to config. Routers and some general
router exp. would you

A ) Fork out for something like a 2nd hand cisco 2500 and bang away at it

B )Get some Router simulation software like the Bison stuff
and practice away

C )Buying time on a Router over the net so you can have a couple
of different routers and switchs to mess around with

Both include getting some Router books like the sybex ccna/ccnp
stuff , Anybody got any personal experiance with either or know
of a better solution other than paying 1500 yoyo's for a ccna
course..

----Static

Gavin

Search around, there are a few ccna books on th web. If you cant find any, I can bring some in tommorrow.

Obviously the best way to learn is practise. There is only so much you can do with just the one router and a modem connection.

See if you can pick up a cisco 1600, they are low end enough and might be in your budget.

The buying time on the net one sounds good though. Didn't know you could do that !

Gav

Demitri

Aside from doing a course like CCNA or CCNP (which I am doing)
get the Cisco Books from Cisco press "Cisco Networking Academy Program: First Year companion guide" <ciscopress.com> read it they have router simulation software with them on CD. Them Get the second book if you want for more intesive stuff.

AFAIK buying time on a router on the net is unlikely to be much good because they won't let you get access to it's full functionality. Thats where you learn the most useful stuff.

Thats what I would recomend.

Demetri

Gaz

Personally i did the Cisco Networking academy programme for the CCNA, it was 6 months long and i finally finshed it last week, sat the CCNA on wednesday of last week. Passed ... woohoo for me !


Anyway back to your question, the best books are cisco press. And the CNAP curriculam are great and come with router sim software.
The sims are excellent for getting a feel for the IOS command structure.

If you can get your hands on routers thats great , go for it. But personally i would recommend the course, yes its expensive but you can claim money back on tax and you are being trained by CISCO so that looks great on the oul CV !!!

Next stop for me is finishing my MCSE in 2k , then on to CCNP.
I will be trying CCNP by book/sim as the CCNA course broke the bank but hopefully i will get a decent amount back on tax.

Demitri

Darth Homer

Congrats first off.

Where did you sit the course as there are not that many places that provide the course in the country and I sit the CCNA: in 3 weeks. Any advice on the exam or useful downloads ect.

Cheers Demitri

Gaz

My course was run by CNI (Computer network Institute) which is on leeson st in Dublin.

Advice ? Well on the exam you get 2 router sim questions, just know the basic commands like setting up line passwords, enabling a routing protocol and adding ip addresses. Very easy

There will be 6 or 7 questions on subnetting, make sure you know your subnetting. Alot from more course failed and this was the reason !!! I had a hard time getting to grasp with subnetting till i found this http://www.amug.org/~silly/ , go here and learn it that way. I can now subnet in my sleep !!!

The rest are all general questiosn covering the entire course , Things like metrics protocols use , reasons for using ISDN, cable lenghts ...all that sort of stuff.

Well hope that helped , if you want any more advice just ask

Demitri

CNI thats where I currently am. Stephen is my current instructor and giving me a hard time. Which class where / are you CNP I, II, III.

Ho Hum it's a small world after all.

Demitri.

Gaz

Damn it is a small world !

Stephen was my instructor too , I was on the Monday/Wednesday group that finished last week. I know 2 people in the one you are doing !!!

I found the course excellent but from a class of , eh 14 i think, only 5 passed. Not a great percentage if you ask me !

Dont worry about stephen, i heard that CNI is closing , that probaly has him stressed !

Demitri

nah stephen is on my case cause I was out for a while and projects are due in a week and presented in a fortnight. it's a case of work done to date .......... insufficient.

Ho Hum lalalalalala weeeeeeeee.

cheers for the pointers.

Demitri

Static M.e.

Recap and a couple of more questions
I went on to the cisco site read up on the cisco academy and
rang the number nearest to me , the guy reackons that its only
for college kids and im not allowed play...:(

Cisco Networking academy programme for the CCNA
whats this program you did , have you got a url or phone number
more importantly ,was it worth it ? (without mentioning names
of course)

The ccna being ,i presume the easyiest one of the lot, do you need to be instructor led , do you think now you could have done
it on your own?

thanks

Demitri

to the could you do it on your own Q.

A. yes but you would have to be some sort of maniac with computers to do it. It is quiet hard Additionaly THE strenght of doing to course in some where similiar to the place Me and Darth did are doing ours was hands on router time in the labs IMO.
Some of the concepts like frame relay are quiet hard to get your head around and would be insanely difficult without help.

I would recomend that you do it in the instructor based metod.

may I ask what age you are and your level of computer knowledge.

It would help in giving you advice.

Demitri

Snaga

If you work try and get the company to pay for the course. I took a 5 day ICND course from global knowledge, got the excellent cisco manuals and a good run through.

I booked the exam for 3 weeks later and after a bit of study passed first time. Total time from start to CCNA was 1 month, although I did have some experience before hand.

Static M.e.

Im 24 , I work as a contract admin , ive got some mcps in 2k
going for the mcse as well the net+, Im also trying some new
database stuff with WAMP

Ive read into the ccna ,did some basic tuts and used some of the
demo router sim stuff , it seemed ok , Disheartened with the whole instructor routine , last course i paid for ,was a waste of
money..

Static M.e.

Snago ,
Unfortunatly company wont consider paying for anything
Contract work till i get a full time job, A cisco course would cost
me nearly 2 months pay..you see my prob...saying that though
if i thought it was it........

Snaga

The global knowledge course was good, there were 4 of us plus the instructor(though the next week there were 11 so we were just lucky).

We did everything through a vpn connection to a router farm in the uk. There was a router and switch in the room for demonstration purposes.

You basically wipe the router and switch on the monday morning and its yours for the week when you wipe it again on friday evening. You get the ICND manual which the CCNA tests are based on so there was no need to get any other book on the subject.

It was in the region of 1500eur for the week though.