ccna self study questions

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I am going to get my ccna and ccda mainly becasue it will give me more security in my current job (telecomms design) and not becasue I wont to break into the IT market (seen too many people try and be very very dissapinted). Anyway, due to full time job and lack of spare money I am doing it the self study way. Obviously there are hundreds of books and packages out there and I wondered if any of you can either help me make a good choice or stop me from making a bad choice.

I have always like the dummies guide and I see there is a dummies guide to the ccna, now I love there books but i cant help thinking that this is way to deep for their style of wrting...

I have been given a boson router simulation software package that seems ok (any thoughts)

Also, I have an old ccna book from the old 640-407 exam (todd lammle) is this worth reading or is it totally useless now? What is the general opinion on his newer books.

Is a good book and a router sim enough or do i need more??

Cheers

 

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spend the 20 quid on the new Sybex book, its like the 5th edition, whilst your book will for the most part still be accurate, its best to have the latest material based on current exam revisions/ios versions etc

also your best bet is to pick up some old cisco kit for a home lab

if u need any more help pop by our cisco routing and switching forum

 

phoenix, can I ask why you feel proper cisco kit is better than a software package? The router sim i have been given shows me 5 routers and 2 switches. I can get hold of a couple of 1700 series routers and maybe a switch, but there is more hassle with having to have them set-up in the house somewhere..

Cheers

 

the software packages dont come close to real router exposure, they may be adequate to get a cert if your lucky, but they are not adequate to teach you how to use and configure cisco kit in a production environment
they are designed soley for the purpose of exam passing, and i dont feel strongly about products like that that cut out the core skills

they also generally have a very cut down command set
something you dont really want if your interested in 'learning' cisco products and not just passing the exam

hope that helps

 

It is true that practicing on actual routers is more desirable than on a simulator. However, it is very expensive to buy routers with that support advanced features, whereas the same could be implemented on a simulator. Each have their own advantages and dis-advantages with respect to cost, functionality, and need. Several years back, when the CCNA was introduced, there were no simulations and passing the exam was based solely on answering the multiple choice questions (some times true/false or fill-in-the-blank questions). Even the practice tests available at that time were not so advanced. However, with the introduction of simulated questions, the certification exam became closer to the real world experience and the vendors came out with more sophisticated learning tools to match the exam pattern. For most part, the current simulated learning tools are well aimed at preparing a candidate for the certification exam. As mentioned before, finally it depends on the individual to choose appropriate training material for successfully completing the exam. Hope this helps.

 

its not THAT expensive to get the features needed to pass a CCNA, atleast, no more expensive than going on a course that supplies said kit
you can also rent virtual racks for far cheaper than the cost of even a single router
and these are often very powerful confirutations

 

Just thought I'd say something about the old Lammle book...

Pros:
He was one of the first people to write very readable CCNA material. If the techno-speak in other books such as the Cisco Press ones puts you off, his book is a good place to start. I love the way he explains VLANs for example.

Cons:
New topics have been added to the exam (and some dropped) since the 407. I don't think he covers NAT for a start. If you HAVE to use his book, back it up with others which cover the missing stuff.

What you could also do:
Create your own checklikst of study topics. To do this, go to the Cisco Press site, find their official CCNA study book (http://www.ciscopress.com/title/1587051427#), click on the link to view the Table of Contents. Use this as a study list guide with whatever books or other resources (yep! even online articles) you like to use.

Finally,
Technically, you should be able to get through with a good book and simulator alone. Lots of people have. Get a good bank of exam practice questions to check whether you are ready to take the exam.

Good luck!

brooksie


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