Brand new to Cisco, a few questions. 4

[Trevoke]

Hello everyone!
I'm 25, have a BA in CS, a good brain a desire to learn.
I need to figure out a few things about Cisco certifications before I decide whether or not to take the plunge -- also, my boss may or may not pay for the gear and training

I'd like to know if there's a website that describes the Cisco certifications and in what order you should/can/must get them..
Sources for books and online training I have already found here. Are there meat-space locations for the training, real classrooms with real students and real teachers .. ? If so, any idea how I can find out where they are in NY, more specifically Long Island?

What's a good estimate for preparation time for Cisco certifications?

Thanks for taking the time to answer

Tao Te Ching Discussions : Chapter 9 (includes links to previous chapters)
What is the nature of conflict?

 

[senk1s]

Letme take a shot at this

Certification info
cisco.com/go/certification

Network academy locator

http://cisco.netacad.net/cnams/locators/AcademyClassLocator.jsp

(I prefered this to a 40 hour week session - spread out over approx 12 weeks per course)

Prep Time ...
Just passing an exam vs. Knowing the stuff - thats the difference.
It depends on the person ...

 

[CiscoGuy33]

Trevoke,

WELCOME to the Cisco Certification area!

I agree with senk1s - Check out a Cisco Network Academy - they are ALL OVER THE WORLD - I am sure you have a bunch in NY!!!

And

http://www.cisco.com

is the place "to get it from the horse's mouth".

You said - "also, my boss may or may not pay for the gear and training " at 25, I would not worry about that - if he pays GREAT - if not - what do YOU want to do and are the dues worth it! Do you think a doctor or nurse even thinks twice about buying their first stethoscope or an anatomy book!

I have been doing this for more then 11 years and my boss has paid very little of my books, training and hardware not to mention going to 5 Cisco Networkers conventions at about $3,000 each :-( It was worth it because this is what I do and it only makes me better and in most cases that means I live better

WHAT ARE YOU AND YOU FUTURE WORTH!!!!!

As for books - just check my prior post - it has a link to a 700 page PDF (free) lab book - Learning By Doing to walk you though hands on labs.

With this I would get the Sybex CCNA Study Guide by Todd L. - about $30 on Amazon - he has been doing this book since CCNA started and he does it right!

Putting a CCNA lab together should not cost you much more then $500-$600 for at least one 2600xm router and maybe a 3620, 2610, 2620 or even a 2500 to round out a 3-4 router lab - you want at least 1 router that can do IOS 12.4 and at least one that can do SDM. You also want to pick up 2-3 2950 switches or 2924-xls - these go for $40 to $150 on eBay!

Stay away from 1900s switches and some of the labs on eBay that DO NOT address IOS 12.4 and SDM! I have seen these "CCNA" labs with all 2500 routers and 1900 switches - great if you were taking the exam 3 years ago!!

Hope this all helps! Read back a few pages of posts before you start asking the same questions again





E.A. Broda
CCNA, CCDA, CCAI, Network +

 

[maczen]

Hello Trev,
I just started the CCNA track about 6 months ago.. I took the "two-step" approach. Order of Certs can be located as mentioned above...
1. CCENT
2. CCNA
3a. Design Track = CCDA
3b. CCNP/CCDP
4. Many specializations such as CCSI

The free online book that CiscoGuy mentioned is awesome.. (Thanks again for sharing CiscoG!!!)

The Cisco Network Academy is awesome as well... I suggest that you walk in on a class and speak to the students though.. (Every instructor is not as awesome as CiscoGuy and the class WILL TELL YOU!) As far as books go.. The CiscoPress books are included in the class!

Lab! Lab! Lab! Lab! Lab!
I say DO IT!!! Invest the money... It's not all that expensive!!! I will list my current lab below.. (You DO NOT NEED ALL OF THIS FOR CCNA!)

4x 3640 ($100 x4)
1x 2610 (LT $100)
4x 2924XL ($50 TOTAL LoL)
1x 2950 ($81)
Plus cables and network modules/wics...

*I would suggest for CCNA (Kinda pulling from Wendell Odom's blog here)!

1x IOS capable router..
851 (Less than $200, SOHO, Not rack mountable)
871 (Only if you find a real deal cheaper than 851's)
Any 2600 XM series.. IE. 2610XM, 2611XM, 2621XM.. ($200+)
3640 (Between $100 and $200.. The thing about the 3640 is that it can support 12.4 IOS as long as the router has 64/16 of RAM/Flash... Up to you to get a copy of 12.4 and legally upgrade etc...)

2x Other router w/ serial connections etc... I suggest the 2501's.. Can be had for around $30 each and come w/ 2x serial..

NOTE: Will need a serial connection on the 12.4 router as well.. So you will need either an NM-4A/S or NM-4T network module... Or you can buy an NM-2W or NM-1E2W and add a WIC-1T... Topology will be different dependant on which way you go here but either way you should be fine!

As far as switches go... Sit on eBay and watch and you will find a deal... I got four 2924XL's for $36 plus shipping... Can't beat that.. But You could reasonably expect to see them at around $30 to $50 each... ($50 on

http://www.cablesandkits.com)

There are some advantages to the 2950's but for CCNA there are not that many.. A few slight syntax differences but nothing that you can't live with.. If you don't see a command you need in the IOS (New Cisco books use 2950 as examples) then simply google it for the 2924... example is port-security....

The actual lab is the only way to go.. Be ready to spend some late weekend nights touble-shooting OSPF, NAT and ACL's though.. LoL If you play your cards right you can get a good CCNA lab for

1x 3640 ($105 w/ shipping from

http://www.cablesandkits.com)

2x 2501 ($100 eBay.. Should spend less here)
2x 2924 ($105 w/ shipping from CablesAndKits)
1x NM/WIC setup ($100 eBay... Should spend less here)
Cables.. 2x Back to Back (serial).. 2x CAT5e (1 patch and 1 cross-over) I paid $3 each for my serial cables on eBay and the CAT5e should be bought from CablesAndKits.. Literally $2 each.. By the way.. Everything you just bought can be used for your CCNP lab in one form or another!!

Hope this helps!

 

[Trevoke]

Well -- thanks a lot for everything, including the warm welcome!
I read yesterday online (sure wish I'd saved the page now) about a change to happen in the lab in august 2008.. Does anyone know anything about that, and the possible ramifications?

Tao Te Ching Discussions : Chapter 9 (includes links to previous chapters)
What is the nature of conflict?

 

[CiscoGuy33]

Trevoke,

Are you sure you are not reading an OLD posting - the CCNA just changed in August 2007!

I just checked the Cisco Network Academy CCNA area and nothing listed there and they normally let us know ahead of the general public!

E.A. Broda
CCNA, CCDA, CCAI, Network +

 

[Trevoke]

It's very possible, but I do recall "it takes 6 months for these changes to go into effect, so get those labs in before February 2009" ...

Tao Te Ching Discussions : Chapter 9 (includes links to previous chapters)
What is the nature of conflict?

 

[CiscoGuy33]

Trevoke,

Not exactly sure what you mean by "labs" - you have no labs to get done for the CCNA - you just take the exam - at least as far as Cisco is concerned!

Different courses would have labs to do - such as the Cisco Network Academy - but that is setup by each school - Cisco just gives guidelines!

The only "lab" is the hands-on CCIE! That has and does change as needed by Cisco!

Well if you come accross it again - PLEASE be sure to post it with a link!



E.A. Broda
CCNA, CCDA, CCAI, Network +