C0mmUN1cAt0r
Technical User
Hi just wondering if someone could recommend a cisco router I can obtain from ebay or something which would enable me to practice on for ccna, not looking to spend a lot, nice and cheap but does the job! any ideas?
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ccna study 2
- Thread starter C0mmUN1cAt0r
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2
- #2
CiscoGuy33
Instructor
andymartin2006,
Welcome to the Cisco forum, you might want to read back a few posts because this has been covered in GREAT detail
For the CCNA you will need at very least 2-3 routers, the Cisco 2501, 2503 or 2514 with MAX DRAM of 16MGS and MAX FLASH of 16MGS will work and can be found on eBay for next to nothing!
You can also look at the 2610, 2611, 2620 and 2621 - these are a step up (faster) and are a little more expensive.
Google is your friend when shopping at eBay - if you do not know what a Cisco 2521 router is - GOOGLE it and you will find all you want to know. You will also find that you are learning about Cisco products also.
Check eBay - several sellers have complete kits with max DRAM and FLASH, transceivers, seial cables etc. as well as latest IOS with a backup on a CD - these can be a little more but saves in shipping with a 1 stop buy! Just watch the ones that keep pushing the CAT 1900 switches for CCNA - you need the 2900s
Do a little shopping around and you can get some great deals. Just make sure you understand which are Token Ring routers (2502 and 2504 to name at least 2)
If you can not get everything - then check - he has all the extras you would need like FLASH, DRAM, serial cables, rack ears, transceivers etc. I have bought from him several times and price was always good and parts always worked fine.
Hope this helps!
E.A. Broda
CCNA, CCDA, CCAI, Network +
Welcome to the Cisco forum, you might want to read back a few posts because this has been covered in GREAT detail
For the CCNA you will need at very least 2-3 routers, the Cisco 2501, 2503 or 2514 with MAX DRAM of 16MGS and MAX FLASH of 16MGS will work and can be found on eBay for next to nothing!
You can also look at the 2610, 2611, 2620 and 2621 - these are a step up (faster) and are a little more expensive.
Google is your friend when shopping at eBay - if you do not know what a Cisco 2521 router is - GOOGLE it and you will find all you want to know. You will also find that you are learning about Cisco products also.
Check eBay - several sellers have complete kits with max DRAM and FLASH, transceivers, seial cables etc. as well as latest IOS with a backup on a CD - these can be a little more but saves in shipping with a 1 stop buy! Just watch the ones that keep pushing the CAT 1900 switches for CCNA - you need the 2900s
Do a little shopping around and you can get some great deals. Just make sure you understand which are Token Ring routers (2502 and 2504 to name at least 2)
If you can not get everything - then check - he has all the extras you would need like FLASH, DRAM, serial cables, rack ears, transceivers etc. I have bought from him several times and price was always good and parts always worked fine.
Hope this helps!
E.A. Broda
CCNA, CCDA, CCAI, Network +
- Thread starter
- #3
C0mmUN1cAt0r
Technical User
cisco guy thanks for the reply, i really need just a shopping list, i dont want to sound prude but an exact list of what I need instead of one of these or one of these would be better.
I have checked ebay out could you check this link for me to see if this is the kind of thing I would require?
cost is an issue as I dont want to spend too much, after ccna my plan is to follow the voip pathway so any info you could provide on this would be much appreciated aswell, thanks in advance
I have checked ebay out could you check this link for me to see if this is the kind of thing I would require?
cost is an issue as I dont want to spend too much, after ccna my plan is to follow the voip pathway so any info you could provide on this would be much appreciated aswell, thanks in advance
CiscoGuy33
Instructor
andymartin2006,
Can not say anything about price since I did not have my US conversion to $$$ Looks like a good lab with the 16/16 DRAM and FLASH. It will let you do all the CLI commands that you need - should be able to practice MOST of what is needed for the exam.
One note - if you will be taking the "new" CCNA exam you might want to pick up a 2600XM - or any router that does Cisco's GUI interface, I posted the objectives for the "new" exam in another post and you can see that it does say you will be tested on both CLI and the "gui" - PDM I think is what they call it.
You also might need a 2600XM or better to do VLAN trunking also. You said you want to move to VoIP next - the 2600XMs will do the voice modules that you will need to do those labs - just a thought!
I do feel the lab you linked to will give ypou lots of hands on practice and is a very good start!
Hope this helps!
E.A. Broda
CCNA, CCDA, CCAI, Network +
Can not say anything about price since I did not have my US conversion to $$$
Looks like a good lab with the 16/16 DRAM and FLASH. It will let you do all the CLI commands that you need - should be able to practice MOST of what is needed for the exam.One note - if you will be taking the "new" CCNA exam you might want to pick up a 2600XM - or any router that does Cisco's GUI interface, I posted the objectives for the "new" exam in another post and you can see that it does say you will be tested on both CLI and the "gui" - PDM I think is what they call it.
You also might need a 2600XM or better to do VLAN trunking also. You said you want to move to VoIP next - the 2600XMs will do the voice modules that you will need to do those labs - just a thought!
I do feel the lab you linked to will give ypou lots of hands on practice and is a very good start!
Hope this helps!
E.A. Broda
CCNA, CCDA, CCAI, Network +
- Thread starter
- #5
C0mmUN1cAt0r
Technical User
im not choosing the full on ccna exam straight up, i have opted for the ccent option. Althoug i have a little routing expereinced doing the ccna in one fell swoop may be a little to much, from what I can see the icnd1 exam isnt that in depth and has programming steps for changing the router/switch name and password configuration. I have the network visualizer which seems adequate for this current exam i am revising for. I dont think having working kit infront of me would be more of an advantage. I will contiune as I am i think for this inital exam, get that under my belt and then look to invest. For your info a rough guide to get to dollars is double the pound so the kit i showed you would probably be around the $300 mark.
Can i just ask when I hit onto the voip studying, is it easy enough to do self study?
Can i just ask when I hit onto the voip studying, is it easy enough to do self study?
CiscoGuy33
Instructor
andymartin2006,
Thanks for the pound to dollar stuff
I would say that self study for anything Cisco will work with all the sims, books, CBTs and forums like this to help answer questions. You can also rent time to labs on-line for hands-on training when the equipment just gets too expensive.
Check eBay under "software" and you can often pickup different Cisco CBTs - some I have seen for VoIP for a good price.
Do get the lab ASAP - set it up with a few old PCs off eBay or from the local garage sales or thrift shops - just need end points not speed Then you can add to and build your lab as you progess.
Most that I communicate with who hold many Cisco certs have extensive "home" labs for practice.
Also check different formums (including here) for others near you to study together - always helps to bounce questions off each other.
Also check your phone book and see if you have a local Cisco sales office - check with them for when they have speakers or other local training, you might be surprised what some offices do to try to get biz.
Good luck!
E.A. Broda
CCNA, CCDA, CCAI, Network +
Thanks for the pound to dollar stuff
I would say that self study for anything Cisco will work with all the sims, books, CBTs and forums like this to help answer questions. You can also rent time to labs on-line for hands-on training when the equipment just gets too expensive.
Check eBay under "software" and you can often pickup different Cisco CBTs - some I have seen for VoIP for a good price.
Do get the lab ASAP - set it up with a few old PCs off eBay or from the local garage sales or thrift shops - just need end points not speed
Then you can add to and build your lab as you progess. Most that I communicate with who hold many Cisco certs have extensive "home" labs for practice.
Also check different formums (including here) for others near you to study together - always helps to bounce questions off each other.
Also check your phone book and see if you have a local Cisco sales office - check with them for when they have speakers or other local training, you might be surprised what some offices do to try to get biz.
Good luck!
E.A. Broda
CCNA, CCDA, CCAI, Network +
- Thread starter
- #7
C0mmUN1cAt0r
Technical User
cisco guy, because i am still new to the cisco stuff, once i have my routers what operating software will I require or is it built onto the router. I know I can telnet onto the equipment but through what I have read on the ccent1, i can only do this when I have configured the router
You can configure the router with a console cable and HyperTerminal, which is built into Windows (though I recommend Tera Term). You simply set a password on line vty 0 4 to be able to telnet into it...
router>en
router#conf t
router(config)#line vty 0 4
router(config-line)#password bambam
router(config-line)#login
router(config-line)#exi
router(config)#line con 0
router(config-line)#password bambam
router(config-line)#login
router(config)#enable password bambam
router(config)#enable secret bambambam
router(config)#end
router#wr
The "enable secret" and whatever you want for the password enables an encrypted MD5 hash that is irreversible, and will be the login password. Then the password required for console (router>en) will be whatever (this example is "bambam", and the original password for telnetting in is also "bambam".
Burt
router>en
router#conf t
router(config)#line vty 0 4
router(config-line)#password bambam
router(config-line)#login
router(config-line)#exi
router(config)#line con 0
router(config-line)#password bambam
router(config-line)#login
router(config)#enable password bambam
router(config)#enable secret bambambam
router(config)#end
router#wr
The "enable secret" and whatever you want for the password enables an encrypted MD5 hash that is irreversible, and will be the login password. Then the password required for console (router>en) will be whatever (this example is "bambam", and the original password for telnetting in is also "bambam".
Burt
CiscoGuy33
Instructor
andymartin2006,
The software is the Cisco IOS and it is NOT built into the router so when you buy one on eBay make sure that it has the "latest greatest" that you can get on that model. Routers are PCs without hard drives - they use FLASH for storage and run on operating systems that are VERY router specific!
Once you have your "new" routers setup - first thing you need to do is backup the IOS onto a TFTP server. A TFTP server is basicly ANY PC running any of the FREE TFTP software available online.
You are correct about telnet and Burt has put up the configs you need to do so that you can telnet in from your network. I practice both with the console cable through hyperterminal or Tera Term as Burt suggests and through the Ethernet connection and telnet.
This is why having a real lab is so important - making all the connections and getting the PC to talk to the switch and it to the router and that router to the next router and the next switch and the other PC - networking gets much easier when you get down and dirty with EVERY connection and cable!
Just some more thoughts
E.A. Broda
CCNA, CCDA, CCAI, Network +
The software is the Cisco IOS and it is NOT built into the router so when you buy one on eBay make sure that it has the "latest greatest" that you can get on that model. Routers are PCs without hard drives - they use FLASH for storage and run on operating systems that are VERY router specific!
Once you have your "new" routers setup - first thing you need to do is backup the IOS onto a TFTP server. A TFTP server is basicly ANY PC running any of the FREE TFTP software available online.
You are correct about telnet and Burt has put up the configs you need to do so that you can telnet in from your network. I practice both with the console cable through hyperterminal or Tera Term as Burt suggests and through the Ethernet connection and telnet.
This is why having a real lab is so important - making all the connections and getting the PC to talk to the switch and it to the router and that router to the next router and the next switch and the other PC - networking gets much easier when you get down and dirty with EVERY connection and cable!
Just some more thoughts
E.A. Broda
CCNA, CCDA, CCAI, Network +
- Thread starter
- #10
C0mmUN1cAt0r
Technical User
thanks for these replies, I am currently using the cisco published icnd1 book as i ont fancy doing the ccna in one fell swoop. In all honesty I am finding it relatively straight forward and it appears the only real cisco pecific areas tend to be simple setups such as passwords, hostnames, ip addresses etc. Is there anything you can recommend to help passing this first time, I am keen to get to my ccna (through the 2 exam option) by the end of the year. I want to make sure I have all the relevant information in my head to take the exams. What would you class as the difficult areas and also the must know areas. I want to gurantee I pass through knowledge I have learnt rather than repetitively taking practice exams which I feel serves no purpose!
CiscoGuy33
Instructor
andymartin2006,
I am glad to hear -"I want to gurantee I pass through knowledge I have learnt rather than repetitively taking practice exams which I feel serves no purpose!
I agree - practice exams should be used once in a while to measure what you know and what you still need to learn.
As for what is hard - it depends on you and how much you understand about networking - most people have a hard time with subnetting!
The best thing to do is as you read your book and they talk about something - STOP and try it on your lab or sim. Then do it again and again so that you understand what you are doing and WHY you are doing it!
When students ask me how to study for the CCNA I always tell them to get 2 books - a Cisco Press (which you have) and I would get the Sybex CCNA Study Guide by Todd L. (6th edition) - YES it is for the WHOLE CCNA exam but you could just read the sections that follow what you are reading in the Cisco Press book.
Todd has been doing this book for as long as the CCNA exam has been out - I think HE DOES IT THE BEST - most students find that when they do not understand what the Cisco Press book said - when they read it in the Sybex it helps a lot!
I think you need several views to catch on to many of these complex topics! AS WELL AS TONS OF HANDS-ON LABS!
Just my thoughts!
E.A. Broda
CCNA, CCDA, CCAI, Network +
I am glad to hear -"I want to gurantee I pass through knowledge I have learnt rather than repetitively taking practice exams which I feel serves no purpose!
I agree - practice exams should be used once in a while to measure what you know and what you still need to learn.
As for what is hard - it depends on you and how much you understand about networking - most people have a hard time with subnetting!
The best thing to do is as you read your book and they talk about something - STOP and try it on your lab or sim. Then do it again and again so that you understand what you are doing and WHY you are doing it!
When students ask me how to study for the CCNA I always tell them to get 2 books - a Cisco Press (which you have) and I would get the Sybex CCNA Study Guide by Todd L. (6th edition) - YES it is for the WHOLE CCNA exam but you could just read the sections that follow what you are reading in the Cisco Press book.
Todd has been doing this book for as long as the CCNA exam has been out - I think HE DOES IT THE BEST - most students find that when they do not understand what the Cisco Press book said - when they read it in the Sybex it helps a lot!
I think you need several views to catch on to many of these complex topics! AS WELL AS TONS OF HANDS-ON LABS!
Just my thoughts!
E.A. Broda
CCNA, CCDA, CCAI, Network +
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