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CCNA 1

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How do i train for the CCNA course if I do not have access to a router???
 
there are some router simulator programs. some are boson, krang and cisco's interactive router lab. but u must get access to use the last one.
 
Belive me you don,t need to play with routers to gain CCNA. Only when you come to CCNP do you need any sort of hands on experiance.
 
Grab Sybex's E-Trainer and CCNA book combo. They are outstanding. I did some hardcore study and hands on router configuration using them for about a month and a half. I passed the test on the first try. I know that you will pleased with the materials.

-Eric
 
I strongly disagree with the statement that you do not need to play with routers to pass the CCNA. You might pass the test and promptly be fired for making a stupid mistake on a "real" router that the sim would not "let" you do. Not to mention that not all IOS loads are created equal.

I had one guy with a CCNA try to hook up a router for me by plugging the ethernet cable into the AUX port because is *looked right* and that he was clueless about a transceiver on the AUI port. Needless to say, he did not last very long. He was clueless about how to make a crossover cable and other somewhat important issues that ANY CCNA had better know in the "real" world. Do you need the stack of routers and switches... absolutely not.. 2 routers.. works great and lasts a long time.

The sims rarely teach you things like that but you will be expected to know them.

MikeS Find me at
"Diplomacy; the art of saying 'nice doggie' till you can find a rock" Wynn Catlin
 
Well said normal,

If you want to be more than a paper tech then you definately need to know how to set up a network. I was very satisfied with Sybex's simulator. It was basic in its teaching but solid.
 
I did the same thing as FH, but I was working on a production net at the same time. Still, CCNA is small
time stuff if you get it from a book. You will find
it useful, but there will be some hangtime before you
actually understand what you're doing.

As far as wbn's comments: sounds like the same stuff
I've heard from other "pros" in the industry.
The thing they overlook is the old truism that you
can't learn unless you're working on the stuff.
I know OSPF back and forward from the book, but I have never set it up on a production net and would be
uncomfortable unless I had a good book in front of
me.
If you are learning from Sims or a book, start small
otherwise you will have to deal with the censure of
all the "pros" out there, who are too jaundiced to deal
with newbies.
 
Book?? we dont need no stink'in book.. WRONG!! I have way too many books that I use almost on a daily basis. Not because I dont know what I'm doing ( ok.. sometimes) but because I want to make sure I get it right the first time on a production network. You can not function all the time with networks without the books. And here is some advice I got from a CCIE a while back. When reseaching info on the Cisco site.. when you see something useful.. even if not for the current problem.. book mark it, print it and toss it into a binder. Virtually all the CCIE's I know use this method to keep a set of binders with commonly used Cisco notes and white papers. I happen to use legal style folders with the two fold-tabs across the top. This way I can flip pages very easily.

There are certain skills that a "pro" will expect any "newbie" to have mastered. The most important is how to research the problem. This is the weakest link I have seen so far. A person claims to be certifed but can not work their way through a problem using books, internet or personal networking. They will sit there on their butts and cry the blues about what they dont know. A strong skill is how to find the answers you need and find them quickly. Always carry a CDROM of cisco's docs with you or burn your own with PDF files. This has been a lifesaver at 3 in the morning without internet access. And there will be times that you DONT have internet access or your library handy so get used to carrying it with you.

As far as getting experience goes.. build a lab. Use some of the MANY free labs around to practice or get a copy of the CCIE All in one study guide which has some great labs.

MikeS Find me at
"Diplomacy; the art of saying 'nice doggie' till you can find a rock" Wynn Catlin
 
A person "claims" to be certified.
They are..they just don't have real world experience.
They passed the test and have their numbers from
cisco like the rest.
It's just that they are screwed in the work place unless they have: 'touched a router', is the term I remember from
some consultant who knew everything.

So, Like I said, get some real world experience through
whatever low level stuff you can and then get hired.
It's not worth putting up with the attitude and BS
you will deal with otherwise.
 
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