ccnp technical school?!?

[jdl508]

Hello, I have been looking into various options for training for the ccnp. I really am interested in knowing the material inside and out not just passing the tests. Anyway I went to a somewhat local school last night and they seem to have a very good system. They go over the traditional 4 ccnp topics in a strictly hands on approach. (every student gets a few routers and switch for class) They also build on some ccie topics, atm, voip, security. Instructors are ALL ccie's. Here is the Q. It cost's 5k for a 13 week course. They offer alifetime membership to there facility which has a NOC, many routers (7500's, cat 5k's etc) but man that seems like a lot of $$$ for 13 weeks. What do you guys think?
Thanks
jdl

 

[dogbert2]

Do you have a network academy near you, which teaches CCNP material? would probably cost a lot less.

 

[jdl508]

dogbert, I do have a networking acadamy close however they only do ccna. I have even scheduled a time and spoke with the director who said there is no cahnce of getting a ccnp class there. He said he can hardly hold in the ccna's who are there to make 6 figures and then realize the reality of our job. Anyway I think I am gonna go for it. I figure 1 class of 5 day's at global knowledge is about 2500 so this isnt so bad. Plus I will get to do some ATM and voip stuff which will get me going should i decide to go for ccie.
thanks
jdl

 

[dogbert2]

well, see if your netacad is going to start a CCNP track (i'm going to semester 7 of netacad (CCNP switching next week), but we are a regional network academy, so we train instructors from other academies.

 

[ajcazz]

I did CCNP without going to an academy and got through it OK. However I DID do the first three semsters of CCNA and that was a fantastic help because I got the hands on experience you don't usually get. Do you have your CCNA already? If not it may be a bit tough to go straight into CCNP.
ajcazz

 

[jdl508]

ajcazz, I read your post earlier on ccnp in 3 months. I would LOVE to do that. What study methods did you use, labs books etc. It looks like I will be doing the self study route as it turns out. I have a few routers at home but a switch would help I'm looking at a 2912 xl for switching excercises. that should be good for vlans etc. And yes I do have my ccna. thanks for the reply
jdl

 

[dogbert2]

welp, if you have a POTS simulator (100 bucks), ISDN simulator (about 1700 or so), 2 routers which will support ISDN U int (2525 would work here), 3 2501, 1 4000M (FR/X25 switch), couple of USR robotic external modems (for POTS stuff), and 1924/2912/2924 switches, you should be all set for anything CCNP related (IMO)...

 

[ajcazz]

jdl508,
It sounds like your pretty well set up there with equipment. If you can get a switch, that will help HEAPS on the switching exam - make sure you know what type of switches use which type of command set - you will breeze through it if you do. Otherwise, I used the CCNP boxed set (not the exam prep guides) from Cisco press. For test questions, I used Boson's - good for practice and revision.
Good luck, hope this helps.
ajcazz

 

[jdl508]

Here is a question, what is the external modems used to simulate. I've been looking at otheres lab configs and they have 2 routers with a modem on each aux port then these modems connect to make a POTS cloud? I'm assuming this is to simulate some sort of DDR but who would use a modem in this day and age for WAN use? Also how do the modems connect to one another? Wel thanks again. Im neck deep in IS-IS right now. this is def a little more complex than rip LOL
thanks
jdl