Tek-Tips is the largest IT community on the Internet today!

Members share and learn making Tek-Tips Forums the best source of peer-reviewed technical information on the Internet!

Register Log in
  • Congratulations strongm on being selected by the Tek-Tips community for having the most helpful posts in the forums last week. Way to Go!

Path to the CCNA 3

Status
Not open for further replies.
bobbyforhire

bobbyforhire

Technical User
Mar 11, 2008
253
US
Hello All, I am 25 and live in atlanta. I currently have my A+ and my Net+ Certifications and have reccently decided it's time to take on that little guy CCNA.

So far i have been able to dibble and dabble with some of what cisco has. I recently purchased a 2948G switch only to find it's the one of two in the whole world running the CATos and can't be swaped out for IOS but the drift of one to the other is somewhat there (some might say it's day and night). So my lab is on it's way, I got a cheap Cisco Router (2501) witch i really can't use but i can still run commands on it. And today i just put down a buck fifty for a PIX 501. So far so good, I have been eyeballing the 2621 router for my lab as everything I use will be in my house running live. So here are my questions to people who have been down this road before.


If you have your CCNA, how hard was it? From what I have heard so far alot of it has to do with subnetting and routing from a to b and letting c get a taste. But how far will it really go? I love to take on a challenge and so far this is the biggest for me yet so far, I would love just to say that I am CCNA certified but really knowing what to do is 99.9% of the fun of it all :). Pointers Tip's and anything else would be great!


-Road to CCNA day 1-
 
Sort by date Sort by votes
Cheap? You should be able to get one off the bay for 200 or so....
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
garfld513,

eBay has about 30 2611xm routers right now for $200 to $400 with $250 being about average. There is a lot to "you get what you pay for" when buying things on eBay - if it is too good to be true - read it again - what is WRONG with it :)

Of course you need to look at IOS, memory and shipping - read between the lines before you buy!!

I have bought more then 200 items (including many routers) - take your time, read the auction and compare it with other auctions, check to see what else the seller has sold and what others have said!

Hope this helps!


E.A. Broda
CCNA, CCDA, CCAI, Network +
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
**********************************************************
Just some tips.. Working on CCNA as well.. just took first test (ICND1 and passed)..

First, just in case you have not run across it yet check out
GNS3 ......................................
Video tutorials for GNS3 available from Another software based alternative to buying the equipment is the Boson NetSim.. That said.. there really isn't anything like the actual hardware.. plus you earn hella geek points for owning your own Cisco gear!

Best Single Book!!! (Hand's Down!!!)
CCNA Study Guide Sixth Edition by Lammle
ISBN# 978-0-470-11008-9
Buy his book and you gain access to his forum.. Another useful tool!

Where to find the hardware...
(Several CCNA lab setups there)

New exams require IOS 12.4 for the Security Device Manager (SDM).... IE. 2610XM and 3640.. Also the 851 or 871 are perfect candidates for the CCNA but have to eBay them I believe.. Honestly, I doubt that you will see many IPv6 or SDM questions so if you are not planning on pursuing the CCNP then I would just stick with the router that I have now...

As far as switches go.. the new exams are based on the 2950 CLI syntax.. (Different than older models).. Stick with those.. and get the standard.. No need to waste your money on the enhanced for CCNA (Not sure about CCNP but I did just post that question.. LoL)

An awesome understanding of TCP/IP, handshaking, ARP etc. can be had with the use of ethereal and a couple of open Friday nights... (Packet Sniffer) Tutorials are everywhere... Try Youtube..
SLIGHTLY OFF-TOPIC: If surfing wireshark/security related sites (Other than wireshark.org.. and of course tek-tips.com) I suggest using a sandbox.. Google "sandboxie".. Zonelabs Beta forcefield is too slow at the moment.. Just a security measure... all tech savvy geeks aren't nice guys..

Also there are a lot of good posts in my CCNA classes' Yahoo Group.. Search for net_warriors ... Click join group because one of my classmates made it private....

Speaking of the class... Cisco Network Academy!!! I have been seeing posts that put it at $200 a cass x4 at some community colleges... That is a sweet deal.. (Entire course cost me $5000)! Luckily I have TA through the military to cover that! You gain access to hardware and have the advantage of an instructor based course!

I am putting together a CCNP lab... just posted a question here at tek-tips about it so take a peek at that too if you wanna..

Lastly, the Cisco site has a few goodies... First, Google "CCNA Prep Center".. (Must create free account)... It has sample tests, CCNA TV, and lots of other good stuff!
Second, from the Cisco site perform a search for "Internetwork Technology Handbook"
Lastly, if trying to determine the capabilities of various hardware and IOS/software releases check out Cisco's feature navigator
I hope that this helps...
***********************************************************
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
maczen,

Good post!

You said - "Speaking of the class... Cisco Network Academy!!! I have been seeing posts that put it at $200 a cass x4 at some community colleges... That is a sweet deal.. (Entire course cost me $5000)! Luckily I have TA through the military to cover that! You gain access to hardware and have the advantage of an instructor based course!"

I teach and work at a community college in Florida and the Cisco Academy classes are just regular classes - Credit Courses: Florida Residents In-State* Total Per Credit Hour $73.16 - these are 3 hour classes so they run $219.48 for the 8 or 16 week class.

Not all community colleges do it this way, just ask around!

Cisco Academy classes are taught at lots of Jr. colleges or Community colleges as well as high schools, some big cities might have several different places offering the classes with costs all over the place!

As for learning - the whole Cisco Academy approach is GREAT!


E.A. Broda
CCNA, CCDA, CCAI, Network +
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Thanks for clearing that up.. Hope that post helps everyone out.. As far as Cisco Academy Connection... I just want to add that I also believe it to be (possibly the best) approach to Cisco certification...(As long as you have a good instructor who is willing to put forth the effort to ensure that students are challenged with complex labs and the key concepts are grasped by the class).. Perhaps I will make a separate post pertaining to the Cisco Academy Connection... (Don't want to hijack this thread)...

Thanks again all!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Well, Last thursday my apartment got broken into and they stole my 50" plasma tv and a laptop along with a few of my pc's... How ever they didn't take any of my cisco stuff..Needless to say living in ATL does have it's downsides. So this is the hardware i have to start testing with.


2501 Router
2611XM Router (Just got it off the bay for 60$ shipped!!!)
2948G Switch
Cisco Pix 501

I know that taking a class would be a good way of learning but i'm really looking for someone to challenge me. So Tek-Tips geeks and really cool people.. Challenge me.


Level 1 - What should be the first thing I should learn when setting up a cisco network with the hardware that I have above. Give me some challenge that would be at a level one. Once i complete this i will ask you for a level 2 and so on and so on. This could be fun for other people to learn along with me but at the same time will give me a reason to check out the forums and post my results every day.


-Bobby
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
As far as the assignment goes.. Play with this (But use a second router instead of the *Nix route server..
(If you are running Linux you can grab Zebra from here)..
(Routing Software)

Lab Suggestions!
I have a 2610 (Non XM)(Can perform Inter-VLAN Routing)
and just ordered a pair of 3640's (Upgradeable to 12.4 IOS as long as they have a minimum of 64/16)
I plan on buying a pair of 2610XM's later (12.4IOS)

As far as switches go... I am buying 2950's.. apparently the 2900's have a different syntax than the 2950's and the 3550's... I won't buy the layer three 3550 unless I just come into some money.. lol

Also want an Access Server.. (Someone mentioned it above.. reverse telnet... 2509/2511 ... 2511 runs under $200 on eBay...) This way you don't have to keep connecting and disconnecting console cables etc...


$99 3640 (No Faceplate!)

Cool Vids! (Friend has this!!! Awesome.. I am going to buy for CCNP)
These are free!
Here is an alternative to CBTNuggets... Slightly less expensive but I have not seen any of these! Perhaps someone here can vouch for them..

Since I mentioned GNS3 in my previous post I thought that I would do so again now.. If you can (legally) get your hands on a Cisco IOS (2600 series up to 7200 series) then you are in business... Does all but Catalyst Switches.... If you buy a router with a supported IOS you could possibly run a lab similating 5 (2610's for example)... Nice!!!! Here is another link with a tutorial (Scroll Down!) This is also one of the best subnetting examples I have seen.. Used this method to pass my first CCNA test (ICND1)

Ok.. I think that that will do it for now.... Sorry for such a long post!

Later!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
One more thing! Forgot to mention that the site I just ordered my two 3640's from is in Atlanta and offer a pickup option (No shipping).. Plus they sell everything including a rack for $40.. lol Check out .. I will let you know about the condition of the routers once I get them... Probably Saturday (Hopefully.. Want to play with them this weekend!)

My best advice to you is to buy that Lammle book I mentioned in my first post here! It comes with the complete book in .PDF which makes it easy to switch back and forth between the book to the console when configuring routers/switches.. Or sipping on a latte at Starbucks! Plus that book is begins with a "New to Networking" perspective.. I am also a big fan of the CiscoPress series of books... I have all of the new CCNA books (From the class) and even bought an older CCNP Practical Studies: Routing by Henry Benjamin ISBN: 1-58720-054-6 from ... (Because someone in a forum somewhere absolutely swore by it and it was cheap)It still covers IGRP extensively but also has great examples of OSPF, EIGRP, BGP etc.

Oh.. Read the Wendell Odom blog on CCNP Labs.. (Good read.. will spend a couple of hours here.. be careful) And when you buy switches buy the 2950's standard.. You will save $100 each...

Ok.. Leaving for real this time.. I have some studying to do! LoL.. Later!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I have bought from cablesandkits. when i had my 2924 switch it was DC and i went down and talked to them and they found my an AC power supply... good people!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
They ship fast too.. My routers are already in VA.. Should get them by tomorrow! Did you have a chance to play around with RIP yet? It is a great protocol for learning about Routing Protocols and how they route traffic... Also, metrics and administrative distances etc...

Enjoy and let me know if I can help!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
My router just came in today, i ordered it on Tuesday and did groud shipping and got it today.. they shipped the same day!!! anywho. Ill be setting up my lab and from the looks of it I should pick up a few amazon books.. Ill keep everyon in touch with my status...thanks for all of the help!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I am now in the process of ordering the WICS and Network Modules for my routers!!! Have to research those.. I am jealous of that 2611XM for $60... That was a steal! Will let you know what I find in the NM/WIC area... CiscoGuy33 helped me out a lot in that area in another post!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
That 2611XM will do SDM, but not VLAN trunking and routing on subinterfaces without the right image, and even then it doesn't work right. That is a steal though, but really it's only worth itself with fully loaded flash and DRAM, and of course an image that can't be put on a non-XM, like Advanced Enterprise 12.4(10), which does TCP Intercept, among other things, which I have (*AHEM*!)...excuse me...

Burt
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Hehe.. Nice!!! Don't do that to me... When I see a term that I am unfamiliar with I have to go investigate it.. LoL TCP Intercept is pretty sweet though... Found the config guide on Cisco..
So you would place your 2611XM as the default gateway for your San?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Depends on the SAN. Where I work, I have a small SAN set up inside our network, fiber attached to a server.

Burt
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Same here i have a CX400 EMC san at work we use for clustering. Well the IOS i will be running is c2611-is-mz.123-17a. I will be looking to get the latest but finding the IOS's is not as easy as i wish it was. I guess i will have to work my way up to CCIE just to get a damn reg login. Well Anywho. An update on my CCNA is this.

The 2611 came in setup to factory settings so i did what everyone else would do. I set the password by hitting multiple keys and not looking and kept hitting enter for default info. I know what you are thinking....Why would you do that?

For my own first self teaching I have tought myself how to do password recovery via rommon.(is that pronounced like the noodles?) Tonight i will try a few of my own commands to see how well it will work out.

Oh as for the 2611xm.. (64/16) - How high can the 2611's go (128?)

 
Upvote 0 Downvote
bobbyforhire,

The 2611xm can go to a max of 128 RAM however with a BootROM 12.2(8r) you can go to 256 -

From the Memory 10 website -
Compatible with Cisco Router 2610XM, 2611XM, 2620XM, 2621XM, 2650XM, 2651XM routers. All 2600XM routers can be upgraded to support a maximum of 32MB of Flash memory and 256MB SDRAM when using both the Cisco 2600XM BootROM version 12.2(8r)(supplied with Cisco p/n BOOT-2600XM-256=) and Cisco IOS Release 12.1.3T, 12.2, 12.2T, or later Cisco IOS versions.
12/01/2007




E.A. Broda
CCNA, CCDA, CCAI, Network +
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
My favorite small storage option is something like an Alpha ES45 running OpenVMS fiber attached to an HSG-80 controller, SCSI attached to six 14 drive shelves. Each shelf is split-bus, so I mirror box 1, bay 1 with box 3, bay 8, 2 in box 1 with 9 in box 3, etc, each mirror having a different OS (Tru64 UNIX, HP-UX, AIX, Solaris, Windows, a few Linux, OpenVMS, etc.), so multiple servers can boot to multiple OS's. Oh, wait...this is the Cisco testing forum...lol

Burt
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
burtbees,
Why would you want to run multiple OS's on your SAN? And if you did would it not make more sense to do so via an virtualized method to limit hardware costs, utility costs and space while still allowing multiple operating systems? (Seems to be some of what the Virtual guys are pushing)

Just checked out OpenVMS!!! Pretty cool! This is a good link!
Can get free copy of the OS for personal use!

I am just curious... Still kinda new to the networking thing and want to understand as much about all aspects...
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

Michel$
  • Locked
  • Question
Hi guys ! Please i needs the respo
Replies
0
Views
123
Michel$
Michel$
BenniCo
  • Locked
  • Question
Hן I want to buy licenses for PABX
Replies
0
Views
220
BenniCo
BenniCo
Michel$
  • Locked
  • Question
hi guys , please, how to configu
Replies
0
Views
114
Michel$
Michel$
Mogles49
  • Locked
  • Question
CCNA 200-125 exam
Replies
0
Views
196
Mogles49
Mogles49
satian
  • Locked
  • Helpful tip
Best CCNA practice paper for CISCO certification
Replies
1
Views
141
jabbo99
jabbo99

Part and Inventory Search

Sponsor

Back
Top