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Path to the CCNA 3

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bobbyforhire

bobbyforhire

Technical User
Mar 11, 2008
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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-
 
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I got my CCNA a few years back and CCNP 1 1/2 years ago, so the tests have dramatically changed. I know that SDM is now included. I don't think you'd need a PIX...
Three switches (2900 series) and three routers (two 2500's and one 2621XM) would be best, but I have a 2503 also as a frame relay switch (three 2620's, a 2620XM, a 2503 and three Cat 2924XL's). I would also recommend the Cisco Academy for classes.

Burt
 
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I'm with burt, when I got my CCNA, I was able to do almost everything with a 2500 series. I had an old 4500 router sitting around that I used as my frame-relay switch.

You might be able to get by with a 1700 series router with the wan interface...not sure though, but might be an option if $$ is an issue.

I'd recommend staying away from the 3500xl switch...it can't do rapid spanning-tree, but otherwise it's a pretty good unit.
 
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2500's!@! I really don't understand why anyone would want to know how to do anything on these. It has Two serial Interfaces and an AUI port along with AUX and Console. I can't do anything with it?!? I mean how did you use the 2500's for the ccna?
 
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bobbyforhire,

You said - " It has Two serial Interfaces and an AUI port along with AUX and Console. I can't do anything with it?!? I mean how did you use the 2500's for the ccna?"

As Brian from Family Guy would say - ummm wow ! Bobby, what do you think a router is? Whether it is a 2800, 2600 or 2500 - the serial interfaces are for your WAN communication - Frame Relay, PPP HDLC etc.

The AUI is for LAN communication such as Ethernet ( you will need an adapter)granted the newer routers have the RJ45 port already there but Ethernet is Ethernet.

The console and AUX ports are for communication between your PC and the router for configuring the router!

ALL ROUTERS YOU SEE WILL HAVE THESE SAME INTERFACES in some form or another!!!!

The 2500s will run almost all the protocols needed to learn for the CCNA - RIP, RIP v2, EIGRP, OSPF, Frame Relay, PPP, HDLC etc., that is why Burt put a 2621xm in the mix.

AND THEY ARE DIRT CHEAP!!!

Read back several older posts about building a CCNA lab here!

Hope this helps!


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

Here is an older Cisco Press book that you can pick up for about $15 (used) that shows how to setup a very complex home lab with 9-10 2500 routers.

It is older but for $15 it has lots of the information and is great for setting up most home labs with Cisco equipment.

CCNA Practical Studies by Gary Heap -
Hardcover: 544 pages
Publisher: Cisco Press (April 20, 2002)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1587200465
ISBN-13: 978-1587200465


Based on your question above - just some of the basics that this book provides would help you understand Cisco routers much better!

Once again - hope this helps!


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

I undersstand what a router does i just don't understand why the 2500's are still the standard, I mean if you goto a company and they are running a 2500 what would be your first reaction? But if you say that it can do everything then i guess i need to pick up a few more of them and a few dtc/dte cables.


Also, I have heard that the test is about to change, is it good to still pick up an older book?
 
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bobbyforhire,

2500s are not the standard - they are CHEAP and they can do the same IOS commands as those that are more $$$$$$$$

With 16 DRAM and 16 FLASH you can still load a 12.3 version of the IOS on most 2500 routers!

And for a cheap Frame Relay switch you can not beat a 2520,2521,2522 or 2523. 2509/2511s make great reverse telnet routers so that you can "console" into all your routers in your lab from 1 place!

Ever wonder how you can reboot a router when you rent time on a stack online - they are using a 2509 or 2511 (or better) - you are connecting the to 2511 and then doing a reverse telnet to the console port on the router you are doing the config on!

You might be surprised at some of the older Cisco equipment I have seen still running and being used at places!

The hacker mag - 2600 had a story earlier this year that Tire Kingdoms use Cisco 2514s to connect to the Internet and the IBM AS400 servers the company uses!

The key is that they are VERY CHEAP!!!


E.A. Broda
CCNA, CCDA, CCAI, Network +
 
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I work on VAX 6000's, HP3000's, and HS600's, and even some customers still have the 11" floppies! That's like mid-70's. 11" floppies were before the 8 1/4" floppies, like in the Commodore VIC20 and 64. Remember when UNIX was UNICS? Remember the 250MB (NOT GB!) hard drives that had replaceable platters, and were about 4 FEET in diameter, and you'd take the top cover off and take the platters out and replace them?

Burt
 
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Say what you want about the 2500's, but the 2507 series had a 16 port hub built in. You can configure loopback addresses to simulate other hosts. They worked great for simple p2p connections to run OSPF, EIGRP, and RIP. At the time of the exams, I could do just about everything with the 2500 that was covered on the CCNA. However, times have changed so maybe it's not as useful as it once was for practice.

Don't think of it for a functional real-life application, merely for practice. When I took the CCNA, they worked awesome. I'm keeping my 2511 at work hidden, just so someone doesn't just throw it away.

I think the one thing they aren't teaching any more (following with burt) is the old stuff. You might read about it in the history sections of some of the books, but believe it or not, some of it is still in production. Burt, I remember working on old MFM drives in desktops that were 10MB in size and were huge back then. The old 8088 processor machines....how about having to set jumpers on the motherboard to specify the processor speed.
 
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On the HP rx4640, you still have to set jumpers to set proc speed...not an old box, runs HP-UX 11.1i version 2 and 3, but yeah---the old 8086 processors...I had a Timex Sinclair 1000 with 4KB RAM and a 12KB cartridge, so 16K total. It loaded a 14KB flight simulator program (BASIC) off a tape cassette player, and took 7 minutes to load. I used a 19" color TV as a monitor, and it had an old analog channel selector, before the remote control. Our telephone was of course a rotary dial...20 years or so later, Cisco came out with the 2500 series routers.

Burt
 
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fyi to burt - When i was 8 i was given two computers...yes two... a Vic20 and a COM64.. it's funny that you put those together. But now back to one of my questions...If i buy a book now with the test about to change how much would i be missing out on?!?
 
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Yes, I know that---I thought you asked about the fact that the test is about to change again...

Burt
 
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bobbyforhire,

The test changed back in August - any books you buy now should be for the new exam unless you are shopping at a discount book store.

The 640-802 exam had lots of changes - I would get a book based on THAT exam!! An older book would have about 70-75% of what you would need for the new exam - best bet - get a book for the new exam!!!

The Sybex CCNA Study Guide by Todd L. - 6th edition is about $30 at Amazon or - that is at least 1 of the books that you should be using for the CCNA! Todd has been doing this book right since the CCNA exam came out!

Hope this helps!


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

I recommend you first decide if you want to take the 2 exam approach or the 1 exam approach. If you go the two exam route you basically split the CCNA exam topics in half. If you pass the first exam 640-822 you receive the CCENT certification. Passing the second exam 640-816 gets you CCNA certification. Or you can take the one exam 640-802. If your brand new to networking, the two exam approach is better. I chose the two exam approach and have already received my CCENT. I am working on the second half now. Buy a book first, read it thoroughly and master the concepts. After you master the concepts look at equipment to purchase. I personally have (3) 2503s (3) 2950s and (1) 2621 recommended by many of the guys in the forum. Don't get too caught up on the platform, but you do want to use the most recents IOSs. Good luck
 
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AN XM (2621XM) or even a 1720 would be great for SDM.

Burt
 
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Well so far, and people have been looking at my like i'm crazy. I have been buying hardward for things i want to learn. So far i am checking out the following OS's

CatOS (2948G)
IOS (2611, 2503, 1720)
Pix (501)


I am building my network and almost breaking it every day. So far i havn't ordered any books but have been graced with a few e-books from friends. my hardest thing right now for me is learning the routes and how it does the multilinking and a few other things. But like i said i'm taking it slow right now reading up. What would you say are the most importating things to learn right now? The subnetting or just overall everything a router and a switch have to offer?

I'm not new to networking but i am new to cisco's version of a network :)
 
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