ICND1&2

corman007

Hi
just wondering if anyone has done these courses, i was thinking of trying them myself (self study) and would like to know what equipment people used or would a virtual router do the job - something like GNS3? Thanks.

corman007

just realised these 2 exams = CCNA.

NullZer0

Without a doubt, the most cost effective way to go is with GNS3 - start reading :-)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/CCENT-Official-Certification-640-822-640-802/dp/1587201828/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1297545132&sr=8-1

corman007

Thanks iRock i managed to get both books plus a sim called packettracer which cisco say will get you through the ccna certification, thx.

trebor28

i am doing the ccna course in small local college.

im not sure what other courses are like but there isnt that much to be gained from doing it this way apart from being able to use proper equipment and having someone who has done it before for guidance.

its good for me because i need a bit of a kick in the hole to motivate me, so having weekly exams and end of semester exams keep me some way in line.

packet tracer will pretty much do everything you want but its nice to actually have the physical equipment in front of you obviously.

there is some discrepancies in the book i am using from cisco. some of the labs have mistakes in the set up of them which can be annoying.

corman007

Hi trebor, yeah its hard to say focussed doing it on your own. what router/ switch do ye use in the course - the book uses 2960 series switch & 1871 router, i was looking at 2960 on ebay and they're a bit more expensive than the 2950 series - can you use these for the current exam? also i was going to get an 8 port rather than a 24 port one.

trebor28

im no expert but i dont think there is that much of a difference between the switches for what you will be doing.

as cisco say themselves all you need is course material and packet tracer to get the cert.

the 2960 performs better than the 2950 and as far as i know it was pretty much just an upgrade to the 2950.

as long as it works ok i would say go with the 2950.

maybe someone else will correct me on that.

not sure what you know or dont know but the exam is all done on a pc, no physical equipment involved.

corman007

Thanks for that, yeah i've done some mcp's before - many moons ago

NullZer0

You might be interested in this also.
I used it many moons ago for some of the basics - they have pretty good hardware!
http://packetlife.net/lab/

corman007

wow thx iRock had a look at that site and seems great!!! will try to book a few hours when i schedule exam.

FPAON

Corman007 - I'm also planning on going down the self teaching route for the CCNA (ICND1&2). Was it these two books that you got:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/CCENT-Official-Certification-640-822-640-802/dp/1587201828/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1297545132&sr=8-1
and
http://www.amazon.co.uk/ICND2-Official-Certification-640-816-640-802/dp/158720181X/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b
I got a loan of the book below from someone but may get the above two if they are considered to be the best option (seen as they are divided into 1 & 2):
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Certified-Network-Associate-640-802-Certification/dp/0071497285/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1297843468&sr=1-6

Also, is there any other material you would recommend getting?

corman007

Hi FPAON i'm using the first two and am 3/4 way through the 1st one - don't know anything about the CCNA one, i would recommend downloading packettracer for network sim instead of buying any equipment, plus u can use the site iRock posted there to access real routers/ switches for free once you register with the site and then book a time - www.packetlife.net/lab.
if you have any previous networking exposure - college/ uni then the theory is simple enough but you need a sim/ real product to practise/ get used to the various cisco commands. From other posts subnetting seems to be a popular exam topic.

trebor28

this is a link to the books we were advised to get plus are in the college library for our course.

the books come with labs in the back of them plus a cd which have packet tracer activities etc.

http://www.pearsoned.co.uk/bookshop/subject.asp?item=9297

n32

i m doing these courses at the moment and what was wondering what are the chances of getting a bit of work after you get certified or is it just another bit of window dressing for my cv?

trebor28

simple answer is to go a look at the IT section of some job sites.

a lot of them will want more than just ccna. you'll probably need some ms exchange, server 2003/2008 etc.