CCNA - what's the best way to do it?

[lesjones]

Hello,

I have an IT degree, and have worked doing service desk (1st, 2nd line) work for about 3 years and I want to know the best way of getting CCNA within the next 4 months. I have some basic networking knowledge but no real grounding in this field - does anyone have first hand knowledge of a good company / method of getting this qualification quickly?

Thanks in advance, sorry if this is the wrong forum for this thread but it seemed apt.

[2uk]

wipe your arse ?

[TheFaQQer]

There are a few ways:

1. Go to India. Study there. Pass exams. Dead easy - try Koenig Solutions in Goa or Shimla who are pretty good at teaching the stuff (I think - I've not done CCNA because it would bore me to tears).

2. Study here. Learn things. Pass exams.

3. Download loads of past papers off the internet from places like ActualTests.com. Memorize the answers, learn nothing. Pass exams.

Not sure which one is best for you - do you want to know the stuff, or just have the qualification?

[the_duderama]

Buy a book, Tod Lammell does a good one, get the kit or a decent simulator (boson is cheap and easy and ok - dynmips is a real ios emulator), read said book and do the practicles, get some past papers (pass king/pass4sure) sit exam and pass.

Be warned though it's not easy, and it will not tell you how to troubleshoot networks effectivley - you will need expereince at the sharp end for that. Worthwhile though on the way to making quite good money.

[bellymonster]

Before you do anything else, go and learn how to calculate subnets.
The exam is full of questions relating to subnetting and if you don't understand it you will struggle.

I still have to go back to subnetting once in a while, it's the sort of subject you can quickly forget.

[Jog On]

Do lots of subnet calculating and lots of labs.

Spend at least 15 minutes on this site every day:

http://www.subnettingquestions.com/

I used these people for labs

http://www.mindtechcom.com/ (use the CCNP rack not the CCNA one).

Make your own combinations of networks with different address ranges and subnets because you'll get lots of questions with random topologies where 1 address/mask is wrong in a chain of quite a few - you have to be able to spot the wrong one very quickly.

You have to do at least 1 simulation question in order to pass the exam - you can't get through with theory and memorising answers. That's why you have to do labs - lots of them and every day

Are you thinking of doing the 1 exam or the 2?

How much theory do you know already?

[lesjones]

Thanks for the replies so far. In the interests of getting the most accurate advice, maybe I should explain things a bit more.

I am currently contracting for a telecoms company. I want the CCNA qualification as I believe it would significantly increase my chances of getting a permanent contract with the company, or at least greatly enhance my chances of being extended either in my current role or a range of others.

At the risk of sounding flippant and disrespectful to experienced network admin bods (which is not my intention), I only really want to pass the exam and get the piece of paper. I have skimmed through the Cisco stuff and it really does "bore me to tears" as FaQQer puts it. There are roles within the company where just having the qualification will let you do a job where there is no networking experience required and CCNA is just a 'tick in the box', so to speak.

As I said, I have an IT degree, one module of which was networking, but I would be learning all of the CCNA stuff (including subnetting) basically from scratch. Once the exam has been taken and hopefully passed, I don't really envision having to use the knowledge much in a day to day role.

Is it realistic for a newb like me to pass CCNA without access to a lab? I have neither the funds nor the space in my home for a lab to work on. Can I really pass with just a book, some braindumps/example questions and maybe a simulator like the Duderama suggested?

Thanks again

[ctdctd]

Try here

[GCR99]

Hello,

I have an IT degree, and have worked doing service desk (1st, 2nd line) work for about 3 years and I want to know the best way of getting CCNA within the next 4 months. I have some basic networking knowledge but no real grounding in this field - does anyone have first hand knowledge of a good company / method of getting this qualification quickly?

i did the CCNA in 2003 and it was fairly easy. I have worked in networking for about 8 years and I now have to retake it to keep my certification up as I want to do the CCNP. However Cisco have made it ALOT harder and there are simulations and you cant just memorise answers and knock it out like the MCSE.
Subnetting is the key, you need to ace all the questions as when you know it they are gimmes.

[TheFaQQer]

I did some Oracle training in Goa with Koening Solutions in April last year. There were people there doing CCNA and other networking qualifications, and they seemed to think that the training was up to scratch. Seemed to be mostly one to one or certainly small classes. Recommended, if you need to spend time in a lab with a trainer.

Alternatively, Cisco might do something themselves out in India or somewhere cheaper than the UK - I'm considering going to Oracle India for some courses since they are so much cheaper than UK-based ones.