I AM PREPARING FOR CCNA. I HAVE BEEN READING CCNA EXAM SELF STUDY EXAM GUIDE BY CISCO PRESS. THIS BOOK IS PRETTY GOOD BUT I STILL FEEL THAT I AM MISSING SOMETHING. ANY SUGGESTIONS ON PREPARATION (BOOKS,ROUTER SIMS,PRACTICE QUESTIONS, ECT...) I REALLY WANT TO PASS THIS TEST BY JULY. HELP PLEASE!!
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CCNA EXAM PREP ADVICE 3
- Thread starter KING2BE
- Start date
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1
- #2
Hi,
I cannot stress enough how hands on experience will make you walk through the exam. If you can get hold of a router or even a sim just to practice things such as access lists, then you`ll breeze through the exam.
Good Luck... Lee
LEEroy
MCNE6,CCNA2,CWNA, Project+, CCSA
I cannot stress enough how hands on experience will make you walk through the exam. If you can get hold of a router or even a sim just to practice things such as access lists, then you`ll breeze through the exam.
Good Luck... Lee
LEEroy
MCNE6,CCNA2,CWNA, Project+, CCSA
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1
- #3
CiscoGuy33
Instructor
KING2BE,
First - PLEASE turn off the CAPS lock!!!
As leedsit said above - hands on with Real Cisco routers is the best - all you need is 2-3 routers and 1 or 2 switches. Check past posts and you will see lots of advice on what to get! Best place to get them is Ebay.
Check the other posts - one of the members has free access to his online Cisco rack!
CBT Nuggets has a very good video series for CCNA as well as almost any other cert.
I think Boson makes the best CCNA Router sim on the market today.
I also like the Sybex CCNA Study Guide by Todd L. - he has been writing this study guide since Cisco started the CCNA - his guide tends to cover about 90% of just what you need for the CCNA exam.
I hope this helps!
E.A. Broda
CCNA, CCDA, CCAI, Network +
First - PLEASE turn off the CAPS lock!!!
As leedsit said above - hands on with Real Cisco routers is the best - all you need is 2-3 routers and 1 or 2 switches. Check past posts and you will see lots of advice on what to get! Best place to get them is Ebay.
Check the other posts - one of the members has free access to his online Cisco rack!
CBT Nuggets has a very good video series for CCNA as well as almost any other cert.
I think Boson makes the best CCNA Router sim on the market today.
I also like the Sybex CCNA Study Guide by Todd L. - he has been writing this study guide since Cisco started the CCNA - his guide tends to cover about 90% of just what you need for the CCNA exam.
I hope this helps!
E.A. Broda
CCNA, CCDA, CCAI, Network +
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1
- #4
I just finished my CCNA exams and have 2 big recommendations.
1. Know subnetting. If you can subnet, you can sale through most of the exam easily.
2. LAB it. Sims, hands on, whatever it takes, but getting the feel of the CLI for a router and switch is big.
I used the Cisco Press books and would not consider them the bible for studying from. I've heard many good things about the Todd Lammle books, and I did pick up his FastPass CCNA guide as some back filler, that book alone saved me on VLSM topics. I even went so far as to skim the CCNA for dummies book. Wouldn't recommend either as your one and only stop to know everything to pass, but the Dummies book is a good starting point if you've never seen a router or switch, and the FastPass book is well written and easy to follow and understand.
I'm now starting to work on the BSCI exam, and picked up the lecture series from Since I'm on the road a lot, thought it might be a nice starting point to get a broad overview of the areas to cover.
Good luck...
1. Know subnetting. If you can subnet, you can sale through most of the exam easily.
2. LAB it. Sims, hands on, whatever it takes, but getting the feel of the CLI for a router and switch is big.
I used the Cisco Press books and would not consider them the bible for studying from. I've heard many good things about the Todd Lammle books, and I did pick up his FastPass CCNA guide as some back filler, that book alone saved me on VLSM topics. I even went so far as to skim the CCNA for dummies book. Wouldn't recommend either as your one and only stop to know everything to pass, but the Dummies book is a good starting point if you've never seen a router or switch, and the FastPass book is well written and easy to follow and understand.
I'm now starting to work on the BSCI exam, and picked up the lecture series from Since I'm on the road a lot, thought it might be a nice starting point to get a broad overview of the areas to cover.
Good luck...
- Thread starter
- #5
Thank you guys for the info. I have access to routers at my university, I will begin practicing. Right now the thing most confusing to me are the access lists and I am not very fluent with subnetting. Are there many questions about different protocols?
Hey King2Be,
Im right there with you. I am gathering material to PASS my CCNA. I never picked up an e-book, but you might want to take a look at He has The Ultimate Study Guide. I Picked it up a few days ago and flipped thru it. I am very-very impressed. I just had it printed today. I just passed Security+ and wont start CCNA until the end of May. like I said im gathering materials. I am really high on cbt's, but I may save some $$ and just do books and sims. If I can I will get the real routers/switches.
Im right there with you. I am gathering material to PASS my CCNA. I never picked up an e-book, but you might want to take a look at He has The Ultimate Study Guide. I Picked it up a few days ago and flipped thru it. I am very-very impressed. I just had it printed today. I just passed Security+ and wont start CCNA until the end of May. like I said im gathering materials. I am really high on cbt's, but I may save some $$ and just do books and sims. If I can I will get the real routers/switches.
CiscoGuy33
Instructor
KING2BE,
Here is a free site for TONS of subnetting help!
My school bought the CD (I think it was the 1.0 version) and it was money well spent! But most of the content is FREE at the site online.
As for protocols what do you mean? TCP/IP and Ethernet is covered by the exam as well as many others - most questions will be how they relate to the routers or IOS.
The best thing to understand is that you need to understand concepts - how and why things are the way they are. This is where hands on practice with real routers and /or sims helps.
Also lots of trouble shooting - Need to know your "Show" commands as well as what the output looks like!
erdalt,
I have a WHOLE shelf of "Dummies" books
When I start a new area of study I try to get the "Dummies" book because I can read it very quickly and have a good general overview of the subject.
Hope this helps all!
E.A. Broda
CCNA, CCDA, CCAI, Network +
Here is a free site for TONS of subnetting help!
My school bought the CD (I think it was the 1.0 version) and it was money well spent! But most of the content is FREE at the site online.
As for protocols what do you mean? TCP/IP and Ethernet is covered by the exam as well as many others - most questions will be how they relate to the routers or IOS.
The best thing to understand is that you need to understand concepts - how and why things are the way they are. This is where hands on practice with real routers and /or sims helps.
Also lots of trouble shooting - Need to know your "Show" commands as well as what the output looks like!
erdalt,
I have a WHOLE shelf of "Dummies" books
When I start a new area of study I try to get the "Dummies" book because I can read it very quickly and have a good general overview of the subject. Hope this helps all!
E.A. Broda
CCNA, CCDA, CCAI, Network +
I didn't want to sound like I was knocking the 'Dummies' books. I've always thought they were a great reference. I really enjoy having them on my shelf at work, just for my bosses benefit. We even have a "Beginner's Guide to..." book floating around, just as a joke. But you are right, no matter what the topic has been the Dummies books are very good at easing you into a topic.
I'd also reccommend The cramsessions are another good start.
Cisco has a CCNA prep center with some good info and video presentations (CCNA TV)
And, how can we forget tek-tips.com....without the forums, where would we be?
Something that helped myself and another co-worker as we were studying, was a chart that our boss showed us and we expanded on. He had the diagonal row and the first row across, we added too it.
| 255|
| 254| |
| 252| | |
| 248| | | |
| 240| | | | |
| 224| | | | | |
| 192 | | | | | | |
| 128 | 64 | 32 | 16 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| 2^7 | 2^6 | 2^5| 2^4| 2^3| 2^2| 2^1| 2^0|
| /25 | /26 | /27| /28| /29| /30| /31| /32|
The diagonal row would be the decimal value for the subnet mask.
The first row across is the value for each bit for the octet.
The second row across is the powers of 2.
The third row is the prefix notation.
Since you want to be able to do subnetting in a flash, this saved me a bunch of time. I've gone so far as to put this in a spreadsheet and have posted on my wall just for general reference. Just today updated it so it has all four octets displayed. Happy to send it to anyone that wants it....
I'd also reccommend The cramsessions are another good start.
Cisco has a CCNA prep center with some good info and video presentations (CCNA TV)
And, how can we forget tek-tips.com....without the forums, where would we be?
Something that helped myself and another co-worker as we were studying, was a chart that our boss showed us and we expanded on. He had the diagonal row and the first row across, we added too it.
| 255|
| 254| |
| 252| | |
| 248| | | |
| 240| | | | |
| 224| | | | | |
| 192 | | | | | | |
| 128 | 64 | 32 | 16 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| 2^7 | 2^6 | 2^5| 2^4| 2^3| 2^2| 2^1| 2^0|
| /25 | /26 | /27| /28| /29| /30| /31| /32|
The diagonal row would be the decimal value for the subnet mask.
The first row across is the value for each bit for the octet.
The second row across is the powers of 2.
The third row is the prefix notation.
Since you want to be able to do subnetting in a flash, this saved me a bunch of time. I've gone so far as to put this in a spreadsheet and have posted on my wall just for general reference. Just today updated it so it has all four octets displayed. Happy to send it to anyone that wants it....
KING2BE,
I am recent CCNA but have been working in the networking field for about 3 years. I am going to have to recommend ebooks from The series really prepares you for the test and you get 72 hours of rack time. I would say read Cisco self study, use Sybex for subnetting, but 1 month prior to test, switch to The Bryant Advantage and follow the study schedule outlined in the program. KNOW SUBNETTING BACKWARD/FORWARDS/SIDEWAYS! Especially class B subnetting. That should get you there.
I am recent CCNA but have been working in the networking field for about 3 years. I am going to have to recommend ebooks from The series really prepares you for the test and you get 72 hours of rack time. I would say read Cisco self study, use Sybex for subnetting, but 1 month prior to test, switch to The Bryant Advantage and follow the study schedule outlined in the program. KNOW SUBNETTING BACKWARD/FORWARDS/SIDEWAYS! Especially class B subnetting. That should get you there.
Hi KING2BE,
please visit the web site and try to download net simulator.
it's a very good trannig way.
regards,
DAKIS
- CCNA
please visit the web site and try to download net simulator.
it's a very good trannig way.
regards,
DAKIS
- CCNA
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