Any CCNA's out there???

Awahwah

Awahwah

Awahwah

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I'm after some useful links to exam prep sites. I know peeps who have use pass4sure, any of you guys know of others?

Planning to sit the exam again in the end of March and can't be bothered to read too much material.

Cheers.
 
I don't think talking about that 'service' is legal around here...


I took the 640-801 CCNA and hammered 31 days before your CCNA in 4 days with reading anything that I wasn't 100% confident in from the Cisco netacad. Maybe there is something similar for 802?
 
Are you talking about the proper CCNA exams or the "CCNA Exploration" that you do at college etc.. I took my CCNA exam in October and the best way of reivising is just Netacad or "aquiring" Jeremy Cioara's videos (CBTNuggets), he is seriously a legend.

Now I just have to find a job which is hard even with a CCNA due to lack of "experience" :(
 
I've been in the job for 2 years, just need to re-cert. Originally studied for it (801) with the OU and Net Acadamy. Just don't feel that there are enough changes from 801 to 802 exams to purchase a full study pack.

Having said that I may wait till 803 is out and sit that.
 
Awahwah said:
I'm after some useful links to exam prep sites. I know peeps who have use pass4sure, any of you guys know of others?

Planning to sit the exam again in the end of March and can't be bothered to read too much material.

Cheers.
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If you work in Networks at all you shouldn't need to study to hard for the CCNA, it's not a hard exam.

Just go over to the Cisco website and find the topics you are tested on, and then Packet Tracer will be more than enough for CCNA level.
 
23JMZ07 said:
Are you talking about the proper CCNA exams or the "CCNA Exploration" that you do at college etc.. I took my CCNA exam in October and the best way of reivising is just Netacad or "aquiring" Jeremy Cioara's videos (CBTNuggets), he is seriously a legend.

Now I just have to find a job which is hard even with a CCNA due to lack of "experience" :(
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You could have the CCNA, the CCNP or the CCIE but it doesn't mean anything without experience.

Best thing to do is start at the bottom and work your way up, attempt to find an apprenticeship or similar.
 
Styles said:
You could have the CCNA, the CCNP or the CCIE but it doesn't mean anything without experience.

Best thing to do is start at the bottom and work your way up, attempt to find an apprenticeship or similar.
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Thanks for the advice

Looking at apprenticeships now as it seems like the only way to get on the ladder
 
unless you learn the material you are gonna get found out - i work with too many engineers with certs yet cannot type their name on a keyboard let alone do anything productive. you'll get more respect if you put in the time and do the work - then you will be a proper engineer.
 
jimjamuk said:
unless you learn the material you are gonna get found out - i work with too many engineers with certs yet cannot type their name on a keyboard let alone do anything productive. you'll get more respect if you put in the time and do the work - then you will be a proper engineer.
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Agreed, it's all good knowing the concepts but practical experience is worth its weight in gold.

Knowing how to react to major issues, where to look first, reasonable steps to take and how to recover from failures is something you can only gain with experience.
 
Currently studying CCNA here, been doing it on and off. Now nuckled down and using CBT nuggets. Also work in the industry using cisco equipment full time.

Going to get the CCNA done and chase after my VCP and MSCE.

At the grand old age of 21 :)
 
Got my CCNA in sixth form in 2008 with CCNP Switch Exam passed last july (really need to start on ROUTE)

Just hammer the stuff online, make sure you know all the metrics etc off by heart as well as how all the protocols work.

The Exam has been updated but its all along the same lines.
 
On the subject of CCNA, how hard/expensive is it to get the certification in the first place? I have a decent understanding of basic networking (inc. ipv6) and installation. When things go toward BGP, V-lans and anything IOS related, I'm a bit lost.

Is it possible to get started with some cheap second hand kit, self-teach and just take the test when you're ready?
 
Hi Mike, it's possibile but I'd recommend CBT nuggets alongside this - great explanations in short(ish) videos. Exams are about £125>£150
BGP isn't touched in CCNA, it's more of an advance topic so is in the CCNP.

I have to re-cert my CCNP this year (can't believe that it's been 3 years already!), then I'll go back do my CCNA-Voice and CCNA-Wireless in order to line me up for CCNP-Wireless - I'll probably re-cert by taking SWITCH as I didn't really get on with ROUTE (was BSCI last time I sat it)
 
MikeHiow said:
On the subject of CCNA, how hard/expensive is it to get the certification in the first place? I have a decent understanding of basic networking (inc. ipv6) and installation. When things go toward BGP, V-lans and anything IOS related, I'm a bit lost.

Is it possible to get started with some cheap second hand kit, self-teach and just take the test when you're ready?
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Look for a program called packet tracer. you can do the majority of the practicals on it. But I would say its no subsitute for the real kit. On ebay theres lots of CCNA kits.

Depends how you do it how much it costs. In college it was £250 per module (so x4). Self learning is as expensive as you want it to be...
 
have a look around for online rack rental is you have a bit of spare time - doesnt cost much and you get to play on some real kit which you wouldnt normally be able to afford unless you work on them at work
 
Laser402 said:
(really need to start on ROUTE)
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Yes. ;) The Jeremy Cioara CBT videos are very good. I believe he does the CCNA ones as well? He makes strange references to The Matrix and so on. I was hoping to do a quick CCNA Voice before the end of the month but I'm only half way through the book... :(
 
Awahwah said:
I'm after some useful links to exam prep sites. I know peeps who have use pass4sure, any of you guys know of others?

Planning to sit the exam again in the end of March and can't be bothered to read too much material.

Cheers.
Click to expand...

My 2 pence.

Jeremy Cioara - Legend, used his stuff for IINS (CCNA Security), as well as ROUTE and SWITCH. But at $199 (£140 ish quid a month,) it's chingy.

If you really want the detail, a la cisco press - You can purchase the official certification and foundation library's for CCNA and CCNP. You are looking at around the £200-£250 mark for all the books in that range.

The Video mentor series they do is DRY compared to JC

Steve Bowler (some chap in the states, you can see some of his videos on you tube), has loads of videos on configuring all manner of things (acl's, HSRP, vlans etc etc) - using stuff like GNS3 if you can't afford routers (and your machine is powerful enough) - Worked out I think 50 quid I think including delivery from the states.

If you want a one stop shop such as howtonetwork.net which have pretty much everything under one roof for a flat fee (all you can eat buffet), has all the latest relevant material as well (including unlimited rack rental depending on your option) for a subscription fee. Works out at £25 a month I think.

I'm lucky as I have access to 3560's, 6500 catalysts, wireless lan controllers, and sites using 800 series for site to site vpns.

Doing any type of certification is an investment in your future, and no one likes paper mcse's or Cisco Mo's who braindumped and but haven't a clue about configuring advanced stp, or route redistribution (to name but a few small examples).

Ever thought about advertising your skills locally for free to see if anyone bites, just for experience, then you can market yourself to companies that you are a gun for hire?

Cheers,
Chris P
 
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I did mine at a local college, was very easy with access to all Cisco material and we had a few labs setup in the room as well.

Stelly
 
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