Best books for CCNA?
- Thread starter SiHH
- Start date
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Official-Certification-Library-640-802-Guide/dp/1587201836
Is what I used, it covered everything in the exam. Unlike the current equivalent CCNP books, which have lots of exam content missing.
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Also use GNS3 for labs/router emulation. Its awesome. CBT Nuggets videos are quite good too, Jeremy Cioara has a very relaxed humorous teaching style.
Is what I used, it covered everything in the exam. Unlike the current equivalent CCNP books, which have lots of exam content missing.
edit:
Also use GNS3 for labs/router emulation. Its awesome. CBT Nuggets videos are quite good too, Jeremy Cioara has a very relaxed humorous teaching style.
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I'd recommend using GNS3 over Packet Tracer, although PT does most of whats required on the CCNA it doesn't do certain switching tasks very well (well it didn't last time I used it but that was over 3 years ago).
You can add switch modules to the routers in GNS3 and because it uses actual Cisco IOS files the commands are exactly the same as actual hardware.
You can add switch modules to the routers in GNS3 and because it uses actual Cisco IOS files the commands are exactly the same as actual hardware.
Yeah they will be, I personally went the 1 exam route and found it fine.
My cisco academy course used packet tracer throughout and never had any issues at any point using it to work on the CCNA material. The only issue we ever had was when a new version of it came out and it had a bug where if you pressed the up arrow to get the previously typed command, and then changed it (to save having to retype the first part of the command) it would cause a crash. Also packet tracer has challenges available for it, allow you to generate a non-working lab that you have to diagnose and fix, a good way to practice some skills.
This was 3 years ago but I found the switches in PT didn't support all VLANs/trunking commands, some of which were required for some CCNA labs. I've not used it since, but I really cant see why you would use PT over GNS3. Theres quite a few GNS3 sites with various practice labs and challenges, although not quite as interactive as the PT labs they are very good.
The only reason I can see for using PT over GNS3 is that it will work without any messing about whereas GNS3 sometimes requires a little configuring. Even many CCIE training videos/labs by CBT nuggets are done using GNS3.
I'm sure some routing commands which are used in the CCNA like 'no frame-relay inverse-arp' and rip 'version' commands aren't supported in PT either.
The only reason I can see for using PT over GNS3 is that it will work without any messing about whereas GNS3 sometimes requires a little configuring. Even many CCIE training videos/labs by CBT nuggets are done using GNS3.
I'm sure some routing commands which are used in the CCNA like 'no frame-relay inverse-arp' and rip 'version' commands aren't supported in PT either.
You also have to remember that GNS3 requires the Cisco IOS files, something not everyone has access to, where as more people can easily get hold of PT. I have tried both programs and for me PT was simply better, it covered the full Cisco Accademy CCNA material and just worked, where as when I tried GNS3 I had to find the suitable IOS files, then decide which ones to use based on which feature set I wanted, and even once I got the right files, it simply didn't work, the program ran but it always gave an error when trying to actully start a device.
Thats just my experience with it though. For CCNA you can't realy go wrong one what option you chose as its quite basic stuff. When you get on to CCNP though and deal with things like layer 3 switching and such, then you may have to look more closely at work programs offer what features, or maybe even building your own lab from old cisco hardware.
Thats just my experience with it though. For CCNA you can't realy go wrong one what option you chose as its quite basic stuff. When you get on to CCNP though and deal with things like layer 3 switching and such, then you may have to look more closely at work programs offer what features, or maybe even building your own lab from old cisco hardware.
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I didn't find that, it supported enough commands for about 90% of the labs. However it definitely didn't cover enough for every lab, as said some switching commands were missing and one of my questions on the CCNA was a huge switching/STP lab. However this was over 3 years ago so maybe versions since include the commands.
As you said though, either program should be suitable for the CCNA. Ive found the more recent versions of GNS3 are very stable and although not official, Cisco has been quoted as saying they aren't worried about people using IOS files in GNS3. Although your right, its technically illegal.
Ive got a fairly beefy PC but ive had GNS3 running 15 3640 series routers, a virtualbox virtual PC and a lightweight linux distro running in Qemu in GNS3. It was perfectly stable and fast (but I do have 8gb RAM, SSDs in RAID 0 etc).
edit: As you said, if you have the money to spare, nothing beats real hardware. It gets pricey though, ive got small lab at home (7 routers, frame-relay router, switches etc) but generally stick with GNS3.
Another advantage I just remembered for PT (although not everyone will need to take advantage of it) is that they added in a multi-user relay, which allows linking your lab in PT via any connection you want to another PT lab. The Open University (who I did my CCNA Cisco academy with) had a cool PT setup that people could connect to and test stuff, funny thing was is that I helped the guy who ran it perform some stress tests, little did I know that if you try to stress the software by sending large pings over the link (this is all inside PT) that it will actully send just as large packets over the internet, and when I tried to stress test multi-user relay by sending 'simulated' pings it maxed out my 20Mb down, 0.5Mb up home connection.
Sounds like PT has come a long way since I done my CCNA. It was pretty limited when I used it. GNS3 can do similar things (linking to physical interfaces etc) but its not quite as simple to set up.
Although with the newer IOS releases GNS3 is likely to die off in years to come as they cant be emulated. I know Cisco have started renting out remote access racks, but IMO actually being able to design/configure your own network is better. Im not sure how much they charge either.
Although with the newer IOS releases GNS3 is likely to die off in years to come as they cant be emulated. I know Cisco have started renting out remote access racks, but IMO actually being able to design/configure your own network is better. Im not sure how much they charge either.