Best place, for CCNA, CCNP, Comptia A+

N17

N17

N17

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I'am interested in studying, for CCNA, CCNP, Comptia + and MSCE, yet where do I officialy start, to look at the best methods to get more info? And are there any official sources and places to do them?
 
Split the CCNA down into ICND1 and ICND2, it only costs a few quid more to sit the exams separately, but you also get more time, and feel less pressured.

Not to mention you then technically have two credentials (CCENT and CCNA R&S) :p
 
I wouldnt bother with bootcamps,


Self learn, I passed my CCNA, iv passed the Route exam for CCNP, just need to do the other two exams to get the CCNP

All through CBT Nuggets videos, doing the labs in GNS3, and using online reading through 3rd party websites and cisco websites.

Video, make notes, lab, read, lab, read lab

Boot camps are way too expensive and most often than not too quick you dont soak in the info.


Split the CCNA for ICND1 and 2, dont bother doing the one exam route.
 
N17 said:
Are they any good, and has anyone taken Cisco, Comptia and MSCE courses with them before?
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Yes, I've done a few Cisco courses with them. You're much better doing your own thing if you can sit down and dedicate the time. Don't waste your money on it.
 
I done an MDX course over at QA. I'd rate them highly.. for that course.

I'd imagine the other tutors are as good as the one who tutored me.
 
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ccent - cbt nuggets + book
icnd2 to get ccna in R&S- cbt nuggets + Chris Bryant+ book because i found cbt to short and chris has lots of labs.
 
DAIR said:
I done an XML course over at QA. I'd rate them highly.. for that course.

I'd imagine the other tutors are as good as the one who tutored me.
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And I take it, that they have different centres over the UK, for the courses?
 
leigh_boy said:
ccent - cbt nuggets + book
icnd2 to get ccna in R&S- cbt nuggets + Chris Bryant+ book because i found cbt to short and chris has lots of labs.
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CBT Nuggets videos are great at getting a bit of a background, but I agree they need a bit more back-fill afterwards.

I tended to run through the CBT videos, making notes as I went along. Then I'd read the Cisco Press book (doing the chapter reviews and questions).

Not failed a Cisco exam yet using this technique, and actually managed 100% on the CCNA Voice.
 
As suggested CBT Nuggets is a real good place to start, a lot of self studying and reading through the ICND100-101 syllabus.

I used flash cards for the first time when studying for the CCNA and found them bloody useful.
 
Can't comment on Cisco certs, but the basic CompTIA certs are something you can do without any help. I just did all the free practice exams on-line and made flash cards for all the silly things you have to memorize (how many pins did this cable have, what is the throughput of this port, which CPU went in this socket, etc, etc). The interactive parts of the test should be no issue if you've got an interest in the subject already.
 
if you have never taken a cisco exam before, you need to get used to the format.

Things about the exam are

- You cant mark questions
- You cant review questions
- You cant go back
- -You need to answer questions you know quickly, dont faff about - If you know it and sure, just select and go forward.
- You need to be conscious of time
- You will get lab sims, and some questions which will be a sim, which will have 4 embedded questions within one scenario, so counter this in.



For ICND1 its good to write out your 4, 8, 16 times tables to work out your ranges,
draw a subnetting reference table before the exam

(hint: before you start the exam (login) move the mouse and write down stuff on the pad they give you that may help you, then login and start

- you should be able to work out subnetting stuff within 10-15 seconds

- Remember everything else you learnt.


I passed ICND1 second time as I got caught up without knowing the format of the exam, the 1st time I got caught up with the whole time thing.

ICND2 passed first time

There are a few sims in ICND1 however most of these are debugging, finding out stuff through configs.

CCNP is more configuring within the labs for stuff to actually work.


Sorry for this messy post, had to write it out quickly.

There is a whole CCNA and Cisco Cert thread in the networking forum.
 
there was another thread on here about that comptia thing, someone posted a link to a free website covering the material

for most things simply buying the relevant books/getting hold of past papers is all you should need - training providers are generally a complete rip off

one thing to note if you are looking for a course, the OU offers CCNA and CCNP courses. CCNA also counts as 60 credits towards level 2 of a degree (basically equivalent to half of a second year of university study)

http://www.open.ac.uk/courses/modules/t216

They also offer a CCNP which forms part of an MSc in Advanced networking:

http://www.open.ac.uk/postgraduate/qualifications/e51

http://www.open.ac.uk/postgraduate/qualifications/f56

That might be worthwhile pursuing - if you're going to do CCNP anyway then you could do it with the OU then tag on the extra two security and forensic modules + research project and you'll have an MSc
 
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dowie said:
there was another thread on here about that comptia thing, someone posted a link to a free website covering the material

for most things simply buying the relevant books/getting hold of past papers is all you should need - training providers are generally a complete rip off

one thing to note - the OU offers a CCNA course which also counts as 60 credits towards level 2 of a degree (basically equivalent to half of a second year of university study)
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How much is the OU, one as I have been thinking of possibly looking into that
 
depends where you live (university tuition fees vary depending on whether you're overseas, or in Scotland or Wales or England etc..), have edited my post with links above :)
 
dowie said:
depends where you live (university tuition fees vary depending on whether you're overseas, or in Scotland or Wales or England etc..), have edited my post with links above :)
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UK based, Is it cheaper than studying within a Uni enviroment or more expensive?
 
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