The CCNA might be intimidating at first, especially since Cisco has expanded the scope of the exam to include more advanced topics such as Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) routing which is traditionally only tested in the CCNP and other professional level exams.  Time management during the exam is the number 1 most important thing to do well.  This means scoring easy points when possible and to spend more time focusing on those questions which are harder.  To maximize the chance of passing the CCNA exam, here are 2 most important (in my opinion) topics to focus on for the CCNA:

Subnetting

Learning how to subnet effectively is the most important thing for the CCNA.  It’s also important to be able to size subnets quickly in the real world for network planning and troubleshooting purposes.  Because the CCNA (and any other certification exam) is a test of your time management skills during the test, and subnetting can be done quickly (and 100% correctly) if you know the right technique, it’s a quick way to score easy points.

Common subnetting questions include calculating the number of hosts in a subnet, finding if 2 hosts are in the same subnet, and deciding on the correct hostmasks, among others.  Being able so solve such questions quickly means that you will be able to free up valuable exam time to solve other questions.  Answering such calculation questions are a matter of simple calculations and it’s hard to get them wrong once you know how.  Again, the key is speed and you will definitely want to get subnetting questions out of the way as quickly as possible.  You might want to take a look at our recommended CCNA books and CCNA notes if you want to be able to learn how to do subnetting well.

Simulation Questions

Simulation questions (commonly now referred to as “sims”) are designed by Cisco to test the practical aspect of Cisco networking.  A simulation of a real Cisco IOS command-line is provided to you and you are expected to troubleshoot or otherwise configure the network to the required specification.

These questions are more time consuming but very important.  Only Cisco knows for sure how these are actually scored but it’s very likely that you won’t get enough points to pass the CCNA if you cannot answer all the simulation questions to a satisfactory level.  The CCNA passing score gets higher all the time, which makes scoring high on the simulation questions a priority.

One good thing about using simulation questions is that you’ll be able to gauge roughly how well you’ve done by showing the running configuration and running other tests such as ping and using other show commands.  A good way to prepare for the exam is to use a Cisco router simulator.

I hope this post has helped you prepare for the CCNA more effectively.  Till next time!

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Cheers,
Francis (@savvynetcert)

Technorati Tags: ccna notes, ccna tips, ccna virtual lab, cisco router simulator

CCNA Virtual Lab – What Are The Alternatives?

Ever since Cisco introduced simulation type questions into the CCNA exam, having practical hands-on experience in Cisco IOS switch and router configuration has become extremely important.  Not everybody can afford to set up a home or office Cisco lab to practice on.

One popular alternative in recent years has been to run CCNA virtual labs on dynamips which is definitely a viable and effective solution.  However this requires an IOS image which is not available to anybody who is not a Cisco customer already.  In addition, dynamips requires a significant amount of processor power in order to run multiple routers as once and may not be a long term feasible solution.

Features of a CCNA Simulator

Because of this, Cisco router simulators are an essential product for anybody who is serious about passing the CCNA exam and does not have any access to the resources listed above.  It is relatively low-cost and most are available for a little over $100 which is much less than what it would cost to set up a real lab.  The simulator usually includes support for all the commands you will require to pass the CCNA exam as well as to configure and support a small sized network.

Another very useful aspect of the simulation is that the products usually are aligned with one of the CCNA books used for exam preparation and come with comprehensive scenarios that will enable you to practice the lab material in preparation for the actual exam.

The 2 most popular products are the CCNA 640-802 Network Simulator (Practical Studies) simulator which is the perfect companion to the CCNA Official Exam Certification Library (CCNA Exam 640-802) (Exam Certification Guide) by Cisco Press and the CCNA Virtual Lab, Titanium Edition 2.0: (Exam 640-802) simulator, which is the perfect companion to the CCNA: Cisco Certified Network Associate Study Guide: Exam 640-802 by Sybex CCNA certification book.

If you are serious about the CCNA education, you need to get one of the above CCNA virtual labs to kick-start your CCNA career.

P.S. The CCNA Virtual Lab, Titanium Edition 2.0: (Exam 640-802) simulator is available from Amazon.

Cheers,
Francis (@savvynetcert)

Technorati Tags: ccna router simulator, ccna simulator, ccna virtual, ccna virtual lab, cisco router simulator

One of the most important CCNA study materials to be studied are those for the simulation questions (whether in the form of CCNA books or otherwise).  The simulation questions in the CCNA exam are probably the hardest.  Mastery of the Cisco IOS commands at a CCNA level is essential to pass the CCNA exam.  For many of you, this might be because you have never configured a real Cisco router and switch and don’t have enough confidence with the Cisco IOS commands.  Cisco devices can be expensive and to setup a physical CCNA lab is extremely costly for the beginning network engineer.

CCNA Emulator

If you are lucky enough to have access to IOS images (through Cisco.com if you or your company is a registered customer and have a valid CCO account), then this is the solution i recommend.  GNS3 is a graphical frontend to the dynamips emulator which emulates Cisco IOS router platforms.  Through dynamips, you are able to experience and practice on a real Cisco IOS device as opposed to just simulated on your computer.  GNS3 can be downloaded here.  However, be forewarned – this can be a real pain to set up and configure and strictly speaking is not a legit use of the IOS images and software.

CCNA Virtual Lab and CCNA Router Simulator

There is another solution of using a Cisco IOS CCNA simulator/CCNA virtual lab which is quite sufficient for the purposes of taking the exam.  There is one flaw, and that is candidates will not feel confident because after all, it somehow does not seem “real enough”.  However, this is a cheaper alternative to buying a physical lab and it also has an advantage of being highly portable.  The CCNA Virtual Lab, Titanium Edition 2.0: (Exam 640-802)> has just been revised this year and is a recommended lab if this is the way you want to go.

Click here to get the CCNA Virtual Lab, Titanium Edition 2.0: (Exam 640-802) Cisco Router Simulator from Amazon.com

Technorati Tags: ccna router simulator, ccna simulator, ccna virtual, ccna virtual lab, cisco router simulator