Cisco Netacad Alumni?

[katakatak]

Hey are there any Cisco Netacad Alumni? I had taken two years of the Cisco Netacad back in High School, but never went ahead and took my CCNA. Yeah, I blame it on a high case of senioritis. Anyways I am about to take the Network+. and am looking ahead on taking the CCENT/CCNA two-test track. I tried going online to the Cisco Netacad and amazingly I still have access to all the new material online as well as the packet sim, but in looking at the material it seems a bit complicated in studing. There is still the CCNA material, as well as CCNA Discovery and CCNA Exploration. What should I study to prepare for the CCENT and the later ICND2 test? I tried looking around, but I couldn't find something specific.

Also does anyone recommend the packet sim? How does it compare versus a hardware lab?

Thanks!

[sandman748]

From what I've heard the CCNA discovery is a more basic approach meant for people with no knowledge of networking and usually taught in high school.

The Exploration is the one that you would want to read over for the CCNA exam and the one that I took in college. It goes considerably more in depth. If you read all 4 levels you'll have covered everything that is on both ICND1 and ICND2. ICND2 just takes the concepts a little further. You still need to go through all of it to cover all of the ICND1 material.

The packet tracer simulation is all we used for the Switching and WAN sections of the course. I don't feel that not having the hardware made it any more difficult to learn the material. If anything it may be more useful as you can examine the packet at each step of the forwarding process easily which helps to understand what is happening at each hop.

[tech-airman]

katakatak,

Originally Posted by katakatak

Hey are there any Cisco Netacad Alumni?

Yes.

Originally Posted by katakatak

I had taken two years of the Cisco Netacad back in High School, but never went ahead and took my CCNA. Yeah, I blame it on a high case of senioritis. Anyways I am about to take the Network+. and am looking ahead on taking the CCENT/CCNA two-test track. I tried going online to the Cisco Netacad and amazingly I still have access to all the new material online as well as the packet sim, but in looking at the material it seems a bit complicated in studing. There is still the CCNA material, as well as CCNA Discovery and CCNA Exploration. What should I study to prepare for the CCENT and the later ICND2 test?

According to the Data Sheet for the CCNA Discovery curriculum, it states...

Originally Posted by CCNA Discovery Data Sheet

Course Description

CCNA Discovery teaches networking based on application, covering
concepts based on the types of practical networks
may encounter from home and small offices, to more
enterprise models. The curriculum consists of four courses:
* Networking for Home and Small Businesses
* Working at a Small-to-Medium Business or ISP
* Introducing Routing and Switching in the Enterprise
* Designing and Supporting Computer Networks

<snip>

Industry Recognized Certification

<snip>

After completing the first two courses of CCNA Discovery, a student can choose to complete the CCENT certification exam, an optional first step toward earning the CCNA certification.

So I'd study the CCNA Discovery curriculum materials for the courses: 1) Networking for Home and Small Businesses 2) Working at a Small-to-Medium Business or ISP if you're interested in taking and passing the 640-822 ICND1 exam that leads to CCENT certification. Then when you're ready, take the 640-816 ICND2 exam to become fully CCNA certified. Make sure that you take and pass the 640-816 ICND2 exam prior to the 3 year anniversary TO THE DAY of passing the 640-822 ICND1 exam or else you won't become CCNA certified becase the 640-822 ICND1 exam pass will expire 3 years TO THE DAY of passing. Keep that in mind.

Source: http://www.cisco.com/web/learning/ne...scovery_DS.pdf

Originally Posted by katakatak

I tried looking around, but I couldn't find something specific.

Also does anyone recommend the packet sim?

Since Cisco Systems makes the networking devices as well as Packet Tracer, I'd say it's good to use until you accumulate a networking study lab of your own.

Originally Posted by katakatak

How does it compare versus a hardware lab?

Thanks!

You have to take it for what it is and isn't. Packet Tracer is primarily a simulation of the networking devices. Packet Tracer is also designed to be used within the Cisco Networking Academy environment so it's "feature packed enough" to accomplish the various Cisco Networking Academy activities and that's it's design limit. If you want more features then you're going to have to get Cisco networking devices for that experience. One of the biggest limitations of a simulation is that you won't get the Physical Layer issues that you do with real equipment. For example, during my hands-on final for CCNA2, my router stack just wasn't working at a certain ping level. So during the hands-on final I had to do some real troubleshooting and it was discovered that one of the serial cables was bad, so after switching out the bad cable with the new, things worked. That kind of experience you can't get with a simulation because the simulation always has "perfect cables" that never fail.

[mikej412]

Originally Posted by katakatak

Hey are there any Cisco Netacad Alumni?

I'm a Cisco CCNA Network Academy Alumni -- but I don't go to the football games or reunions.