Today, I would like to share with you some self-study tips of CCNA certification. CCNA certification is one of the most popular IT certifications. Many friends who want to learn CCNA technology have chosen to attend the CCNA certification training. Generally, the training time is relatively short. In just a few days, it is really difficult to learn hundreds of pages of thick textbooks. On average, nearly one hundred pages are completed every day. In fact, for those who have a certain network knowledge base, they do not have to participate in training. They can create conditions for self-study, and they can also obtain good learning results. Compared with the training, the difficulty of self-study mainly lies in two aspects: how to choose learning materials and how to create an experimental environment. Now let’s see how to create self-study conditions of CCNA certification.
CCNA textbooks.
Firstly, you should choose the textbook suitable for self-study. There are two good CCNA textbooks. One is Cisco CCNA Exam #640-507 Certification Guide published by Cisco press, written by Wendell Odom. The other is CCNA Cisco Certified Network Associate Study Guide writtenbyTodd Lamble, published by SYBEX Company. (The version published by Publishing House of Electronics Industry can be purchased in China). The second book is suitable for beginners. The first one is more suitable for ambitious friends (such as those who want to take the CCIE certification exam). Of course, the best choice is to read both books.
CCNA certification
Secondly, you need to create experimental environment. A very important part of the CCNA certification course is to learn the router configuration technology. If you want to learn this part well, you can’t just read the textbooks. Instead, you must do experiments. CCNA certification requires a deep understanding of all Cisco Internetworking Operating Systems (IOS). (CCNA 2.0 exam requires candidates to be familiar with the latest version of IOS Ver 12. X). Therefore, if possible, try to do experiments on actual Cisco routers (the routers involved in CCNA certification are 2500 series). In the IT training center, you can get router configuration opportunities that are rarely available in work practice. Many friends who have never seen a router can also get practical experience. Some friends choose to buy a second-hand router and then conduct various router configuration experiments. A second-hand router costs about 166 US dollars which is too expensive for beginners. Another feasible method is to use analog router software, which can realize almost all router functions.
Cisco router simulator
At present, there are three kinds of Cisco router simulator software available: Routersim, Krang, and Virtual Lab E-trainer. Both Routersim and Virtual Lab E-trainer are introduced by Sybex. From my using experience, Routersim is very good. This software is well designed and has routers, switches and computer terminals. When you click the computer terminal, you can also get a virtual MS-DOS window. You can use the ping command to check whether your configuration is correct. Due to space limitation, I just give a brief introduction here. Interested readers may as well study more router simulation software.
Finally, you should focus on both exercises and experiments.If you want to pass the CCNA certification exam successfully, it is necessary to do more exercises. However, you should not expect to encounter many original questions in the exam. Doing more exercises only help you straightens out the knowledge points. If you want to truly achieve success, mastering the knowledge points thoroughly is the key. It is advisable to combine the exercises with experiments. Experiments can improve the effect of theoretical learning, while doing exercises can further deepen the understanding of knowledge. Go to the exam when you have made adequate preparations. After all, the cost of CCNA certification exam is expensive! Now many companies require not only the CCNA certificate but also practical ability when recruit. So, don’t just focus on doing the exercises, it’s more important to learn more and improve personal ability.
