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Cisco Certification: The Importance Of Building Your Own Practice Lab |
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CCNAs and CCNA candidates hear it all the time: “Get
some hands-on experience”. From my personal experience
climbing the Cisco certification ladder, I can tell you firsthand
that there is no learning like hands-on learning. No simulator
in the world is going to give you the experience you will
get cabling and configuring your own routers.
Whenever I mention this to one of my students, they always
say it costs too much. The truth is, it is cheaper now to
build your own CCNA and CCNP lab than it has ever been. The
secret? Used routers.
The word “used” turns off a lot of people not many
of us buy used computers or used servers. Cisco routers, though,
are robust I personally own a Cisco 4000 router that I use
as a Frame Relay switch in my lab that I’ve had for about
four years, and I’ve never had a problem with it.
The good news for current CCNA and CCNP candidates interested
in building their own labs is that used Cisco equipment has
never been more plentiful or cheaper. eBay is a good way to
get an idea of what’s out there and what the prices are,
but you don’t have to assemble your lab one piece at
a time. Many eBay vendors who sell used Cisco equipment sell
ready-made CCNA and CCNP labs for one price, including cables.
I personally recommend www.ciscokits.com and www.horizondatacom.com
for your lab needs, and there are many other vendors as well.
And should you desire to sell your lab after you complete
your certification, you can either negotiate a price with
the vendor who sold it to you, or you can sell it yourself
on ebay. It’s my experience that 95% of candidates who
earn their CCNA go on to pursue their CCNP within one year,
though, so don’t sell it too quickly.
In the end, you spend only a few hundred dollars, and you
gain invaluable experience and knowledge that will help you
both in your certification quest and your job performance.
Having been there, I can tell you that you will learn much
more from actually configuring and cabling your own equipment
than you ever will from any simulation of the real thing.
About the Author:
Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage,
home of free CCNA and CCNP tutorials, The Ultimate CCNA Study
Package, and Ultimate CCNP Study Packages. For a FREE copy
of his latest e-books, “How To Pass The CCNA” and
“How To Pass The CCNP”, visit the website and download
your free copies. You can also get FREE CCNA and CCNP exam
questions every day! Pass the CCNA exam with The Bryant Advantage!
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Relevant Resources |
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Need Cisco Hardware for your Cert? |
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| Call 813.852.6400 now for more information to find the best router or switch to best help you with your certification exam. Having "real" hands-on experience is extremely beneficial not just for testing, but also ensures you are actually familiar with the device you are working on.
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Cisco Routers |
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Cisco Switches |
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