Reddit mentions: The best cisco certification guides

That really depends on what you mean by "absolutely no computer knowledge at all".

Do you mean you have no experience on the technical side of things, like programming, scripting, architecture, networking, web dev, etc? Or are you one of those people who sits down at a computer hesitant to do anything at all because you've never used one?

It also depends greatly on the resources you have available to you. I think you can definitely succeed in the field without a degree, but if you're able to go to university I would recommend it. Not only will it help you get your foot in the door but it will also give you a decent overview of a lot of the different technologies in play. The paper will always give you an advantage.

If school is not an option I'd simply start looking into different topics. Like I said, networking / cyber security are pretty straight forward as far as certs go. Cisco's website shows you just how deeply into the topic they cover. I think the CCENT/CCNA should be enough to get you an entry level job if you can demonstrate a decent understanding of the topic. From there the deeper you go the more you'll learn about network design and maintenance, which is a whole field of IT in and of itself.

As far as cyber security goes as I said the basic understanding of networking knowledge (Network+, CCENT/CCNA) is essential. From there, you can expand on your knowledge with Security+ and Certified Ethical Hacker. As someone who works entry level in the field I think having all of those will put you above and beyond most others. As far as I understand it most people will start as a security analyst which frankly can be incredibly boring depending on where you work. But once you have your foot in the door and you're able to learn more you can move to more exciting things.

To really round out your basics you can also pursue a COMPTIA A+ cert which teaches you about all the basic hard wares of a computer and how to maintain & repair them. At bare minimum you can use this to get a job doing help desk support and that can launch you to better places.

Honestly I would recommend diving into coding / scripting to. You might go your entire career without using it but just having a breadth of knowledge in all different aspects of IT / Computer Science will give you a huge up and helps you understand everything better to boot.

I think the most important thing to remember is that as far as Computer Science / IT is concerned the resources for just about everything you ever need to know are available online for free, or cheaply, or illegally (buy them when you can afford it). The key issue is you. You can research free materials on the internet. You can buy a extremely dense, all encompassing CCENT/CCNA book for $20 (CCENT is actually the first half of CCNA. You can take the CCNA all in one or split into twos). The real question is will you dedicate the time to it? You need to take charge of learning and spend at minimum a few hours a day learning new stuff. Not just to get an entry level job but to go beyond as well. The resources are there.

Tell me a bit more about your background, experience, and goals and I can give you less generic advice. But that's pretty broad and inclusive for anyone interested.

Edit: Speaking of taking "charge of learning", I've had this bookmarked forever and never used it. Supposedly a really good, focused list but I can't personally vouch for it as I've never used it.

My suggestions would be to augment it with other tools. It is a great book, but you want to study from more than just one source.

A couple of tips on preparing are as follows:

1. You will want a good study guide. As already mentioend, the Wendell Odom book is great http://www.amazon.com/Routing-Switching-200-120-Official-Library/dp/1587143879 as is the Todd Lammle book http://www.amazon.com/CCNA-Routing-Switching-Study-Guide/dp/1118749618 In my opinion the Odom book is more detailed and in-depth but a little dry. The Lammle book is a little easier to read for newbies, but does not go into some subjects in depth enough.
   
   
2. For some that learn better by watching videos, there is a lot on youtube like the Chris Bryant stuff
   www.youtube.com/user/ccie12933 , TrainSignal and the like.
   
   
3. You will want to practice, practice, practice in your lab. This can be a virtual lab if you are tight on money like GNS3 http://www.gns3.net/download/ or you can build your own lab which is a better way to go with real equipment as tehre are a lot of things that simulators don't support fully. With real equipment there are a lot of things you will pickup that you can't with a simulator. Things such as cabling problems as you always pick the right cable in sims, physical items like getting used to certain models so you are not uncomfortable with this when you see them in the real world and then you can speak to the actual models you have experience on when you interview. http://www.certificationkits.com/cisco-lab-suggestions/ this link gives some really good suggestions and things to consider in building a lab.
   
   
4. You will also want some sort of practice exam simulator. In my opinion the exam reveiw questions in the back of the books are just not adequate or representative of what you will see on the exam and you will be shocked when you sit the exam if that is all you have seen. Check out Transcender (really pricey) or Measureup (cheaper, but just about as good) http://www.measureup.com/CCNA-Cisco-Certified-Network-Associate-C207.aspx to see some of their sample stuff.
   
   There are also some good places to find free study material. I will list a few here with what they provide...
   http://www.freeccnaworkbook.com/ Free CCNA Labs
   http://www.freeccnastudyguide.com/ Free CCNA Study Guide
   http://www.ccnaskills.com/ Wendell Odom's Blog
   http://www.ccnablog.com/ CCNA Blog
   http://www.certificationkits.com/blog/component/wordpress/?cat=60 Blog of sample CCNA questions
   http://ciscoiseasy.blogspot.com/ Cisco is Easy Blog
   
   I hope all those resources help you in your studies and definately feel free to ask questions here on things you get stuck on.
   

Odom 100-101

Lammle 100-101

There are 200-101 and/or 200-120 versions of both books, but I'm sure you can dig those up pretty easily on your own.

The material I mentioned (and hated) in my first post were from Cisco's Net Acad. The classroom pace is really slow for the most part. I can't speak too much for the Lammle book, but Odom had me up and running really quickly. Lammle's is probably easier to digest.

I think I get your issue, I had a similar one. Best thing you can do is take things into your own hands. Do your own labs / exercises and experiment. I'm sure you've heard of Wireshark. If you have the hardware in class (or use VMs) do some simple packet captures. An easy one would be capturing the traffic from a telnet session from your machine to a router / switch. You'll see everything (and I do mean everything) and it'll hopefully solidify your understanding of the basic (important) concepts. Don't know the current curriculum but if you're early into the course you'll recognize Source / Destination IP and MAC addresses action along with port #s. Could do a topology like VM --> Switch --> Router to poke around and see how switches forward traffic. It's easy to do and enlightening.

And if by wiring switches and routers is an issue (I'm assuming straight vs crossover) what helped me was thinking about the layers of devices. This isn't 100% accurate, but for the basic devices (routers, workstations, hubs(lol), switches) use a straight if the devices work on different layers and use a crossover for same-layer devices. Hub is actually Layer 1, but group it with the switch for cabling.

Layer 3: Workstations / Routers

Layer 2: Switches

Switch to switch = crossover (both work on the L2 level)

Switch to hub = crossover

Router to workstation = crossover (both work in the L3 level)

Workstation to switch = straight

Router to switch = straight

And for CCNA you'll mostly care about Layers 4 and down, layers 2 and 3 are most important. 4 = ports / TCP or UDP. 3 = IP. 2 = MAC. 1 = physical (fiber, ethernet, serial)

Apologies for the small novel. The more you work with it (self labs!) the better you'll grasp the concepts.

Students of networking are often really excited and anxious so they don't notice this as they stumble upon this subreddit, but this question gets asked almost every other day. I will just copypasta and edit a little of what I posted earlier today.

First, don't take the composite. Do you like money? You will probably fail at least once. I failed my first time. Goodbye money. Goooodbye pride. Helloooo shame. Take the ICDN1 and then ICDN2.

Here is the current blueprint for ICDN1 It is meant to be followed from top to bottom as the first topics are fundamentals, working its way down to switching and then routing.


I recommend getting a SafariBooks subscription. It even has a free trial. The Livelessons videos are over $100 retail and the Odom and Lamlee books are another $100. For $39 a month I think SafariBooks is the best value.

Then on SafariBooks, search for CCNA Livelessons videos [specifically "CCENT ICND1 100-105"] on ICDN1. Kevin Wallace goes through the blueprint from top to bottom and I just think he is a very focused and excellent instructor. He has another video series there called "Learning Path: CCNA Routing and Switching" which goes off the blueprint slightly into a deeper understanding of networking fundamentals. Disclosure, I have not watched the new exam videos since the exam was revamped last year, but I did watch his videos from the last exam version.

Supplement your learning by reading the Odom and Lammle books on ICDN1 which are also available on Safaribooks. You can even download the books for offline reading on your phone or tablet. Some like Odom's official cert guide more but it is dry material that follows the blueprint. Lammle is a little more 'colorful' but I don't like his prose and how he gets off topic with real-world scenarios. There are also some cram guides that have quizzes and good commands to know. Again, all of these are available on SafariBooks. ^I ^am ^not ^a ^shill ^for ^SafariBooks ^but ^I ^use ^it ^almost ^everyday.

For additional studying you can get some pre-made Anki or Quizlet decks. They both have mobile apps [Anki is not free. Quizlet is] and are super helpful when you don't have the ability to open a large book or watch videos...or don't have the attention span to re-read a chapter.


When you want to touch 'real' equipment you can download Packet Tracer for free from Cisco Net Academy. Dan's Courses has step-by-step Packet Tracer labs and solutions. Labbing is essential but you definitely don't need a physical lab for CCNA and especially ICDN1. You eventually can graduate to GNS3 but you should only need PT for ICDN1 and probably ICDN2.


Lots of people like CBT Nuggets but I find that since they don't follow the blueprint very well and the presenter Jeremy Cioara gets off topic [I.E. excited] and can throw off focus of the subject matter. Also at something like $100 a month [legally], it is expensive for what you get in return, which is one video series with some large holes in the knowledge you need to pass.

Whoa Whoa slow down there Dingleberry.

First off. Good that you are interested in IT. But IT is huge and there are so many aspects to it. I suggest starting off with something like the CompTIA A+. That will give you the base knowledge you need to know to be able to troubleshoot many everyday end user problems. By base knowledge I mean the thought process and methodology. IT isn't predictable. There are 100s if not millions of cases where following X directions is supposed to give you Y results but it doesn't because something that seems completely unrelated is causing the issue. The A+ helps put you in the correct mindset.

The CompTIA A+ you can just pick up the book for it, sit and read it. It isn't a class and is very entry level. There are classes for it but I personally advise against it. I read the book and took the test my first year in college. But I was already fixing problems on my own. It just supplemented what I knew and taught me more.

What ever anyone says about the A+ being easy is semi true. I can promise you that anyone who thinks they know their stuff does not know everything. That also includes A+ material which again is basic. Everyone who reads those books will learn something. But for seasoned people it can be boring since a lot of it is rehashed info they know from experience. The A+ is conceptual and the methods taught are not written in stone. Also the test is performing troubleshooting the ComTIA way.

For example a common troubleshooting tip for network connectivity issue such as not being able to get online is something as simple as checking to make sure the ethernet cable is plugged in. And CompTIA says that should always be the first thing you check. This is something basic that many people overlook because in my experience very rarely the issue is the cable not being plugged in.

Don't skip it. It will be your building blocks. You don't have to take the test. But it will help you get your foot in the door into a help desk position.

The Cisco Net Acad is good for getting fundamentals of networking in the Cisco world and is training toward the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA). Meaning the scope is very limited. You will learn how a network works in general. Meaning the how information gets from point A to point B and theory behind why it works. But then it will take a sharp turn on to Cisco network equipment. I suggest reading a Sybex's Net+ book by Todd Lammle. The Net+ is also by CompTIA but focuses on a MUCH MUCH broader spectrum of networking and troubleshooting networks. For example, the Cisco course isn't really going to dive into this like token rings, MAUs, ALOHA, DSL, DSLAMs, Cable, and other tech. The Cisco learning path is more, here is what a network is, here is why it works, here are some general things that apply to all networks, and now let configure a Cisco switch and a Cisco router, and finally let's troubleshoot common Cisco problems that people run into.

Use the Cisco classes to build on your Net+ knowledge. I'm not saying to take the CompTIA A+ and Net+ exams, but at least study the material. Because it sounds like you aren't really sure what you want to split off to. If you go straight for the Cisco class, you will learn nothing about computers because Cisco doesn't care about what desktop/laptop/server you use for this level of information.

Being well rounded in IT is more valuable than being a specialist who only knows one thing in terms of job opportunities. But from what I've seen specialists make more money if you can find a job for that specialization.

Now to answer your 3 questions.

1. Read a Net+ book. It will teach you all the basics you need to know. There will be some overlap in the beginning but that is about it. It's better for you to have a wider range of networking knowledge than to be locked into a specific vendor from the start. You have years ahead of you to worry about vendor specialization. But Cisco currently is the defacto networking equipment. Juniper is catching up and HP and Dell offer enterprise solutions that compete with Cisco.
   
   
2. In my college it was a 4 semester class held once a week. I would talk to your community college about completion time. If you want to finish it faster, you might be best served by going to a trainer. But they are a lot more expensive and the material they will throw at you will be bigger chunks because they will expect you have some base knowledge. This is a great reason why you should read the Net+ books. It will get you familiar with general networking concepts so that when you take the class you're not sitting there with confused look on your face.
   
   
3. There really isn't a guide. The Cisco Net Acad classes follow the exam Objectives for the CCNA. For you the major Certs would be the A+, Net+ and CCNA (ICND1 and ICND2). The CCNA is a cisco certification that can be taken 2 ways. The composite CCNA exam. And the ICND1 and 2. Passing ICND1 will give you the CCENT. It's basically part one of the test and saying that you can walk into a small business and get a basic network up and running. The ICND2 is the second part and will give you the full CCNA. The composite test is both the ICND1 and 2 put together.
   
   The composite test is meant for those with experience and is generally harder because you need to know less about a lot of topics where as the ICND1 and 2 you need to know a lot about less topics. You should take the 2 test route.
   
   These are the books I read. These are also the ones I mentioned above.
   
   Sybex ComTIA A+ http://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Complete-Study-Guide-Application/dp/047048649X/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1372738911&sr=1-3&keywords=sybex+a%2B
   
   Sybex CompTIA Net+ by Todd Lammle http://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Network-Study-Authorized-Courseware/dp/1118137558/ref=sr_1_8?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1372738836&sr=1-8&keywords=todd+lammle
   
   Start off reading these two. These will teach you everything you need to know to understand what you are getting your self into. From there you can go into specialization such as Cisco. For that I used the Wendell Odom books which are the official Cisco books. Warning, the writing is dry.
   
   Cisco ICND 1 100-101 by Wendell Odom. http://www.amazon.com/Cisco-CCENT-ICND1-100-101-Official/dp/1587143852/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1372739094&sr=1-2&keywords=wendell+odom+icnd1
   
   Cisco ICND 2 640-802 http://www.amazon.com/ICND2-Official-Certification-640-816-640-802/dp/158720181X/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1372739138&sr=1-4&keywords=wendell+odom+icnd2
   
   NOTE: I did not see the ICND 2 book by Wendell and Odom for the new exam objectives that will take effect later this year. So the first ICND 1 book will be valid for the new test. The second book will not be but it would not hurt you to read it until Wendell and Odom come out with an updated ICND 2 book.
   
   I've also heard good things about the Todd Lammle CCNA book but I do not see one for the newer exam objectives.

Depending on your level of knowledge:

Networking

Brocade IP Primer I haven't read it myself, but some guys around these parts that I have a lot of respect for recommend it highly for beginners.

CCENT Offical Cert Guide Good next step after above and gets you the CCENT cert which is half the ccna if you pass the test.

CCNA Official Cert Guide Next step after CCENT, gets you CCNA obviously if you pass the test.

If you need to know some basic wireless, I highly recommend the CWTS by CWNP. It is meant more as marketing/sales, but honestly its a really good entry into wifi. You can always follow it up with the CWNA after.

And an always favorite, the network warrior. This book really brings it all together for doing day-to-day networking for a ccna level. I haven't read all of it, but the majority I did read really clarified what I the CCNA brushed over.

As far as Microsoft and other tech's, I highly recommend getting your hands on CBT Nuggets (Yeah, its a bit expensive ~$1000 / year) and just start devouring as much as you can. Watch two or three shows a night? Sub one of them for a CBT nuggets vid. Just devour a few books and some vids and do your best to lab (either in vmware or with gear) and you'll be off to a really great start.

On a political level at work, I'd be fighting for some training (again cbtnuggets or the like) saying, hey tech is always moving forward and you need it to keep up and benefit the company. If you stay hungry you'll do just fine :)

My .02 would be to start with the CCNA Route/Switch curriculum and then branch from there. It will give you a very strong foundation to start and allow you to move into pretty much anything (Unified Communications, Video, Security, Service Provider, Data Center ect.)

Get your hands on the following books as well as these lab manuals:

http://www.amazon.com/Routing-Switching-200-120-Official-Library/dp/1587143879/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1381429380&sr=8-1&keywords=ccna+routing+and+switching

http://www.amazon.com/Routing-Switching-Essentials-Manual-Companion/dp/1587133202/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1381429405&sr=8-1&keywords=ccna+routing+and+switching+lab+manual

Next, you will need either some gear or something virtual for you to practice with. If you can't afford actual hardware, get GNS3

http://www.gns3.net/download/

GNS 3 doesn't really do switching (VTP, Spanning Tree, VLAN's) but you can do pretty much anything routing related you need to (especially at the CCNA level).

For switching, you need find Packet Tracer. Packet Tracer will allow you to do pretty much everything with the exception of Frame Relay and more in depth security.

Sorry to promote so much Cisco, but I do draw a paycheck from them every two weeks and they do a great job of making their entry level stuff accessible. If you have any questions, please feel free to message me.

The CCNA can be taken a few different ways. As 2 exams (ICND1 and ICND2) or 1 exam (CCNAX). The combined exam is mostly for re-certification and for people that have been in a Cisco networking role for a while. Beginners should take the 2 test route. It is only $5 more expensive and will be much easier than the 1 test path.



Taking an instructor-lead class is going to be a crap-shoot. How good it is and how well it prepares you for the exam are ENTIRELY dependant on the instructor. Plus in-person classes are usually expensive. Self-study, in my opinion, is the way to go for almost every certification.


You should always use multiple resources to prepare for any exam. I recommend the following for the CCNA:



Pick up the Wendel Odom OCG (Official Certifiaction Guide). You can get it on Amazon for around $40 for both the INCD1 and INCD2 books. You can also get the /u/lammle book for around $30 on Amazon. The Odom book is considered very dry and hard to read, but has more information and goes deeper into the subjects than the Lammle book does. I personally do not have a problem with the Odom book and have readt it all the way through.



You should also get a video course. There are tons out there (CBT Nuggets, ITPro.TV, INE, Kevin Wallace, etc.). I recommend Chris Bryant's course on Udemy. It usually costs around $12 and is extremely good for the price.



You also need a lab of some kind. The most recommended would be a Hardware lab (with real Cisco routers and switches), GNS3, or Packet Tracer. Obviously a hardware lab is going to be expensive (probably around $300 for a basic one). I use Packet Tracer and while it has it's flaws and limitations it seems to be good enough for the CCNA. On top of that it is FREE. GNS3 is also free but requires that you have your own IOS images to run in it (which are not free unless you go a less-than-legal route to aquire them). There is also INE's lab and Cisco's VIRL but they are very expensive and VIRL requires a pretty beefey machine to run.



Read a book, watch a video course, and lab EVERY concet you can. If you really get stuck and can't figure something out or don't understand something after researching it yourself, come post here and ask. We are always willing to help.

Step 1. Go for the CCENT. It's like half a CCNA, focusing on the basics of networking. The Lammle book is pretty good.
Go to Pearson Vue to register for the test and find a testing center near you.

Step 2. After you have the CCENT, you might be looking at some entry level support jobs. Maybe add A+ and Net+ (pretty straight forward CompTIA certs) and you'd definitely be in the range for a desktop support position.

Step 3. Go for the CCNA. At this point you just have to take the ICND2 exam since you already have the CCENT. Get Packet Tracer, it's a network emulator designed by Cisco specifically for CCNA study.

Step 4. With a CCNA and maybe 6 months of experience in desktop support you might be able to start looking at network support positions. Look at some of the recruiting firms - TEKsystems, Apex Systems etc. Usually it's easier to get a position as a contractor since it's easier for the host company to get rid of you if it doesn't work out and they don't have to worry about benefits or your rights etc. It kinda sucks in some respects, but it's a great way to build a resume and get to know some people.

At this point, you can start to specialize. Maybe go for the CCNA Security if you're into that or go straight for the CCNP. It's a great industry, always stuff to learn, valuable skill set.

If you've looked into it online, you know it's not the easiest subject to just explain in a comment. If you're learning subnetting, you may as well take the ICND1 exam and get CCENT certified.

Chapter 12 of Book 1 in this set honestly did the best job of any resource I found.

In a nutshell, focus on the binary math - it's longer and more tedious, but helps get the point of it across. Once you have that down, learn how to convert back to dotted decimal very quickly. There are tricks that you'll learn, like subtracting the value of the subnetted octet of the mask from 256 to quickly figure out subnet size and range (for example, 256 - 192 = 64, subnet has 64 addresses - 2 = 62 valid addresses, network addresses at .0, .64, .128, and .192 in that octet). Expect to need or use multiple sources to ensure you have it down. Be sure that you can do Class A and B addresses as easily as you can Class C.

Use http://www.subnettingquestions.com/ to practice until you're able to do the questions in about 10 seconds. You can consider yourself able to subnet at that point. Good luck, feel free to PM me with any specific questions you have.

Absolutely. I did have a leg up in that sales really helped me to hone my social/communication skills, so I was confident once I got an interview somewhere.

But start building a home lab, tinkering, and learning now - https://www.amazon.com/dp/1587205815/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_CgmmDbD770ACA
There might be a better resource, but this is how I passed my first exam.

Initiative seems to be well regarded in this field.

I got this job, which is WAY more than I was led to believe was possible for essentially a first time IT job, with the most basic Cisco cert. I worked with a few recruiting agencies and found a good fit, then they helped me get this interview. Offered the job the next day. Which is to say it's more than doable, and honestly, avoid helpdesk if you can, especially if you're looking at networking. Look for NOC analyst or tech. Hope this helps at all. Good luck, and if you have questions down the road, feel free to ask and hopefully I can answer them!

Thanks for the feedback.

On my first pass to the CCNA Exam, I used the following approach:

1. Attend to the Todd's CCNA 200-120 class in Dallas.
   
2. Read his book provided in the class. See URL below.
   
   http://www.amazon.com/CCNA-Routing-Switching-Study-Guide/dp/1118749618/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8
   
   
3. Completed the 14 videos training modules available on lammle.com as prerequisite to attend to the live class in Dallas.
   
   Note: If you buy the book then you get free access to the first 7 video training modules. You can buy a subscription on the web site to get access to the other 7 modules. Or you get it for free when you register to the live or online class.
   
   
4. In the class every day, we had the opportunity to get the lecture from Todd, hands on labs, written exercises and online sample tests.
   
   The three big lessons learned from the class were:
   
   
5. Every question is a subnet question. As a result, we must learn to subnet any class in less than 10 seconds.
   
6. The block size is your friend.
   
7. Cisco likes to use words that look the same and have opposite meaning. As a result, one must read the questions and select answer with accuracy.
   
   I failed the first time that I took the test. I ran out of time with 5 questions not answered. I invested a lot of time on the sim's and test-lets. I was lost in the test platform with many windows opened learning to navigate to the proper pannel to answer the questions.
   
   On my second pass to the CCNA Exam, I used the following approach:
   
   
8. Todd invited me to attend to the next CCNA class using the Webx online option. I accepted the invitation.
   
   
9. Complete all the exercises.
   
   
10. Invest a lot of time doing the online sample test from lammlee.com.
    
    
11. Repeat step 3 and master every question asked until I got 100% every time that I took a sample test.
    
    
12. Master the top 5 Sim's provided in the class for OSPF, EIGRP, NAT, ACL, etc.
    
    
13. Pay attention to all the tips provided by Todd when doing the Sims.
    
    I took the test and got a perfect score. I also had 25 minutes left on the clock.
    
    Summary:
    One needs to use the right tools, resources and approach to study very hard. The number one key is to focus on the test objectives and practice doing many sample tests.
    
    This approach helped me pass the CCNA 200-120 test. Anything else is just busy work and nice to know for the real world application and not to pass the test.
    
    Please note that each person learns in a different way or may have special networking skills and may not need to use the same approach.
    
    I hope this information is of value to help you get the CCNA certification.
    
    May you all have an awesome future in the Data Networking industry.
    
    JM
    

> I asked for personal recommendations.

No. No, you didn't.

Scroll back up there and read the actual words you provided to us.

Here, let me help you:

> I am looking for an additional resource (preferably a text book because for some god forsaken reason, text books are the only books I enjoy to read) for a secondary CCNA source.

That is not a personalized request. That's a shotgun blast.

What resources have you discovered on your own? Which resources seemed interesting to you? Can we help you choose between a specific list of things you've found?

When you read the FAQ over in /r/ccna what did you think of their recommended reading list?

When you ask a broad, unfocused question like that and don't provide any evidence or indication that you've done any research or put any effort into it, it comes across as laziness.

Compare these two sentences examples:

"I want to get my CCNA. Can someone suggest a book on the subject?"

or

"I want to get my CCNA. I read <blog> and <article> and I see lots of positive comments for these two books <URL> and <URL>, but I also hear good things about CBTNuggets. Can someone help me choose? I really only want to spend about $100 on this."

See how that first example gives us nothing to work with, and makes us ask all the questions & do all the work for you?

See how the second example puts more of the work effort on you to explain the situation and help us understand what you've already done to find this answer on your own?

That is what effective communication looks like when you are communicating via electronic text. You might make a note of it.

-----

The two most popular books on CCNA R&S are:

The two books from Wendell Odom, part of the official Cisco Press offering:

ICND1
ICND2

And the Todd Lammle books:

CCNA Routing and Switching Complete Study Guide

Since you've dipped your toes in the M$ stream, I would suggest working towards the 2012 MCSA. It's 3 exams and is the go to 'asked for' cert on sys admin jobs. Each exam is $150 and it will require you to lab on your own, among other things.

You mentioned Linux...the CompTIA Linux+ is comprised of two exams but you end up getting 4 or 5 certs altogether (but only 2 [L+ and LPIC-1] are worth a shit). If you've never worked with *nix before this one will be a challenge. Interesting fact: this cert never expires.

And then...the easiest of the beginner certs--CompTIA's Security+. This is also a standard for many junior security positions and is required for many federal government contracting gigs. Just buy Darril Gibson's book and watch Professor Messer's videos and you'll be good to go. This is only one exam.

The CCENT is the entry-level Cisco networking exam. I recommend Todd Lamle's book for that. Some might suggest getting CompTIA's Network+ first but I would recommend going straight for the CCENT, then CCNA if you like the material and want to get deeper into networking.

For all of these...yes, you will have to study. The MCSA 2012 will take the longest and the Security+ should be the shortest. Use your downtime wisely.

Edit: unless you're in a dire financial situation, certs are by far the easiest and most economical form of resume boosting...invest in yourself.

The CCNA one is in very high demand. I took part in a lecture held by Todd Lammle at Birmingham City University a few months ago. He basically said the best jobs to get into right now are communications, virtualization and web aplication development. It's kind of obvious really considering the trend towards cloud computing, on demand services and most importantly converged networks.

If you want to do the CCNA I would recommend skipping CompTIA N+ all together. But be warned CCNA is not something you can jump into that easily. From my experience, which isn't that much but it is a little, best books for the CCNA are the ICND1, ICND2 and Todd Lammle's CCNA Study Guide. I strongly recommend taking a course for the CCNA as the practice is not easily achieved at home (lack of equipment unless you have money to spend on second hand cisco routers, switches, cables, etc.).

Other than that, best of luck!

As for the Microsoft ones... meh, a book and a few virtual machines should get you sorted.

I hear ya man. I guess I'll vent with ya sorry for the long post.

I'm in the same boat 25 and don't know where to fully go career wise with a shitty job. I work in a call center scheduling boiler inspections, while dispatching for inspectors who also do an insane amount of driving at ridiculous times. But god damn 130 miles fuck that, and I thought my 40-45 min commute was bad! My hat is off to you guys for putting up with that amount of driving.

So after graduating college with a BA degree telecommunications thinking that I would get a job in that field such as network engineer/technician, line installer, PBX tech doing MACs (term for moves, adds and changes when programming telephones and other equipment) within the first 6 months of graduation. Yep that was a naive rookie mistake to when I found out all about CCNA certifications and all that other shit where you have to spend around $120 to take an exam after studying this book or you could spend another $3000 for that education. I wasn't ready for that after graduating in 2013. I was exhausted learning after 5 years of college (it was a 4 year program but I took it easy my sophomore year in college trying to figure what I wanted to do along with what would most likely get me a job that I could live off of while working part time).

All I can say is this after 2 years from graduating find what you can to get by, if you can't tolerate that job anymore find something else. It's really fucking hard I know I've been trying to get out of this call center position for nearly 7 months now. Before that call center position I was delivering pizzas for 8 months. Then when you can find a position that you can live off of and tolerate for a while then pursue that in your free time what you need to do for the career you want. Lately I've been getting into the crazy wonderful world of coding and web development. It's hard of course which means it's worth something, but I learn most of the material for free. If I told my 20 year old self that he would've said "Yea right grizzly adams had a beard." (feel free to end the joke). However, I haven't been learning that much code since I can't take this call center position anymore so I'm focusing on finding a new job away from this shitty boring area I'm in (King of Prussia, PA area it's boring suburbia). When I find a new position that I can tolerate where I'm not on the phone all day, then I'll pursue and develop skills on being a web developer and build a portfolio of a couple websites showing exquisite HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, Python and jQuery skills then I'll start applying to web developer jobs.

So build my friend, it takes time but build there is still time.

Even though I wish colleges could help us out more career networking wise they just throw us out on the fucking street and ask oh do you want football season tickets? Then I say sure how about you get me a job you pricks and I may be entitled but when I pay $86,000 I expect results. I remember going to a college savings plan meeting and hearing the presenter saying "Colleges are first and foremost a business". Yea well I'm the customer, I went to college to get a career in telecommunications not to deliver pizzas and work in a call center.

Alright. I grabbed this book (Link) and it seems to come with a network simulator on the training DVD. As for experience with networking I don't have too much professional experience but I have lots of experience working with ISPs and telecomms as tech support and sales so I know more than average about most networking equipment and troubleshooting as is, and a gentleman I spoke to up at the test center says that the experience from those positions is definitely an advantage. I was going to go for an A+ certification but then I learned that they make next to nothing and that networking sounds a whole lot more fun. I know I love to troubleshoot and fix my own network connectivity issues and have been able to tell my ISP where the problem was occurring on their network when calling in. Hopefully our city will be hiring soon and I can get a position there. There's a motion on the table right now to have the whole downtown area networked with wifi by 2015 so hopefully that's good.

TL;DR

Books

TCP/IP by No Starch Press - Covers everything from layering (the OSI model), transmission media, error detection and correction, sliding windows to congestion control and much, much more.

Routing TCP/IP By Cisco Press - Long considered a bible of routing. Both an excellent reference (I still use it today as a programmer) and study material should in case you really want to crank up the masochism.

Optimal Routing -Another excellent book covering the mechanics of large internetwork installations.

Software

Nmap - you too can discover just how easy illegally breaking into networked computer systems can be.

Netcat - A classic tool for writing network IO to a classical descriptor

tcpdump - Does what it says on the tin

wireshark - a graphical version of tcpdump

---------------------------

the tl; part

Oh Jeez, where do you even begin.

I was certified at the Cisco CCNP level prior to becoming a professional programmer. If you dive into Cisco, you'll start to get familiar with the "real deal" of how things work across the internet, especially as you move onto higher certifications. This is discussing things like core routing infrastructure like BGP, interior routing protocols like IS/IS & OSPF. Cisco is also famous for presenting a view of the world that... benefits Cisco exclusively. This means that Cisco-sanctioned protocols will be overemphasized, this means you'll be presented with a view of information security stuck firmly in 90s network centrist view, Cisco will play down application-level, memory-corruption and the more ordinary "leegit p0rn here" security (unless they are talking about IDS systems for catching script kiddies -- they can sell you that!).

You'll also, particularly as you move up the stack, become attached to the "Cisco way", which means your understanding of networking is less "protocols and packets" and more "press this key" (you'll know how to "type things in" to get the right results, but maybe not why they work).

This leads me to the most salient point - Frankly, there is simply no better way to really understand networking than be the person writing the tools rather than "getting the concepts" . The average programmer might not understand networking, but the average network oriented programmer is in a completely different league than a Cisco tech (this reminds me of an amusing anecdote wherein I leaned a little too heavy on the Cisco docs and managed to flap out totally invalid internal BGP routes and shut off the internet for a small corner of southwestern Colorado for a few minutes!)

If you've got a background in programming, things will also be a lot easier. Take STP (spanning tree protocol) for example - an extremely common feature of even small networks today. You'll be covering it extensively in CCNA material. Many network engineers struggle with understanding it's rules of resolution, the real meaning of it's various configuration options. As a programmer, you are already comfortable with thinking about systems like networks as graphs, you might also be familiar with the spanning or minimum spanning tree algorithms already. You'll have the principles down before you even sit down and the hardest part might be remembering what Cisco IOS chooses to call your parameters of choice.

On the other hand, even with very "low level" network programming, with sockets for example. You are dealing with a huge, layers of abstraction on top of things. The nomenclature doesn't quite match that of network engineers and the way it "really works" is totally hidden from you. You'll have to really dive in after the fact.

The knowledge you get from the CCENT is really great. I would recommend using Packet Tracer. It's a beginner network simulator that allows you to practice configuring Cisco routers and switches from the Cisco IOS command line. You can get it for free by taking an hour long Cisco 101 course.

Additionally, Wendell Odom's CCENT book is awesome! He teaches the material in a really in-depth way, and it helps you understand the theory. It took me about a month of studying after taking the Cisco Networking Academy classes to be ready, so you would probably be ready after 4-6 months of studying.

Here's a link to Packet Tracer and the Wendell Odom book:
https://www.netacad.com/about-networking-academy/packet-tracer/

https://www.amazon.com/CCENT-ICND1-100-105-Official-Guide/dp/1587205807/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1498097630&sr=8-1&keywords=ccent

Good Luck!

I have an INE course on Implementing Cisco ASA Firewalls
if you're looking for videos.

For books, the best resource is Cisco ASA: All-in-one Next-Generation Firewall, IPS, and VPN Services.

Cisco has lots of good free documentation, as long as you know how to sort through it, such as the Cisco ASA 5500-X Series Firewalls Configuration Guides and Cisco ASA 5500-X Series Firewalls Configuration Examples and TechNotes.

If you have a Cisco support contract you can download the Adaptive Security Virtual Appliance (ASAv)
and run it on a hypervisor like VMWare ESXi.

INE also rents Security racks that have ASA 5510 and ASA 5515X in them if you want to play around with physical hardware.

Good luck!

If you study for it seriously, it's very doable. I'd also suggest CBT nuggets (though it is a bit on the expensive side, but Jeremy Cioara is an excellent teacher). Also, I consulted Todd Lammle (http://www.amazon.com/CCNA-Routing-Switching-Study-Guide/dp/1118749618) book for my CCNA and I personally think it's the best book that I came across for the exam. You should consult a few books and see which one works best for you. I'd highly suggest GNS3 or packet trace for lab-experience at CCNA level. Good luck with your plans.

Your most important starting step is to make sure that you have the foundational knowledge, at least at a conceptual level. I'm a big fan of books, so I would recommend a few to you.

Pick ONE of these. Exam is not necessary, but recommended:
Mike Meyers CompTIA Network+ All-in-One Exam Guide
Todd Lammle's CCENT Study Guide - ICND1

Pick ONE of these. Pay attention to business terminology as well. Again, exam is not necessary, but recommended:
Mike Meyers CompTIA Security+ Certification - SY0-501
CompTIA Security+ All-in-One Exam Guide
Darril Gibson SSCP All-in-One Exam Guide

100% read this. It's the Bible of Python scripting. Second edition is brand spanking new too:
Automate the Boring Stuff with Python

This is a good all-around Penetration Testing book that teaches Linux too. You don't *have* to use Kali, Ubuntu is probably less intimidating to those new to Linux, but you will have to install your own software/packages. This is the only book on this list I haven't read, but I often see it recommended:
Penetration Testing: A Hands-on Introduction to Hacking

While you read these books, you should install some kind of Linux distro on a home computer and use it for practice. I would also recommend doing HackTheBox(first challenge is to hack the login page) and starting with the easy boxes. Do as much as you can on your own first, but if you get stuck, watch IppSec's YouTube walk-through for the box you are on. Might be a bit overwhelming until you get through most of the books on that list though.

You should also start looking towards either the eJPT/eCPPT, the OSCP, or GPEN at this point, as those are the best value certifications in this field and will hold a lot of weight at an interview. There's some stigma with certifications in IT/CS, but the ones I listed are all baseline knowledge and/or high value for those in this field. At the very least the knowledge will go far. But definitely avoid anything from EC-Council like the plague.

My advice would be to not take a class for CCNA. Just go ahead and self study (I pretty much did this up to CCIE level). If you are a software developer, you will not have any issue.

Its great to have a good handle on the top vendors like Cisco, Juniper Arista. However, you can stand out by focusing more on vendor neutral stuff once you have the basics under your belt. I see the demand right now for network engineers with software / automation skills to be absolutely huge - it can take you ANYWHERE you want to go.

Some recommended learning resources -

Internetwork Expert - check out their all access pass. Its a fixed monthly fee and you will get access to all of their training videos. The quality is second to none and the owner / instructors are very helpful - even by direct email.

CCNA Study Guide - for a basic grounding, check this out and go ahead sit the exam once you have completed it and watched some training videos - even if you don't feel like you are ready, you will gain alot of knowledge / insight.

Juniper Fast Track Certification Program - you could use this to look at going after the JNCIA. The material here mainly focuses on people with a "CCNA" level knowledge and helps them to transition and apply the same skills to Juniper devices. Its very easy once you've completed the CCNA.

In terms of hands on time on equipment, if you really want you could buy a lab but I would recommend trying out something like GNS3 to get started with.

If you have any questions on resources or how to attack this, feel free to PM me.

Hope that helps some how.

The CCNA curriculum is a great way to get a solid networking foundation. Many will recommend the Network+, but I certainly think the CCNA is a better certification track. I recently went through Todd Lammle's CCNA Study Guide in less than two months and passed the CCNA Composite.

http://www.amazon.com/CCNA-Routing-Switching-Study-Guide/dp/1118749618/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413474786&sr=8-1&keywords=ccna+study+guide

The great thing about this book is you can opt to go the ICND1 and ICND2 route, or just go for the composite exam. It's up to you.

GNS3 is excellent for practicing in a lab environment if you do not have your own equipment.

Andrew Crouthamel has a good series on youtube for videos.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQZc6wrc__wo9oYOqvi9N_Q

They are a little dry, but free.

Install Gns3 (with some IOS images if you can get some) or packet tracer you can find a copy here http://getintopc.com/softwares/network/cisco-packet-tracer-6-1-free-download/.

There are some practice labs here http://www.packettracernetwork.com/labs/packettracerlabs.html.

You can get Todd Lamel book for self study as well.
http://www.amazon.com/CCNA-Routing-Switching-Study-Guide/dp/1118749618/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

Hope this is helpful. Best of luck.

Ok you've decided to do it. here is my $.02

Checkout The Cisco Network academy and see if they have any locations near by. Generally they are done as adult school classes, or at community colleges. Its great training ( Cisco curriculum), led by certified instructors, for generally pennies on the dollar.

If that turns out to be not an option the self study books are the next best thing. Take your time, do all the DIKTA Q's (Do i know this already) and end of chapter review questions. Be honest with yourself if you get 1 out of 2 answers on a "choose the best two answers" type of question mark it wrong. As you read, and a concept isn't clear, keep going back until you get it. If you cant get it, us ask here, thats why we have this.

Protip: start taking multi vitamins , it helps with memory, retention, and focus. Keep taking them at least till you pass the test.

If you need anything else or you have any more questions please ask /r/ccna were here to help!

Absolutely! Anything to help out others!

I used lots of different sources. Below are what seemed to help me the most.

Kevin Wallace's Videos give the best explanations: https://www.kwtrain.com/

Laz Diaz's Udemy Course gives great packet tracer labs: https://www.udemy.com/cisco-ccna-200-125-the-complete-course/ (DO NOT pay full price for this course. There are discounts ALL THE TIME that are 90% or more off. I paid $10)

The best subnetting video available in my opinion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rs39FWDhzDs

Practice subnetting on https://subnettingpractice.com. Using Laz's chart method above I was able to do most of the questions here in under 30 seconds with practice. Helped a ton.

The Official Cisco Press CCENT book by Odem: https://www.amazon.com/Routing-Switching-200-125-Official-Library/dp/1587205815/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=ccna+book&qid=1554763617&s=gateway&sr=8-3

Congratulations!! I started out using the Lammle book as well but also used the official Cisco books to make sure I had coverage for the blueprint items the Lammle book didn't cover (I studied before the current version was released). Make sure to keep the ICND2 blueprint in mind while you study, you'll do great!! :)

Most people start out on the CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate) certification. It's important to keep in mind that this is just Cisco's version of networking, but it's good basic introduction.Todd Lammle's book (https://www.amazon.com/CCNA-Routing-Switching-Study-Guide/dp/1118749618) is a good place to start. Jeremy Ciora has a good video based program called CBT Nuggets to start in CCNA (https://www.cbtnuggets.com/certification-playlist/cisco/56440).

While you are doing that, download GNS3. (https://www.gns3.com/software). This will let you get hands on and start configuring stuff and let you actually program virtual routers and switches and actual follow along with your lessons. You'll have to get router images to use. Some are free, some have to be "found".

After you've gone through the lessons and done a lot of hands on, go to your local Pearson Vue test center (there is generally one on every base) and take your CCNA exam. It's like $250-300. All in, you'll probably be around $400.

I can help you out. I am a recent graduate just graduate this past spring from the Information and Computer Technology program with concentration in security. What you want to major in really depends on what you are most interested in. If you like coding and writing up programs then Computer Science is for you. If you don't like coding that much as want to focus on areas such as setting up firewalls, networking, where you subnet and assign computer's with ip addresses than yeah go with the Info. Comp. Tech. With the ICTN program it will prepare you for a industry certifications such as CCNA , Security +, CCNP, CCNA- security, RHCSA, RHCE. Do a google search on these certifications and look at the topics covered within the certifcation exams especially the CCNA. The cisco classes the prepare you for the CCNA are the hardest classes and are the washout classes. Where after people taking those that dropout of the program. If you seriously want to do the Info. Comp, Tech, then google the CCNA study guide and look at such content. Or click on this link
https://www.amazon.com/Routing-Switching-Complete-Study-Guide/dp/1119288282/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1495502742&sr=8-4&keywords=cisco+ccna

This is the type of stuff that you will be going over when you first start taking ICTN classes. The classes in the program are not hard as long as you put a good amount of work in. It really requires a lot of dedication and understanding. Because there are gonna be days you are going to be having problems in labs and its gonna force you to troubleshoot and think outside the box. The ccna certification itself is required if you wanna stay in the networking track. The certification itself is diffcult but do able. I myself do not have CCNA but have comptia Security+ .

Now i personally can't speak for computer science but if you are good at coding in such things such as Java, python or other programming languages then i would recommend Comp. Sci. Go to code academy google it gives you code lessons and see if you like that.

I can't really tell you want to do. But personally i would choose Info. Comp. Tech. over comp sci any day.

If you have any questions just PM

Not trying to come off as a dick, but it is more than remembering commands in a list. There is a Cisco Press book dedicated just to CCNA commands if that is all you want to know.

Knowing what the show commands display (in detail) is just as important, try to focus on not using the "show run" command when building/troubleshooting your labs. Someone once said on here and I am quoting it badly that the exam is about "demonstrating your ability to display the info".

When doing a lab, I place the topology into OneNote along with the configs. From each device's perspective, I tend to paste the appropriate show commands nearby for later reference. It really helps me nail down exactly what I am being shown and identify all the ways to display what I need to know when asked.

Taking that list and moving it to flash cards would also be beneficial. Good luck in your studies.

> Basically - get into automation and learn how to be more valuable to the higher-ups. What would you do?


I'll answer your question by outlining my year goal of education in the work place.

I'm doing leadership for engineering themed courses, with the goal to influence decisions and outcome.

I'm aiming to get some more specific and hands on coaching, to help talk to upper manglement.



Another take on it is this. If I was going back to the very start of my career and had 0 knowledge in my head (And it was present day). I'd target a few things:

• Focus heavily on BGP, BGP TE and internet routing architectures (link)
  
• Focus on a strongly typed programming language. Not scripting, full on Java or similar.
  
• Focus on learning 1 hardware architecture in great depth (link)
  
• Read the prince, how to win friends and influence people and top off the hat trick with the rational manager

Depends what you want to do.

A CCNA is a networking certification which will involve building a solid understanding of all fundamentals (and even some trickier areas) of networking only. Computer science is the study of how computers are used in the world around you, and networking is really just one small piece of that.

If you'd like to start a career in systems administration and networking, go get yourself the CCNA and then a Microsoft cert that interests you. Buy the CCNA books here: http://www.amazon.com/CCENT-ICND1-640-822-Official-Edition/dp/1587204258/ref=pd_sim_b_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=1XTT3GRD3TCRMTQQTV3N

DO THE LABS AND TESTS!

You can also sign up for CCNA classes at any on-line class from any community college. This shouldn't take you more than a few months. If you're going super slow, maybe 6 months.

After you've got that down, look into the Microsoft side of things here:
https://www.microsoft.com/learning/en-us/certification-overview.aspx
The new MCSE will get you far and I highly recommend digging into ANYTHING you can that's cloud and virtualization related, because 10 years from now everything helpdesk level is going to be handled my machines.

If you want to do actual computer science, there are great careers to be had but you should consider what you want to do with a computer science degree before you jump down that path. Check out the curriculums at local colleges to see what interests you. Here's the spring semester at U-Mass Amherst for example:
https://www.cs.umass.edu/ugrad-education/spring-15-course-schedule

Good luck!

Todd Lammle is the go to author for Cisco study guides. Whatever books you purchase, make sure it is for the 100-105 exam, which is the current version. You'll find some stuff for 100-100 exam, but that's the old test and it may be missing some information. Here's a good book to read I found on Amazon.

It wouldn't hurt to read the Net+ stuff too, since it will reinforce some of the stuff you'll read on CCENT and may contain some different information, but if you're studying for CCENT, focus on CCENT books.

Lynda.com has some good Cisco certification training videos on it, and you may be able to get free access. Check with your local public library. I am able to log into the lynda.com site using my library card number and access everything for free.

When I took the CCENT, about 2.5 years ago, I used the videos on Career Academy. I ended up using it because I got a Groupon for a cheap year's subscription. Those videos, mixed with using Packet Tracer for labs, got me through the exam with a high 90's score. YMMV, since I already had around 15 years of experience when I took the test, so I knew a lot of the information already.

head over to /r/ccna and look around. ccent is a good entry exam and not too hard. grab the official cert guide from amazon. study, then test.

another option is a safaribooksonline subscription. you can sign up for a free trial and see if its worth it for you. ($40/month) it gives you access to hundreds upon thousands of books (including the cisco cert guide mentioned above) as well as the INE videos from kevin wallace. these combined with some initiative will get you through the exams.

best of luck!

First, read our Wiki. It is very thorough and answers a lot of these common questions such as

day to day? The Practice of System and Network Administration
And the topical reference books listed below.

Books to help in shaping a sysadmin? The above &:
The Phoenix Project
Time Management for System Administrators


Topical Books I see mentioned often and have been very helpful to me:
Powershell in a month of lunches
Learn Python the hard way
Unix and Linux System Administration Handbook
Windows Server 2016: Inside Out

Group Policy
AbsoluteBSD
FreeBSD mastery:ZFS
CCNA
RHCSA/RHCE
Pro Puppet
SSH Mastery

On my docket:
FreeBSD Mastery: Advanced ZFS

Michael W. Lucas and Thomas Limoncelli are very good sysadmin writers, you can't go wrong with a topic they have chosen to write about.

Most of the *nix stuff assumes a baseline knowledge of how to use a unix-based system. I learned as I went but did pick up an old copy of Unix Visual Quickstart Guide not too long ago at a used books sale, which seems like a good starting place for someone overwhelmed with sitting at a terminal and being productive.
I notice I don't have any Virtualization books, perhaps someone else can fill in good books. Most of my knowledge regarding virtualization and network storage has been a mix of official docs, video training, and poking at it. Seems innate but it isn't.

Wendell Odom's Official Cert Guide. here is a link.

I personally haven't used any other books besides Odom's so I can't say if the others are any good or not.

There are a ton of practice tests out there, but most of them cost something. Boson's tests seem to be generally accepted as high quality, and they're the only ones I've actually used besides some free ones I found floating around out there. GoCertify is a place that comes to mind. Also, CBT nuggets and INE have some practice tests, but like Boson, they are premium so expect to pay a good price for them.

Actually, here is a link to a recent post from /u/judoisonattack who just passed ICND1 and shared what he used to study. It is very similar to what I would do.

Nice, I just finished ccna 1-4 too. Doing ccnp in 2012. Yes, the cbt videos are worth obtaining. I have odom's book too which I find helpful, it includes a practice exam and a lot of practice test questions. I have watched all the cbt videos over the course of the last 6 months but I'm going to take the ccent first because I think I can pass that now, I'll have to review a bit more to pass the ccna. good luck to you!


EDIT: it's ok, I troll a lot. Let me put it this way, I'm 80% reddit and 20% 4chan, so for fun i'll be a prick on reddit because everyone's so sensitive. It's hilarious.

I went to amazon books and searched CCNA, and selected the first entry:

Description from the page (emphasis mine):

CCNA Routing and Switching Complete Study Guide, 2nd Edition is your comprehensive review for the CCNA exams. Written by the leading authority on networking technology, this guide covers 100% of all objectives for the latest ICND1, ICND2, and CCNA Composite exams. Hands-on labs help you gain experience in critical procedures and practices, and the network simulator provides a realistic lab environment so you can practice at your own pace. Gain access to the Sybex online learning environment, featuring a robust set of study tools including: practice questions, flashcards, video instruction, and an extensive glossary of terms to help you better prepare for exam day. The pre-assessment test helps you prioritize your study time, and bonus practice exams allow you to test your understanding. Need more practice? Get 20% off a year subscription and free access to premium Cisco Labs—providing hands-on, real-world experience using Cisco Routers, Switches, and Firewalls.

There may be a better or more technical term. I simply replied with what I have always called them, and heard them called by others in the profession. Granted it's networking rather than programming, but I did a quick search on what I what used to, sorry.

I don't unfortunately. Here is the book though, Todd Lammle ICND1+2.

I started with the Odom ones as well, but this was an easier read and has labs you can work along with pretty easily. Also did various studying on like /r/networking, cisco.com, podcasts, and anything that answered a question I would have.

here is my 2c

it is crucial that you understand subnet masking as it's like 70% of ipv4 networking and unfortunately the first thing you need to wrap your brain around as you will be working with VLSM in most networking labs/scenarios. download this pdf and just start plugging along..

Sormcontrol.net is a nice online tool to help with learning subnets.


once you finish that workbook and feel comfortable with variable length subnets, start working on these problems in your spare time and at your own pace. your goal should be to solve any single subnetting problem within 30 seconds.


now that you understand a bit of subnetting, you need to begin learning the OSI-model, focus mainly on the layers 1 (sending bits across a medium), 2 (mac address switching) ,3 (ip routing), and 4 (tcp, udp, and icmp ports). here are two of my favorite beginners books to networking.
Microsoft Windows Networking Essentials, &
Cisco Introduction to Networks V6


Once you've read those books you should be ready to learn routing and switching. Focus your attention here to static routing, dhcp, nat, basic ACLs, and to understanding switchports and vlan related things like trunking and routing on a stick.

Next book you want to read is going to be on dynamic routing and scaling networks for large environments.This is where you delve into dynamic routing protocols (RIP, EIGRP, OSPF) and redundancy/failover protocols such as spanning-tree, etherchannel, and HSRP.


This is a nice book to read along the way and to sort of tie all of the knowledge you've learned so far together into short succinct chapters.

Download GNS3 or Packet Tracer if you want to simulate networks and labs at your desktop. You can learn a lot about the concepts and protocols presented in the books by searching on youtube things like "GNS3 dhcp" or "Packet Tracer dhcp".

I don't know about CBT nuggets, but just focus on what I've linked you and if you are going to follow anything online, the topic of routing and switching is the way to go as it is fundamental. Study like you are trying to pass the CCENT exam and then study for the CCNA exam.

Official Cert Guide. Frankly it's a very difficult book to read. Routers need RAM because they're essentially computers. Their entire OS is loaded into RAM which takes around 32MB of that on its own. They do retain information in a number of ways. A good example is the configuration which while it can be saved into NVRAM that is just a way to save it over a reboot. It is saved into RAM and any changes to it, by default are only saved into RAM. The routers have to retain a surprising amount of information and can run a huge number of services beyond just basic routing packets between broadcast domains. I suggest the Lammle book for studying ICND1 (it's what i'm using)

well, to get started in networking I would recommend Cisco.com There is a lot of info in the tech part of the site.... Just kidding, that is where you'll eventually end up reading though... (and hopefully enjoying it)

The first thing to do is make a choice. In networking there are several different paths you could take. Voice, Routing & Switching, Security, Design or service provider stuff... among others.

It all begins with one to three exams. If you want to bypass your network+ and go straight for your Cisco certs it will be 1 or 2 exams, then pick up the CCNA books from Cisco Press. They are extremely beneficial, and the Official Exam Certification Guides for ICND1 and 2 also come with CDs that have a practice exam environment that is very similar to the actual test. Grab the Box set, it comes with both, and is cheaper.

Also, I would recommend scouring Ebay for some decent switches and routers. I highly recomment grabbing a Cisco2511 (and not the RJ45 one, the one that takes the Octal Cable.) As much as I hear people talking about GNS3 and Packet Tracer, I understand it works (I use GNS3 myself, but also have a sweeeeeet home lab setup) I still think hands on with the equipment is more important than only the config.


Also, I really don't have any experience with Juniper, but from what I've seen there isn't much difference, just syntax and terminology. I'm sure there are some Juniper guys on here that might be able to give you some info.

I would recommend using this book:

http://www.amazon.com/CCNA-Routing-Switching-Study-Guide/dp/1118749618/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396382315&sr=8-1&keywords=ccna

While it covers both exams, it's probably the best way to learn networking (it's how I did it at least). Todd lays everything laid out in an easy to understand way.

Also I would highly recommend using Packet Tracer:

https://www.netacad.com/web/about-us/cisco-packet-tracer

It has enough features to get you through your CCNA and most of the CCNP and is very easy to setup and use.

Hey! I started studying for the CCNA about a month ago. I'm currently using CBTNuggets, Udemy, and a few books. For the Udemy course, I really have enjoyed the Neil Anderson ICND1 bootcamp. For books, I've been trying to read the CCENT study guide by Todd Lammle and the official certification guide by Odom. If you use that Neil Anderson bootcamp, he will also have several lectures that involve using GNS3 and Packet Tracer (these will help simulate a physical Cisco lab environment). Both applications have versions for Mac OS X, but GNS3 is a bit resource heavy, so I'm not sure how well it will run on your Macbook. Good luck getting that better life for the furbabies!

You're correct - the ICND1 (specifically, ICND1 100-105) is the first test in the CCNA series. By passing the exam, you will be a Cisco Certified Entry-level Network Technician, or CCENT. After you get your CCENT, you can take the ICND2 (200-105) exam to obtain your Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) Routing & Switching certification.

To get started, I highly recommend picking up the CCENT/CCNA ICND1 100-105 Official Cert Guide, by Wendell Odom. It's an incredibly informative source of information. A lot of people also recommend Todd Lammle's CCENT Study Guide, which is generally regarded as being a bit easier to read than Odom's book, but doesn't quite go into the level of detail needed for the exam. Regardless of which book you decide to go for (or if you decide to go for both!), make sure you take notes while reading them, study the notes afterwards, and try to demonstrate concepts that you learn in Cisco's Packet Tracer software. Packet Tracer is available to download for free, so long as you create a Cisco Networking Academy account (which is also free.)

Let us know if you have questions!

As /u/trivvium suggested, videos are a great way to start and to visualize some of the more foreign topics you may not know about. Videos, like bootcamps, only cover so much -- you really need to read some books (Lammle and Odom have published some pretty decent CCNA texts) and do some lab work (GNS3 labs, routergods, ect) in unison with videos to get something out of the cert.

Remember, a cert is just a piece of paper, if you don't know your actual content, you're going to look stupid; the true value in a cert is the stuff you pick up while studying for it, and as a bonus, you get a piece of paper that says you passed an exam.

Odom's CCNA Book

Lammle's Book

Keep in mind, you're not really "programming" with IOS, it's just a command line operating system like Unix or Linux. There are a TON of resources. CBT Nuggets has a great video series on Cisco fundamentals. I'd recommend checking out GNS3 as a simulation tool, it lets you run real live routers in a virtualized environment. I'd also recommend this book by Wendell Odom http://www.amazon.com/Routing-Switching-200-120-Official-Library/dp/1587143879.

Any training that you can find that relates to the CCNA Route Switch certification is where you want to begin. The three resources I listed earlier were 100% of what I used to get myself up and running with IOS.

It's an invaluable platform to learn, everyone needs a good network engineer.

3 months is reasonable to study and pass the CCENT if you lots of free time. I studied for the CCENT over 4 months only doing a couple hours a day - if I was less lazy I could have done it in probably 2 months coming from probably similar experience as you.

this book is by todd lammle - highly recommended. will cover everything you need to know for the CCENT. also check out the free packet tracer tool from CISCO (you will need it for the guided labs in this book). I would also recommend you use the boson exam sim practice tests. they are very similar in format and wording to the actual exam. Once you get to the chapter about subnetting, check out this website for practice.

If you are looking to get into cybersecurity, understanding how networks work on a deeper level than "home network" will be required. Many entry level security jobs include monitoring network traffic for security issues... can't do that if you have no clue what you're looking at right? This will probably also make your college courses much easier.

The tests are scheduled at the pearson vue website for you to take whenever you want.

Network Algorithmics

BGP Design and Implementation. I brought this on a boat, had drank two very, very large margaritas, and dropped it in the ocean. Re-ordered from Amazon before the boat returned to dock.

Internet Routing Architectures

Now here's the thing to keep in mind: it was 13 years ago when I started getting serious about networking. I'm sure if I was starting now I'd have read/bought probably a third less books, and probably a few different ones. My mantra has always been trying to really understand the foundations of protocols -- a very, very strong mental model. I'd say out of those books up there, Network Algorithmics was the most mentally invigorating. There's another Cisco Press book that goes over IOS and the GSR internals that's also a wonderful (if now a bit outdated) read.

As for resources:
Chris Bryants Udemy CCNA boot camp, best $30 you can spend for CCNA study. Easy to watch on the ipad, EXCELLENT quality and updated frequently. Try 1.5x speed if you feel you can grasp the subjects at that speed.

For books, I used:
http://www.amazon.com/CCNA-Routing-Switching-Study-Guide/dp/1118749618

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1587143879/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=1944687462&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=1118749618&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=08JZCBWB78DCC6VF0R4R

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1587143852/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_2?pf_rd_p=1944687462&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=1118749618&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=08JZCBWB78DCC6VF0R4R

Probably overkill, but I really wanted to get into the nuts and bolts of networking so I enjoyed reading the books.

Labbing is crucial. Reading and watching is one thing, entering the commands and working through the videos in real-time either in GNS3 or real equipment is where you master the material and pass the exams.

As for what you will need? A pair of 2950 switches will serve you well for CCNA: R&S. A single 1841 router or pair of 1841's will also work. You can skip the routers (unless you want to sim/test sub-interfaces/ROAS config) and just use GNS3 for that. I know GNS3 can do switching, but when I tried to set it up when it became available it was a nightmare to get working...so I went with hardware for my labs.

Good luck! And come back when you get stuck.

CBT Nuggets and/or INE are fantastic and a much better than taking a gamble that will certainly not be as good as INE or CBT. After that make sure to supplement a book (i've only read OCG there are others) and with Boson's Practice Tests.

When it comes to ICND1 and ICND2 the OCG is fantastic but quite overwhelming. I had read the ICND2 cover to cover a while back but diddn't take the test so I'm ready to read it again. There are so many resources out there for you. Honestly if you're willing to shell out that much money you might as well buy an INE or CBT nuggets subscription. They have thousands of videos and go beyond just the cisco test. I personally haven't used them but a class is definitely a waste imo.

www.ine.com

www.cbtnuggets.com

https://www.amazon.com/Routing-Switching-200-125-Official-Library/dp/1587205815/ref=asc_df_1587205815/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312045876164&hvpos=1o2&hvnetw=g&hvrand=14826265279750645815&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9004464&hvtargid=pla-395617943259&psc=1

​

https://www.boson.com/ (net sim)

Good job! It will definitely change your career and your life. I studied software engineering at the college and worked 2 years as web developer but now im working in education and not IT. I started to study for ICND1 around 8 months ago by watching CBT nuggets videos and i am now almost ready to take the exam but it took me a long time, so i want to change study strategy for ICND2 if i pass ICND1. I want to study mostly tests as quicker way rather than watching vidoes and taking notes. I want to buy Pearson Test Prep Software that you mentioned it came with OCG. Can you please check this link and see if it would be the same book&software for ICND1? Thank you

https://www.amazon.com/CCENT-ICND1-100-105-Official-Guide/dp/1587205807/ref=mp_s_a_1_fkmr0_1?keywords=ocg+pearson+ccna&qid=1562544635&s=gateway&sr=8-1-fkmr0

The Cisco Press book is good for the exam. This One is what I purchased when I planned to take the exam. However, my focus changed so I never sat the exam or completed the book. I got a few chapters in and found a new job that pushed me away from networking and more on the systems side so my focus is on Linux now. But what I did read was very well written and easy to follow and understand. r/CCNA will be a great sub for you as well.

There is Wendell Odom's [CCNA OCG][1], there is Todd Lammle's [CCNA Study Guide][2], and lots of other great resources in the right hand column of this sub-reddit. There is a linked YouTube course (since you were complaining about NetCad not having videos available), or check out danscourses on YouTube. Since you are a NetCad student you have access to Packet Tracer, you can create your own labs and get hands on experience at the CLI. The tools are available if you want to use them.

It seems you are preparing for two exams. The first is your college final exam, which you need to talk with your professor about the objectives for that exam. The second is the Cisco 200-120 composite CCNA exam, and you'll need to consult the [Exam Objectives][3] for a list of technologies, terms, and weighting per section.

And yes, there are a LOT of objectives for the 200-120. And yes you need to be knowledgeable on all those topics, that's the whole idea behind a certification.


[1]: http://www.amazon.com/Routing-Switching-200-120-Official-Library/dp/1587143879 "CCNA OCG"
[2]: http://www.amazon.com/CCNA-Routing-Switching-Study-Guide/dp/1118749618 "CCNA Study Guide"
[3]: http://www.cisco.com/c/dam/en_us/training-events/exams/docs/200-120_composite2.pdf "Exam Objectives"

If someone hasn't recommended it I would start with the ICND1 & ICND2 exams from Cisco for the CCENT and the CCNA respectively.

If you do decide to become Cisco certified, you may want to make sure you purchase the correct books, as the CCNA is changing later on this year.

I'd recommend Wendel Odom's books:

ICND1 on Amazon

and:

ICND2 on amazon


EDIT:

And if you have good discipline I'd start working on a bachelor's degree online.
I'm working on my IT Security degree at Western Governer's University www.wgu.edu.
They're fully accredited and have a very well thought out approach to online education.

Tuition is $3,000 per 6 month semester, and you can take as many classes as you can a semester.

My advisor has stories about people who are laid off and get their 4 year degree in just a year in order
to get back into the job market.

There is a bit of misinformation here that may lead to some confusion for someone who is an absolute beginner so I will try to clarify.

The base level cisco cert is the CCENT (cisco certified entry network technician)

Above this there is the CCNA, CCNP and CCIE, in that order.

There is only one kind of CCENT but for the other kinds of certifications there are different specialties. There is no such thing as a "CCNA" cert.

There is however, CCNA - Routing and Switching, CCNA - Security and CCNA - Voice. Along with other less common CCNA certifications including video, wireless, service provider and data centre. The first three I mentioned are the most common though.

When somebody talks about the "CCNA", what they are usually talking about is the CCNA - Routing and Switching certification and that is what most of the discussion on this sub seems to be about.

This book is probably right for you IF you already know how a network actually works. If you are not comfortable that you already have sufficient knowledge about networking I would highly recommend going for the R&S cert before you attempt to learn about security.

Here is a list of cisco certs:
http://www.cisco.com/web/learning/certifications/index.html#~Cert

I would go with the book /u/slappypappyj posted unless you are absolutely certain you want to go straight from the CCENT to the CCNA - Security

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1118749618/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1420235695&sr=8-1&dpPl=1&dpID=511QYVZWp0L&ref=plSrch&pi=AC_SY200_QL40

Cisco press has a book: 31 Days Before CCNA which can help with study/review schedule and topic breakdown.

For more study material, Todd Lammle’s CCNA book Amazon is a good read, the Official Cert Guide by Wendell Odom is very detailed and can be a bit dry.

Best of luck in your studies!

Two books I'd like to recommend to you:
Network Warrior

CCNA Exam Cram

and a piece of software:
GNS3

Network Warrior is the most useful book I've found for day to day practicality. Exam Cram is to the point regarding the passing of the examination.

GNS3 will allow you to practice building small networks and issuing the commands that you read about in both books. You will need IOS images to run it.

There's lots of resources on the net to refer to also.

Piece of advice: learn what broken looks like as well as fixed in regard to configurations

Nice commitment! but take one step at a time friend!

Start with the OCG (official cert guide). It has the 2 books for the 2 part exams. This will be your bible! Everything is in there!

Also consider Udemy for a few video guides. Chris Bryant videos are often recomended.

Later, you can decide if you need a few exam simulations (Boson is highly recomended) and additional video training (CBTNuggets also often recommended)

Hope this helps!

Hmm I would suggest Introduction to Networks v6 Companion Guide or ICND1.

I learned at school but Cisco is the reference for networks, and getting CCNA is like having the common basis that every IT Network guy should know. Well, not exactly having the CCNA as a cert but knowing all the stuff they talk about.

Be careful though, ICND1+ICND2 = CCNA, so the 2^nd book isn't enough.

If by chance you know French, try this one. He is the reference for any beginner as he explains the concepts. Unfortunately I found no translation of it, only for his most recent books (which are more specific). And this website.

Good luck

I'd recommend getting Cisco certified if you're looking to get a job in computer networking. I'd highly recommend this CCENT Certification Guide. I'm currently using this a textbook in my Business Computer Networking course, which was design to prep. for the CCENT/CCNA Cisco certification.

There are also a lot of Youtube videos covering the topics. I find the book to much easier to learn from though. But if you're just looking for the very basic of the concepts, youtube will definitely suffice. But I don't think that'll be enough to land you a job in Networking.

If do decide to go for Cisco certification and want more instruction or the ability to practice in a lab, your local universities or community college may offer courses/workshops.

TCP/IP and Subnet Masking

If you really want in-depth knowledge, I would go with TCP/IP Illustrated. It has recently been updated and pretty much covers the gamut of all things networking.

If that looks a little too daunting, you can go with a CCENT book (Lammle and Odom tend to be the best writers, IMO). It does cover Cisco products, but the concepts in it are primarily vendor neutral. Hope that helps.

I can't stress enough that I'm only about to be a senior in college. That said, my classes revolve around networking. My courses were Cisco related. My massive industry internship uses Cisco. I personally don't see why you WOULDN'T do Cisco. The foundation spans across platforms, so you might as well do a big name like Cisco. I would recommend this book a million times over. With this book and CBTNuggets, I was able to get a fantastic foundation. I personally am not worried about any programming languages. Man anything you want to learn will NOT hurt you. I plan on learning some python soon just for the heck of it.

>Do i really need too buy the very expensive cisco books from their site?

No, and I recommend one or both of these two books:

OCG

Lammle

I also recommend taking ICND1 then ICND2 instead of the composite (200-125).

I also recommend the Boson practice tests, they seem to be the most popular, for good reasons too.

>When i do the exam for ICND1, do i also have to do the test for CCENT cert? Is the CCENT cert test just based on the ICND1 stuff? Just asking since it seems you have to do 2 tests for the same thing?


CCENT and ICND1 are the same thing, once you pass ICND1 100-105, you are now a CCENT. Once you pass ICND2 200-105, you are a CCNA.

I used this book:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1119288282/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1503224194&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=todd+ccna&dpPl=1&dpID=51yYfht4EtL&ref=plSrch#immersive-view_1503224202882

It pretty much has everything you need to know. I would 100% recommend doing CCNA, I feel SO much more knowledgeable now.

Also used CBT Nuggets, at 84$ a month it is pretty expensive. It is a great service however.

You will also inevitably need to use GNS3 which is a network simulator. It is annoying to setup, but a must. Unless you have a home lab which most people, including myself use. It is best to do both.

If you are going to pursue the single CCNA test, you should definitely get Tod Lammle's CCNA Study guide. He writes some of the best books for self study.

http://www.amazon.com/Cisco-Certified-Network-Associate-640-802/dp/0470901071/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_1

If you are going to pursue the 2 test route for CCNA, here are the books to get.

ICND 1

http://www.amazon.com/CCENT-Certified-Networking-Technician-640-822/dp/0470247029/ref=pd_sim_b4

ICND 2

http://www.amazon.com/ICND2-Official-Certification-640-816-640-802/dp/158720181X/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_c

If you can, sign up for the Cisco Net Academy, it's a great course.

If it's a great opportunity for you then figure out a way to learn it. CBT Nuggets, youtube, download packet tracer and start looking. You can get study guides online or at amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/CCNA-Routing-Switching-Study-Guide/dp/1118749618

$42 and some time seems like it's worth learning.
Subnetting with anything just takes practice. There are a ton of sites that will give you example ips and you have to subnet them. That's how I learned.

Personally I think so. Whether or not you can apply what you learn in college classes will heavily depend on the courses themselves. Just realize you will need to learn a lot of information and technologies, and from those you will need to be able to put together a fundamental understanding of networking in order to progress in this field.

If I were you I'd start by picking up the latest Cisco Press CCENT book (Wendell Odom ICND1) and see what you think. Also if you have any friends in the field hit them up and (if they're willing) bounce things off them. It's amazing sometimes how a simple explanation from someone who has already digested the information can help.

Amazon Link

Edit: Grammar is hard w/o coffee.

Technically, you can take the CCNA (200-125 Exam) without acquiring the CCENT first. Which I would only recommend if you pretty comfortable with networking.
You would then follow the steps 5 and beyond listed from CBRjack.
This is the guide I would recommend for the CCNA (which will cover your needs if you decide to go the CCENT route also) : https://amzn.com/1587205815.
Everything else CBRjack suggests for resources are spot on also.

Either get Lammle's Book or Odem's Book. Lammle is easier to read and understand in my experience, but Odem goes deeper into some topics. You can read a few pages of the books through Amazon, and see which one you like better.



You can get Chris Bryant's Video Series through Udemy for ~$10 since they're always on sale. There's also CBT Nuggets. The monthly subscription is a bit pricey, but there are ways to get them "cheaper".

I've used Todd Lammle's CCNA study guide and his Certified Ethical Hacker guide. It's incredibly informal making it really easy to read and still teaches you everything an official Cisco print would teach you.

EDIT: I have Lammle's latest CCNA study guide, supposed to be released tomorrow but Amazon shipped it 3 days early. It's fantastic, complete with review questions. Still not the same as the CCNA questions (I don't think) but it's still incredibly close and teaches you the same content.

http://www.amazon.com/CCNA-Routing-Switching-Study-Guide/dp/1118749618/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1382644141&sr=1-2&keywords=CCNA

Thank you for the very detailed reply. Where does VMware and other virtualization fit into that as well if you don't mind, a lot of the entry jobs around here will probably be dealing with that as I'm near a port city and heavy industry is huge here. Everything they do is on VMware usually to train their employees, etc. Is a CCNA/CCNP cert going to cover most of the bases on virtualization? They also just opened an Amazon warehouse here one reason why I thought the right thing to do was to pick the brains of some seasoned IT professionals and ask about AWS.

Here is what I was looking at picking up to learn.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1587205815/

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1587205904/

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SA7XKZC/

You should check out this book:

CCNA Routing and Switching Portable Command Guide (3rd Edition)
This book is amazing and well worth it. Good reference material.

The two best books on BGP:

BGP4: Inter-Domain Routing (slight Cisco Juniper slant)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0201379511/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Internet Routing Architectures (slight Juniper Cisco slant)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/157870233X/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

My comment would be that both books are somewhat old now. Everyone is running BGP4, some of the "someday in the future" comments have been old hat for a while, etc.

BIRD and Quagga are great and can be run in VMs for simulating BGP. I would suggest trying to build a small ISP network, with 2 "customers" that advertise routes and then figuring out how to send those to each customer properly.

Self studied myself and just passed my CCENT yesterday. You are correct, passing the ICND1 will get you your CCENT. Following that, completing the ICND2 will give you your CCNA cert.

I personally studied with the Offical CCENT guide by Odom. Heavy book but a good reference guide. I also used a deal I found on Groupon for video training which helped immensely. On top of that, bought physical hardware though all you will need is Packet Tracer through Cisco.

Book - I used this one (https://www.amazon.com/CCENT-ICND1-100-101-Official-Guide/dp/1587143852/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1467135295&sr=8-1&keywords=ccent)

You might want to use this book though, seeing as V3 of CCENT will be implemented soon (https://www.amazon.com/CCENT-ICND1-100-105-Official-Guide/dp/1587205807/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1467135295&sr=8-2&keywords=ccent)

Groupon - I believe this is the same deal that I purchased (https://www.groupon.com/deals/career-academy-us-kalamazoo)
This will have videos for ICND1 & 2, as well as video training for CCNP

Packet Tracer - https://www.netacad.com/about-networking-academy/packet-tracer/

Ok that makes sense. I think I'll start by buying the two separate guides. I already purchased Lammle's CCNA Routing and Switching Complete Study Guide: Exam 100-105, Exam 200-105, Exam 200-125 earlier this week for my college course and I knew people find Odom's guides useful as well. Thanks for your reply!

I just passed this test on Monday. I thought the material was very good for this course. Especially the practice exam and labs from boson. I did pick up the Lammle book as well and it is great.

CCNA Routing and Switching Complete Study Guide: Exam 100-105, Exam 200-105, Exam 200-125 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1119288282/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_SO3ZAbZ38V0BX

This is a study book by Wendell Odom. I'm also just beginning to study for the CCENT and about 5 chapters into this book. So far it's been a good introduction, but it also feels like a review of the CompTIA Network+ so a bit boring at some points (personally). I hope this helps in some way!

Basically, here's what you need to get your CCNA:

The official certification guide

The Todd Lammle CCNA study guide.

The CCNA lab manual. Especially work on the troubleshooting labs.

And you'll need a copy of Packet Tracer software, on which you can do all of the labs and everything you'll need for the exam. You don't need real world hardware to do the CCNA. It's nice, sure, but can be costly. If you want a copy of Packet Tracer, try to find a torrent because it's normally only available to Cisco students and whatnot. If you really would like, PM me and I will find you a copy once I get home from work.

Anyways, with all of this and a good amount of studying and self-discipline, you should be fine. You don't need this online course (That expires after a year, too!)

As far as the theory goes i personally liked todd lammle

You can also do cbt nuggets and look on youtube for free ccna videos.

The lab part you have to go boson. I loved their lab environment and labs. I know not everybody can afford to pay for it , so you can always substitute for packet tracer, or gns3.

Just be prepared lab wise. I failed the first time around because i forgot certain commands and wasted my time sifting through show runs.

First things first: go download the exam topics from Cisco and use them as a checklist of things to study.

https://learningnetwork.cisco.com/community/certifications/ccna/icnd1/exam-topics

Next, I recommend the official certification guide book from Cisco, written by Wendell Odom:

CCENT/CCNA ICND1 100-105 Official Cert Guide https://www.amazon.com/dp/1587205807/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_MaG5CbAJWWE0D

Pair this with videos from either Pluralsight or CBT Nuggets depending on your budget. Udemy has some too but I didn't have luck learning much from those personally.

A practice test from Boson is also a good investment to have.

http://www.boson.com/practice-exam/100-105-cisco-icnd1-ccent-practice-exam

My tactic was to first speed read through the entire book once, then go through in detail a second time chapter by chapter. As I read each chapter I would watch the videos corresponding to that topic and take practice tests configured to questions about that topic. Only once I felt comfortable with a topic did I move on to the next.

Something else to consider, and this entirely speculative, is that the current 100-105/200-105 series CCENT and CCNA tests are three years old and Cisco may announce sometime in the next month or so whether they will get replaced with a newer version in keeping with their usual three year cycle. Keep an ear to the ground on that and look for any announcements out of the Cisco Live conference in June.

For note, OCG = Official Certification Guide from Cisco. (Links below are just Amazon links, no affiliate or whatever)

The Odom and Lammle books are the best

Wendell Odom - Cisco CCENT/CCNA Official Cert Guide


Tod Lammle - ICND1/ICND2/CCNA Study Guides (Lighthouse on the cover)


Can;t go wrong with those. Also, Udemy routinely has some solid CCENT/CCNA courses on sale for $11 or so, plus plenty of free cybrary.it and youtube info, not to mention Cisco provided free info from their NetAcad and other Cisco learning services.

ME/EE background. The problem solving is the most important part. My strongest advice to you, which would be very echoed by this subreddit if you look at previous posts of people trying to get into networking, is to study for the CCENT. It's the fundamentals of networking (beyond the fundamentals really, it's gets into the nitty gritty on a few things)

book

HOWEVER, Be aware that the CCNA test is changing in September. This CCENT book will be out of date by that time. If you have no interest in getting certified, this book is still fantastic for the fundamentals of networking.

As Epic has already stated the best book is Lammle, but I also like Odom's ICND1 & Odom's ICND2 as well. I would also suggest doing ITProTV or Chris Bryant for training videos.

Bryant lacks any lab documents, but you can download packet tracer and just pause the video and screenshot anything you need to do the labs.
If you spring for the high plan from ITPro you get access to labs and practice tests. I would skip the practice tests and spend the money on Boson ICND1/Boson ICND1&2

Sweet, thanks for the tips!

My job provides me access to Cisco equipment, and I have the Cisco Press CCNA prep books. How true are the practice tests in the books to the actual exam?

Just got these 2 for xmas.. I'm still in the process of figuring out where I want to go within the industry, but both provide a good foundation for Administration and Networking. Plan is to get at least CCNA to help with the networking fundamentals.

Practice of System & Network Admin

CCENT

What's the intended audience of those documents? Is it vendor-agnostic, or written for somebody who is already a Cisco guru?

I used it for Cisco's professional level for their switch exam.

> I've had probably 200 successful project cutovers of many types in the past few years.

Well, I assumed you had a good understanding but if you'd like assumption of zero knowledge on VLANs check out the ICND1 book. It's for a Cisco certification test but a dot1q VLAN is the same with any vendor. That book will give you the foundation of what a VLAN is and more.

Since you are homeschooled, I'm assuming you are a good self-starter/learner. I think I may have found a "senior year course" in networking for you:

• CCNA Prep - $50:
  
  http://www.amazon.com/CCNA-Routing-Switching-Study-Guide/dp/1118749618/ref=pd_sim_b_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=1YRWH5V1041MGJBT4ZEM
  
  
• Cheap Cisco Lab $200 or less:
  
  https://www.google.com/#q=used+cisco+2600&safe=off&tbm=shop
  
  https://www.google.com/#q=used+cisco+switch&safe=off&tbm=shop
  
  
  The 2600 router is the standard router to learn on. You can find one for under $100 usually. Any used 2900 series switch will do, too, for under $100.
  
  Some may say you need to be on IOS 15 (the newest rev), but anything you will be studying will be supported by 12.4 (the last rev). At least that is what this dude says:
  
  http://www.ccentskills.com/labgear03/
  
  
  So, for around $250-$300 you've got a 2-semester long course. If you like it when you are done, then spend the extra $400 and go for the test!

I would not recommend getting CCENT first. I was not planning to get Net+ and I was going to go strait for CCNA. Then my schooling required I do Net+ (Western Governors) so I went for it. Getting my CCENT first has made taking the CompTIA tests seem WAY easier than the Cisco test was. I already had a superior knowledge of subnetting, IPv6, routing, ACLs and probably some other stuff that Net+ touches on. I mostly had to study the WAN and other cabling technologies for Net+.

For CCENT I just used the current official cert guide. (http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/1587143879/)
I would also recommend you check out /r/CCNA when you start studying for that test.

Woohoo! new book out! :)
shipping in a couple weeks I think (dunno for sure!)
http://www.amazon.com/CCENT-ICND1-Study-Guide-100-105/dp/1119288789/ref=sr_1_60?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1463743182&sr=1-60&keywords=ccent

As stated, get GNS3 set up with an ASA or go buy one and set it up. then, buy this book and read it.

​

(Cisco ASA: All-in-one Next-Generation Firewall, IPS, and VPN Services (3rd Edition)

https://www.amazon.com/Cisco-ASA-All-one-Next-Generation/dp/1587143070

​

Master the information in this book and you will know far more than I did when i first started managing an ASA. Especially pay attention to the chapters on ACL's and Site to Site VPN/Remote Access VPN.

If you want a cert out of it, maybe pursue the CCNA security alongside this? Not sure exactly what that cert entails as I have just went the teach myself and prove I know it career path..

​

*Edit* Don't shoot the Cisco guy! Perhaps it may be better to start with learning something like a Palo alto NGFW. I've just learned Cisco first out of necessity and the prevalence of the tech in the industry.

Hey there and welcome! I'm IT focused with a 4 year in networking and security. I work as a Tier 2 lead for software / analyst type stuff. I started networking in the Army and said I was going to get my CCNA back in 07. I was off by 10 years. ;P

The lost feeling is ok!

The biggest thing is to not psych yourself out and feel overwhelmed. Focus on studying your books, using packet tracer or whatever you are comfortable with. Do the written questions at the end of each chapter, and takes notes on anything you feel is important. Also practice the acronyms!

https://www.amazon.com/Routing-Switching-Complete-Study-Guide/dp/1119288282/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

Your version comes with labs and flash cards as well as 3 different practice exams. Also comes with a network simulator. (Don't know how good that is, haven't made it that far and am comfy with packet tracer but will try both) Only on chapter 3 after a week of focusing on it at LEAST 3 hours per day.

Don't worry about sprinting to get this cert but stay studious and hard ferocious on it. Remember why you are doing this and keep pushing. We are right there with you.

Essentially yes. You will have to pay for the test though, it's how they make money. I would also recommend acquiring a book specifically for the test or buying a video set online.

There are also the Comptia certs which tend to be more entry level. Professor Messer has some decent free courses on the Comptia certs A+, Network+, and Security+.

You're looking for books that cover "Exam 100-105 & Exam 200-105" or "Exam 200-125 (combined exam)".

Odom
https://www.amazon.com/Routing-Switching-200-125-Official-Library/dp/1587205815/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1482616909&sr=8-1&keywords=ccna+library

Lammie
https://www.amazon.com/Routing-Switching-Complete-Study-Guide/dp/1119288282/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1482616937&sr=8-2&keywords=200-125+ccna

I'm currently using Odom's book. It's a bit heavy in context but once I got used to it after a few chapters its been great.

This book should give you enough to do your job effectively. You dont need the cert and you can ignore Cisco specific stuff inside but goes through networking fundamentals and concepts really well.

I recommend all of our people unfamiliar with networking to read it.

CCENT/CCNA ICND1 100-105 Official Cert Guide https://www.amazon.com/dp/1587205807/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_zRTXDbXTTCVJ5

I used Todd Lammle CCNA study guide for exam prep - http://www.amazon.com/CCNA-Routing-Switching-Study-Guide/dp/1118749618/ref=la_B000APOJ5M_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1412759956&sr=1-1. I think it's one of the best study guides I ever read.
And, yes, lot of practice in subnetting

This book is helpful and will give you some basic understanding. If you're not working in the system all the time, don't sweat not knowing the background or super technical aspects.

First you should be aware that Cisco is introducing new exams at the CCNA level. The 640-822 and 640-816 are being replaced by the 100-101 and 200-101. So make sure you buy study materials for the correct tests.

Suggested study guides: 1 and 2

If you can afford it, pay for CBT nuggets. It's $100 per month for access to their videos. Yes, that's a lot of money, but you get what you pay for.

You will need something to practice configuring IOS routers with. Option 1 is to find a copy of packet tracer. You'll have to figure that one out for yourself.

Another option is a program called GNS3. This program allows you to emulate Cisco routers, but you will need to provide your own copy of the IOS. Also it doesn't support emulation of switches.

Your final option would be to use real gear. For a few hundred dollars you can build a home lab that will allow you to practice everything you need for the exams. There are many pros and cons to building a home lab. At the CCNA level packet tracer is usually a better idea.

I mean todd’s a pretty cool pothead from boulder and breaks it down fairly well.

CCNA Routing and Switching Study Guide: Exams 100-101, 200-101, and 200-120 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1118749618/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_cyIQCbGB3NFJ6

Thanks for the reply! Mostly I am just looking for the NEWEST book, and i'm not sure which on that is? Do I wait till January 13/17 and grab this or do I just get the older Lammle book? Just wasnt sure if this book was before the test updates?

Thanks again!

I don't have the personal bandwidth (or teaching ability) to set up a class, but INE has a decent CCNA class on youtube. It's now slightly out of date because the ICND2 2.0 just became the only option, but that's only significant in that you shouldn't use it as your only training material should you want to get your CCNA.

The Lammle text is also good, and if you're familiar with networking you can probably just skim for overarching concepts and commands.

The new edition isn't out yet, but it will be soon: http://www.amazon.com/CCNA-Routing-Switching-Study-Guide/dp/1118749618/

First take this as a learning experience. I failed it with that same score last month and past it this month. I would skip the dummies book because it is not really full of good information and get the this book Todd CCENT

Give yourself another month and have at it.

Happy birthday good sir.

It seems like if you can put yourself into a posture for expansion in anything you deploy, do it. That goes for IP schemes, topology, etc. I doubt this network will ever expand beyond two members, but if they find some sort of need to do so I'd like to give them the ability.

There are VSS-specific command options, such as:

(config-if)# channel-group 1 mode active vss-id <VSS/vPC ID>

However, that's not required so it wouldn't seem like it would be necessary. We're proof that it works without. In fact, I followed the Cisco press deployment guide for ASA and their sample config doesn't include a VSS/VPC ID.
edit: formatting

200-120 CCNA, 100-101 ICND1, 200-101 ICND2

Using Todd Lammle's book, and I have access to some simulations etc as well for after we finish the book.

Using http://www.amazon.com/CCNA-Routing-Switching-Study-Guide/dp/1118749618/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1411224543&sr=1-1&keywords=ccna+todd+lammle


Location will be near downtown. Possibly the public library, before I go thru the work of securing space I wanted to know if there was interest. So far, not much.

Thank you for the detailed advice. I believe I've found the book that you mentioned on Amazon, though it was published in 2008. Should this suffice or would something more recent be better?

We have some Packet Tracer labs we offer for those who purchase Todd Lammle's book - https://www.amazon.com/Routing-Switching-Complete-Study-Guide/dp/1119288282/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1509575939&sr=8-1&keywords=ccna

Kindly send us a copy of receipt (screenshot) to jim@lammle.com, we'll get those to you.

Hope this helps!

I would get these two books to start.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1119288789/ref=pe_385040_30332200_TE_item_image

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1119290988/ref=pe_385040_30332200_TE_item_image

These are Lammle's books and are good for the new V3 of the exams and are highly recommended by all that have passed their CCNA exams.

Make sure you also focus on subnetting and VLANs.

Si, ci sono i libri e molto altro materiale da poter integrare:

Libri ufficiali: Link Amazon Guida Ufficiale a prima vista possono sembrare enormi (e lo sono, quasi 2000 pagine se non erro), ma imparando ad usarli sono la miglior fonte di studio possibile per prepararsi, dividendo l'esame in due (come i libri appunto).

Guida per i comandi: Link Amazon Comandi è appunto una lista di tutti i comandi per iOS (il sistema operativo di cisco) con una breve spiegazione per ognuno.

Ripasso finale: 31 Days before your exam libro ufficiale per il ripasso partendo 31 giorni prima dell'esame.

Molto utile per ricontrollare tutti gli argomenti.

Per fare esercitazioni e lab scaricati Packet Tracer dal sito di Cisco, in rete o su udemy troverai vari esercizi da poterci simulare.

Ti consiglio inoltre questo video corso su udemy, ti fornisce anche molto materiale di test (domande, fac-simili, esercizi) per soli 10€ Corso udemy prima parte

​

Per quanto riguarda l'esame, è un mondo a se rispetto a tutti gli altri esami che probabilmente avrai già fatto: gli esami Cisco pretendono un punteggio molto alto per passare (generalmente sopra l'80/85%) e spesso le risposte non sono quelle più giuste ma quelle che Cisco ritiene che lo siano. Ti consiglio di prendere un simulatore di esame, ad esempio il Boson, e fare esercizi con quello...

Per il resto, in bocca al lupo! Spero di non averti messo ansia ma è un esame "particolare" :)

Buy a few cheap switches and routers (cisco, adtran, avaya, etc.)

buy a few books. https://www.amazon.com/CCENT-ICND1-100-101-Official-Guide/dp/1587143852/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1468378819&sr=8-13&keywords=networking+book

learn subnetting, vlans, routing (static, dynamic, OSPF, BGP,EIGRP, etc), Port security, etc.

oh yeah, buy a console cable and download Putty.

Hi Suren130 and Valkkon,

Thanks for responding.

So ya, I actually bought my 2 book kit at the bookstore (Chapters in Canada).

____

For example, here on Amazon is one of the books I got in last year's NEW 2013 kit.

____

But also here on Amazon, I think I found what appears to be yet the even newer version of that book.

____

As you can see, both the "older" and "newer" books are for the exact same exam (100-101).

But the older one (which is the one I bought) is now on sale! Which is usually a sign it is missing some newer info, I think!?

As for the newer one, it has added a second author's name on the cover, and also mentions a training simulator.

Not sure if you can tell at a quick glance by looking at those 2 Amazon links, what the difference might be?

In the meantime, I'll look over that link that Suren130 mentioned to see if it might mention the changes.

Oh sounds cool, is the GNS3vault all free or paid?

http://www.amazon.com/CCNA-Routing-Switching-Study-Guide/dp/1118749618/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418258815&sr=8-1&keywords=CCNA

As someone else said, the second link is for both exams, so I would just go with that. Personally I like physical books, and Cisco Press has a few published that are handy

http://amzn.com/1587143852
http://amzn.com/1587143739

However, I would HIGHLY recommend going for the single 200-120 exam

Odom: https://www.amazon.com/CCENT-ICND1-100-105-Official-Guide/dp/1587205807

Lammle: CCENT ICND1 Study Guide: Exam 100-105 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1119288789/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_L1Y6Bb9KJMGB1

Hope it helps!

This is the newest book by Todd Lammle. I just got it in the mail and I am on Ch.2. It's really good so far. Whichever book you decide on, ensure that it was published after August 2016.

This is not impossible to but, nearly. Some may object and there are example of people passing in less time. However, they usually have a background in networking, or advanced mathematics.

Get Todd Lammel's book.

People have read only this and passed. That would never work for me. Use it with other resources like CBT Nuggets.

Look into both Odom and Lammle's books:

https://www.amazon.com/CCENT-ICND1-100-105-Official-Guide/dp/1587205807/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1526780171&sr=8-1&keywords=odom+ccna

https://www.amazon.com/Routing-Switching-Complete-Study-Guide/dp/1119288282/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1526780192&sr=1-1&keywords=Lammle+ccna

It's best to use more than one resource.

From the sticky post at the top of the forum it seems the general consensus is that Lammle is an approchable, easier to read author as opposed Odom who is more technical.

Might I suggest you go for [this book instead] (https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1119288282/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) seems to be more or less the same cost but covers all the material for CCNA + ICND1 & 2.

Just an idea.

to answer your actual question, I'm a beginner and I like Lammle's books

A lot of people:
-Buy the Wendell Odom book CCENT/CCNA(http://www.amazon.com/CCENT-ICND1-640-822-Official-Edition/dp/1587204258)
-Use CBNuggets on youtube for help and explanations
-Use the program called packet tracer to work on labs

or
-Go through a two-week bootcamp that's crazy cramming


Best choice is the first option

Here is a Cisco guide I found about the subject of IP addressing and subnetting. Just the first link on Google though, I bet there are a lot more. (Quickly glancing over it, it seems they explain things in a pretty difficult manner.)

I'm currently studying for my Cisco CCNA certificate and I'm reading Todd Lammle's book for this. Very much overkill if you just want the basics, but everything is very thoroughly explained here. It's very interesting stuff imho, if you're into that.

Honestly, apply for everything. Shoot for those two and help desk. You can sort of get in the door with call center work, but let's call that a last ditch effort.


For learning about the field, Network Warrior is pretty much the bible of generalized network "stuff". It's fairly vendor independent and covers a lot of things that are off the beaten path (load balancers and such).

Cisco's CCENT book and the above one will supplement each other well.

I can't really speak to the server side these days. I've been over in Networking for a while...

I am just starting my test prep and this post will be a huge help to me with your list of study materials. On the Lammle Book did you get just the

CCENT ICND1 Study Guide: Exam 100-105 or

CCNA Routing and Switching Complete Study Guide: Exam 100-105, Exam 200-105, Exam 200-125

Pick up this book for the new test (this one for the old test), or similar book that has a software CD with a practice test. Do the practice test. At the end of the test, it will tell you which chapters you need to study the most.

Repeat until you are able to pass the practice test easily. (And not just by knowing the correct answers from repeat questions.) The practice test in this book is slightly harder than Cisco's exam in my opinion. If you can ace it, you should be good on the exam.

Dont you dare give up and throw away a year of efforts. Maybe its time to evaluate your study material. What are you using? I don't know if money is an issue, but here is what I recommend:


Buy this hardware lab: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Cisco-CCNA-CCENT-Massive-Lab-KIT-5x-Routers-3x-Switches-Selling-1-Lab-on-eBay-/300984685985?hash=item461415d5a1:g:sDMAAOSwMmBV6f-T


Buy this book: http://www.amazon.com/CCNA-Routing-Switching-Study-Guide/dp/1118749618/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1458000390&sr=8-2&keywords=CCNA


Buy this book too: http://www.amazon.com/CCNA-Success-Mastering-Binary-Subnetting-ebook/dp/B00G6L06VU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1458000418&sr=8-2&keywords=subnetting


Build that lab, study the labs it comes with, read the book and recreate as many scenarios as possible. YOU CAN AND WILL DO IT.

learn about network security this book is a nice start imo:
https://www.amazon.com/Cisco-ASA-All-one-Next-Generation/dp/1587143070

The updated version is already released. Look up the 100-101 and 200-101 exams if you want to take them in 2 parts or the 200-120 exam if you want to take it all at once.

The two-part books that cover everything:

http://www.amazon.com/Cisco-CCENT-ICND1-100-101-Official/dp/1587143852/

http://www.amazon.com/Cisco-Routing-Switching-200-101-Official/dp/1587143739/

You probably don't need to build up a lab if you're going to stop at CCNA. Cisco's Packet Tracer is included with the books and you can use GNS3 to virtualize routers to practice on. That said, if you'd like the hands-on experience, feel free to grab hardware from ebay. Decent stuff to go with:

• Layer 2 switch: 2950
  
• Layer 3 switch: 3550/3650 emi
  
• Router: everyone has an opinion on this one.
  
  Of course, check /r/ccna

CCNA Routing and Switching 200-125 Official Cert Guide Library https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1587205815/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_ZoBPDbB1W9BDQ

Excellent book, take your time and read it carefully, run through all the questions and exercises. Install GNS3 for labs, provided that can you somehow find the IOS images for it. Get cracking.

The website you'll want to look at is this one:
http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/training-events/training-certifications/certifications/associate/ccna-routing-switching.html

It says at the top that the v2.0 tests are being revised to v3.0. Currently you can take either one, but only until August 20th (200-120 & 100-101) or September 24th (200-101).

Also, the CCNA can be taken as either one combined test (called CCNA) or two separate tests called ICND1 and ICND2.

100-105 is the ICND1 v3.0 test. It's the first half of the new version of the CCNA. 200-105 is ICND2 v3.0. It's the second half of the new version. You'll need both for the CCNA certification.

The book linked is the textbook for the 100-105 ICND1 v3.0 test. That'll help you for that test. You'll still need a separate book to study for the 200-105 ICND2 v3.0 test to get the CCNA certification. The books are also available as a set.

(edit): the test you mention, the 100-101, is the ICND1 v2.0 test. That's the old version, that's gone next month, of the first half test.
(edit edit): Corrected. August and September are actually different months than July, and occur at separate points in the future.

As you describe your knowledge, you just don't qualify for this role. You are going to need to get some skills first. I bet if you can knock out the CCNA, you would way closer to qualifying.

CCNA exam info here:
https://learningnetwork.cisco.com/community/certifications/ccna

Book here:
http://www.amazon.com/CCNA-Routing-Switching-Study-Guide/dp/1118749618/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1406143888&sr=8-1&keywords=CCNA

That would be a great start to a career in networking.

Todd Lammles books do a great job.
ICND2 200-105 Study Guide