background image
Recommended Training Path for CCNA
11
Recommended Training Path for CCNA
Cisco recommends that you take two courses before you take the CCNA exam. The first,
Internetworking Technology Multimedia (ITM), is a CD-based course that you can order
directly from Cisco (www.cisco.com/warp/customer/10/wwtraining/cust/course_itm.html)
currently for $50. This course covers many of the protocol basics needed for CCNA.
The other suggested course is the instructor-led Interconnecting Cisco Network Devices
(ICND) course, which is available from almost every Cisco training partner (for a list of training
partners, go to www.cisco.com/warp/public/10/wwtraining/listAllTP.html). The ICND course
replaces the old Introduction to Cisco Router Configuration (ICRC) course, as well as the less-
popular Cisco Routing and LAN Switching (CRLS) course.
So, if you have taken or will take ICND, that's the best way to prepare for the CCNA exam.
Reading the ITM CD will be helpful as well. But what if you took one of the older courses? Or,
what if you took the Cisco Networking Academy curriculum? Or, what if you simply choose
not to spend the money on an introductory course? The final section of this chapter suggests a
strategy for people from each background.
First, an outline of the ICND course, shown in Table 1-3, should be helpful. Remember,
although the CCNA exam is not a test on the ICND course, ICND is the course that most closely
matches the CCNA topics.
Table 1-3
ICND Course Summary
Module Title
Topics in This Module
Interconnecting Cisco
Networking Devices Introduction
Typical administrative details.
Internetworking Concepts
Overview
OSI model details; common physical and data link specifications;
MAC address definition; description of Ethernet, Token Ring, and
FDDI operation; a brief explanation of WAN data links.
Assembling and Cabling Cisco
Devices
Short chapter on basic physical setup and cabling.
Operating and Configuring a
Cisco IOS Device
Logging in, initialization, modes of operation, passwords, help,
command editing, and various
show
commands.
Managing Your Network
Environment
Telnet, CDP, and managing the IOS and config files.
Catalyst 1900 Switch Operations
LAN switching concepts, spanning tree, and 1900 switch
configuration.
Extending Switched Networks
with Virtual LANs
Virtual LANs, VLAN trunking, and VLAN configuration on 1900
switches.
continues
ch01.fm Page 11 Monday, March 20, 2000 4:56 PM