Introduction
You are almost there! If you’re reading this Introduction, you’ve probably already spent a considerable amount of time and energy pursuing your CCENT certification. Regardless of how you got to this point in your travels through your CCENT studies, 31 Days Before Your CCENT Certification Exam most likely represents the last leg of your journey on your way to the destination: to become a Cisco Certified Entry Networking Technician. However, if you are like I am, you might be reading this book at the beginning of your studies. If such is the case, this book provides you with an excellent overview of the material that you must now spend a great deal of time studying and practicing. However, I must warn you: Unless you are extremely well-versed in networking technologies and have considerable experience configuring and troubleshooting Cisco routers and switches, this book will not serve you well as the sole resource for CCENT exam preparation. Therefore, let me spend some time discussing my recommendations for study resources.
Study Resources
Cisco Press offers an abundance of CCNA-related books to serve as your primary source for learning how to install, configure, operate, and troubleshoot small- to medium-size routed and switched networks.
Primary Resources
First on the list must be Wendell Odom’s Cisco CCENT/CCNA ICND1 100-101 Official Cert Guide (ISBN: 9781587143854). If you do not buy any other books, buy this one. Wendell’s method of teaching, combined with his technical expertise and down-to-earth style, is unsurpassed in our industry. As you read through his books, you sense that he is sitting right there next to you walking you through the material. The practice exams and study materials on the DVD in the back of the book are worth the price of the book. There is no better resource on the market for a CCNA candidate.
Next on the list must be Anthony Sequeira’s Interconnecting Cisco Network Devices, Part 1 (ICND1) Foundation Learning Guide (ISBN: 9781587143762). This book is indispensable to those students who take the first of two Cisco-recommended training class for CCNA preparation: Interconnecting Cisco Network Devices 1 (ICND1). These courses, available through Cisco Training Partners in a variety of formats, are usually of a very short duration (one to six weeks) and are geared toward the industry professional already working in the field of networking. Anthony’s book serves the reader well as a concise, but thorough, treatment of the CCENT exam topics. His method and approach often differ and complement Wendell’s approach. I recommend that you also refer to this book.
If you are a Cisco Networking Academy student, you are blessed with access to the online version of the CCNA Routing and Switching curriculum and the wildly popular Packet Tracer network simulator. Although there are currently two paths for the CCNA curriculum, I used the Introduction to Networking (ITN) and Routing and Switching Essential (RSE) courses in my daily review of the exam topics. ITN introduces basic concepts of computer networks, including deep dives into the seven layers of the OSI model, IP addressing, and the fundamentals of Ethernet. Successfully completing the course means that you should be able to build small LANs and implement basic addressing and configurations on routers and switches. RSE expands on ITN, taking the student further into basic router and switch configuration. Successfully completing the course means that you should be able to configure and troubleshoot routers and switches using a variety of technologies including RIPv2, single-area OSPF, VLANs, and inter-VLAN routing for both IPv4 and IPv6 networks. To learn more about CCNA Routing and Switching courses and to find an Academy near you, visit www.netacad.com.
However, if you are not an Academy student but would like to benefit from the extensive authoring done for these courses, you can buy any or all the CCNA Routing and Switching Companion Guides (CG) and Lab Manuals (LM) of the Academy’s popular online curriculum. Although you will not have access to the Packet Tracer network simulator software, you will have access to the tireless work of an outstanding team of Cisco Academy Instructors dedicated to providing students with comprehensive and engaging CCNA preparation course material. The titles and ISBNs for the CCNA Routing and Switching CGs and LMs are as follows:
Introduction to Networks Companion Guide (ISBN: 9781587133169)
Introduction to Networks Lab Manual (ISBN: 9781587133121)
Routing and Switching Essentials Companion Guide (ISBN: 9781587133183)
Routing and Switching Essentials Lab Manual (ISBN: 9781587133206)
You can find these books at www.ciscopress.com by clicking the Cisco Networking Academy link.
Supplemental Resources
In addition to the book you hold in your hands, there are four more supplemental resources I recommend to augment your final 31 days of review and preparation.
First, a plug for my own book, the CCENT Practice and Study Guide, Exercises, Activities and Scenarios to Prepare for the ICND1/CCENT (100-101) Certification Exam (ISBN: 9781587133459). The subtitle is a concise summary of what you will get. Although an appropriate resource for anyone, this book is specifically geared toward the Cisco Networking Academy instructors and students who want a resource to supplement the online curriculum. Mirroring the chapter layout of the first two online courses, the CCENT PSG offers exercises that help you learn the concepts and configurations that are crucial to your success as a CCENT candidate.
Second, Wendell Odom and Sean Wilkins have created over 250 structured labs that are available in the Cisco CCENT ICND1 100-101 Network Simulator (ISBN: 9780789750433). These simulations map precisely to chapters in his book, but are also a great practice resource for anyone. The four types of labs in this product present you with progressively more difficult real-world challenges. Skill builder labs help you practice short, focused configuration tasks. Subnetting exercises help you improve the speed and accuracy of your subnetting calculations. Complex Configuration Scenario labs present realistic multilayered, multitechnology configuration tasks. Finally, challenging Troubleshooting Scenario labs provide you with an opportunity to test your problem identification and resolution skills. If you need that extra edge or are struggling with a particular configuration or troubleshooting concept, you’ll find these simulations very helpful.
Third, Eric Rivard is the author of Cisco CCENT ICND1 100-101 Flash Cards and Exam Practice Pack (ISBN: 9781587203992). The text portion of the book includes over 450 flash cards that quickly review exam topics in bite-sized pieces. Also included is over 100 pages in the Quick Reference Guide, which is designed for late-stage exam preparation. And on the included CD, you will find a test engine with over 150 CCENT practice exam questions.
Note
If you are certain that you will be also pursuing your CCNA certification, the more economical purchase might be to buy the Cisco CCNA Routing and Switching 200-120 Flash Cards and Exam Practice Pack (ISBN: 9781587204005). The first half of this book is a repeat of the CCENT version.
Fourth, there is Scott Empson’s very popular CCNA Routing and Switching Portable Command Guide, Third Edition (ISBN: 9781587204302). This guide is way more than just a listing of commands and what they do. Yes, it summarizes all the CCNA certification-level IOS commands, keywords, command arguments, and associated prompts. But it also provides you with tips and examples of how to apply the commands to real-world scenarios. Configuration examples throughout the book provide you with a better understanding of how these commands are used in simple network designs.
The Cisco Learning Network
Finally, if you have not done so already, you should now register with The Cisco Learning Network at https://learningnetwork.cisco.com. Sponsored by Cisco, The Cisco Learning Network is a free social learning network where IT professionals can engage in the common pursuit of enhancing and advancing their IT careers. Here you will find many resources to help you prepare for your CCNA exam as well as a community of like-minded people ready to answer your questions, help you with your struggles, and share in your triumphs.
So which resources should you buy? That question is largely up to how deep your pockets are or how much you like books. If you’re like I am, you must have it all! I admit it. My bookcase is a testament to my Cisco “geekness.” But if you are on a budget, choose one of the primary study resources and one of the supplemental resources, such as Wendell Odom’s certification book and my practice study guide. Whatever you choose, you will be in good hands. Any or all of these authors will serve you well.
Goals and Methods
The main goal of this book is to provide you with a clear and succinct review of the CCENT objectives. Each day’s exam topics are grouped into a common conceptual framework and use the following format:
A title for the day that concisely states the overall topic
A list of one or more CCENT 100-101 ICND1 Exam Topics to be reviewed
A Key Topics section to introduce the review material and quickly orient you to the day’s focus
An extensive review section consisting of short paragraphs, lists, tables, examples, and graphics
A Study Resources section to provide you with a quick reference for locating more in-depth treatment of the day’s topics
The book counts down starting with Day 31 and continues through exam day to provide post-test information. You will also find a calendar and checklist that you can tear out and use during your exam preparation inside the book.
Use the calendar to enter each actual date beside the countdown day and the exact day, time, and location of your CCENT exam. The calendar provides a visual for the time that you can dedicate to each CCENT exam topic.
The checklist highlights important tasks and deadlines leading up to your exam. Use it to help you map out your studies.
Who Should Read This Book
The audience for this book is anyone finishing his or her preparation for taking the CCENT 100-101 ICND1 exam. A secondary audience is anyone needing a refresher review of CCENT exam topics—possibly before attempting to recertify or sit for another certification to which the CCNA is a prerequisite.
Getting to Know the CCENT 100-101 ICND1 Exam
For the current certifications, announced in spring 2013, Cisco created the ICND1 (100-101) and ICND2 (200-101) exams, along with the CCNA (200-120) exam. To become CCENT certified, you only need to pass the ICND1 exam. To become CCNA Routing and Switching certified, you must pass both the ICND1 and ICND2 exams, or just the CCNA exam. The CCNA exam simply covers all the topics of the ICND1 and ICND2 exams, giving you two options for gaining your CCNA Routing and Switching certification. The two-exam path gives people with less experience a chance to study for a smaller set of topics at one time. The one-exam option provides a more cost-effective certification path for those who want to prepare for all the topics at once. This book focuses exclusively on the CCENT path, using the entire list of topics published for the CCENT 100-101 ICND1 exam.
Currently for the CCENT exam, you are allowed 90 minutes to answer 50–60 questions. Use the following steps to access a tutorial at home that demonstrates the exam environment before you go to take the exam:
Step 1. Visit www.vue.com/cisco.
Step 2. Look for a link to the certification tutorial. Currently, it can be found on the right side of the web page under the heading “Related Links.”
Step 3. Click the certification tutorial link.
When you get to the testing center and check in, the proctor verifies your identity, gives you some general instructions and then takes you into a quiet room containing a PC. When you’re at the PC, you have a few things to do before the timer starts on your exam. For instance, you can take the tutorial to get accustomed to the PC and the testing engine. Every time I sit for an exam, I go through the tutorial even though I know how the test engine works. It helps me settle my nerves and get focused. Anyone who has user-level skills in getting around a PC should have no problems with the testing environment.
When you start the exam, you are asked a series of questions. Each question is presented one at a time and must be answered before moving on to the next question. The exam engine does not let you go back and change your answer. The exam questions can be in one of the following formats:
Multiple choice
Fill-in-the-blank
Drag-and-drop
Testlet
Simlet
Simulation
The multiple-choice format simply requires that you point and click a circle or check box next to the correct answer or answers. Cisco traditionally tells you how many answers you need to choose, and the testing software prevents you from choosing too many or too few.
Fill-in-the-blank questions typically only require you to type numbers. However, if words are requested, the case does not matter unless the answer is a command that is case sensitive (such as passwords and device names when configuring authentication).
Drag-and-drop questions require you to click and hold, move a button or icon to another area, and release the mouse button to place the object somewhere else—typically in a list. For some questions, to get the question correct, you might need to put a list of five things in the proper order.
Testlets contain one general scenario and several multiple-choice questions about the scenario. These are ideal if you are confident in your knowledge of the scenario’s content because you can leverage your strength over multiple questions.
A simlet is similar to a testlet in that you are given a scenario with several multiple-choice questions. However, a simlet uses a network simulator to allow you access to a simulation of the command line of Cisco IOS Software. You can then use show commands to examine a network’s current behavior and answer the question.
A simulation also uses a network simulator, but you are given a task to accomplish such as implementing a network solution or troubleshooting an existing network implementation. You do this by configuring one or more routers and switches. The exam then grades the question based on the configuration you changed or added. A newer form of the simulation question is the GUI-based simulation, where a graphical interface like that found on a Linksys router or the Cisco Security Device Manager are simulated.
What Topics Are Covered on the CCENT Exam?
The topics of the CCENT 100-101 ICND1 exam focus on the following seven key categories:
Operation of IP Data Networks
LAN Switching Technologies
IP Addressing for IPv4 and IPv6
IP Routing Technologies
IP Services
Network Device Security
Troubleshooting
Although Cisco outlines general exam topics, it is possible that not all topics will appear on the CCENT exam and that topics that are not specifically listed might appear on the exam. The exam topics provided by Cisco and included in this book are a general framework for exam preparation. Be sure to check the Cisco website for the latest exam topics.
Registering for the CCENT 100-101 Exam
If you are starting your 31 Days to Your CCENT Certification Exam today, register for the exam right now. In my testing experience, there is no better motivator than a scheduled test date staring me in the face. I’m willing to bet that it’s the same for you. Don’t worry about unforeseen circumstances. You can cancel your exam registration for a full refund up to 24 hours before taking the exam. So if you’re ready, you should gather the following information in Table I-1 and register right now!
To register for an exam, visit Pearson VUE online at www.vue.com/cisco. The process and available test times will vary based on the local testing center you choose.
Remember, there is no better motivation for study than an actual test date. Sign up today.