ive been studying for the ccna for a little over 6 months now and im getting a little imposter syndrome. I do believe i’ll pass but im just super nervous.

im 17 and this is my first official cert, my boson scores are Not the best to say the least (66% being the highest) but ive been studying everyday and reviewing where i went wrong during my tests.

i just need some encouragement & if anyone could share their experiences id be grateful!

I plan to take my CCNA this December. I learn through Jeremy's IT Lab, but I finished watching his videos 1-2 months ago. I got caught up with things, so I'm reviewing what I learned with the help of his daunting amount of flashcards, as well as claude to help clarify things I didn't remember. I also have this CCNA exam prep app by Prepia, which gives my 10 questions a day to test my knowledge. I am currently on day 44-45 (NAT) for my flashcards review, and have been using my lab environment here and there for concepts that require being able to configure things.

What's really demotivating me is the fact that almost everyone uses Boson which I do not have the money for, as well as I cannot use packet tracer due to downloading restrictions on my computer. The number of flashcards also feels like a lot, though i'm making good progress? If I aim to do 2 days of flashcards a day I'll be able to finish my review in maybe two weeks? and then I can primarily focus on taking practice tests and labs.

Is this a good plan? Sometimes I worry since the way I do labs is that I build the entire configuration of the concept istead of troubleshooting pre-made issues.

I am planning to do my first-attempt at Boson exam once I finish all of Jeremy's IT Lab videos probably in 4 weeks in the last week of November, I'm finished day 28 part 3. Then I'll probably space out my attempts every 4 days to practice on my weak areas totaling nearly 21 days after the first-attempt. My goal is take the CCNA exam mid-December or latest last week of December. If I fail, retake in mid-January, that's the real goal, pass the CCNA no further than mid-January.

What were yall's test scores? I've heard if it's at least 70%, taking the CCNA should be fine.

Ccna

Hi I'm in day 33 jitl

I stayed in sept now oct il give by jan

The thing that is worrying me is that my whole day goes in fundamentals

I get very little time for labs

Also I try to do one lab per video

I'm not confident like

I can do basic routing but ospf and all can't

My day goes to the video lab one then i do anki

N per day i 140 cards .i get tired 😩

Any suggestions

I have still kept time as il finish all lessons by dec

Please tell me how to proceed in cli

did you guys face with the same personal issue? Personally maybe each one of those topics could be interesting if they weren't a surface level summarization and rather a deep dive into how those technologies actually work, or other times topics are mostly about command memorization than anything else, kind of doesn't require that troubleshooting / critical thinking or logical reasoning aspect of the earlirer topics like ipv4/6 , static and dynamic routing protocols, VLAN etc.

They're also harder for me to grasp as well, because even though i generally understand their working principles they contain so much horizontal information that it's kinda hard not to feel overwhelmed knowing i'll probably remember half of this 2 weeks later.

Hey everyone!

I recently started studying for the CCNA, and I'd really appreciate some advice from people who have already passed the exam.

I purchased Neil Anderson's CCNA course on Udemy about 9 days ago, and I've been studying consistently since then.

Here's where I'm currently at:

• I've completed the OSI model, host-to-host communications, Cisco IOS basics, TCP/UDP, IPv4 addressing, IP address classes, and subnetting, including VLSM.
• I'm currently around lesson 48 in Neil Anderson's course.
• I've been practicing subnetting and reviewing topics using quizzes and practice questions.
• I recently scored 90% on a 50-question practice quiz covering the material I've studied so far. It wasn't an official CCNA practice exam.
• I can realistically dedicate 3 hours every day to studying and practicing in Packet Tracer.

I'm enjoying the learning process and feel like I'm making good progress, but when I look at how much material is still ahead of me, it honestly feels a bit overwhelming.

My goal is to take the CCNA v1.1 exam before it retires in February 2027.

I have a few questions for those who have already passed:

1. Do you think it's realistic to finish preparing for CCNA v1.1 with around 3 hours of studying per day?
2. How would you split those 3 hours between watching lectures, doing labs, and reviewing previous material?
3. At what point should I start taking full-length practice exams?
4. Are Neil Anderson's course and Packet Tracer labs enough as a foundation, or would you strongly recommend additional resources?
5. What mistakes should I avoid while preparing?

I'm not trying to rush through the course just to say I finished it. I genuinely want to understand networking and be able to apply what I learn.

Any tips, study schedules, or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

Specifically Ontario? I heard the market is really bad now, and people are applying for a year after getting their CCNA and not even landing interviews.

I have earned my CompTIA Network+ and Cisco CCNA certifications, along with a few AWS certifications. Looking ahead, I want to identify the best areas to specialize in within networking and cloud infrastructure.

I’m particularly interested in SD-WAN and would appreciate advice on which Cisco professional-level certifications I should pursue. I’d also like to understand which technology areas have the strongest future growth potential, are likely to remain in high demand, and offer the best opportunities for high-paying roles. Money is important for me :)

Given my current certifications, what career path and certification roadmap would you recommend to help me maximize my earning potential and stay competitive in the industry over the next 5–10 years?

Basically, what do you use to lab? Are you creating your own networks from scratch, are you following a course on creating a network, are you downloading .pkt files and breaking thing?

Im trying to find a good way to be in a lab. I almost want to find .pkt files that are already built, and someone inserted a problem that i have to diagnose and fix within the lab, and then after I fix the issue, I download the next .pkt file and perform the next diagnostic. Does something like this exist?

i want to build some real world networking with packet tracer. Anyone know how can i have this kind of 2D floor plan for building like university, airport, hospital or a company

Im a fresh graduate of Bachelor of Science in Information Technology and im starting to love networking and want to become a network engineer someday. Right now i just finish my national certificate for computer systems servicing here in ph and have basic knowledge on computer troubleshooting, ip addressing and server management. And now im taking the networking basic certification. That is free btw. Can u give me some advice or roadmap where to start or what entry level job should i take.

Hi everyone,

I want to learn networking and build a strong foundation so that I can clearly understand the concepts and the logic behind them.

I started Jeremy’s IT Lab course on YouTube and completed around 40 videos. I also made notes, but when I look back at them now, I realise that I have forgotten most of what I studied.

I currently work in the Identity and Access Management (IAM) domain, and I want to improve my networking knowledge and understand all the major networking concepts.

Could you please suggest how I should study effectively so that I can retain what I learn and understand the concepts at a deeper level?

Also, I would appreciate recommendations for good courses and practical resources. Should I practise networking in a lab environment? If so, how can I get started with hands-on practice?

Any advice or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

So we connect the AP with an access port to the switch, which would carry only one vlan (management) so even data traffic would go through the management vlan? and then the WLC would decide what vlan the data is going from the management vlan?

I’m preparing for the ccna exam and I’m wondering how important subnetting is. In other words, what should I practice and how? VLSM important or not…

Thanks in advance!

I’ve seen Jermey IT Lab and Neil Anderson mentioned a lot when it comes to studying for CCNA. Has anyone used both resources at the same time or would you just use one over the other?

Hi guys I’m planning on taking my CCNA exam in November.

I’m it that stage of my studies where I’m questioning everything. For context I have a degree in cyber security, been working IT support for 2.5 years, got Network + earlier this year and just completed JITL this past week. My work is paying for a 5 day CCNA course and I plan to take my exam the week after.

I would like to know if anyone has had a similar approach to the ccna exam and if they found the 5 day courses to be the difference in achieving your CCNA.

Any other tips for latter stage studying to give myself the best chance would be greatly appreciated. I would love to do boson but I can’t really afford it this month :(

Thanks in advance

I've just finished the second JITL practice exam. Got 94% right, same as the first practice exam.

I've been reviewing JITL's and my own flash cards daily, did all JITL labs + mega lab. I'm currently pushing through the second half of Volume 2 of Wendell Odom's Official Cert Guide.

I wanted to finish the book and also do the included practice exams, but I'm feeling burned out and wanted to go for the real exam already and get this over with. Do you think I'm ready?

So I got a call from my college tnp regarding my selection for interview of COD analyst role at Cisco . An I am bit confuse how should I prepare for it and it's a good opportunity if any of you have some idea please help me out .

I started the climb today towards CCNA with Neil Anderson’s Bootcamp! I’m already A+ cert and I was studying and prepping for Net+ but I think I’m just going to skip the actual exam and go for this instead!

I have some hands on IT experience but it’s mostly pc troubleshooting stuff. Networking is a whole new animal for me, but I learned Class C subnetting and can do it in my head, understand the OSI model, tcp/ip stack and ports for layer 4, and the concept of VLAN/VXLANs.

Curious if I’m headed in the right direction?! Any input/resources/critical things to really pay attention to and hone in on while I’m learning is greatly appreciated!

Also looking for solid packet tracer project ideas!

Hello, any best but cheaper option for review center or with bundle to take the certification of v1.1? Drop ur suggestions here please guys, thank you!

Hey everyone I know this isn't CompTIA related, I will be taking my Security+ exam soon as my junior year in college has this course that virtually prepares you for it so I took advantage of it this semester and am nearly well prepared enough to test for it.

Then I am really working hard to earn the CCNA before January 4th or the last testing date before the new CCNA exam.

I wanted to hear some tips from the people who are post-exam completion, job seekers, students, and professionals on how to maximize my opportunities once I have these certs? Where could I end up at? Where do I look? I have a interest in MSPs and IT/OT environments like NJ Transit/Amtrak.

My goal is to be a Network Engineer, I have experience in Field Tech/HelpDesk, internships, I run a blog about the industry/take on beat reporting, I do side projects and have a pretty big homelab that can cover almost every aspect of network engineering, and Im a junior in a distinguished polytechnic uni in North Jersey.