CCNA Routing and Switching (cert due to expire)

[Bruce123]

Hi all,

 

My CCNA Routing and Switching cert (200-125) is due to expire on 22 June and I am looking at renewal/re-certifying before it expires.

 

Provided I sit (and hopefully pass) before the 22 June;

 

I have the option to sit ICND2 which will renew my certification for another 3 years (half the cost of the full CCNA).

 

Or can I sit any other Cisco exam, and that will renew the Routing and Switching for another 3 years AND certify me in another area.

 

I am favoring the latter option, by studying for and sitting:

 

CCNA Security 210-260 Implementing Cisco Network Security (IINS), looking at the syllabus it seems to build-on Routing and Switching and doesn't go into too much depth.

 

(CCNA Wireless 200-355 is also an interesting option, but I am favoring Security at the moment).

 

Can anyone recommend any online resources for this and any practice exams that will give me an idea for how close I am to passing?

 

Thanks,

 

Bruce.

[FN-GM]

I am studying to take 300-115 for the second time to renew my CCNP. you're not leaving much time to learn something completely new.

 

The official Cisco certification books include practice questions on a CD. It might be worth looking at those.

[FN-GM]

What did you decide to do in the end?

[RobD]

I was in the same boat, did my Cisco Wireless cert, was excellent.

[rich_tech]

I have a little over a year left on mine and I am looking to do the CCDA here next, have bought the book, failing that it will be ICND2, time is low atm as work is very busy with projects for me

[FN-GM]

I have a little over a year left on mine and I am looking to do the CCDA here next, have bought the book, failing that it will be ICND2, time is low atm as work is very busy with projects for me

 

I would be quite interested to chat with you some time. I have been considering the CCDA or CCNA Security.

[Bruce123]

What did you decide to do in the end?

 

Bottled it, going with ICND2 instead

[Bruce123]

I passed the ICND2 exam on the 22nd June (score of 889 the pass mark being 810). Yay!

 

Some feedback for anyone preparing for it:

 

We are now on V3 of the exam (since late 2016 I think), some things have been taken out, in particular:

 

RIP

Frame Relay (thank God!).

 

And new things have been added, including:

 

MPLS/MetroEthernet

BGP

SDN (software defined networking)

IP SLA

Others

 

So the only (interior) routing protocols now covered are:

 

OSPF (IPv4 and IPv6)

EIGRP (IPv4 and IPv6)

 

Also, if have you only ever taken the full CCNA exam (like me), check what's not a part of ICDN2. For example:

 

DHCP

NAT

(don't waste your time on something you won't be questioned on).

 

The full V3 ICND2 syllabus can be downloaded here:

 

https://learningcontent.cisco.com/cln_storage/text/cln/marketing/exam-topics/200-105-icnd2-v3.pdf

 

I would start by downloading and reviewing it and use it as you revise to check you are fully confident for each bullet point.

 

The actual exam was 90 minutes to answer 55 questions.

 

So as a guide, by 45 minutes you should have answered 28 questions, otherwise, you might not leave yourself enough time to finish. I was at 27 questions after 45 mins and sped up a little finishing 20 mins early (you can't go back over previous questions).

 

The questions were all multi choice. There were several practical questions (each scenario having 4 multi choice question attached to them).

 

There is a warning at the beginning that some questions won't count (towards/against your grade) and are used for internal reviews of the syllabus.

 

Thanks,

 

Bruce.

[FN-GM]

Well done. I did the old ICND 2 and I struggled with Frame Relay. Just couldn't get my head around it!

 

This is when Cisco certs fail a little. I am now CCNP for 3 more years that means I haven't done the new CCNA topics so haven't looked at MPLS stuff.

 

IPSLA is also a CCNP Switch topic.

 

Did you have any labs that made you configure devices such as switches or routers?

[Bruce123]

Well done. I did the old ICND 2 and I struggled with Frame Relay. Just couldn't get my head around it!

 

This is when Cisco certs fail a little. I am now CCNP for 3 more years that means I haven't done the new CCNA topics so haven't looked at MPLS stuff.

 

IPSLA is also a CCNP Switch topic.

 

Did you have any labs that made you configure devices such as switches or routers?

 

For ICND2, I don't recall having to make configuration changes, only use the show command to diagnose issues.

 

But 3 years ago I did with the CCNA exam.

 

Thanks,

 

Bruce.

[rich_tech]

Congratulations on renewing, BGP being introduced is a big step I think, thats quite a complicated protocol from my understanding, I had to learn Frame Relay for mine then forget about it all after I passed the ICND2, RIP was ok too in terms of technology, though it was old.

 

I am working my way through pluralsight at the moment going towards CCDA and its ok so far, bit general, but the theory is sound enough.