CCNA Virtual Lab e-trainer [CD-ROM]

Todd Lammle (Author), Bill Tedder (Author)

Book Description

Series: Virtual Lab | Publication Date: February 2000

A complete network lab in a box! The CCNA Virtual Lab Sybex e-trainer software provides you with necessary hands-on experience in a simulated network environment consisting of three routers and a switch. You can follow step-by-step labs designed for optimal learning or experiment with hundreds of supported IOS commands. The CCNA Virtual Lab Sybex e-trainer can be used in conjunction with any CCNA study program. It has all the benefits of a classroom lab experience without draining your bank account. And best of all, it's completely portable! Take the CD with you to practice any where, any time.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The CCNA Virtual Lab e-trainer puts you in charge of a simulated network with three Cisco routers (two attached to token rings), two host computers, a Catalyst 1900 switch, and a couple of WAN links. It's not a perfect simulation, but at only $99.99 retail, it's thousands of dollars cheaper than buying the actual equipment for a test lab--and what's presented here is more than enough to get you the experience you need to pass the CCNA.

The Cisco simulations are well done and appear to be thoroughly customizable. A large number of commands are supported, with the appropriate options enabled--it's not enough to quite get you through the next level of CCDP exams, but all of the major commands you need to know for the CCNA are feigned properly. A couple of hours spent tinkering around in the Virtual Laboratory is worth weeks of book memorizing; the commands come to mind a lot more quickly when you've "seen" them in action, and the responses are generally what you'd expect from a real router. However, be warned that all the commands aren't supported in every iteration--particularly when using unabbreviated commands, you should expect to run into occasional misfires. Type in "interface serial 0" and that will work fine, for example, but typing "interface tokenring 0" will get you an "Invalid input" error. This isn't really a problem for test takers, though, and it won't keep you from getting a passing grade.

When you start up the program, you'll need to configure the routers from scratch. (Warning: On our test machines, the installation had a slight glitch; although a shortcut was placed on the desktop, nothing was put in the start menu.) You can choose your own IP addresses and set the routers as you choose. Generally, changing things works pretty much as it would in real life, with valid configurations resulting in a happily chugging network, and invalid configurations causing an Addams Family-style train wreck. However, it's not perfect--when I inputted some different IP addresses and static routes and then tried to ping legitimate servers, I encountered some difficulties in connecting when it should have gone off without a hitch. (It's probably best to stick to the suggested IP addresses, anyway.) But if there's a genuine problem and you're confused as to why your tweaks have caused failure, Sybex has provided a "network visualizer" to show you your network, and also adds a "net detective" that ferrets out simple problems like shut interfaces and absent protocols.

If you find setting up a network intimidating, you can also use the labs--tutorials that will walk you through setting your system up. While these are thorough and will do the job, some minor but extremely irritating glitches keep them from being top quality. For one thing, the labs are short on explanation; it's explained that they're supposed to be a companion to Sybex's bestselling (and well-written) CCNA Study Guide, but many times they consist of extensive lists full of arcane commands that you type in blindly, without any further explanation. You can work through this study guide manually, but if this is your only resource you'll be in for some work. A well-designed popup glossary helps ease the pain a bit.

Another problem is that the lab interface is a bit off. When you go into lab mode, the screen splits into two sections; a step-by-step tutorial on the bottom and the router simulator up top (or in a popup box). The problem is that a) the tutorial does not keep track of what you typed, so you have to stop typing and use the mouse to scroll down to see the next screen after every third command, and b) when you do scroll down, you then have to go back up and click in the router screen again before you can type. Add that to the fact that the tutorial scrolling is hyperfast--you'll often accidentally scroll to the end and then have to hunt backward to find your place again--and again, you're probably better off using a book tutorial in addition to the labs. You can print the labs out, however, and they also come preprinted in the instruction manual.

The labs aren't really the heart of this product, though; the virtual Cisco routers and switches are what people will buy it for, and rightfully so. While it's not for the advanced user, the beginner who doesn't have access to expensive hardware will applaud this relatively inexpensive teaching tool. Get this, and a book to back you up, and you'll have that CCNA certificate emblazoned on your résumé in no time. --William Steinmetz

From the Publisher

World renowned author Todd Lammle and instructional design expert William Tedder have created the CCNA Virtual Lab, Gold Edition from Sybex to give you more of what you need to prepare for the CCNA exam (640-507). Based upon the best-selling CCNA Virtual Lab, this software simulates a networking environment consisting of the following equipment:

· three 2500 series routers
· one 2621 series router
· two 1900 series Catalyst switch
· four hosts

You can hone your skills with built-in instructional labs or perform freeform configuration routines. An affordable alternative to products and courses costing hundreds, even thousands, of dollars, the CCNA Virtual Lab, Gold Edition allows you to work at your own pace, on your own time, so you get the most out of your exam preparation efforts. Used in conjunction with Sybex's #1 best-selling CCNA: Cisco Certified Network Associate Study Guide, or with any other CCNA study program, the CCNA Virtual Lab, Gold Edition, will give you the skills you need to approach the exam with confidence. --This text refers to an alternate CD-ROM edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• CD-ROM: 768 pages
• Publisher: Sybex Inc (February 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0782127282
• ISBN-13: 978-0782127287
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 7.8 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (78 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,922,392 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Todd Lammle, CCNA/CCNP/CCSP/CCVP, CEH/CEFI, FCC RF Licensed, popular Sybex author and trainer, has been involved in computers and networking with Fortune 500 companies for over two decades. He has worked for large companies such as Hughes Aircraft, Xerox, Texaco, Toshiba, Cisco, AAA and IBM, among many others. Todd has shared his networking knowledge and experience in more than 45 Sybex study guides, including his best selling Cisco CCNA Study Guide. Todd Lammle is President of GlobalNet Training and CEO of RouterSim, LLC.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

60 of 61 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you don't have access to a router, this is for you!, June 12, 2000

By 

Kevin Long (Harrisburg, PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: CCNA Virtual Lab e-trainer (CD-ROM)

I'm new to the IT world, and I've still never laid hands on a router, so I had to do a great deal of reading to pass the CCNA exam. Using the e-trainer supplemented my reading and familiarized me with IOS commands in a manner that just reading about them didn't. I really like the Network Visualizer feature. I passed the CCNA today, and one of my highest scores was on the IOS portion - that is due mainly to the e-trainer. After reading several books, I recommend this path to folks with limited experience who are pursuing the CCNA*: (1.) Myhre's book (CCNA Certification: Routing Basics...); (2a.) Lammle's study guide; (2b.) the e-trainer router simulator; (3.) Lammle's CCNA Exam Notes <* Note that this is in reference to CCNA1: 640-407. This test will be retired at the end of July 2000, so the new CCNA (640-507) may change this.> The e-trainer isn't perfect as I ran into some commands that weren't accepted, etc., but it does the job. I can comfortably give the e-trainer 5 stars. It's been invaluable to me as a person who doesn't have access to any network equipment.

37 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Accomplishes What It Is Intended For, April 8, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: CCNA Virtual Lab e-trainer (CD-ROM)

E-trainer was instrumental in helping me pass my CCNA. The program presents a 3 router, 1900 switch environment. The labs range from basic ones such as configuring your routers with IP addresses to a little bit on frame relay. What is nice is you can use it in free form mode so that you can enter different configurations, however, I found there a are limitations to the program. It is not going to accommodate everything you want to do. But you will do just fine if you stay within the material from the labs. I also found out it is best to use Todd's study guide as reference instead of using e-trainer to go through the labs in his book. Everything in the book is not necessarily covered in e-trainer. The most important thing, even with its strengths and weaknesses, is that for the price you get more than adequate hands on experience to pass the CCNA exam; which I think this program was for the most part intended to help you do. If you have realistic expectations of the program, it will be very helpful. If you want something to be more elaborate and flexible than this product, buy real routers, but who has that kind of money.

33 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Good for an introduction, but nothing more!, May 25, 2000

By 

Bradley Chapple (Fort Collins, Colorado - USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: CCNA Virtual Lab e-trainer (CD-ROM)

I fully agree with William Smittle from Oklahoma after reading his review of this product. This product is good for someone who wants an introduction to the world of Cisco routing, yet cannot afford to pay $800 each for second-hand routers. I only have one compaint, but it's a major one:

They could have easily added more commands to the this product. I was trying to follow the course of Todd Lammle's book: CCNA Study Guide, and half the commands do NOT work. Simple little things, like trying to trace the path taken to another host using "TRACE 172.16.10.1" comes back with INVALID INPUT! Not to mention many other basic commands, which also produce the same result.

Todd Lammle was co-creator of this piece of software. So I can only wonder if he intentionally left out much of the funtionality from the Sybex version only to make his $300 ROUTERSIM program look better! Hmmmmmm...