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So I’ve been working in IT for a number of years now and my main interest is Networking. My job roles in the past have been System Administrator / IT Support - However I’ve always had a large amount of exposure to networking equipment due to getting my CCNA very early - and CCNA Security later on. I’m pretty comfortable around switches/routers/firewalls in a small - medium size business, providing I can have time to research & test before I make any changes - I’ll admit that I may struggle if some aspects if asked to do something urgently.

Anyway, it’s time to start my CCNP - My understanding is that it is split into 3 exams, routing, switching & troubleshooting.

Looking at the material briefly, I think I’d be quite comfortable with the switching & troubleshooting, however my routing definitely needs work, so I think I’ll start with that first, and just read over and over.

Can anyone recommend good material? I always feel that reading, writing it down and then doing an absolute ton on labs works well for CCNA, however some advice would be great!

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GNS3 has a lot of labs available, the INE stuff is awesome, would I be correct in thinking you are only looking for free materials?

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You may want to consult the Training and Certifications team, here’s their phone number 1-800-553-6387 options 4-1 (for US)

For outside US, Cisco Worldwide Support Contacts - Cisco

Thanks!

-Ferdinand

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I will have to suggest CBT NUGGETS. Always a go to for me. You can also use the CiscoPress book, never a bad thing, Also gns3vault cuts out the long pages of a history lesson and get’s straight to the Meat. I would invest in that book or the pdf form which is what I used. I used all the materials I listed during my studies.

Looking back on it, the Cisco press book mentions the Cisco way to approach Troubleshooting etc… Other than that gns3vault will help you get straight into things.

Along with your labbing and learning, grab a copy of the Tshoot Topology. You can kind of get familiar with it over the course of your studies. I used gns3 for labs, do to the fact you can open up a laptop anywhere and go to work.

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I think I’ll take a good look at GNS3, previously I’ve used packet tracer but I don’t think that’s suitable for CCNP.

As the study is going to self funded, I’d like to do it at little cost as possible - but I’d rather spend the money then miss out something important.

I think (personally) that the labs are the most important, will GNS3 assist with CCNP labs, or is it just a blank environment & you work on it yourself?

I used Netacad for CCNA which gave an excellent range of lab work with scenarios - I’m not sure I can afford the cost this time round however.

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I’ve never had great success with CBT. I really don’t know why, I just can’t seem to absorb information at all when I watch videos. My concentration is just miles off compared to reading material. I don’t know why.

It’s probably my mind set, how do you get yourself ready and able to sit and concentrate on the videos? I’m pretty good when it comes to self motivation, however I find I just struggle with video material.

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I have my CCIE lab set up using GNS3 and 4 real switches (using 3 quad NIC cards), I would second CBT Nuggets, there are many video produces out there, they work for me, Pluralsught will give you the same content, but they are a little too clinical for me in their delivery. The CBT guys are great, and having seen Simona Millham at Spiceworld the other day. I’ve been going through her Word and Excel series.
That’s the other thing I like about CBT Nuggets, there are so many videos to chose, I’ve learned about Docker (never used it though!), Powershell and all manner of things outside of my normal ‘network’ interests. I’ve also used it as research when at a client site to fix issues even things I wasn’t there to look at and not network related! Well worth the subscription!
One video series I think will really help you going forward is the CCNA with Wirehark ( Here ) to get a reminder and a little more information about pactket structure, and of course they have CCNP series.
I always suggest the Route exam first, then Switch and then TSHOOT.
Don;t forget, Cisco publish the TSHOOT topologies on their website (just Google them).
I’d start by going to the Cisco website, their Training and Event section and look at the exam you’re taking, download the Exam Topics and work away until you have a good understanding of them.
I think you will find the exams slightly easier (still hard though!) to do as unlike the CCNA and CCIE, where you need a massive and wide amount of information to go through, with the ‘P’ exams, they are about a subject, so a narrower field of research.
Good luck with the exam!

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Hi Billy – With any certification, it’s all about finding the right balance of learning the concepts & applying the skills. That’s why New Horizons provides their students with tools to help retain the material, like hands-on labs, reference materials, practice exams, and learning guides for majority of their courses, including CCNP.

As a side note, New Horizons happens to be the largest Cisco-authorized training partner with courses available at 250 centers worldwide. If you’re wanting more instruction with your studies, New Horizons has the tools to help you get your CCNP certification .

Let me know if you’re interested in hearing more!

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You can also check this link for topics/resources suggested study materials

Thanks!

-Ferdinand

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This post was actually supposed to hit the blog later this week, but I published it for you (no seriously, that just happened):

5 Study Tips for the CCNP R&S

There’s some good stuff in there, including recommendations on which exam to take first. Hint: Start with the one you know you’ll crush. The rest might be a little general for your question.

Next, you might want to take a look at our CCNP R&S playlist , which includes these videos (Brian wasn’t kidding. There’s a lot of videos):

  • Cisco CCNP Routing/Switching 300-135 TSHOOT
  • Cisco CCNP TSHOOT 300-135 Hands-on Labs Exam Prep
  • Cisco CCNP Routing/Switching 300-115 SWITCH
  • Cisco CCNP SWITCH 300-115 Hands-on Labs Exam Prep
  • Cisco CCNP Routing and Switching 300-101 ROUTE
  • Cisco CCNP ROUTE 300-101 Hands-on Labs Exam

And these practice tests:

  • Cisco CCNP Routing/Switching 300-101 ROUTE by Transcender®

  • NetCert: Implementing Cisco IP Switched Networks (2015) 300-115 by Transcender®

  • Implementing Cisco IP Switched Networks (2015) 300-115 by Selftest

  • Cisco CCNP Routing/Switching 300-101 ROUTE by Selftest

Finally, you might also want to check out our blog post about Building a CCNP Home Lab .

Good luck! Let us know when you pass!