CCNA 640-802 Network Simulator, 2nd Edition

I just installed this software, and so far - it's just what I was expecting. I have the unique position of having tried both Boson's NetSim and RouterSim's Network Visualizer simulation software packages, and although both are excellent products (and getting better) I find Wendell Odom's product to be more intuitive and easier to just jump right in. In my opinion, the design process that goes into designing any network simulation software, is similar to designing a game. Some games require you to learn the controls, before you can really get started, while others are so well thought out that you can well, just jump right in.

However, if anyone has any plans to progress beyond the CCNA (eg. CCNP, etc.), I would recommend taking a look at the other two simulators. When I first purchased RouterSim's Network Visualizer, it was still a buggy product and prone to crashes. Even so, it was the only worthwhile game in town, at the time (2004). I never got the... Read more

I am still prepping for my CCNA exam and what I have been needing to do was actually 'apply' what I was learning. There are tons of sims out there in the market, some good, some bad but all are expensive and limited in one way or another. Obviously, I tend to agree with most posters that there is nothing that comes close to actually working on Cisco gear, but the problem usually comes down to 1) cost or 2) ability to have the equipment on site (small apartment, etc). I would think that having the equipment for the CCNP is a must, but for the CCNA all you need is something to drill you on the concepts that you are supposed to be learning.

Having said this, I think this product should not really be considered a 'simulator' but more of an instructional tool to reinforce whether or not you are grasping the CCNA concepts. Will it help you with the CCNA exam? This is tough to say. Personally, I think that 'yes, it will' because the exam has scenarios in which you have to... Read more

Odom offers this network simulator to cater to those needing to understand routing and switching as presented in the Cisco CCNA exam. So this is all in the context of how Cisco wants you to use their products; no third parties! But then if you are studying for the Cisco certification you already know this. Specifically the book addresses readers who possibly do not have all the Cisco equipment available in order to test and debug various networking problems. It addresses a bootstrapping issue. You want to be certified as Cisco capable, perhaps to get a job using that certification. But without that job and Cisco hardware, how do you even get to first base? Seen in this context, the approximately $140 cost of the simulator is actually a bargain.

The problems given and the interactivity are nice in presenting typical issues encountered by a Cisco sysadmin. The numerous topology diagrams are the central aspect of the software. Get used to thinking about your network and... Read more