Whenever you are preparing for the Cisco CCNA ®, Cisco CCNP®, and Cisco CCIP® certifications especially when you are doing a self-study the major concern is lab experience to answer the simulated questions. Often many of us end up looking for real Cisco hardware from eBay, as most of the present day simulators fail to fulfill our requirements. To certain extent GNS3 did an amazing job by emulating the power of Cisco IOS in our machines. But GNS3 does have some limitations; when it comes to switching GNS3 have no answer.

Current high end systems fail to handle most complex GNS3 topologies. To ease all these hurdles Cisco has an answer. Yeah you can experience the Cisco real labs. A more flexible option is here known as Cisco Learning Labs. For the first time, Cisco certifications aspirers can secure hands-on Cisco IOS® Software lab practice for both routing and core switching.

Cisco Learning Labs are powered by Cisco IOS® Software on UNIX and enable critical, hands-on lab experience for future networking engineers interested in attaining Cisco certifications.

Key Facts

• Cisco Learning Labsare currently available forCisco CCNA^®,CCNP^®andCCIP^®study, through theCisco Learning Network Storeand Cisco Authorized Learning Partners.
• Accessible from the convenience of the user’s PC,Cisco Learning Labsprovide complete lab preparation experience for routing and switching skills.
• Multiple labs are available in each lab bundle, accessible anytime for 90 days, for up to 25 hours. Supplemental lab time is available in increments of five hours.

I passed the “Implementing Cisco IP Switched Network”exam successfully couple of days back.  Now I am one step closer to achieving mp CCNP. My approach was simple and straight forward, I read the Cisco Press title CCNP SWITCH 642-813 Official Certification Guide. Thanks to Cisco Press and Jamie Adams for providing me a copy of CCNP Study guides. The exam was pretty easy but be careful there are few ambiguous questions which really needs your experience and expert knowledge on the topic.

I have following piece of advice for the CCNP aspirers

• 1) Set the date for exam before starting your preparations (Goal Setting).
• 2) Read Cisco Press title CCNP SWITCH 642-813 Official Certification Guide.
• 3) Practice the Boson questions came with the title CCNP SWITCH 642-813 Official Certification Guide.
• 4) Watch CBT nuggets if needed as they are really cool videos to watch.
• 5) Practice labs, (create your own scenarios on STP, HRSP, VTP, VRRP, GLBP etc.) If you can afford get three Cisco 3550 Series Switches from eBay.
• 6) A week before exam review all the topics and practice few labs and boson practice test.

(My CCNP Switch Lab)

If you follow the above with dedication and determination nothing can stop you from achieving CCNP.