CCNA Virtual Lab e-trainer

Rating:
Summary: Great program for CCNA 2.0 study!
Review: Anyone familiar with Cisco knows that the commands are often cryptic. This makes practice essential for learning. Without spare Cisco routers and switches handy, it's nearly impossible to get that practice, even if your worksite has Cisco gear in operation. Todd Lammle's CCNA Virtual Lab e-Trainer provides this essential practice, as a complement to his book, CCNA: Cisco Certified Network Associate Study Guide (for Exam 640-507). With no previous Cisco experience, I read his book, took sample tests, (from www.stsware.com), and then practiced with Mr. Lammle's e-trainer for a week --- and then passed the CCNA 2.0 test on my first try. I can't recommend the CCNA Virtual Lab e-trainer enough!

Rating:
Summary: Excellent resource for studying for CCNA
Review: As a MCSE looking to gain several Cisco certifications I found this resource to be very helpful.

The virtual lab allows you to have hands on interaction with simulated Cisco equipment which helps the user to become familiar with IOS.

I am using this product in conjunction with the Sybex CCNA book and find that the ability to perform the labs detailed in the book is very good.

I recommend this to anyone who is looking to become a CCNA but does not have access to Cisco equipment.

Rating:
Summary: Accomplishes What It Is Intended For
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: This software doesnot work under NT!
Review: Every time I tried to run this software I get a "core-dump" or "Blue-screen-of-death" from the NT operating system. I tried to install it using different NT PCs, and had the same result. Sent an email to [e-mail], no reply yet from them.

Rating:
Summary: Adequate for the exam but still too shallow.
Review: First off, the shortcuts for MOST of the supported commands do not work in this program. You have to type in exactly what is printed in the manual.

But the labs given are adequate to get your through the IOS part of the exam.
I would say this is actually a 4 star simulator for the CCNA exam.

However, with its lack of commands, I think this program is probably only worth about ....
Its high price drives my rating down to 3 stars.

Rating:
Summary: Huge Disappointment
Review: Generally speaking, Sybex products are quite good. Sybex is one of the few vendors from which I have purchased titles based on limited (and sometimes NO) up-front information about the title(s). This time I got burned. The CCNA Virtual Lab e-trainer by Todd Lammle, et al was a complete waste of money. Most of the commands don't work, and the simulation screen has a propensity for locking up unexpectedly. I purchased the book and the e-trainer as a boxed set. If I had it to do over again I would only buy the book. I am pleased with the book, but I am greatly disappointed with the e-trainer. I feel that I have been short-changed by Sybex and Todd Lammle in this instance. One thing is for certain; I will do exhaustive research before I buy anything else from Sybex...that is IF I ever buy anything else from Sybex.

Rating:
Summary: Huge Disappointment
Review: Generally speaking, Sybex products are quite good. Sybex is one of the few vendors from which I have purchased titles based on limited (and sometimes NO) up-front information about the title(s). This time I got burned. The CCNA Virtual Lab e-trainer by Todd Lammle, et al was a complete waste of money. Most of the commands don't work, and the simulation screen has a propensity for locking up unexpectedly. I purchased the book and the e-trainer as a boxed set. If I had it to do over again I would only buy the book. I am pleased with the book, but I am greatly disappointed with the e-trainer. I feel that I have been short-changed by Sybex and Todd Lammle in this instance. One thing is for certain; I will do exhaustive research before I buy anything else from Sybex...that is IF I ever buy anything else from Sybex.

Rating:
Summary: What a pile, truly lame...
Review: Good idea *very* poorly executed. Most of the program simply doesn't work. To say the program is buggy would be an understatement. It comes across more like a very bad piece of shareware/freeware - I'd say it's worth between eight and ten dollars. "Designed for Use in Conjunction with Sybex's" CCNA (Lammle) book - what they don't tell you is that many (most?) of the labs in the book are not on the e-trainer (only one in four in one chapter, one in seven in another, etc). If you've never touched a router it *might* be helpful. But realize there are virtually no WAN configurations/labs - no PPP, no HDLC, no ATM, no ISDN and a *very poor* Frame-Relay. There *is* an access list lab - only it doesn't work. The IPX numbering scheme is *really* screwed up - takes forever to unravel all of the errors (CD doesn't agree with companion guide, neither of which agree with the lab in the book...go figure) - more importantly the numbering is both incompatible and incoherent within itself. Very, very bad overall. Extremely poor. The first third of the "e-trainer" worked, after that it was rapidly downhill. Hope you don't get sucked in by the hype like I was. Really wasted dollars. Yeh, I suppose it's better than nothing, but not by much... (If it makes any difference, I passed the CCNA2 with a very surprising 967 despite this incredibly frustrating "e-trainer").

Rating:
Summary: Virtual Lab e-Trainer
Review: Great tool for those who do not have access to their own Cisco routers and switches. I only wish it supported more commands. There also seems to be some minor bugs to work out. Example... After telneting to routerC from routerA and then disconnecting, routerA's prompt still reads "routerC>". Only a "reload" command corrected it. In all I recommend this util highly.

Rating:
Summary: Does not work with windows 2000.....
Review: I checked before hand that the software was compatible with windows 2000 professional (which the box says it is) and it simply did not work on my computer. My computer easily matches the system requirements, yet when I try to run the software, it says I need to exit the program and insert the correct CD, and there was only one CD included, so that didn't leave me with any options. I then installed the software on a friend's computer running Windows 98 and it worked fine, so it clearly wasn't a faulty CD. Anyway, I just thought people should know this before spending the money on this program.