The Train Signal CCNA CBT videos were the main source of my training for the CCENT. These were purchased for around £250. They are split conveniently in to ICND1 and ICND2 subjects, and my strategy with these was to watch each all the way through several times on my computer, and then to listen to them whenever I had the chance.
CBT in general is a great format for learning. It combines lots of theory, with examples of switch / router configurations being changed as they are being described. You get the benefit of experiencing the look and feel of a Cisco device that books just can’t give you. Just as importantly though, you get the benefit of real world hints and tips from the presenters that go above and beyond the exact exam requirements.
The immortal words “Hi, I’m Chris Bryant, CCIE number 12933” that start each video will stay with me forever – I can honestly say I listened to each of them at least 20 times during my 6 months of study for the exam. Chris’s obvious enthusiasm for his subject is infectious, and his explanations are incredibly clear.
The videos keep the content concise around each subject, so it is easy to find the relevant video if you want to brush up on static routing, for instance. [ASIDE: This isn’t the case so much for the ICND2 portion of the course – the videos are much longer, so it is harder to find, for instance, info on VTP – but that’s another post.]
The one negative I can think of is the relative lack of subnetting examples – I could really have done with a few more of these, and had to use other resources to supplement the information. Having said that, the techniques explained on these videos are great – they don’t rely on any tricks or memorisation of tables, as some other resources do. This helps ensure that the info is retained, rather than memorised for the exam and then forgotten.
Can’t recommend this product highly enough as a study tool for this exam.
SCORES:
Hands-on: 3/5
Theory: 5/5
Keep my attention: 4/5
TOTAL: 4/5
Jims' Network Diary - musings of a network admin 
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