Arun Khan wrote:
On Tuesday 19 Aug 2008, Amit Joshi wrote:
I agree that it would be a better idea to spend money on buying new hardware instead of joining an Institute. But I think there are some units in those modules where you have to learn Networking with a cluster of systems.
Learning under a skilled faculty is very helpful as the student gets to ask a lot of questions and doubts which are best explained verbally with examples and interactive dialog. A lot of off topic knowledge is also gained in the process.
It won't be easy to do that at home, although I am aware of various network simulation softwares available these days. Are there any suggestions regarding learning the networking part of the exam at home?
Virtualization, there are several options. virtual box (open source edition) is fairly easy to setup and comes with fairly good documentation.
Virtual box and its siblings can give a tough time to experienced people too. It has bugs in the vital networking part itself. A better option is to form a small group and pool hardware together and do actual networking. Group learning is very motivating and works wonders. If a faculty can be roped in, then even better.
BTW, I hope Red Hat is reading this thread and takes proper action to improve the quality of their education. The way people are narrating their experiences, it is in a very sorry state.