Thank you!

Thanks! I did it for close to free. Happy to share ...

Cisco has the free CCST Network training, which gets you a cert, and trains you about 2/3 of the way.
https://www.netacad.com/resources/program-info/ccst-networking

They also have a CCST Cybersecurity that will train you on general security and cover ACLs. I did them both. TBH its a pain in the butt to sign up for Cisco training if you don't work for a company with an account, but it can be done. Fortunately, I was able to use my work email to sign up.

After you finish the CCST, you'll still need to learn etherchannel, vlan/trunk, STP, and OSPF.
There's a lot of really good sites training sites out there. Pick one with a monthly charge that offers tests and labs.
I used KWTrain.com because I was familiar with the guy from his excellent youtube vids. Cost was $39/month, and I only needed 2 months access.

The CCST tests were (2x) $125. + CCNA test was $300. + KWTrain.com cost me $78.

• $300 The boss is picking up the (successful) CCNA test.

So the whole thing cost me $328 and a hell of a lot of study time.

Oh, one more thing. Cisco has like a dozen training sites. Explore them. I got a Meraki cert on one of their random sites, took me about 2 days to complete. There's probly other stuff I haven't seen yet.

This CiscoU site is sort of the central training hub.
https://u.cisco.com/
I would suggest that you DO NOT sign up for this until you are ready, because you will get a free introductory window where you have access to a bunch of training that is normally not free. So, get well into your CCST studies before you sign up for CiscoU, and get the most out of your free window.

OMG, it was an awful lot to study. I just want to sleep for a week. Its probly gonna take that long to get past the hangover!

I really appreciate it. Thank yo!