CCNA Preparation  resources and tips:

CCNA exam preparation typically include the following:

1. Study guides: See recommended CCNA books.

2. Practice tests: Download simulationexams.com ccna practice tests.

3. Simulation questions: Practice CCNA simulation exercises. The tasks may appear slightly involved at the first sight, but usually be simple configuration or troubleshooting exercise.

4. Practice using real Cisco router: Checkout www.r1r2.com for some hands on experience on 2501 router. For recovering lost password, please refer to Cisco website for password recovery procedure here. 

5. Discussion boards: Discussion boards are useful for interacting with others, finding out any recent changes to the exam   pattern, what to expect on the exam, and sharing the experience with others. You can find one recent discussion dedicated to CCNA at tek-tips here.

In addition to the above, several resources are available at Cisco website. It is recommended to go through configuration examples for RIP, IGRP, Access lists, Router password Recovery, and others.