1. This really depends on what job you want. I'd advise getting all of the certs because companies will screen resumes for details like that. A+ and Network+ are also very get foundational certifications.
2. You are going to find that experience and college education will get you the furthest in your career, generally. The certs displays you have a base knowledge, with CCNA, they will expect you to know how to configure and administer some fairly basic Cisco networks. Certs can get your foot in the door these days, a friend of mine got his A+, then was hired in a helpdesk type of position, promoted into network admin, got a few more certs and college credits, and now has the experience and paper that can get him a network admin job most anywhere.
3. If you are an effective studier, this should be a good time frame for testing. Try and get as much practical experience as possible before the test, but also understand the theory.
4. See above and ask a lot of questions with people who use Cisco equipment (like on this forum).
5. Not sure about a virtual lab, but the lab here is almost public. It uses real Cisco equipment that you configure to your desires. I beta-tested it, and it's going to be a great resource for training.
The only thing I'll add is make sure the information in your book is current. You said it was a few years old, and it would be terrible to be studying things that aren't on the test anymore.
-Jeremy-
