As we started the project of our electronic auction, we knew that the proprietary software costs would be too high for our financial resources. Our only option then was to make use of Open Source Code softwares.
However, within the Open Source Code there are lots of softwares to choose from, and it´s up to the system analyst/programmer to pick the ones that best suit the project goals.
In our case, we picked Linux as our operating system. However we faced a big question: Which Linux distribution ? There are dozens of linux distributions, each one with specific advantages, sometimes with or without paid services.
We chose linux Slackware because we thought that it would suit better our needs, in terms of stability and reliability. Slackware is a conservative distribution, meaning that it only offers in its distribution package kernel versions and third party libraries, once it´s been proved to be stable and reliable. As a result, Slackware is one the most stable Linux operating system on the market. If the user wishes the most recent Linux kernel and libraries, we recommend to look for a different distribution.
Another reason for us picking Slackware, was because of its text interface, which at the beginning may become a bit difficult, in the long run however it offers a better understanding of the Linux environment. This way most of Slackware configurations are done thru text scripts.
Once it was set the operating system, we picked Apache as our web server. Apache is one of the most popular web server in the internet. For server programming language, we chose PHP. Also, a very popular programming language. Our experience with Apache/PHP proves that this setup is very reliable, working extremely well in our production environment. For workstation programming language, we chose javascript, which besides of having a simple syntax, it offers lots of resources.
Apache web server is really a complete web server. Also, it can become very complex with many configuration setups.
For our database, we picked Postgresql. This database has been made available to the public for more than 15 years, and besides of being well debugged, it offers so many resources that it has become one of the best database options from Open Source Code softwares. Extremely reliable, Postgresql has reported cases where there have been databases in production with over 4 terabytes. Besides all of that, Postresql is not the most popular Open Source Code database. A matter of marketing ? Probably.
As for the programming language PHP, we had to use an object oriented application structure. There are many PHP application structures being offered with Open Source Code license. Object oriented application is very important, because it makes programming very easy and scalable up to the point where the system may grow without many problems. Also, it helps to keep PHP code separated from HTML, with the help of some specific libraries, such as Smarty. We make use of Smarty library and we believe that it is a very important resource, which can even make web pages faster thru the use of its cache functions.
Also a very important set of libraries worth mentioning for PHP systems, is the PEAR libraries. In PEAR web site, among the many libraries being offered, there are the database interface DB and the MAIL_QUEUE, which sends emails thru the use of database.
As we came to the end of our web site project, we had to use some sort of real time database replication. For that we chose the DRBD and Heartbeat libraries. The use of database replication is very important and should not be postponed. Just after 3 months our system got into production, our server hard disk became bad. Thru the use of DRBD/Heartbeat we were able to put the system back into production within seconds, without loosing any data. DRBD/Heartbeat replication is done thru the use of a lan network between the server and slave nodes.
Our project also makes use of ImageMagick (enlarge and reduce images), Iptables (firewall), Tsearch2(text search in portgresql) and Mon (linux monitoring tasks).
Also a very important library worth mentioning is the pseudo APC compiler for PHP. Speed is always a critical factor for internet sites.
Our web site is already in production and based upon our experience we can say that the Open Source Code softwares we picked, proved to be extremely reliable and stable. Open Source Code softwares can certainly be an excellent option for developing web sites.
Roberto Sedycias
IT Consultant
Showing posts with label free. Show all posts
Showing posts with label free. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Saturday, December 27, 2008
What To Expect When Taking Your First Cisco Certification Exam
Cisco Certification: Taking Your First Certification Exam
You’ve studied hard you’ve practiced your configurations you’ve used your flash cards over and over again and finally, the big day is here. Your first certification exam!
For many Cisco certification candidates, their first exam is the CCNA Composite exam or one of the two exams that make up the CCNA, the Introduction To Networking exam or the ICND (Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices) exam.
Walking into a testing center for the first time can be a nerve-wracking experience. You’ve got enough on your mind just keeping all that new information straight without worrying about what the testing experience will be like.
You’re not there to take the exam. You’re there to pass the exam. With this aggressive attitude in mind, let’s take a look at what you should expect (and not expect) when taking your first Cisco certification exam.
Be Early and Bring Your ID.
If the testing center is not in a part of town that you drive to in the morning, and you’ve got a 9 AM exam, you may find the traffic is much heavier that time of morning than you expected. Driving up to the testing center 10 minutes late is not a good way to get started. If you’ve never been to the center before, check their website for directions, or call them for directions. If at all possible, drive to the center the night before your exam.
Make sure to bring your wallet or purse. You cannot take the exam without proper identification. You’ll probably be asked for two forms of ID, one of which must be a picture ID.
Test Your Marker & Dry Erase Board
The testing center will give you a dry erase board and a marker. Make sure that the marker has a fine point when you’re answering subnetting questions or performing a hexadecimal-to-binary conversion, that will come in handy.
Cisco policy states that you are no longer allowed to use paper during the exams.
The Testing Room
Despite the best efforts of VUE and Prometric, some testing center rooms are afterthoughts. I strongly advise that if you’re taking your exam at a technical school, ask to see the testing room BEFORE you sign up for the exam. If it looks like a converted broom closet, it probably is. Those rooms also tend to be right next to classrooms, which can result in distracting noise during your exam.
If your testing center specializes in giving computer-based exams rather than classes, you’re probably in good shape. Again, feel free to drop by the testing center before your exam to take a peek at the testing room. Most testing rooms have a window that employees use to keep an eye on testers, and you should be able to take a peek through the window.
When you go in, you’ll be asked to enter your social security number as your testing ID. Once you do that, the exam engine starts running. However, this doesn’t mean the test starts.
The Survey
When you take a Cisco exam, you’ll first be presented with a survey. The survey consists of 10 – 20 questions asking about your background, preparation methods, and comfort level with different technologies. This is a good time to catch your breath before starting the exam. The survey will only take about five minutes, and this time does not count against your exam time.
Pay Attention To The Exam Tutorials
You’ll then be presented with an exam tutorial, showing you how to answer the different types of questions Cisco may ask. While most of these questions types are common sense (multiple choice, single answer, fill-in-the-blank), I strongly urge you to pay special attention to the router simulator question tutorial.
The simulator questions carry more weight than the other questions indeed, it’s almost impossible to pass the CCNA exams if you totally miss the simulator questions. While the interface for these exams is intuitive, sometimes students who fail their exam complain that they were not given enough information to answer the question. The real problem is that they didn’t look in the right place for that information. It’s not hidden, but spend a few minutes with the tutorial and do not go forward until you’re comfortable with the simulator interface.
The Exam Itself
Finally, the exam starts! Remember, you’re not being asked anything you don’t know. If you have prepared correctly with the right tools, you’ll have a passing grade on your screen before you know it.
Speaking of that grade, you’ll be presented with it about five seconds after you answer the final question. Cisco exams no longer allow CCNA and CCNP candidates to go back once a question is answered, so be prepared for that.
Knowing what to expect when you go into the testing room for the first time will magnify your chances of success. Work hard (and smart!) while studying, achieve a combination of theoretical knowledge and hands-on work with real Cisco routers, and you are on your way to exam success!
Chris Bryant
CCIE #12933
You’ve studied hard you’ve practiced your configurations you’ve used your flash cards over and over again and finally, the big day is here. Your first certification exam!
For many Cisco certification candidates, their first exam is the CCNA Composite exam or one of the two exams that make up the CCNA, the Introduction To Networking exam or the ICND (Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices) exam.
Walking into a testing center for the first time can be a nerve-wracking experience. You’ve got enough on your mind just keeping all that new information straight without worrying about what the testing experience will be like.
You’re not there to take the exam. You’re there to pass the exam. With this aggressive attitude in mind, let’s take a look at what you should expect (and not expect) when taking your first Cisco certification exam.
Be Early and Bring Your ID.
If the testing center is not in a part of town that you drive to in the morning, and you’ve got a 9 AM exam, you may find the traffic is much heavier that time of morning than you expected. Driving up to the testing center 10 minutes late is not a good way to get started. If you’ve never been to the center before, check their website for directions, or call them for directions. If at all possible, drive to the center the night before your exam.
Make sure to bring your wallet or purse. You cannot take the exam without proper identification. You’ll probably be asked for two forms of ID, one of which must be a picture ID.
Test Your Marker & Dry Erase Board
The testing center will give you a dry erase board and a marker. Make sure that the marker has a fine point when you’re answering subnetting questions or performing a hexadecimal-to-binary conversion, that will come in handy.
Cisco policy states that you are no longer allowed to use paper during the exams.
The Testing Room
Despite the best efforts of VUE and Prometric, some testing center rooms are afterthoughts. I strongly advise that if you’re taking your exam at a technical school, ask to see the testing room BEFORE you sign up for the exam. If it looks like a converted broom closet, it probably is. Those rooms also tend to be right next to classrooms, which can result in distracting noise during your exam.
If your testing center specializes in giving computer-based exams rather than classes, you’re probably in good shape. Again, feel free to drop by the testing center before your exam to take a peek at the testing room. Most testing rooms have a window that employees use to keep an eye on testers, and you should be able to take a peek through the window.
When you go in, you’ll be asked to enter your social security number as your testing ID. Once you do that, the exam engine starts running. However, this doesn’t mean the test starts.
The Survey
When you take a Cisco exam, you’ll first be presented with a survey. The survey consists of 10 – 20 questions asking about your background, preparation methods, and comfort level with different technologies. This is a good time to catch your breath before starting the exam. The survey will only take about five minutes, and this time does not count against your exam time.
Pay Attention To The Exam Tutorials
You’ll then be presented with an exam tutorial, showing you how to answer the different types of questions Cisco may ask. While most of these questions types are common sense (multiple choice, single answer, fill-in-the-blank), I strongly urge you to pay special attention to the router simulator question tutorial.
The simulator questions carry more weight than the other questions indeed, it’s almost impossible to pass the CCNA exams if you totally miss the simulator questions. While the interface for these exams is intuitive, sometimes students who fail their exam complain that they were not given enough information to answer the question. The real problem is that they didn’t look in the right place for that information. It’s not hidden, but spend a few minutes with the tutorial and do not go forward until you’re comfortable with the simulator interface.
The Exam Itself
Finally, the exam starts! Remember, you’re not being asked anything you don’t know. If you have prepared correctly with the right tools, you’ll have a passing grade on your screen before you know it.
Speaking of that grade, you’ll be presented with it about five seconds after you answer the final question. Cisco exams no longer allow CCNA and CCNP candidates to go back once a question is answered, so be prepared for that.
Knowing what to expect when you go into the testing room for the first time will magnify your chances of success. Work hard (and smart!) while studying, achieve a combination of theoretical knowledge and hands-on work with real Cisco routers, and you are on your way to exam success!
Chris Bryant
CCIE #12933
What Certification Should You Pursue After The CCNA ?
Once you've got your CCNA, you're ready to move on to the next level, the Professional certifications. For years, Cisco had one Professional certification, the Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) certification. Over time, Cisco has expanded this level of certifications to include the Cisco Certified Security Professional (CCSP) and Cisco Certified Voice Professional (CCVP).
With security and voice being the two most rapidly expanding areas of today's networks, some new CCNAs consider going after the CCSP or CCVP without first adding the CCNP to their resume.
While it's temping to hurry up and get a Cisco security or voice certification, the best thing you can do for your networking career is achieve your CCNP certification first, then decide on the CCVP or CCSP.
Why? Because the CCNA is just the tip of a very large iceberg when it comes to routing and switching. It's a very important accomplishment, and the CCNA is indeed the foundation of your networking career, but you need to add on to that level of understanding routing and switching before moving on to more specialized areas.
Two examples are OSPF and BGP. You learn about the theory of OSPF and some basic and intermediate configurations of that protocol in your CCNA studies, but the knowledge you acquire of OSPF in your CCNP studies is invaluable. As for BGP, there is no BGP in the CCNA curriculum, but it is a great idea to have some BGP knowledge in today's networks. It's also good for your career.
I know it is a huge temptation to go after the security and voice certifications while not paying attention to the CCNP. Do yourself a huge favor and add the tremendous amount of routing and switching knowledge needed for the CCNP to your knowledgebase, and you can then move on to the CCSP or CCVP. Even better, you'll be better prepared to climb the biggest certification mountain around - the CCIE!
With security and voice being the two most rapidly expanding areas of today's networks, some new CCNAs consider going after the CCSP or CCVP without first adding the CCNP to their resume.
While it's temping to hurry up and get a Cisco security or voice certification, the best thing you can do for your networking career is achieve your CCNP certification first, then decide on the CCVP or CCSP.
Why? Because the CCNA is just the tip of a very large iceberg when it comes to routing and switching. It's a very important accomplishment, and the CCNA is indeed the foundation of your networking career, but you need to add on to that level of understanding routing and switching before moving on to more specialized areas.
Two examples are OSPF and BGP. You learn about the theory of OSPF and some basic and intermediate configurations of that protocol in your CCNA studies, but the knowledge you acquire of OSPF in your CCNP studies is invaluable. As for BGP, there is no BGP in the CCNA curriculum, but it is a great idea to have some BGP knowledge in today's networks. It's also good for your career.
I know it is a huge temptation to go after the security and voice certifications while not paying attention to the CCNP. Do yourself a huge favor and add the tremendous amount of routing and switching knowledge needed for the CCNP to your knowledgebase, and you can then move on to the CCSP or CCVP. Even better, you'll be better prepared to climb the biggest certification mountain around - the CCIE!
Tips On Buying A Cisco CCNA / CCNP Home Lab Kit
Buying a CCNA / CCNP home lab is the best way to be totally prepared for your Cisco exams. Most home labs are put together one router or switch at a time, but many CCNA / CCNP candidates prefer to buy kits where you get multiple routers and switches, along with all the cables and other connection devices you'll need.
While this is a good idea, keep a few things in mind when purchasing Cisco home lab kits.
Don't buy anything you don't need. The problem is that when you're first starting out with your Cisco home lab, you don't know everything that you need. (I sure didn't!) Keep in mind that you only need one transceiver per AUI port on a Cisco router, so if you're getting routers with two AUI ports in all, you don't need five transceivers in the kit. It doesn't hurt to have one spare, but three is a little too much.
More importantly, don't buy kits with old CCNA or CCNP study guides included. I've seen kits with books that were three years old and were of no use to the candidate. If you see a kit that looks good but includes books or manuals you just don't want, ask the vendor for a price that doesn't include the books. It never hurts to ask.
Watch the IOS version. Unless you've got access to IOS upgrades, you'll be working with the IOS version that's on the routers and switches when you buy the kit for a while. You don't necessarily need the latest and greatest IOS version for CCNA study, but don't buy routers with IOS versions beginning with "10" unless you have an IOS to upgrade them with. (And make sure the routers have enough memory to handle the IOS you plan on putting on them.)
Purchasing a Cisco CCNA / CCNP Home Lab is one of the best investments in your career that you will ever make. Exercise just a bit of caution when purchasing your kit, and you'll be on your way to true Cisco success, in the exam room and on your network!
While this is a good idea, keep a few things in mind when purchasing Cisco home lab kits.
Don't buy anything you don't need. The problem is that when you're first starting out with your Cisco home lab, you don't know everything that you need. (I sure didn't!) Keep in mind that you only need one transceiver per AUI port on a Cisco router, so if you're getting routers with two AUI ports in all, you don't need five transceivers in the kit. It doesn't hurt to have one spare, but three is a little too much.
More importantly, don't buy kits with old CCNA or CCNP study guides included. I've seen kits with books that were three years old and were of no use to the candidate. If you see a kit that looks good but includes books or manuals you just don't want, ask the vendor for a price that doesn't include the books. It never hurts to ask.
Watch the IOS version. Unless you've got access to IOS upgrades, you'll be working with the IOS version that's on the routers and switches when you buy the kit for a while. You don't necessarily need the latest and greatest IOS version for CCNA study, but don't buy routers with IOS versions beginning with "10" unless you have an IOS to upgrade them with. (And make sure the routers have enough memory to handle the IOS you plan on putting on them.)
Purchasing a Cisco CCNA / CCNP Home Lab is one of the best investments in your career that you will ever make. Exercise just a bit of caution when purchasing your kit, and you'll be on your way to true Cisco success, in the exam room and on your network!
The Hidden Benefit Of Computer Certifications
The web is covered with stories regarding the benefits of professional computer certification, and most of them are backed up with salary surveys and the like. While there’s certainly nothing wrong with making more money and having better job prospects, there’s one benefit of certification that many candidates forget about.
Confidence.
You can’t pay your rent with confidence you can’t pay for gas with confidence you can’t pay for ANYTHING with confidence, right? So who cares, right?
Wrong. The confidence you build from truly earning a certification, whether it’s an MCSE, CCNA, or CCIE, cannot be purchased, borrowed, or stolen. It has to be earned.
What do I mean by “truly earned”? First, I’m referring to those little documents out there generally referred to as “braindumps”. If you buy one of these things and happen to skate by a certification exam, did you learn anything? No. Did you learn anything? No. Are you going to be effective on the job? No. As I tell my students, when you’re standing in front of a server or router that isn’t working, and all eyes are on you to troubleshoot the problem, the correct answer is not “B”. There is no multiple choice.
Secondly, I’m referring to the hope that the certification you earn was earned by taking a demanding exam.
Now, you’re probably thinking “okay, Chris has lost his mind. I should HOPE the test is demanding?”
Yes, you should. There’s nothing more useless than earning a certification that’s easy to get. There’s no feeling of pride, of achievement furthermore, if everyone else has that certification, what value does it have?
I can speak from experience on this one. Those of you relatively new to the field may never have used NT 4.0, but the MCSE NT 4.0 was the certification that ended up causing a lot of damage to the value of professional certifications. EVERYBODY had one. The tests were repetitive and far too simple, there were no simulation questions, and the exams required no real hands-on experience.
As a result, my MCSE NT 4.0 had little value. I also felt no sense of pride in achieving it.
Thankfully, exam vendors and authors seem to have learned their lesson. Cisco exams are not easy to pass, and the initial Cisco certification, the CCNA, demands hands-on knowledge and experience. Microsoft is (finally) adding simulator questions to their certification exams as well, and the MCSE exams have gotten tougher as well.
So if you should happen to fail an exam along the way to the top – and almost all of us do – just keep in mind that if the exams were not demanding, they would have no value.
After all, if it were easy, everyone would be doing it!
Confidence.
You can’t pay your rent with confidence you can’t pay for gas with confidence you can’t pay for ANYTHING with confidence, right? So who cares, right?
Wrong. The confidence you build from truly earning a certification, whether it’s an MCSE, CCNA, or CCIE, cannot be purchased, borrowed, or stolen. It has to be earned.
What do I mean by “truly earned”? First, I’m referring to those little documents out there generally referred to as “braindumps”. If you buy one of these things and happen to skate by a certification exam, did you learn anything? No. Did you learn anything? No. Are you going to be effective on the job? No. As I tell my students, when you’re standing in front of a server or router that isn’t working, and all eyes are on you to troubleshoot the problem, the correct answer is not “B”. There is no multiple choice.
Secondly, I’m referring to the hope that the certification you earn was earned by taking a demanding exam.
Now, you’re probably thinking “okay, Chris has lost his mind. I should HOPE the test is demanding?”
Yes, you should. There’s nothing more useless than earning a certification that’s easy to get. There’s no feeling of pride, of achievement furthermore, if everyone else has that certification, what value does it have?
I can speak from experience on this one. Those of you relatively new to the field may never have used NT 4.0, but the MCSE NT 4.0 was the certification that ended up causing a lot of damage to the value of professional certifications. EVERYBODY had one. The tests were repetitive and far too simple, there were no simulation questions, and the exams required no real hands-on experience.
As a result, my MCSE NT 4.0 had little value. I also felt no sense of pride in achieving it.
Thankfully, exam vendors and authors seem to have learned their lesson. Cisco exams are not easy to pass, and the initial Cisco certification, the CCNA, demands hands-on knowledge and experience. Microsoft is (finally) adding simulator questions to their certification exams as well, and the MCSE exams have gotten tougher as well.
So if you should happen to fail an exam along the way to the top – and almost all of us do – just keep in mind that if the exams were not demanding, they would have no value.
After all, if it were easy, everyone would be doing it!
The Future Of Computer Certification Exams
The format and difficulty of computer certification exams is constantly changing. When I took my first certification exam (Novell NetWare 3.1x CNA, January 1997), there was no such thing as a simulator question, and my practical skills really were not tested. The exams then were much heavier on memorization.
One factor that helped make up for that was that the Novell exams were adaptive. If you missed a question on a particular topic, you would continue to be asked questions about that topic until you got it right. You couldn't afford to be weak in any topic, because the exam would most likely find that out and keep hitting you with questions on that topic until you failed.
Adding to the stress, after a certain number of questions your exam could end at any time. You had no idea how many questions you would get, just that you would get at least 15. Every time you hit the "next" button after question 15, you didn't know if you'd get another question or if the exam would suddenly end and give you a pass or fail response.
Times have changed. Cisco has led the way in introducing simulator questions to their exams, where the candidate is presented with a simulation of a router or network and asked to perform tasks that someone who is ready to earn that certification should be able to perform. This is a much better test of competency than the exams were eight years ago.
What will be the next "big jump" in computer certification exams? To earn the world's most difficult technical certification, the CCIE, the candidate must first pass a rigorous 100-question qualification exam, and must then pass a practical lab exam. The candidate is presented with an exacting set of network requirements and must build that network on a pod of Cisco routers and switches in less than eight hours.
This is just personal opinion and not "insider information", but I believe the day will come when the CCNA, CCNP, and other Cisco certifications will require some kind of hands-on practical lab to earn the certification. What better way to test competency than to have to perform tasks on real Cisco equipment? There would be more overhead for Cisco with this kind of testing, since lab equipment and lab proctors would be needed, but the already-prized CCNA and CCNP would become that much more valuable in the workplace if employers knew that to earn that certification, the job candidate had to pass a hands-on exam.
This would benefit the candidates as well, since it would do an even better job in protecting their investment in time and money. This could also be the next step in ferretting out candidates who try to get past the CCNA and CCNP exams via braindumps. As I always tell my students and customers, when you're standing in front of that router or switch, there is no multiple choice ... you either know it or you don't!
Chris Bryant
CCIE #12933
One factor that helped make up for that was that the Novell exams were adaptive. If you missed a question on a particular topic, you would continue to be asked questions about that topic until you got it right. You couldn't afford to be weak in any topic, because the exam would most likely find that out and keep hitting you with questions on that topic until you failed.
Adding to the stress, after a certain number of questions your exam could end at any time. You had no idea how many questions you would get, just that you would get at least 15. Every time you hit the "next" button after question 15, you didn't know if you'd get another question or if the exam would suddenly end and give you a pass or fail response.
Times have changed. Cisco has led the way in introducing simulator questions to their exams, where the candidate is presented with a simulation of a router or network and asked to perform tasks that someone who is ready to earn that certification should be able to perform. This is a much better test of competency than the exams were eight years ago.
What will be the next "big jump" in computer certification exams? To earn the world's most difficult technical certification, the CCIE, the candidate must first pass a rigorous 100-question qualification exam, and must then pass a practical lab exam. The candidate is presented with an exacting set of network requirements and must build that network on a pod of Cisco routers and switches in less than eight hours.
This is just personal opinion and not "insider information", but I believe the day will come when the CCNA, CCNP, and other Cisco certifications will require some kind of hands-on practical lab to earn the certification. What better way to test competency than to have to perform tasks on real Cisco equipment? There would be more overhead for Cisco with this kind of testing, since lab equipment and lab proctors would be needed, but the already-prized CCNA and CCNP would become that much more valuable in the workplace if employers knew that to earn that certification, the job candidate had to pass a hands-on exam.
This would benefit the candidates as well, since it would do an even better job in protecting their investment in time and money. This could also be the next step in ferretting out candidates who try to get past the CCNA and CCNP exams via braindumps. As I always tell my students and customers, when you're standing in front of that router or switch, there is no multiple choice ... you either know it or you don't!
Chris Bryant
CCIE #12933
Taking A Look At Cisco's CCVP Certification
I hardly have to tell you how important voice technologies are in today's networks; what we all need to keep in mind to maximize our career potential is how important knowing voice is going to be tomorrow.
We've always got to look forward in IT, both in our work and out studies. Cisco, always the pioneer in technical certifications, now offers a Cisco Certified Voice Professional certification that is gaining a lot of attention from IT professionals looking to add to their skills and their resume.
Cisco's CCVP track is a rigorous five-exam track that requires you to earn your CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate) certification before getting started. The five exams cover a myriad of topics - they're not giving this one away! Here are the exam numbers and codes you'll need to know to register for the exams:
642-642 Quality Of Service (QOS)
642-432 Cisco Voice Over IP (CVOICE)
642-425 IP Telephony Troubleshooting (IPTT)
642-444 Cisco IP Telephony (CIPT)
642-452 Cisco Voice Gateways (GWGK)
Many newly-minted CCNAs wonder if they should pursue this or the Security Professional certification immediately after getting their CCNA. I recommend that a new CCNA pursue and achieve the CCNP before going after these more-specialized certifications. While it is not required by Cisco, the routing and switching knowledge your will acquire on your way to the CCNP will be invaluable to your career as well as being helpful with your CCVP pursuits.
Besides, these certifications won't be going anywhere soon. Think of how valuable you will be with a CCNP, CCVP, and CCSP!
To your success,
Chris Bryant
CCIE #12933
We've always got to look forward in IT, both in our work and out studies. Cisco, always the pioneer in technical certifications, now offers a Cisco Certified Voice Professional certification that is gaining a lot of attention from IT professionals looking to add to their skills and their resume.
Cisco's CCVP track is a rigorous five-exam track that requires you to earn your CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate) certification before getting started. The five exams cover a myriad of topics - they're not giving this one away! Here are the exam numbers and codes you'll need to know to register for the exams:
642-642 Quality Of Service (QOS)
642-432 Cisco Voice Over IP (CVOICE)
642-425 IP Telephony Troubleshooting (IPTT)
642-444 Cisco IP Telephony (CIPT)
642-452 Cisco Voice Gateways (GWGK)
Many newly-minted CCNAs wonder if they should pursue this or the Security Professional certification immediately after getting their CCNA. I recommend that a new CCNA pursue and achieve the CCNP before going after these more-specialized certifications. While it is not required by Cisco, the routing and switching knowledge your will acquire on your way to the CCNP will be invaluable to your career as well as being helpful with your CCVP pursuits.
Besides, these certifications won't be going anywhere soon. Think of how valuable you will be with a CCNP, CCVP, and CCSP!
To your success,
Chris Bryant
CCIE #12933
Passing The Cisco CCNA Exam: An Illustrated Guide To Router Modes
When you're getting started on your CCNA studies, learning the different router modes is key to passing your Intro and ICND exams. But keeping those modes straight can be very difficult. (At least it was for me!) Let's take a look at the various router modes you'll need to know about to pass your CCNA, and use IOS Help to illustrate the different uses of each mode.
The first mode you'll see on a router (if the person before you logged off as they should have) is user exec mode. This is also the default mode a user is placed into when using Telnet to connect to a router. The prompt will look like this:
R1>
You can't write or add to a configuration in this mode, but you can run quite a few show commands. This is a good mode to have users in who need to see the configuration, but shouldn't be allowed to change it.
To get to the next level, type enable at the user exec prompt:
R1>enable
R1#
Notice that the prompt changed. This mode has two names, the official one being privileged exec mode. It's more commonly referred to as enable mode, since "enable" is what you type to get into this mode.
This mode gives you more options for show and other commands, but you still can't configure anything. To configure global commands, use "configure terminal", or "conf t", to enter global configuration mode.
R1#conf t
Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.
R1(config)#
The prompt has changed again, and now global configuration commands such as hostname and no ip domain-lookup can be entered.
From here, you've got a lot of options, but we'll look at three you need to know for your CCNA exams. To apply configuration commands to an interface, enter interface configuration mode, as shown here:
R1(config)#interface serial0
R1(config-if)#
You must be in global config mode to get into interface config mode you cannot go from enable mode straight to interface configuration mode.
R1#interface serial0
^
% Invalid input detected at '^' marker.
Interface configuration mode allows you to apply an IP address to the interface, as well as many other commands related to frame relay, ISDN, and dynamic routing protocols.
For the CCNA, you need to know about two other configuration modes. To configure console commands (such as password protection), enter line configuration mode as shown here:
R1#conf t
Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.
R1(config)#line console 0
R1(config-line)#password cisco
R1(config-line)#login
The prompt "(config-line)" indicates that you're in line configuration mode. Your console line is not the only line you'll be configuring for the CCNA, though your vty lines are used for incoming telnet connections and must be configured in a similar fashion.
R1#conf t
Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.
R1(config)#line console 0
R1(config-line)#password cisco
R1(config-line)#login
R1(config-line)#line vty 0 4
R1(config-line)#password cisco
R1(config-line)#login
Notice that you do not have to exit one interface mode to go to another one. Let's say that you've configured your vty lines and now want to put an IP address on your Ethernet interface. You don't have to go out with ctrl-z and then start again you can go straight to interface config mode from line config mode. Just make sure you see the prompt change!
R1(config-line)#line vty 0 4
R1(config-line)#password cisco
R1(config-line)#login
R1(config-line)#interface ethernet0
R1(config-if)#ip address 15.1.1.1 255.255.255.0
When you're preparing for CCNA exam success, there's a lot to absorb. Just take it one piece at a time, get some hands-on experience to go with your theory, and before you know it you're moving around in the different Cisco router configuration modes without giving it a second thought. Keep studying and your CCNA exam success is assured!
The first mode you'll see on a router (if the person before you logged off as they should have) is user exec mode. This is also the default mode a user is placed into when using Telnet to connect to a router. The prompt will look like this:
R1>
You can't write or add to a configuration in this mode, but you can run quite a few show commands. This is a good mode to have users in who need to see the configuration, but shouldn't be allowed to change it.
To get to the next level, type enable at the user exec prompt:
R1>enable
R1#
Notice that the prompt changed. This mode has two names, the official one being privileged exec mode. It's more commonly referred to as enable mode, since "enable" is what you type to get into this mode.
This mode gives you more options for show and other commands, but you still can't configure anything. To configure global commands, use "configure terminal", or "conf t", to enter global configuration mode.
R1#conf t
Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.
R1(config)#
The prompt has changed again, and now global configuration commands such as hostname and no ip domain-lookup can be entered.
From here, you've got a lot of options, but we'll look at three you need to know for your CCNA exams. To apply configuration commands to an interface, enter interface configuration mode, as shown here:
R1(config)#interface serial0
R1(config-if)#
You must be in global config mode to get into interface config mode you cannot go from enable mode straight to interface configuration mode.
R1#interface serial0
^
% Invalid input detected at '^' marker.
Interface configuration mode allows you to apply an IP address to the interface, as well as many other commands related to frame relay, ISDN, and dynamic routing protocols.
For the CCNA, you need to know about two other configuration modes. To configure console commands (such as password protection), enter line configuration mode as shown here:
R1#conf t
Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.
R1(config)#line console 0
R1(config-line)#password cisco
R1(config-line)#login
The prompt "(config-line)" indicates that you're in line configuration mode. Your console line is not the only line you'll be configuring for the CCNA, though your vty lines are used for incoming telnet connections and must be configured in a similar fashion.
R1#conf t
Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.
R1(config)#line console 0
R1(config-line)#password cisco
R1(config-line)#login
R1(config-line)#line vty 0 4
R1(config-line)#password cisco
R1(config-line)#login
Notice that you do not have to exit one interface mode to go to another one. Let's say that you've configured your vty lines and now want to put an IP address on your Ethernet interface. You don't have to go out with ctrl-z and then start again you can go straight to interface config mode from line config mode. Just make sure you see the prompt change!
R1(config-line)#line vty 0 4
R1(config-line)#password cisco
R1(config-line)#login
R1(config-line)#interface ethernet0
R1(config-if)#ip address 15.1.1.1 255.255.255.0
When you're preparing for CCNA exam success, there's a lot to absorb. Just take it one piece at a time, get some hands-on experience to go with your theory, and before you know it you're moving around in the different Cisco router configuration modes without giving it a second thought. Keep studying and your CCNA exam success is assured!
Passing The CCNA and CCNP Exams: Setup Mode
CCNA and CCNP candidates need to know all about Setup Mode, why a router goes into that mode, and as you'll see, how to get out of that mode. Practicing Setup Mode at work is a good way to get fired, though, so you need to practice this on your CCNA / CCNP home lab or rack rental. In this article, we'll take a look at a Cisco 2500 router going into setup mode and a few tips that will help you pass the exams and excel at your job.
First, why does a router go into Setup Mode in the first place? When a Cisco router boots up, the router looks into Non-Volatile RAM (NVRAM) for the startup configuration file. If such a file is not found, and the router has not been programmed to look to a TFTP server for this file, the router enters setup mode.
The most common reason for a router not to have a startup configuration file is that the file's been erased. We will now erase this file on our 2500 router. As you'll see, the Cisco router warns us about erasing NVRAM and makes us confirm this choice, which it acknowledges with the OK message.
R1#write erase
Erasing the nvram filesystem will remove all files! Continue? [confirm]
[OK]
Erase of nvram: complete
R1#
The router will now be reloaded. There is a slightly misleading message displayed during reboot:
R1#reload
Proceed with reload? [confirm]
00:15:21: %SYS-5-RELOAD: Reload requested
System Bootstrap, Version 11.0(10c)XB1, PLATFORM SPECIFIC RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc1)
Copyright (c) 1986-1997 by cisco Systems
2500 processor with 14336 Kbytes of main memory
Notice: NVRAM invalid, possibly due to write erase.
That notice doesn't mean the NVRAM is corrupt or unusable; this message means the NVRAM doesn't have a startup configuration file.
The router will continue to boot and finally present you with this prompt:
--- System Configuration Dialog ---
Would you like to enter the initial configuration dialog? [yes/no]:
Almost every WAN engineer I know answers "no" to this question, because Setup Mode is a long, clumsy way to set up a router (in my humble opinion). We will answer "yes" in order to see this mode in action.
--- System Configuration Dialog ---
Would you like to enter the initial configuration dialog? [yes/no]: y
At any point you may enter a question mark '?' for help.
Use ctrl-c to abort configuration dialog at any prompt.
Default settings are in square brackets '[]'.
Basic management setup configures only enough connectivity
for management of the system, extended setup will ask you
to configure each interface on the system
Would you like to enter basic management setup? [yes/no]: y
Configuring global parameters:
Enter host name [Router]: R1
The enable secret is a password used to protect access to
privileged EXEC and configuration modes. This password, after
entered, becomes encrypted in the configuration.
Enter enable secret:
% No defaulting allowed
Enter enable secret:
Already, there's something about Setup Mode that you might not like. This mode forces you to set an enable password and an enable secret password. As you continue in this mode, you'll see this mode ask you questions about every single interface on the router, even if you're not planning to use that interface. Using Setup Mode really does get quite old after a while, again in my opinion.
One of the most important things about Setup Mode is knowing how to get out of it without saving the configuration. One way is at the very end of this mode, where you can answer "no" to "Do you want to save this configuration?" I personally never make it that far! Instead of waiting until the end of Setup Mode, we can use the CTRL-C key combination to abort this mode and ignore the changes.
Configuration aborted, no changes made.
Press RETURN to get started!
Setup Mode is not a mode that CCNA and CCNP candidates get a great deal of practice with, but you will be tested on your knowledge about it both in the exam room and on the job. And once you start configuring a router with this mode, you'll be glad you know how to get out of it!
First, why does a router go into Setup Mode in the first place? When a Cisco router boots up, the router looks into Non-Volatile RAM (NVRAM) for the startup configuration file. If such a file is not found, and the router has not been programmed to look to a TFTP server for this file, the router enters setup mode.
The most common reason for a router not to have a startup configuration file is that the file's been erased. We will now erase this file on our 2500 router. As you'll see, the Cisco router warns us about erasing NVRAM and makes us confirm this choice, which it acknowledges with the OK message.
R1#write erase
Erasing the nvram filesystem will remove all files! Continue? [confirm]
[OK]
Erase of nvram: complete
R1#
The router will now be reloaded. There is a slightly misleading message displayed during reboot:
R1#reload
Proceed with reload? [confirm]
00:15:21: %SYS-5-RELOAD: Reload requested
System Bootstrap, Version 11.0(10c)XB1, PLATFORM SPECIFIC RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc1)
Copyright (c) 1986-1997 by cisco Systems
2500 processor with 14336 Kbytes of main memory
Notice: NVRAM invalid, possibly due to write erase.
That notice doesn't mean the NVRAM is corrupt or unusable; this message means the NVRAM doesn't have a startup configuration file.
The router will continue to boot and finally present you with this prompt:
--- System Configuration Dialog ---
Would you like to enter the initial configuration dialog? [yes/no]:
Almost every WAN engineer I know answers "no" to this question, because Setup Mode is a long, clumsy way to set up a router (in my humble opinion). We will answer "yes" in order to see this mode in action.
--- System Configuration Dialog ---
Would you like to enter the initial configuration dialog? [yes/no]: y
At any point you may enter a question mark '?' for help.
Use ctrl-c to abort configuration dialog at any prompt.
Default settings are in square brackets '[]'.
Basic management setup configures only enough connectivity
for management of the system, extended setup will ask you
to configure each interface on the system
Would you like to enter basic management setup? [yes/no]: y
Configuring global parameters:
Enter host name [Router]: R1
The enable secret is a password used to protect access to
privileged EXEC and configuration modes. This password, after
entered, becomes encrypted in the configuration.
Enter enable secret:
% No defaulting allowed
Enter enable secret:
Already, there's something about Setup Mode that you might not like. This mode forces you to set an enable password and an enable secret password. As you continue in this mode, you'll see this mode ask you questions about every single interface on the router, even if you're not planning to use that interface. Using Setup Mode really does get quite old after a while, again in my opinion.
One of the most important things about Setup Mode is knowing how to get out of it without saving the configuration. One way is at the very end of this mode, where you can answer "no" to "Do you want to save this configuration?" I personally never make it that far! Instead of waiting until the end of Setup Mode, we can use the CTRL-C key combination to abort this mode and ignore the changes.
Configuration aborted, no changes made.
Press RETURN to get started!
Setup Mode is not a mode that CCNA and CCNP candidates get a great deal of practice with, but you will be tested on your knowledge about it both in the exam room and on the job. And once you start configuring a router with this mode, you'll be glad you know how to get out of it!
Passing The CCNA and CCNP: Three Myths About Cisco Exams
One of the drawbacks to the Internet is that it allows myths and "friend of a friend" stories to spread quickly, and usually the story becomes more exaggerated as it's passed along. Cisco exams are no exception. Here are three often-repeated myths and exaggerations regarding the CCNA and CCNP exams.
1. The survey you fill out before the exam determines the questions you'll get. Before you actually start your exam, Cisco presents you with a survey asking how you prepared and how comfortable you feel with certain technologies. It's a little awkward to rate yourself on Frame Relay, ISDN, etc., especially since the exam you're about to take covers those subjects. It's human nature to think that these questions impact your exam, but they do not.
I've seen posts on the Net saying that if you rank yourself as "great" in a subject, your exam will have harder questions on that topic, and if you rank yourself lower in that same subject, your exam will be filled with questions on this topic. Cisco has debunked this myth, so get it out of your mind. Don't think too much when you're filling out the survey.
2. If you miss a question, the exam keeps asking you about that topic until you get one right. This is known as "adaptive testing", and Cisco does not use this kind of testing in its exams. Your questions are drawn from a large question pool before you start the test. Those of us who remember adaptive testing from Novell exams years ago don't particularly miss this kind of testing! (For those who haven't taken an adaptive exam, you never knew how many questions you were going to get, only that there was a minimum around 15 questions. Your exam could end at any time after that. Nerve-wracking!)
3. If you use an extra command in the simulator questions, it'll be marked wrong. The Cisco simulator engine in the CCNA and CCNP exams acts just as a router or switch would. You are not going to be penalized for using an extra command. If the engine doesn't accept a command, you'll be told that when you use it. Just configure it as you would a router or switch.
When you walk into the exam room totally prepared with a combination of theoretical knowledge, hands-on experience, and configuration troubleshooting skills, you are ready to pass. Don't let Internet gossip distract you from the task at hand -- passing!
1. The survey you fill out before the exam determines the questions you'll get. Before you actually start your exam, Cisco presents you with a survey asking how you prepared and how comfortable you feel with certain technologies. It's a little awkward to rate yourself on Frame Relay, ISDN, etc., especially since the exam you're about to take covers those subjects. It's human nature to think that these questions impact your exam, but they do not.
I've seen posts on the Net saying that if you rank yourself as "great" in a subject, your exam will have harder questions on that topic, and if you rank yourself lower in that same subject, your exam will be filled with questions on this topic. Cisco has debunked this myth, so get it out of your mind. Don't think too much when you're filling out the survey.
2. If you miss a question, the exam keeps asking you about that topic until you get one right. This is known as "adaptive testing", and Cisco does not use this kind of testing in its exams. Your questions are drawn from a large question pool before you start the test. Those of us who remember adaptive testing from Novell exams years ago don't particularly miss this kind of testing! (For those who haven't taken an adaptive exam, you never knew how many questions you were going to get, only that there was a minimum around 15 questions. Your exam could end at any time after that. Nerve-wracking!)
3. If you use an extra command in the simulator questions, it'll be marked wrong. The Cisco simulator engine in the CCNA and CCNP exams acts just as a router or switch would. You are not going to be penalized for using an extra command. If the engine doesn't accept a command, you'll be told that when you use it. Just configure it as you would a router or switch.
When you walk into the exam room totally prepared with a combination of theoretical knowledge, hands-on experience, and configuration troubleshooting skills, you are ready to pass. Don't let Internet gossip distract you from the task at hand -- passing!
Friday, December 26, 2008
Passing The CCNA and CCNP: Home Lab Shopping On Ebay
Whether you're just getting ideas for your Cisco home lab or adding to your existing lab, ebay is a great place to get ideas for your lab as well as pick up some great bargains.
Of course, the internet being what it is, there are always going to be a few people looking to take your money while shipping you inferior merchandise, or worse, no merchandise at all. While these "dealers" are in the minority, you still need to be careful when purchasing Cisco equipment on ebay. In this article, I'll give you several tips on browsing ebay ads for home lab ideas, and a few things to look out for when purchasing equipment on ebay.
For those of you just starting your Cisco certification pursuit, the idea of purchasing a home lab kit -- a set of routers, switches, and perhaps some cables and study guides -- seems like a good idea. Instead of putting your lab together one piece at a time, these kits allow you to get a head start on your studies.
One thing to watch out for in these kits is outdated equipment, or the inclusion of outdated study guides. Often, vendors will use these kits as a way to get rid of unwanted inventory.
The Cisco 1900 family of switches falls into this category. A recent search on ebay for "ccna lab" showed seven different CCNA lab kits that contained 1900 switches. The problem here is that the current CCNA exams do not test on the 1900 switches, which are menu-driven and do not have an IOS. You'll need to be well-versed with switches that do have an IOS, such as the 2950s.
The plus side here is that you will probably save money by using 1900 switches. If you're on a tight budget, having a 1900 switch is better than no switch at all. If at all possible, though, get a Cisco switch with an IOS.
The cables and transceivers included with these kits are generally exactly what you need to set up that particular kit, and this can be very helpful to those CCNA candidates who are new to the various cables needed to physically configure a home lab. Just make sure you're not buying a kit with 10 transceivers (used on AUI ports) when you've only got two routers with Ethernet ports.
Watch out for kits that include outdated study guides. I've seen four-year-old CCNA books included with some kits. If you already have your study guides, feel free to ask the vendor how much the kit costs without the books.
That leads me to the most important point. Get to know the vendor before buying anything. Visit their website and check their ebay feedback. If buying from an individual as opposed to a reseller, find out what conditions the router or switch has been kept in, and make sure to define the terms under which they will accept returns.
There's nothing wrong with buying equipment from someone who's selling their CCNA/CCNP/CCIE home lab, but just make sure you ask the right questions first. Professional resellers generally have their return policy right in their ebay ad; if they don't, ask for a copy.
Building your own CCNA and/or CCNP home lab is a little intimidating at first, but speaking as someone who has climbed the Cisco certification ladder from the CCNA to the CCIE, I can tell you that it is the best investment you can make in your career. Use a little caution, ask the right question, and soon you'll be leaving the world of "router simulators" behind - and you'll be developing your skills as a true professional should: On real Cisco routers and switches!
Of course, the internet being what it is, there are always going to be a few people looking to take your money while shipping you inferior merchandise, or worse, no merchandise at all. While these "dealers" are in the minority, you still need to be careful when purchasing Cisco equipment on ebay. In this article, I'll give you several tips on browsing ebay ads for home lab ideas, and a few things to look out for when purchasing equipment on ebay.
For those of you just starting your Cisco certification pursuit, the idea of purchasing a home lab kit -- a set of routers, switches, and perhaps some cables and study guides -- seems like a good idea. Instead of putting your lab together one piece at a time, these kits allow you to get a head start on your studies.
One thing to watch out for in these kits is outdated equipment, or the inclusion of outdated study guides. Often, vendors will use these kits as a way to get rid of unwanted inventory.
The Cisco 1900 family of switches falls into this category. A recent search on ebay for "ccna lab" showed seven different CCNA lab kits that contained 1900 switches. The problem here is that the current CCNA exams do not test on the 1900 switches, which are menu-driven and do not have an IOS. You'll need to be well-versed with switches that do have an IOS, such as the 2950s.
The plus side here is that you will probably save money by using 1900 switches. If you're on a tight budget, having a 1900 switch is better than no switch at all. If at all possible, though, get a Cisco switch with an IOS.
The cables and transceivers included with these kits are generally exactly what you need to set up that particular kit, and this can be very helpful to those CCNA candidates who are new to the various cables needed to physically configure a home lab. Just make sure you're not buying a kit with 10 transceivers (used on AUI ports) when you've only got two routers with Ethernet ports.
Watch out for kits that include outdated study guides. I've seen four-year-old CCNA books included with some kits. If you already have your study guides, feel free to ask the vendor how much the kit costs without the books.
That leads me to the most important point. Get to know the vendor before buying anything. Visit their website and check their ebay feedback. If buying from an individual as opposed to a reseller, find out what conditions the router or switch has been kept in, and make sure to define the terms under which they will accept returns.
There's nothing wrong with buying equipment from someone who's selling their CCNA/CCNP/CCIE home lab, but just make sure you ask the right questions first. Professional resellers generally have their return policy right in their ebay ad; if they don't, ask for a copy.
Building your own CCNA and/or CCNP home lab is a little intimidating at first, but speaking as someone who has climbed the Cisco certification ladder from the CCNA to the CCIE, I can tell you that it is the best investment you can make in your career. Use a little caution, ask the right question, and soon you'll be leaving the world of "router simulators" behind - and you'll be developing your skills as a true professional should: On real Cisco routers and switches!
Passing The CCNA And CCNP: Cisco Home Lab FAQ
There is a real revolution today among CCNA and CCNP candidates. More and more of you are turning your back on "router simulators" and putting your own CCNA and/or CCNP Home Lab together, which is the best way to totally prepare to pass these tough Cisco exams.
I get hundreds of emails every month from CCNA and CCNP candidate who are putting together their first lab or adding to their existing one. I'm always glad to help with suggestions, and I thought I'd list five common questions regarding home labs here.
Do I have to spend thousands of dollars?
No! There are vendors all over the web, as well as on ebay, who sell used Cisco routers and switches to Cisco exam candidates like you every single day. They sell kits that consist of multiple routers and switches, as well as single routers and switches. You can add one piece at a time, or make a larger investment. You can spend just a few hundred dollars and put together a very nice lab.
What's an "access server"?
It's not what it sounds like. When I first heard the term, I thought of a typical server like we see in LANs every single day. An access server is actually a Cisco router that allows you to connect to multiple other routers and switches without continually moving the rolled cable around.
You don't have to have an access server right away, but once you add a few more routers and switches to your lab, you'll get tired of moving the rollover cable from console port to console port. (The console port is used to directly connect your PC to the router.) You'll find an access server is easy to set up and configure, and will save you quite a bit of time.
What's a "frame relay switch"?
Again, it's not quite what it sounds like. A frame relay switch is not a switch; it's a Cisco router that has been configured to serve as a frame relay provider in your home lab.
This is very close to being a "must" for your home lab. You don't need it right away if your budget allows for only one or two routers to get started. To truly practice frame relay map statements and see the effect of different frame relay statements, you'll need a Cisco router to serve as a frame switch. Again, the configuration is easy, and having a frame relay switch in your home lab will give you practice that will be invaluable on exam day.
Do I need a switch? What switch should I buy?
I recommend you get at least one switch in your lab; two if your budget allows. Make sure that at least one of your switches has an IOS; 1900 switches do not have an IOS and while they're better than not having a switch, they're not going to give you the practice you need to pass the CCNA and CCNP. Look to the 2500 family of switches.
I want to build my CCNP lab and then use it for the CCIE. What should I buy?
It's impossible to tell what technologies and devices will be on the CCIE lab, even if you zip through the CCNP and then take the IE within six months. Cisco refreshing the CCIE lab blueprint every six months, and different technologies can be taken off the lab. While Cisco gives plenty of notice that these changes are going to take effect, it can be a big pain in your wallet if Cisco takes something off of the exam after you spend a bundle to add it to your lab.
As an example, Cisco is in the process of removing ISDN and ATM from the CCIE Routing & Switching lab. If you bought an ATM switch for your lab, you've got an expensive paperweight right now. While you may be able to practice your core protocols on a CCIE home lab, it's going to be difficult and expensive to keep your home lab totally current with the Cisco lab blueprint.
The decision to put together your own CCNA or CCNP home lab is the best decision you can ever make - and I speak from experience. With home labs becoming less expensive every day, it's becoming more affordable as well. Start looking into used Cisco router vendors today (ebay is a great place to find some vendors, as is Google), and you can be practicing on REAL Cisco routers and switches soon - and be totally prepared for CCNA and CCNP exam success.
I get hundreds of emails every month from CCNA and CCNP candidate who are putting together their first lab or adding to their existing one. I'm always glad to help with suggestions, and I thought I'd list five common questions regarding home labs here.
Do I have to spend thousands of dollars?
No! There are vendors all over the web, as well as on ebay, who sell used Cisco routers and switches to Cisco exam candidates like you every single day. They sell kits that consist of multiple routers and switches, as well as single routers and switches. You can add one piece at a time, or make a larger investment. You can spend just a few hundred dollars and put together a very nice lab.
What's an "access server"?
It's not what it sounds like. When I first heard the term, I thought of a typical server like we see in LANs every single day. An access server is actually a Cisco router that allows you to connect to multiple other routers and switches without continually moving the rolled cable around.
You don't have to have an access server right away, but once you add a few more routers and switches to your lab, you'll get tired of moving the rollover cable from console port to console port. (The console port is used to directly connect your PC to the router.) You'll find an access server is easy to set up and configure, and will save you quite a bit of time.
What's a "frame relay switch"?
Again, it's not quite what it sounds like. A frame relay switch is not a switch; it's a Cisco router that has been configured to serve as a frame relay provider in your home lab.
This is very close to being a "must" for your home lab. You don't need it right away if your budget allows for only one or two routers to get started. To truly practice frame relay map statements and see the effect of different frame relay statements, you'll need a Cisco router to serve as a frame switch. Again, the configuration is easy, and having a frame relay switch in your home lab will give you practice that will be invaluable on exam day.
Do I need a switch? What switch should I buy?
I recommend you get at least one switch in your lab; two if your budget allows. Make sure that at least one of your switches has an IOS; 1900 switches do not have an IOS and while they're better than not having a switch, they're not going to give you the practice you need to pass the CCNA and CCNP. Look to the 2500 family of switches.
I want to build my CCNP lab and then use it for the CCIE. What should I buy?
It's impossible to tell what technologies and devices will be on the CCIE lab, even if you zip through the CCNP and then take the IE within six months. Cisco refreshing the CCIE lab blueprint every six months, and different technologies can be taken off the lab. While Cisco gives plenty of notice that these changes are going to take effect, it can be a big pain in your wallet if Cisco takes something off of the exam after you spend a bundle to add it to your lab.
As an example, Cisco is in the process of removing ISDN and ATM from the CCIE Routing & Switching lab. If you bought an ATM switch for your lab, you've got an expensive paperweight right now. While you may be able to practice your core protocols on a CCIE home lab, it's going to be difficult and expensive to keep your home lab totally current with the Cisco lab blueprint.
The decision to put together your own CCNA or CCNP home lab is the best decision you can ever make - and I speak from experience. With home labs becoming less expensive every day, it's becoming more affordable as well. Start looking into used Cisco router vendors today (ebay is a great place to find some vendors, as is Google), and you can be practicing on REAL Cisco routers and switches soon - and be totally prepared for CCNA and CCNP exam success.
Passing Cisco’s CCNA and CCNP Exams: Traceroute
In preparation for your CCNA and CCNP exam success, you've got to learn to troubleshoot Cisco routers. And while ping is a great basic IP connectivity tool, it doesn't give you all the information you need to diagnose network connectivity issues.
Let's say you have six routers between CityA and CityB. You send a ping from A to B, and get this return:
R1#ping 172.1.1.1
Type escape sequence to abort.
Sending 5, 100-byte ICMP Echos to 172.1.1.1, timeout is 2 seconds:
.....
Success rate is 0 percent (0/5)
The five periods indicate that there is no IP connectivity to CityB. Problem is, that's about all ping tells you. You can have 5 or 50 routers between the two points, so how can you tell which downstream router has the problem?
That's where traceroute comes in. Traceroute sends three datagrams with a Time To Live (TTL) of 1. Those datagrams will timeout once they hit the first router in the path, and that router will respond with an ICMP Time Exceeded message.
In response, the sending router sends three more datagrams, but these have a TTL of 2. This means that the next router in line will send back ICMP Time Exceeded messages. This process continues until the final destination (CItyB) is reached the output of the command shows us the path the data took:
Router1#traceroute 271.1.1.1
Type escape sequence to abort.
Tracing the route to 271.1.1.1
1 20.1.1.1 4 msec 4 msec 4 msec
2 30.1.1.1 20 msec 16 msec 16 msec
3 271.1.1.1 16 msec * 16 msec
How does this help troubleshoot a problem? Let's say that the second router in this path, 30.1.1.1, doesn't know how to get to 271.1.1.1. The output would look like this:
Router1#traceroute 271.1.1.1
Type escape sequence to abort.
Tracing the route to 271.1.1.1
1 20.1.1.1 4 msec 4 msec 4 msec
2 30.1.1.1 20 msec 16 msec 16 msec
3 * * *
This indicates that the router at 30.1.1.1 doesn't know how to get to the final destination. Now you have a better idea of which router has an issue!
Now here's the bad part: you're going to get 30 lines of three asterisks, and until you abort this traceroute, you're going to just watch those asterisks go across the screen. There's an abort sequence that the router mentions in the first line of the console output, but the router doesn't tell you what it is! So I will - this top-secret sequence is TWICE, one right after the other.
That keystroke takes a little getting used to, but a CCNA or CCNP can do it! Add this command to your Cisco skill set, and it will serve you well both on the CCNA and CCNP exams and your real-world networks. And you'll impress your friends by knowing how to stop a traceroute!
Let's say you have six routers between CityA and CityB. You send a ping from A to B, and get this return:
R1#ping 172.1.1.1
Type escape sequence to abort.
Sending 5, 100-byte ICMP Echos to 172.1.1.1, timeout is 2 seconds:
.....
Success rate is 0 percent (0/5)
The five periods indicate that there is no IP connectivity to CityB. Problem is, that's about all ping tells you. You can have 5 or 50 routers between the two points, so how can you tell which downstream router has the problem?
That's where traceroute comes in. Traceroute sends three datagrams with a Time To Live (TTL) of 1. Those datagrams will timeout once they hit the first router in the path, and that router will respond with an ICMP Time Exceeded message.
In response, the sending router sends three more datagrams, but these have a TTL of 2. This means that the next router in line will send back ICMP Time Exceeded messages. This process continues until the final destination (CItyB) is reached the output of the command shows us the path the data took:
Router1#traceroute 271.1.1.1
Type escape sequence to abort.
Tracing the route to 271.1.1.1
1 20.1.1.1 4 msec 4 msec 4 msec
2 30.1.1.1 20 msec 16 msec 16 msec
3 271.1.1.1 16 msec * 16 msec
How does this help troubleshoot a problem? Let's say that the second router in this path, 30.1.1.1, doesn't know how to get to 271.1.1.1. The output would look like this:
Router1#traceroute 271.1.1.1
Type escape sequence to abort.
Tracing the route to 271.1.1.1
1 20.1.1.1 4 msec 4 msec 4 msec
2 30.1.1.1 20 msec 16 msec 16 msec
3 * * *
This indicates that the router at 30.1.1.1 doesn't know how to get to the final destination. Now you have a better idea of which router has an issue!
Now here's the bad part: you're going to get 30 lines of three asterisks, and until you abort this traceroute, you're going to just watch those asterisks go across the screen. There's an abort sequence that the router mentions in the first line of the console output, but the router doesn't tell you what it is! So I will - this top-secret sequence is TWICE, one right after the other.
That keystroke takes a little getting used to, but a CCNA or CCNP can do it! Add this command to your Cisco skill set, and it will serve you well both on the CCNA and CCNP exams and your real-world networks. And you'll impress your friends by knowing how to stop a traceroute!
Passing Cisco's CCNA and CCNP Exams: Five Tips For Exam Day Success
As you get ready to pass the CCNA or CCNP exams, you can feel quite a bit of stress as you enter your last week of study. Let's take a look at a few ways to reduce that stress.
1. Do not stay up late cramming. The CCNA and CCNP are not exams you're going to pass by cramming. "Cramming" is a study technique best left behind in junior high school. The CCNA can't be passed by memorization - you've got to know how Cisco technologies work. That leads us to the second point...
2. Get lots of rest. By far, this is the most overlooked factor on exam day. The CCNA and CCNP exams are going to demand your best. You're going to be performing subnetting, binary and hex conversions, analyzing network diagrams for troubleshooting, and much more. You've got to be mentally sharp. You can add 100 points to your exam score just by showing up well-rested. And let's be realistic - if you don't know something at 11 PM the night before your exam, you're not going to learn it overnight. Get some sleep!
3. Get everything together the night before the exam. You don't want to be running around the house the morning of the exam looking for your keys. Make sure you have your keys and your ID the night before the exam.
4. Know where the testing center is. If you've never been to the center you'll be passing the CCNA in before, go there before the morning of the exam. Do not rely on Mapquest or a friend's directions. You don't want to be late for your exam.
5. Allow for traffic. Many CCNA and CCNP candidates prefer to take their exams in the morning. Again, if you haven't been to the exam center before, you should drive there during morning rush hour traffic before your exam date to make sure you have enough time to get there. You don't want to be sitting in traffic when you should be sitting in the exam room!
1. Do not stay up late cramming. The CCNA and CCNP are not exams you're going to pass by cramming. "Cramming" is a study technique best left behind in junior high school. The CCNA can't be passed by memorization - you've got to know how Cisco technologies work. That leads us to the second point...
2. Get lots of rest. By far, this is the most overlooked factor on exam day. The CCNA and CCNP exams are going to demand your best. You're going to be performing subnetting, binary and hex conversions, analyzing network diagrams for troubleshooting, and much more. You've got to be mentally sharp. You can add 100 points to your exam score just by showing up well-rested. And let's be realistic - if you don't know something at 11 PM the night before your exam, you're not going to learn it overnight. Get some sleep!
3. Get everything together the night before the exam. You don't want to be running around the house the morning of the exam looking for your keys. Make sure you have your keys and your ID the night before the exam.
4. Know where the testing center is. If you've never been to the center you'll be passing the CCNA in before, go there before the morning of the exam. Do not rely on Mapquest or a friend's directions. You don't want to be late for your exam.
5. Allow for traffic. Many CCNA and CCNP candidates prefer to take their exams in the morning. Again, if you haven't been to the exam center before, you should drive there during morning rush hour traffic before your exam date to make sure you have enough time to get there. You don't want to be sitting in traffic when you should be sitting in the exam room!
Passing Cisco CCNA And CCNP Exams: Ping And Extended Ping
I often tell CCNA and CCNP candidates that you do your best learning when you screw something up. I often get a funny look right after I say that, but the only way to develop your Cisco troubleshooting skills - the skills you'll need to pass your Intro, ICND, and CCNP exams - is by actually fixing configurations. Since your employer will take a dim view of you practicing these skills on his or her network, you better do so on your home lab!
Three essential tools for networking and CCNA/CCNP exam success are ping, extended ping, and traceroute. Today we're going to take a look at the ping that we're used to using for LAN issues, and the extended ping.
We're all familiar with "basic" ping, where you use the ping command followed by the IP address you want to confirm IP connectivity with. When you've got connectivity, you will see five exclamation points, as seen here:
R1#ping 172.12.123.2
Type escape sequence to abort.
Sending 5, 100-byte ICMP Echos to 172.12.123.2, timeout is 2 seconds:
!!!!!
Success rate is 100 percent (5/5), round-trip min/avg/max = 68/68/72 ms
The default source IP address for ping is the IP address closest to the destination IP address. Other defaults - five ICMP packets will be sent (that's why you see five exclamation points), and they're sent two seconds apart.
That's fine for many basic situations, but as you progress through your networking career and most advanced scenarios in your CCNA / CCNP studies, you will want to change some of these defaults. What could you do if you wanted to send 10,000 pings? What if you needed your router's loopback address to be the source IP address for the pings? What if you wanted to send them five seconds apart, instead of two?
That's where extended ping comes in. To use extended ping, just type "ping" and hit enter. (Note that you cannot use extended ping in user exec mode - you must be in enable mode to do so.)
R1>ping
% Incomplete command.
"incomplete command" indicates that the router is waiting for an IP address; you can't use extended ping in user exec mode.
R1>enable
R1#ping
Protocol [ip]:
Target IP address: 172.16.123.1
Repeat count [5]: 1000
Datagram size [100]:
Timeout in seconds [2]:
Extended commands [n]: y
Source address or interface: loopback0
Type of service [0]:
Set DF bit in IP header? [no]:
Validate reply data? [no]:
Data pattern [0xABCD]:
Loose, Strict, Record, Timestamp, Verbose[none]:
Sweep range of sizes [n]:
Type escape sequence to abort.
Sending 1000, 100-byte ICMP Echos to 172.16.123.1, timeout is 2 seconds:
Packet sent with a source address of 1.1.1.1
.......................................
In this example, I sent 1000 ICMP packets to an address that doesn't exist, so I am getting periods instead of exclamation points. This illustration shows you the many options you have with extended ping.
Now that I've sent those 1000 pings, let's say that I want to stop that process. At the beginning of the basic ping output, you see this phrase:
Type escape sequence to abort.
This escape sequence works for ping, extended ping, and traceroute. Funny thing, though - Cisco doesn't tell you what the escape sequence is! One day, this will really come in handy. The escape sequence is, TWICE in rapid succession.
After I used it in this example, the pings stopped and I got this message:
Success rate is 0 percent (0/192)
The ping stopped after 192 ICMP packets were sent.
This keystroke takes a little practice, so practice it in your home lab. Knowing how to use extended ping will really come in handy on your CCNA and CCNP exams as well as your real-life networking job, and knowing how to stop an extended ping will as well!
Three essential tools for networking and CCNA/CCNP exam success are ping, extended ping, and traceroute. Today we're going to take a look at the ping that we're used to using for LAN issues, and the extended ping.
We're all familiar with "basic" ping, where you use the ping command followed by the IP address you want to confirm IP connectivity with. When you've got connectivity, you will see five exclamation points, as seen here:
R1#ping 172.12.123.2
Type escape sequence to abort.
Sending 5, 100-byte ICMP Echos to 172.12.123.2, timeout is 2 seconds:
!!!!!
Success rate is 100 percent (5/5), round-trip min/avg/max = 68/68/72 ms
The default source IP address for ping is the IP address closest to the destination IP address. Other defaults - five ICMP packets will be sent (that's why you see five exclamation points), and they're sent two seconds apart.
That's fine for many basic situations, but as you progress through your networking career and most advanced scenarios in your CCNA / CCNP studies, you will want to change some of these defaults. What could you do if you wanted to send 10,000 pings? What if you needed your router's loopback address to be the source IP address for the pings? What if you wanted to send them five seconds apart, instead of two?
That's where extended ping comes in. To use extended ping, just type "ping" and hit enter. (Note that you cannot use extended ping in user exec mode - you must be in enable mode to do so.)
R1>ping
% Incomplete command.
"incomplete command" indicates that the router is waiting for an IP address; you can't use extended ping in user exec mode.
R1>enable
R1#ping
Protocol [ip]:
Target IP address: 172.16.123.1
Repeat count [5]: 1000
Datagram size [100]:
Timeout in seconds [2]:
Extended commands [n]: y
Source address or interface: loopback0
Type of service [0]:
Set DF bit in IP header? [no]:
Validate reply data? [no]:
Data pattern [0xABCD]:
Loose, Strict, Record, Timestamp, Verbose[none]:
Sweep range of sizes [n]:
Type escape sequence to abort.
Sending 1000, 100-byte ICMP Echos to 172.16.123.1, timeout is 2 seconds:
Packet sent with a source address of 1.1.1.1
.......................................
In this example, I sent 1000 ICMP packets to an address that doesn't exist, so I am getting periods instead of exclamation points. This illustration shows you the many options you have with extended ping.
Now that I've sent those 1000 pings, let's say that I want to stop that process. At the beginning of the basic ping output, you see this phrase:
Type escape sequence to abort.
This escape sequence works for ping, extended ping, and traceroute. Funny thing, though - Cisco doesn't tell you what the escape sequence is! One day, this will really come in handy. The escape sequence is
After I used it in this example, the pings stopped and I got this message:
Success rate is 0 percent (0/192)
The ping stopped after 192 ICMP packets were sent.
This keystroke takes a little practice, so practice it in your home lab. Knowing how to use extended ping will really come in handy on your CCNA and CCNP exams as well as your real-life networking job, and knowing how to stop an extended ping will as well!
Microsoft Certification: Farewell To The MCSE
Microsoft is in the middle of a major push to overhaul its certification program. Last year, they announced the new Microsoft Certified Architect (MCA) certification, which is not a written exam but rather a practical exam that will be graded by a board of examiners. Just applying for the certification will require 10 years' experience in IT as well as three years of practical experience as a network architect.
For those of us not quite ready for that, Microsoft has announced that it's also going to revise other certifications. The MCSE that we've all come to know and love is going to be a thing of the past. In its place will be a series of specialization exams and IP Professional certification tracks.
If you're currently an MCSE or working it, don't worry, you have plenty of time to adapt to the new tracks. Microsoft's official word is that the new certification structure will be implemented when the next Windows server/client version is released. For those holding MCDBAs, your current certification will remain valid and you'll have a chance to upgrade to the new certification with SQL Server 2005.
Those of us who have been on the certification track for a while remember the outcry when Microsoft planned to phase out the much-maligned NT 4.0 certification in the move to Windows 2000. There was quite an outcry from many certified individuals who felt MS was being unreasonable in their timetable and planned lack of support for the 4.0 certification. Whether you agree with Microsoft's planned changes, I urge you to visit Microsoft's certification site regularly to keep up with these changes.
Whether you choose to pursue any of these new tracks is your decision, but you owe it to yourself and your career to know about the new tracks. Change is inevitable in IT and the IT certification world, and you must be aware of these changes!
For those of us not quite ready for that, Microsoft has announced that it's also going to revise other certifications. The MCSE that we've all come to know and love is going to be a thing of the past. In its place will be a series of specialization exams and IP Professional certification tracks.
If you're currently an MCSE or working it, don't worry, you have plenty of time to adapt to the new tracks. Microsoft's official word is that the new certification structure will be implemented when the next Windows server/client version is released. For those holding MCDBAs, your current certification will remain valid and you'll have a chance to upgrade to the new certification with SQL Server 2005.
Those of us who have been on the certification track for a while remember the outcry when Microsoft planned to phase out the much-maligned NT 4.0 certification in the move to Windows 2000. There was quite an outcry from many certified individuals who felt MS was being unreasonable in their timetable and planned lack of support for the 4.0 certification. Whether you agree with Microsoft's planned changes, I urge you to visit Microsoft's certification site regularly to keep up with these changes.
Whether you choose to pursue any of these new tracks is your decision, but you owe it to yourself and your career to know about the new tracks. Change is inevitable in IT and the IT certification world, and you must be aware of these changes!
Microsoft Certification: The New MCTS Tracks And Exams
Microsoft is revamping its certification tracks, and will eventually retire the familiar MCSE certificatons. The new certification setup is much like Cisco's, where there are specialist certifications to go along with the more general CCNA, then mid-level certifications such as the CCNP, and then a more-advanced practical exam modeled somewhat after the coveted CCIE certification.
Microsoft's new specialist exams are the Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) exams. As of March 2006, there were five separate MCTS Tracks. Three of them deal with .NET Framework 2.0; these are the Web Application, Windows Applications, and Distributed Applications certifications. Each of these separate certifications requires the candidate to pass two exams. There is also a one-exam SQL Server 2005 certification, as well as a BizTalk Server 2006 single-exam certification.
The initial question is "Why is Microsoft doing this?" According to their website, MS feels that IT hiring managers today have a tough time deciding which computer certifications best identify job candidates who best meet their needs. I know it's easy to take verbal shots at Microsoft (it'll be an Olympic sport one day), but this new series of certs does have appeal for hiring managers, which can only help qualified candidates. Instead of the more-general MCSE, which does still suffer from the overcertification of NT 4.0 MCSEs back in the day, these more-specific certifications will make it easier for the job candidate to prove that they can do the job - and easier for the hiring manager to make an informed decision.
Microsoft hasn't announced the track that will eventually replace the MCSE, but this track will be revealed with the next client-server Windows release. It's up to you to stay informed of these changes, so I recommend you visit Microsoft's certification website often. "I didn't know" isn't much help once a certification expires!
Microsoft's new specialist exams are the Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) exams. As of March 2006, there were five separate MCTS Tracks. Three of them deal with .NET Framework 2.0; these are the Web Application, Windows Applications, and Distributed Applications certifications. Each of these separate certifications requires the candidate to pass two exams. There is also a one-exam SQL Server 2005 certification, as well as a BizTalk Server 2006 single-exam certification.
The initial question is "Why is Microsoft doing this?" According to their website, MS feels that IT hiring managers today have a tough time deciding which computer certifications best identify job candidates who best meet their needs. I know it's easy to take verbal shots at Microsoft (it'll be an Olympic sport one day), but this new series of certs does have appeal for hiring managers, which can only help qualified candidates. Instead of the more-general MCSE, which does still suffer from the overcertification of NT 4.0 MCSEs back in the day, these more-specific certifications will make it easier for the job candidate to prove that they can do the job - and easier for the hiring manager to make an informed decision.
Microsoft hasn't announced the track that will eventually replace the MCSE, but this track will be revealed with the next client-server Windows release. It's up to you to stay informed of these changes, so I recommend you visit Microsoft's certification website often. "I didn't know" isn't much help once a certification expires!
MCSE? CCNA? Choosing The Right Computer Certification For Your Career
When you’re choosing which computer certification to pursue next, you should also be formulating a plan for your career. Your time is precious, and you should never choose to pursue a certification because it’s “hot”. There are some hard questions you should ask yourself before deciding to pursue the CCNA, CCNP, CCVP, CCSP, CCIE, MSCE, or any of the many other vendor certifications that are out there.
Why do I want this certification?
This is the biggest and most important question you should answer before you spend a dime on books or classes.
If your primary goal in earning a certification is the money you feel companies will throw at you after you get it, make sure to do your research first. Basing your certification pursuits on a salary survey can lead to some serious frustration on your part. Don’t get me wrong, I like money. J But those surveys can be very misleading. There’s really no such thing as an “average” salary in IT. Job responsibilities and requirements vary greatly from company to company, to the point where a “network admin” may make $25K at one job and $75K at another. You can see where such variations in pay can lead to some misleading statistics. (And if you’re thinking of attending a tech school whose main pitch is “look at all the money this cert can get you”, ask a lot of questions about how they arrived at this amount.)
A positive answer to this question works wonders. If you have a plan for your career, you’ll know how this certification can fit into your plans. If you don’t know what you’re going to do with it when you get it, or worse, don’t have a plan for your future, you may be wasting your time. Ask yourself the hard questions now – you won’t regret it.
How does the vendor protect my investment of time and money?
Let’s face it: earning your certification costs time and money. You’ve got to set time aside to study, you’ll need books, perhaps a class, etc. If you’re spending that money and time, it should be to make yourself more valuable in the workplace.
The vendor should also have a vested interest in keeping your certification valuable. Take Cisco, for instance. I was at a bit of a career crossroads a few years ago. Should I pursue my masters degree, or pursue the CCIE? I took a strong look at both choices, and I knew that Cisco works endlessly and tirelessly to protect the value of their certifications. While other major vendors have made strides to do so, I felt Cisco did the best job of protecting the value of their certifications. That’s why I felt secure in the investment of my finances and time into a major Cisco certification, and I’ve never made a better decision.
Before making a major investment into a computer certification, consider the steps that a vendor does or does not make to protect your investment.
Computer certifications have helped me tremendously in building my IT career. By asking the right questions, and taking a hard look at your motives and plans before pursuing a given certification, they can do the same for you.
Chris Bryant
CCIE #12933
Why do I want this certification?
This is the biggest and most important question you should answer before you spend a dime on books or classes.
If your primary goal in earning a certification is the money you feel companies will throw at you after you get it, make sure to do your research first. Basing your certification pursuits on a salary survey can lead to some serious frustration on your part. Don’t get me wrong, I like money. J But those surveys can be very misleading. There’s really no such thing as an “average” salary in IT. Job responsibilities and requirements vary greatly from company to company, to the point where a “network admin” may make $25K at one job and $75K at another. You can see where such variations in pay can lead to some misleading statistics. (And if you’re thinking of attending a tech school whose main pitch is “look at all the money this cert can get you”, ask a lot of questions about how they arrived at this amount.)
A positive answer to this question works wonders. If you have a plan for your career, you’ll know how this certification can fit into your plans. If you don’t know what you’re going to do with it when you get it, or worse, don’t have a plan for your future, you may be wasting your time. Ask yourself the hard questions now – you won’t regret it.
How does the vendor protect my investment of time and money?
Let’s face it: earning your certification costs time and money. You’ve got to set time aside to study, you’ll need books, perhaps a class, etc. If you’re spending that money and time, it should be to make yourself more valuable in the workplace.
The vendor should also have a vested interest in keeping your certification valuable. Take Cisco, for instance. I was at a bit of a career crossroads a few years ago. Should I pursue my masters degree, or pursue the CCIE? I took a strong look at both choices, and I knew that Cisco works endlessly and tirelessly to protect the value of their certifications. While other major vendors have made strides to do so, I felt Cisco did the best job of protecting the value of their certifications. That’s why I felt secure in the investment of my finances and time into a major Cisco certification, and I’ve never made a better decision.
Before making a major investment into a computer certification, consider the steps that a vendor does or does not make to protect your investment.
Computer certifications have helped me tremendously in building my IT career. By asking the right questions, and taking a hard look at your motives and plans before pursuing a given certification, they can do the same for you.
Chris Bryant
CCIE #12933
Keeping Calm On CCNA / CCNP Exam Day
When you wake up on exam day, one of two things is going to happen. Well, yes, you're going to pass or fail. But what I'm thinking of comes before that, and has a lot to do with how you perform on exam day.
You're either going to have a tremendous feeling of anticipation or the dreaded feeling of being nervous about it.
Anticipation is a great thing to feel on exam day. You're driving to the exam center, excited about the exam. You're much like a football player, slapping another player on the helmet or the shoulder pads before the game starts. (Warning: Don't try this on the exam proctor.) You know there's a challenge ahead, but you're looking forward to it. In your mind, you're already victorious you're at the testing center only to make it official.
Conversely, there's nothing worse than being nervous or feeling unprepared before the exam. I've driven up to an exam center and seen exam candidates doing some last-minute cramming in their car. Sadly for them, if there's something you were unprepared for at 8 AM on exam day, you're still going to be unprepared when you go into the test center, no matter what you read in the car at the last minute. You don't see football players studying their playbook on the sideline before the game starts.
It's all about preparation. I regularly tell my students and customers that you don't pass a Cisco exam (or any other vendor exam) the day you take it. You pass when you turn the TV off for weeks before the exam to study you pass when you spend time and money to attend a class or buy a book or training video you pass when you give up a weekend to get some hands-on experience. That's when you pass. The exam score you get is simply feedback on your exam preparation.
There's a great saying "Prior Preparation Prevents Poor Performance". That describes to a "T" what your strategy to pass the exam must include. Put the time in well before exam day and you'll reap the rewards on the big day. If you're just planting the seeds of knowledge in your car the morning of the exam, don't expect much of a harvest.
Chris Bryant
CCIE #12933
You're either going to have a tremendous feeling of anticipation or the dreaded feeling of being nervous about it.
Anticipation is a great thing to feel on exam day. You're driving to the exam center, excited about the exam. You're much like a football player, slapping another player on the helmet or the shoulder pads before the game starts. (Warning: Don't try this on the exam proctor.) You know there's a challenge ahead, but you're looking forward to it. In your mind, you're already victorious you're at the testing center only to make it official.
Conversely, there's nothing worse than being nervous or feeling unprepared before the exam. I've driven up to an exam center and seen exam candidates doing some last-minute cramming in their car. Sadly for them, if there's something you were unprepared for at 8 AM on exam day, you're still going to be unprepared when you go into the test center, no matter what you read in the car at the last minute. You don't see football players studying their playbook on the sideline before the game starts.
It's all about preparation. I regularly tell my students and customers that you don't pass a Cisco exam (or any other vendor exam) the day you take it. You pass when you turn the TV off for weeks before the exam to study you pass when you spend time and money to attend a class or buy a book or training video you pass when you give up a weekend to get some hands-on experience. That's when you pass. The exam score you get is simply feedback on your exam preparation.
There's a great saying "Prior Preparation Prevents Poor Performance". That describes to a "T" what your strategy to pass the exam must include. Put the time in well before exam day and you'll reap the rewards on the big day. If you're just planting the seeds of knowledge in your car the morning of the exam, don't expect much of a harvest.
Chris Bryant
CCIE #12933
How To Succeed At A Computer Training School
One of the best decisions you can ever make is to attend a computer training school. As I've written in several other articles, you have to ask the right questions before writing a check or taking out a student loan, but when you find the right school you are indeed on your way to a successful career.
There's a big difference between attending a tech school and excelling at the classes, though. Whether you just "float through" the school or really work hard is totally up to you. From my personal experience at such a school, I'd like to offer you one simple tip that will quadruple your chances of success at the school and in the job market.
Get there early and stay late.
When I attended a tech school years ago, I admit I was surprised that most of my classmates had what I call the "junior high school" mentality - they would get there late and leave as soon as class is over. Guess what? You're no longer in junior high. You're attending this school to create a career for yourself. Get to class early, get some extra study and work in while you're waiting for class to start, and then stay after class!
The most important part of your computer school studies is getting hands-on experience with the technologies that you're learning. If you're taking a Cisco class, you need to work with a router or switch as often as you can. If you're learning a software program, you need to work with that program in the school's labs as much as possible. Reading books alone will not teach you everything you need to know. The best time to get extra work in is after class. You may not be able to work in the computer labs at night if the school offers night classes, but odds are there are very few people in there during the afternoon. You need to be one of those people.
Doing only what is required of you is not the path to excellence. You need to go beyond the requirements of the school and invest the extra time and effort into your career. I speak from experience - there is no field in the world that rewards individual effort more than the IT field. Develop the habit of going "above and beyond" today, and this will pay huge dividends for you in the future.
There's a big difference between attending a tech school and excelling at the classes, though. Whether you just "float through" the school or really work hard is totally up to you. From my personal experience at such a school, I'd like to offer you one simple tip that will quadruple your chances of success at the school and in the job market.
Get there early and stay late.
When I attended a tech school years ago, I admit I was surprised that most of my classmates had what I call the "junior high school" mentality - they would get there late and leave as soon as class is over. Guess what? You're no longer in junior high. You're attending this school to create a career for yourself. Get to class early, get some extra study and work in while you're waiting for class to start, and then stay after class!
The most important part of your computer school studies is getting hands-on experience with the technologies that you're learning. If you're taking a Cisco class, you need to work with a router or switch as often as you can. If you're learning a software program, you need to work with that program in the school's labs as much as possible. Reading books alone will not teach you everything you need to know. The best time to get extra work in is after class. You may not be able to work in the computer labs at night if the school offers night classes, but odds are there are very few people in there during the afternoon. You need to be one of those people.
Doing only what is required of you is not the path to excellence. You need to go beyond the requirements of the school and invest the extra time and effort into your career. I speak from experience - there is no field in the world that rewards individual effort more than the IT field. Develop the habit of going "above and beyond" today, and this will pay huge dividends for you in the future.
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