CCNA queries

[ArBiTaL 24]

I'm thinking about taking the CCNA course, as it would be good additional experiance since I'm going into Networking, but I've heard that it's sort-of useless, because you have to retake it every 2 or 3 years, otherwise it becomes obsolete.. Considering the course here is like £2000 I don't really want to shell out so much money if my education will be a waste after a short timespan.. Can anyone verify for me if this is true?

Also, can anyone give any information on the course? I have one of the Cisco press companion guide thingies but it's hard to find out any real information on the course.. Like how much tuition there is, what topics you cover mostly, what the exam is like, etc.

Thanks :)

[wa77ss]

I am in the middle of taking it right now. For the most part I would say it gives you the foundations of networking, but some parts of it will and have become obsolete. Such as newer IP versions, and routing protocols like RIP and RIPV2 .... etc....

[ErikD]

The knowledge you get from the course will never expire, nor will the course. It is the CCNA certification itself that needs to be retaken every few years to be kpet up to date. Really it makes sense as the major thing it tests is knowledge of Cisco networking equipment, which is contsntly changing.

As far as the courses go they are generally good, but a lot also depends on who you get as an instructor. If you get someone who has worked a good amount in the field with this stuff then it can be very good. But if you get a lesser instructor it might not be that good. It is broken up into four courses, and they do cover everything you need to know for a CCNA. Basically it is networking basics, switching, routing, WAN protocols and such. The one thing to keep in mind is that even when you complete the courses you will not have a CCNA, you will need to take a seperate exam for that.

Also there is no requirement for any course to take the certification exam, so if you want you can self study for it. As far as if it will be of any use to you, well that really depends. It is very centered on Cisco equipment, protocols, and procedures. If you are just looking for an intro to networking for a general background then Network+ might be better. I have my CCNA and I found it near impossible to find a job actually working with Cisco stuff. If I had to do it over again I would probably go for my Nework+, work in the field a bit and get some experience, and then get my CCNA.

The best thing about the courses if you really want to pursue a CCNA is being able to use real Cisco equipment. You also get a group of people, and hopefully a good instructor too, to help you along the way.

[Antillian]

Word of warning though, its going to take A LOT of studying and A LOT of patience, some of the stuff is complicated and some of it is very tedious to do and learn. Its definitely not a pursuit for the faint hearted. I, as well as JoT and Midnight Dream took the courses as a dual enrollment plan at our high school with a local tech college. Its a great foundation for knowledge on the way networks and the Internet works. While its a bit of a bear, there's a lot of great information to be learned. The highest level cert. you can get is CCIE, there are very few of them and its difficult to get, but you're almost guaranteed a job with it. Our instructor, who is a CCNA, told us that if you achieve the CCIE, CISCO will pay you about $90,000 a year if you can't find a job, but the chances of you not finding one are slim.

So all in all, if you're looking for a great solid foundation in networking, network protocols, etc, then definitely go for it. Dive in and stick with it. If you want a more general aspect, I say go the Network+ route or take MCSE courses.

[ArBiTaL 24]

Ah, thanks for the advice :)

And yes, I've noticed that there are also CCNP and CCIE qualifications as well as the CCNA. What are the differences between them / Do you have to have one to take the exam for the other / Are they all taught/examined in the same way?


Edit:

CCNP:
Initial requirements:
Must hold CCNA. You must also pass four more exams: Building Scalable Cisco Interetworks (BSCI); Building Cisco Multilayer Switched Networks (BCMSN); Building Cisco Remote Access Networks (BCRAN); and Cisco Internetwork Troubleshooting Support (CIT).You must also agree to the Cisco Career Certifications and Confidentiality Agreement.
Alternatively you can elect to take the composite exam (642-891 Composite) in place of the BSCI and BCMSN exams, shortening the path to certification by one exam.

CCIE:
Initial requirements:
You must first pass a two-hour computer based test ($300) administered through an authorized testing center. This is called the written exam, and it contains 100 multiple choce questions. Then you must also pass a full day (8 hour) hands-on practical lab ($1250) at a Cisco testing facility. You must attempt the lab exam within 18 months of passing the written exam. There are five CCIE tracks to choose from: Routing and Switching; Security; Service Provider; Storage Networking, and Voice.


Doesn't sound easy ^_^ Though I guess if you are going for either of those higher level ones then you would probably only work in Cisco stuff anyway. Which I guess would limit your career path a bit.

[Antillian]

Ah, thanks for the advice :)

Doesn't sound easy ^_^ Though I guess if you are going for either of those higher level ones then you would probably only work in Cisco stuff anyway. Which I guess would limit your career path a bit.

I think if you get the rank of CCIE, you won't have to worry about your career path that much, you'll become an extremely valuable asset to your company, and any company for that matter, you'll have no trouble finding a job.

[vx]

Thats why I love my school (not really) they offer it here for free.

[ArBiTaL 24]

I think if you get the rank of CCIE, you won't have to worry about your career path that much, you'll become an extremely valuable asset to your company, and any company for that matter, you'll have no trouble finding a job.

Although apparently, less than 3% of CCNA graduates make it to CCIE ;)

[TheProf]

CCIE is an extremely hard certification to obtain, it contains 2 parts the theory and practical. If you manage to pass the theory, they will fly you out to california where you will have to do your parctical exam, and not to mention you have to pay for everything, what I mean by that is the plain ticket, hotels, food, ect. Oh and the exam it self is $2 000.

[Midnight Dream]

Yea, it in itself is, quite simply, a biatch. But, I dont regret any of the time going through it. I have been able to apply the knowledge to various things in my normal networking tasks.

[su root]

I took all of the CCNA, and half of the CCNP courses. Good stuff. If you are just looking for some solid networking theory, take the first 1 (maybe 2) CCNA courses. Besides that, you get into Cisco specific solutions, and how to program routers and switches. The knowledge is transferrable to Junipers, SonicWalls, etc, so learning more is good, if you see yourself with a job in the networking field.

The CCNP Courses cover the material in a lot more depth, and the labs become larger (I think my largest lab was a 3-person group lab: 12 routers, and a few switches, all VLAN'd, subnetted, supernetted and summarized, talking RIPv1 and 2, OSPF and EIGRP, across different links, with redundant and failover links. Crazy stuff. Very fun. (nerve wrecking at the time though).

I had a teacher who was a CCIE, she failed the test twice before getting it. Apparently you really have to know everything.. questions and lab are open game on any cisco equipment, any command, anywhere, for any purpose. The practical lab is a multi-day exercise, or so I'm told.

[TheProf]

I agree my teacher also took his CCIE but he faild and he did not want to do it again, but for some reason he was saying that its not as difficult as people say it is, he was talkin about the theory part not practical, but still I am currently taking CCNA and this stuff can realy get frustrating at times, I mean you have to spend some time memorizing and understanding the concept but it will provide a solid foundation for networking. Although it is an entry level certifcation for cisco it is still challenging.

[Albaholic]

Although apparently, less than 3% of CCNA graduates make it to CCIE ;)
Looks like the odds for making it into the navy seals are better. :p

More on topic though. I know a handful of people who were able to pass their CCNA just by self study and using some sims

[Cheator]

I like CCNA. I am taking a sort of.. cisco sponsord coourse with my college and i am learning a ton that i can use in the real world.

[TheProf]

Cisco is the real deal when it comes to networking.

[Antillian]

very true. i plan on finishing up my ccna somewhere at some point. i took a cisco wireless lan fundamentals class last quarter at my school. good stuff, very fun class to take and the labs were pretty cool too. i plan to try for that cert. too at some point. in ccna, i was told that about 70% of the net runs on cisco routers and other products. its only natural that when the net begins switching mostly over to wireless, that cisco would gain a foothold in that aspect of networking too.

[Thespis377]

Cisco isn't the only networking company out there. Granted, they are one of the biggest and the best. That being said, getting a CCNA is like getting a very fundamental grasp on how to program. Once you know the basics you can learn different programming languages. Same with a CCNA. Once you get that it's easy to learn the new syntax of the commands for the other networking gear out there.

On a side note, I personally think that a CCNA has lost the meaning it once had. It seems like every high school and tech school out there teaches a CCNA course. If you really want to get a great job in networking, get your CCNA and then go to the Professional Certs. CCNP, CCDP, CCSP. Any of those certs will give you tons of experience and great stuff for your resume'. Also, nothing beats real world experience and a college degree.

[Antillian]

Cisco isn't the only networking company out there. Granted, they are one of the biggest and the best. That being said, getting a CCNA is like getting a very fundamental grasp on how to program. Once you know the basics you can learn different programming languages. Same with a CCNA. Once you get that it's easy to learn the new syntax of the commands for
the other networking gear out there.

this is very true, that applies to just about any aspect of computing.

Also, nothing beats real world experience and a college degree.

this couldn't be truer, you could have certs out the anus, but if you don't have a degree and some experience down already, some companies will scarcely even look at you.