How-To: Certification for CCENT (Cisco Certified Entry Networking Technician)

[phantasm]

Getting back to the certification here...

Having watched the videos, I'm finding as I progress through the chapters it seems as though it's helping to integrate the book material. For instance, through the videos I'm already familiar with a lot - so the book isn't showing me anything new, as much as it is filling in a lot of details that I didn't retain from the video. I'm getting into a lot of commands in the book currently, so I'm just focusing on memorizing the most common ones and remembering which context to get into to use contextual help for the rest.

So back when I did my CCNA I would go through the book once, then watch a video (usually CBT Nuggets), after watching the video if I had anymore questions or needed clarification I would go back to the book. This seemed to work pretty well. I have 1 test left for my CCNP and I'll be glad to get it over with. lol.

 

[gangaskan]

So back when I did my CCNA I would go through the book once, then watch a video (usually CBT Nuggets), after watching the video if I had anymore questions or needed clarification I would go back to the book. This seemed to work pretty well. I have 1 test left for my CCNP and I'll be glad to get it over with. lol.

nice you will never be over with it though certs only last 3 years, but the great thing is i think you only need to re cert one CCNP class to re cert them all, correct?


i know if you cert one NNP class it re up's your NA

 

[phantasm]

nice you will never be over with it though certs only last 3 years, but the great thing is i think you only need to re cert one CCNP class to re cert them all, correct?


i know if you cert one NNP class it re up's your NA

That is correct. One NP test to re-cert them all. A few of the other engineers at work are trying to talk me into starting the CCIE after my NP. I'm not sure yet. I might take a year off and then go for it. lol. Then again... I may never go for it.

 

[I.M.O.G.]

Ya, I like that one test recerts them all. I'm hopeful after I finish CCNA, I can go after MCSE:Messaging, as that will cover the two areas my work experience lacks the most - mail and networking. The core MCSE stuff I'll move through pretty smoothly.

When I'm ready for a break, the only other thing I want to do just for fun is a Powershell course. There isn't a certification for that, but I just know how useful and powerful scripting skills are so I'd like to say I'm better at it than I am currently.

Then 2.5 years down the road I can do my next Cisco cert to re-up and stay current, unless I get in a job where it makes sense to get more sooner or do something else.

 

[gangaskan]

That is correct. One NP test to re-cert them all. A few of the other engineers at work are trying to talk me into starting the CCIE after my NP. I'm not sure yet. I might take a year off and then go for it. lol. Then again... I may never go for it.

good luck, i heard its a brutal test. my teacher was studying for it.



edit: IMOG what about your VCP or VCA ?

 

[I.M.O.G.]

I'm actually more interested in a VCA/VCP than I am in a MCSE, however I feel that the MS path better compliments and solidifies my past experience - currently I can say I've done a lot, but it was a few years ago. I'd like to say I've done a lot a few years ago, and I also was recently certified showing my skills are current.

I have some material for VCP stuff, and I'd like to do it eventually. I look at the VMware certs more like I do Cisco ones - not sure if thats valid or a shared perspective, but I just don't take the MS certs as seriously/worthy for whatever reason. Either way though, virtualization and server certs compliment each other well so they make sense.

 

[bbel121]

That is correct. One NP test to re-cert them all. A few of the other engineers at work are trying to talk me into starting the CCIE after my NP. I'm not sure yet. I might take a year off and then go for it. lol. Then again... I may never go for it.

With the new version of the CCIE exam, there is a lot more emphasis on the ability to troubleshoot at a CCIE level. As Cisco's revamp of the exam will make it harder. So some of the engineers are probably going on their experience of the v4 CCIE exam. It would probably be a good idea for you to take the year to get some solide troubleshooting experience under your belt before really starting to study. The biggest mistake I see students make when studying for the CCIE exam is to say I am am going to spend 6 months studying for the written exam...they do that and then they have lost a good six months. Simply start with the CCIE labs and augment that with some written study. By doing the labs, you are already reinforcing the written concepts. If you want some more suggestions, message me and I can give you more info on it.

 

[nightelph]

Subscribed, its about time someone made this a sticky, OCF.

I'm currently using the above book and Boson software, which isn't as great as GNS3, but cheaper for sure.

 

[SteveLord]

Not a Cisco guy, but I encourage certifications. VMware is tight and expensive though. I took a VSPhere course and was able to do it from home + glad I didn't pay a dime for it. Ouch.

 

[gangaskan]

I'm actually more interested in a VCA/VCP than I am in a MCSE, however I feel that the MS path better compliments and solidifies my past experience - currently I can say I've done a lot, but it was a few years ago. I'd like to say I've done a lot a few years ago, and I also was recently certified showing my skills are current.

I have some material for VCP stuff, and I'd like to do it eventually. I look at the VMware certs more like I do Cisco ones - not sure if thats valid or a shared perspective, but I just don't take the MS certs as seriously/worthy for whatever reason. Either way though, virtualization and server certs compliment each other well so they make sense.

ive taken all the material for and can go take the VCA with no issues, and the test is $30, however, as stevelord said, its not cheap, nor easy.


I had a friend take the VCP and he said it was very hard.

 

[bbel121]

To kind of follow up on phantasm comments on how he prepared, what I did was a little bit different. I did not use videos as videos sort of bore me. I read one chapter a night in my CCNA study guide and then I tried to do a lab or two from the lab workbook that I had as it had about 60 different labs in it. Due to the amount of labs, sometimes I would read a chapter let's say on Monday and there were 4 associated labs, I would do one on Monday night and the other 3 on Tuesday night and then go to the next chapter on Wednesday. So it took about a little over 3 weeks to finish them all. Then I took a practice exam. I did not guess on any. If I did not know it, I left it blank so I could get it wrong and then I printed off all the ones I got wrong. I then went back and reviewed the ones I got wrong and reread the theory and redid the labs. Then I took another practice exam and repeated until I was scoring 80%+ on the practice exam. That took another 10 days. I then easily passed the exam

 

[gangaskan]

your studies are key, but real world experience helps too i'm glad that manage our network, it gives me pleasure knowing what i can do.


like for example, a colleague decides to use a backup solution on *ALL* of his computers. it locks up a router because of the overflow of packets the router spikes up to 99% usage during backup periods.


shaping and policing that solution solved the issue i know the best solution is to tell him to stop! nevertheless, its my duty to make sure that even if its enabled to ensure 100% uptime on any and every network.

 

[trekky]

Also what helps also is getting Real Gear to Lab on, you can get older gear on ebay for cheap like 3550 ~$50-$70 and 1841 and 26xx for like 50-70 also and I got WIC 2T and smart cables to hook it all up and run Labs out of the book and sometimes Make my own labs

 

[alzerm]

My CCNA/CCNP instructor told us about this site to help with studying and or refreshing our memory down the line.

http://packetlife.net/library/cheat-sheets/

 

[Silver_Pharaoh]

Useful stuff thanks!!

 

[gangaskan]

My CCNA/CCNP instructor told us about this site to help with studying and or refreshing our memory down the line.

http://packetlife.net/library/cheat-sheets/

100% useful not only for the cheat sheets, but everything else thats on it

 

[aftermath]

I expect most taking these exams are backed buy their company...
Best of luck with your exams guys but I would hire in this order:
The girl/guy with real experience...
The Girl/guy with a physical lab...

Why?

You can't learn on production!

I provide a lab and I teach my staff! Who the F* else will? but not no way never on production no NEVER NEVER!!!!! (one )

At my last job a noob network guy on the basic network broke our network's Internet access. (and everything for the site's three hundred normal staff)
My old departments budget was £26 million of the total IS Budget of £56 million...
The Noob created a network loop on a 65xxe-r thanks to messing with the network probes ports. He sealed his own fate.
At first we thought the checkpoint between our LAN and vanilla had failed. Thirty minutes after logging it to the main service desk I rebooted the 65xxe-r wiping the config changes... He still thinks he "Fixed" it but he does not know my department existed so... Lucky I was on that site!

OK lets assume you are really bright and some guys in this thread are but if I was not on this forum you are just Joe six pack...
So demonstrate...

I went to a interview where I was to:
a) program bespoke ICs.
b) write SQL
c) manage network and servers

They did not offer enough £ but that job would have been fun...

A question I was asked at the third round of interviews:

A "Yellow Cable finder" has found our fibre what do you do? (this had happened.)

Get a a 3g dongle was my answer; or at least tie my phone in!

I have the experience to know that "Yellow Cable finder" is a bloody JCB!


A virtual set of equipment is one thing.
But making a real lab from bits bobs and scrounged IOS is another thing.
Especially when the person has had to brake in to equipment....

It may surprise you but some times I have inherited a site with equipment that has been poorly configured or the old IT company has been dispatched after a major screw-up. I'm three or four times the cost of my umm "competition".

singed
A technical manager with a lab of a 4506 Switch 6 routers and 3 L3 switches in the home lab + 4 firewalls 2 l3 switches in home "production" and a 15t IOS router on his gateway. XEN, Vmware sand hyperV servers in home "Replica"
I'm' building a ZFS SAN at work that has been trailed on my home lab. Once Qualified it will be rolled out to clients.

A-->B-->C--> MONEY!

Go do the exams!

Oh 96% on my first Cisco Cert

 

[jediobi1]

imog thank you very much for this awesome thread, i am currently researching routers and switches to build a home lab to get my certs and thanks to all the info here it should be easy!

 

[gangaskan]

You can't learn on production!

i fully agree to an extent



there are things you can play around with, not a whole lot, but there are things


creating things like routing loops, bridging loops, equipment reboots during production are things that are at all costs avoidable by not doing that junk in production!!!! creating a loop or bringing down a chassis because of your ignorance can potentially cost someones life, or even millions of dollars every second your network is out.


you have to be very careful when adding "new" things to the table, ether-channel and spanning tree for example are things that can create havoc if not configured properly from the start.

nevertheless, in general, the best way to learn is to create havok in the network, just not in a production one.

 

[Silver_Pharaoh]

i fully agree to an extent



there are things you can play around with, not a whole lot, but there are things


creating things like routing loops, bridging loops, equipment reboots during production are things that are at all costs avoidable by not doing that junk in production!!!! creating a loop or bringing down a chassis because of your ignorance can potentially cost someones life, or even millions of dollars every second your network is out.


you have to be very careful when adding "new" things to the table, ether-channel and spanning tree for example are things that can create havoc if not configured properly from the start.

nevertheless, in general, the best way to learn is to create havok in the network, just not in a production one.

+1

I've heard stories from my Cisco professor about situations like that.