Career Advice

[Chopsy666]

Hi I am looking to start my career in networking i am planning to do a CCNA first then go straight to the CCIE. but i have to questions and wonder if anyone could help me.

1. if i do the CCIE in say security will i miss information that i would learn doing the CCNP or would i have to learn the exact same stuff in order to pass the CCIE. Basically is it worth me doing the CCNP if i am aiming for the CCIE.

2. when i look at jobs for CCIE in say jobserve.com do these jobs expect a CCIE in R & S or does the CCIE in security still give you enough general routing & switching info to still be considered an expert. what you guys reckon, in general terms is the CCIE the best to go for in terms of job opportunities

regards
Chopsy

 

[KiscoKid]

A friend of mine who passed CCIE security awhile ago said you won't have a prayer of passing if you're not pretty damn good with routing and switching.

Even though it's a security exam, you are still expected to build the network at layer 2 and layer 3 as you would in the R&S.

As far as jobs go, if they don't specifically say what discipline they want, they're probably just looking to appoint a strong routing/switching CCIE. As I've said, any CCIE should be strong at routing/switching anyway. They may of course just be looking to boost the number of CCIEs on their books to achieve Gold partnership with Cisco.

 

[Chopsy666]

Hello again KiscoKid,

you've helped me out on a few posts so if you remember me your probably thinking.."what this guy wants to be a CCIE" L.O.L.

Well its good to know that both demand a high level of expertise in routing & switching, I think the security one is the one i would go for. I did my first degree in mathematics so im reasonably intelligent, im not looking for the easiest one just the one the benefits me most in the least amount of time.

any suggestions on the CCNP. Ive just got myself a job in a datacenter with a pretty big firm that would allow me to develop into a highly networking role. Is it worth doing the CCNP or do you think the time would be better spent concentrating on the CCIE.

Have a nice evening

Regards
Chopsy

 

[KiscoKid]

Hi again Chopsy.

I passed my CCIE some 4 years ago now and I was a CCNP prior to that. This is probably a personal belief, but I felt holding the CCNP was useful and lessened the amount of info I had to digest at CCIE.

As you may or may not be aware, there is substantical reading material to prepare you for CCIE. There's at LEAST 5 books I'd recommend. That's copious amounts of info - 95% of which will all be new to a non-CCNP or lesser-experienced engineer. Without the background of a CCNP, I feel the learning curve will seem quite incredible without the benefit of previous CCNP study.

Of course, what I've said above kind of goes out of the window if you've spent a solid few years working in the field. Nothing beats good solid experience.

You work for a big IT company now (as do I) and, if I were in your shoes, I'd probably try and get myself more and more involved with big upcoming project implementations. Trust me, after you've banged out a few hundred switches and routers during a big project rollout, you'll start feeling very comfortable around them. That'd be a great time to study for a CCIE (potentially without the need for a CCNP)

 

[Chopsy666]

Thanks KiscoKid,

Once again i humbled and apperciative of your advice. would a CCNA home lab suffice for a CCNP or do you think i should go for one of those online rack rental systems.

Regards
Chopsy

 

[KiscoKid]

Hi Chopsy

Really depends on your budget I think. A lab rental or a simulator is the cheapest way forward. If you were to build you own CCNA/CCNP lab network, I'd say a good start up lab would consist of 3 or 4 routers (2500 or 2600) and an IOS switch (2900 or 3500 XL)

You can build good BGP, OSPF, RIP, EIGRP, Frame Relay setups from the equipment above. Just ensure each router comes with at least one serial and an Ethernet interface. If you can get a couple with ISDN as well it may prove useful if and when you splash out on an ISDN simulator.

Hope this helps

 

[gwildfire]

Personally I think CCNP is a logical progression to CCIE. Certainly from what various people have told me, CCNP covers a large percentage of the CCIE written. All the CCNP books should be on your CCIE written list so its a logical progression. I intend to do the CCIE written after the CIT exam (with lots of extra study)

Rack rental is good but doesnt offer the same flexability as your own equipment to get a grapple on. Its worth getting a few bits as KiscoKid mentioned and combining this with rack rental, there are free rentals out there too, my own site or

http://www.free-labs.com

offer such a service.

HTH

Visit

http://www.Cisco-Engineer.com

for free Cisco rack access.

 

[Chopsy666]

Thanks Guys,

Both of you have been extremely helpful, and i will take both your comments on board.

Thank you

 

[Chopsy666]

Gents,

i have been looking at the routers on ebay and there is a big difference in price between the 2501 fo example and the 2600 series. Is at least one 2600 reqd for CCNP or are 2501's sufficient ( i will prob use rental kits when i get to ccie stage)

Lastly the 2514. I read it has 2 ethernet ports allowing you to use it as a dsl router at home. Now is this merely because it has 2 interfaces, or is there some special reciever that 2514 has that enables it to do so (implying that the DSL signal is special in someway) & is one of these recommended by you guys.

Best Regards
Chopsy

 

[KiscoKid]

Chopsy

In my opinion, the 2500's are fine for CCNP. They don't support the latest 12.4 IOS but do support 12.3 which I think is more than sufficient. Additionally they have models available that support all the interfaces you need for the large majority of CCNP work inc. Ethernet, ISDN, Leased line, Frame Relay. With the appropriate feature pack, you get access to all the routing protocols required on the exam too.

Put another way, I used them when i first certified as a CCNP.

Regarding the 2514, I guess they say it can be used for DSL as it may support being a PPPoE client. I wasn't so sure and checked the Software Advisor on the CCO and there is no mention of PPPoE support on there for the 2514 so I think it's a no go.

 

[mapelston]

You must realize that networking is not a quick route to riches. It wasn't even in the Internet boom days because only the most knowledgable engineers really benefited from the build out of the Internet. However, if you believe you may truely be interested in networking as a challenging and rewarding career, go for it. You need to actually be able to accomplish network troubleshooting and you can pass tests with large gaps in your knowledge. Therefore, you should pass the tests for your resume, but work to learn beyond what is required of the tests so you are successfull on the job. Do not search for short cuts.

Toward that end, I suggest you work toward the CCNP to build a foundation in routing and switching. Only after building that foundation should you decide whether to go the security route. You want to have well rounded knowledge. Also, during your studies you may find another area interests you. For example, VoIP, WLAN, MPLS.

If you concentrate on building a foundation, the CCNP may take you a year to attain. However, the time is worth it. The CCIE will then be more realistic. Do not utilize router simulators. Build a lab of used 2500s for the CCNP. The IOS version does not matter until you reach the CCIE level. If you prefer rack rentals, I've had good experience with

http://www.enablemode.com.

When you are ready, they do CCIE training as well helping you build knowledge without shortcuts.

As for CCNP books use only Cisco Press books so you learn how the technologies actually work rather then just enough to pass the test. Before buying a book, look at the amazon.com users reviews.