CCNA Course

[Guest_imported]

Please can someone help me with a suitable career path.

I am thinking along the lines of a CCNA course but cant seem to find many jobs supporting this in the Nottingham area, should I go MSCE, or is either one of these courses good enough to be on my CV alone ???

I have PC experience in the home by doing LAN and making PC's, I enjoy this and wish to make a career by doing so.


Thanks

 

[wybnormal]

I would actually suggest both the MCSE and the CCNA with the CCDA..

It's a lot of work.. but .. when you are done you will have a pretty good idea of how networks REALLY work.. which is exactly what is needed. The CCNA is pretty much a cisco-centric world.. the MCSE is a Microsoft-centric world.. the CCDA ties both together and forces you to learn that you can not have one with out the other.. Also, there are manyt things that MS decided to do differently and you need to know these small potholes. In todays market.. the person that can wear a few hats will have work.. those that can only wear one hat will find themselves shutout.

MikeS
Find me at

http://www.packetattack.com

"The trouble with giving up civil rights is that you never get them back"

 

[firedragon]

I have heard that the CCNA is more valuble then the MCSE, becouse there are less CCNA out there. but keep in mind ther are alot of CCNA out there, so you will want to move onto other certs also. like the CCDA or CCNP. but combining certs like CCNA, MCSE and the CCDA, is also a great way to go.

 

[NormalGuy]

I am in the process of obtaining my CCNA and plan to also aquire CCNP status. I would advise (since I came from a similar backround as yourself)starting with A+ and Network + certs first. This would be a great way to get your feet wet and obtain alot of knowledge helpful to begin an IT career as you learn.

 

[diemen]

Hi,

Im gonna take the final exam for CCNA 640-607 but was wondering if anyone can help me to find a study guide. Appreciate any help.

 

[Hungster]

i think you are wrong, there are going to be as many ccna as mcse soon.

 

[wybnormal]

Cisco is tightening the screws down on their certs. The new CCNA and CCNP tests are just the first step. The CCIE program is just now being revamped and the folks that have taken the new written test claim it's much harder then the *old* one. Cisco views their certs not so much as a sales tool as a safety net for the customer and a way to ease the load on TAC. This is very different then MS which views the MCSE as a first line salesman pushing the MS product line. The end result is that MS has a vested interest in keeping large numbers of MCSEs in the world.. witness their backtracking on the expiration of the NT4.0 MCSE cert when over 60% were set to let it expire and NOT continue on with the 2K MCSE. Cisco does not have this problem since sales is not the primary goal. Their goal is to have someone representing Cisco's *Face* to the customer and so they want it to a high quality experience. How do you do that? by keeping the standards high on the certs. Which translates into harder tests as time goes on. Or as people post more *real questions* in order to cheat. Expect more sims of more complexity as time goes. It's alot harder to cheat. I've heard some testing has been done with telnet sessions to real racks rather then sims for certain tests. That would really rachet up the pressure.

MikeS
Find me at

http://www.packetattack.com

"Take advantage of the enemy's unreadiness, make your way by unexpected routes, and attack unguarded spots."
Sun Tzu

 

[wybnormal]

Cisco is tightening the screws down on their certs. The new CCNA and CCNP tests are just the first step. The CCIE program is just now being revamped and the folks that have taken the new written test claim it's much harder then the *old* one. Cisco views their certs not so much as a sales tool as a safety net for the customer and a way to ease the load on TAC. This is very different then MS which views the MCSE as a first line salesman pushing the MS product line. The end result is that MS has a vested interest in keeping large numbers of MCSEs in the world.. witness their backtracking on the expiration of the NT4.0 MCSE cert when over 60% were set to let it expire and NOT continue on with the 2K MCSE. Cisco does not have this problem since sales is not the primary goal. Their goal is to have someone representing Cisco's *Face* to the customer and so they want it to a high quality experience. How do you do that? by keeping the standards high on the certs. Which translates into harder tests as time goes on. Or as people post more *real questions* in order to cheat. Expect more sims of more complexity as time goes. It's alot harder to cheat. I've heard some testing has been done with telnet sessions to real racks rather then sims for certain tests. That would really rachet up the pressure.

MikeS
Find me at

http://www.packetattack.com

"Take advantage of the enemy's unreadiness, make your way by unexpected routes, and attack unguarded spots."
Sun Tzu

 

[hawkflorida]

First off I want to commend the advice I've seen so far in this group. I am pleased to see the level of professionalism here.

I come from a Telecom background and give technical support for installers of PBX(Options, Definity) and Key systems(Norstar, Partner, Legend, Magix). Since Telecom and Data are quickly converging I have been interested in the data network side. Not as a change of career but as an adjunct to my existing one. I had no router experience other than looking at them with awe. After a short course I took the CCNA 640-607 test and failed it. I am not going to let that knock me off course though. From what I've heard from people it was understable. I'm glad they make it challenging and worthwhile. I worked very hard studying for it but having routers and switches to play with is what I need. I will get the Cisco Internetworking Mentor (CIM) simulators to see if it will help. From what I've been seeing most simulators fall short so I'm going to the horse's mouth. I'm hoping it is a logical path for me to go. I've got the Cisco 640-607 handbook already. I hope my plan, at least for passing the CCNA is logical. Setting up a Lab may be too much for me right now, and from my experience I don't want to trouble shoot setting one up just yet. So that is why i'm choosing the CIM path. Anyhow, bottom line is I certainly feel Cisco certs are a worthwile goal. darnold@americaii.com

 

[TechStudent]

Hi,

Right now i'm studying Cisco CCNA at the Cisco Networnig Academy place here in Caracas, Venezuela.

I have a lot of experience using personal computers, from the Sinclair ZX-81 to today's computers systems, have used and worked in many OS like C/PM, DOS, UNIX System V, Xenix, Windows, Linux, etc. but never in an expertise level, this is the very first time i study something about computers and i can tell you somethings about my experience with this.

Cisco CCNA prepares you at an entry level for networking planning, designing and deploying, but note that knowledge for being a new CCNA and the actual CCNA curiculum it sky high compared with many institutional courses about networking you find out there in the street (at least here where i come from), not to mention how interesting networking should be, there's nothing you can do with Windows that compares for what you can do in a course lab to connect just 3 routers with 2 vlans in a switch and access lists, and Vlan trunking, Vlan routing, bla, bla, bla.

I think you can find a better key for your professional skills doing both of them but if my opinions count i should go (as i already did) with cisco's CCNA, and if you like it then to CCDA, there's something to be said, if it makes you like networking you gotta be sure Designin (CCDA) networking will make you fall in love.

Some other words, if you want to be good in what you're doing try doing what you like to do, everything else would just be a choice.

Bye

Jose Paez

 

[sorahl]

Cisco also gives discounts to their partners when they have reached a certain number of CCNA and CCNP engineers working for them. Thus the big push by companies to get people to certify or hire those that are..

 

[Hungster]

hmmm wonder if they get their book check lol