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weinus posted:What's the best practice for obtaining a CCNA certificate? Been looking at courses and they can run upwards of $5000 for ICND1/ICND2. Can I do self study and just pay an exam voucher or is it recommended to take an actual course? I'm self studying, and almost everybody in my office with one self studied as well. That being said, I'm open to new suggestions on how to do that because holy poo poo Wendell Odom is so loving boring. The information in his books are good but it can get painful to read. A few of my coworkers managed to pass the test using nothing but his books, CBT Nuggets, and a simulator though.
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May 16, 2016 17:08
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Sprechensiesexy posted:https://learningnetwork.cisco.com/community/certifications/ccna Give me a loving break
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May 17, 2016 11:10
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rafikki posted:Didn't they just revamp it in 2014? Or was it 2013? They changed it September, 2013. It was unchanged since 2007 at that point. I'm trying to go through the topics to figure out what changed by my coworkers are being loud and I can't focus. e: https://learningcontent.cisco.com/cln_storage/text/cln/marketing/ccna-rs-exam-revision-v6.pdf It's too fuckin early for me to think straight Renegret fucked around with this message at 13:25 on May 17, 2016 |
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May 17, 2016 12:23
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skooma512 posted:God drat it! No wonder Laemmle said he was making a new edition Take it when you're ready. https://learningnetwork.cisco.com/community/ccna-rs-certification quote:The CCNA Routing and Switching exams and trainings are being revised from v2.0 to v3.0 Candidates can choose to take either the version 2.0 exams or version 3.0 exams. The last day to test for the 200-120 CCNAX v2.0 and 100-101 ICND1 v2.0 exams will be August 20, 2016. The last day to test for the 200-101 ICND2 v2.0 exam will be September 24, 2016. I have a coworker who passed his CCENT and failed CCNA right before the 2013 revision. The rep at Pearson told him he had to retake both tests, but I'm pretty sure he just got ripped off or, more likely, the Pearson rep was an idiot.
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May 17, 2016 21:02
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rafikki posted:Just take the existing one? Yeah, that's my plan 3 months should be plenty
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May 19, 2016 15:29
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skooma512 posted:Me too. We're gonna make it buddy failure is not an option  no...really...it isn't It's going to be really awkward if I fail. What a dumb decision, I just should buy the new books. I am not known for my good decision making.
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May 20, 2016 12:51
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MJP posted:Sec+ is super easy and can be done from a book, but if the training's free, why not. I got my Sec+ after 3 and a half days of studying, no knowledge of the format of the test, and 0 desktop experience in a corporate environment. The test is a loving joke. There's no reason not to take it if it's going to open up new doors for you. Renegret fucked around with this message at 22:52 on May 20, 2016 |
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May 20, 2016 22:48
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Charliegrs posted:Im pretty sure you could get some tech support jobs with a Net+. They wont be great tech support jobs, think like your local cable company or DSL provider telling old ladies how to connect to their wifi router that kind of thing. Hell I had a job like that a long time ago and I didnt even have a Net+. I always advocate for call center jobs in telecoms in general as a way to get your foot in the door anyway. I get it, call centers suck, but what makes ISPs a good choice is that they're huge organizations with tons of vertical progression available to you. Call Center jobs are easy to land, in my organization actually pay pretty good, and being able to wave a certification around will put you above 99% of your coworkers who are just there for a paycheck. As long as you stay hungry and apply to anything and everything internally, it's not unheard of to get out before your first year's up. Plus FCC regulations state that certain support personnel have to be physically located on the company footprint so you have less of a chance of getting outsourced. The person who trained me worked at the call center for 1.5 years, got his CCENT and got picked up by the NOC. 8 months later he got his CCNA and got promoted up a level in the NOC. Two years later he got his CCNP R&S and became a firewall admin. I haven't looked at the Network+ curriculum but I imagine it's a good start on moving towards a CCNA. poo poo, you could just slap a "currently studying for CCNA" on your resume under that N+ and prove you know the difference between a switch and a router to land my job.
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May 25, 2016 11:44
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I got an e-mail from the manager from our Networking department this morning saying I was selected to take part in an in-house CCNA training course to try and get some people certified. There was a lot of competition to get in, and it won't start until later this month. Since I'm taking ICND1 on the 23rd of this month and ICND2 in August, I approached him to polity decline because I'm already too far ahead (and try to put a recommendation in to someone I'd rather take my spot, of course). While shooting the poo poo with him, I discovered that the person giving the training doesn't actually know the tests are changing soon and there's no way it'll be over in time to catch the tail end of the tests. They also don't have a plan, or a time frame in mind. He was all excited about the free books he got from cisco too....for the old tests. I think I dodged a bullet by doing this myself. It looks to be as thoroughly thought out as everything else in this department.
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Jun 1, 2016 22:52
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Japanese Dating Sim posted:Honestly if you've worked in IT for a couple of years and have a passing interest in security concepts, it'll probably take you 2-3 weeks maximum to "learn" the "material" of Sec+. It's basically all acronyms, common sense, or stuff you'll have naturally learned already. It's real easy
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Jun 8, 2016 21:05
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ahahaha warchalking, I forgot all about that. The extent of my "studying" for Sec+ was reading the book cover to cover in 3 days without any note taking, and the only thing I actually studied to commit to memory were the common port numbers. I had no business passing that exam. I don't even work in IT so I had very few personal experiences to draw from. I'm not trying to gloat or anything, I'm trying to show just how easy that test is. I'll go as far to say that it was easier than the A+. The most complicated question on the exam was "configuring" a standard ACL on a "firewall". Basically all you had to was click on permit/deny from a drop down, and type your source IP/port into two clearly labled fields. In all cases except one they even gave me the port numbers. That one case was TFTP, and if you're a child like me you'll never forget port 69.
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Jun 8, 2016 23:22
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I'm taking ICND1 next week. Some of my coworkers are recommending writing out all the subnets before I start, but man, I just find subnetting so easy I feel like I'd save time just doing them by hand as the questions come up. Haven't really made my mind up yet on how I'm going to do it. I'll probably write them out anyway just as insurance against stupid mistakes from test jitters.
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Jun 15, 2016 21:18
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skooma512 posted:ICND 100-101 is going away on August 20th. You got plenty of time. In fact, I say you should move the date a week closer so if you fail you have time to take it again with a better understanding of what you need to know. e: I'm taking ICND2 at the end of August and I just started studying. Passed 1 with a month and a half of studying, and I could've done it faster. Please ignore the fact that I'm a lonely goon who lives alone and has no family responsibilities so I have unlimited time to study. Renegret fucked around with this message at 21:59 on Jul 8, 2016 |
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Jul 8, 2016 21:51
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sean10mm posted:The big warning I'd give about ICND2 (now that I just passed it today difficulty wise, how does it compare to ICND1? I felt like the ICND1 test didn't match up to my practice exams either because the actual test was far easier than what I practiced with and studied for. I'm feeling a little too confident about it and I half expect to crash and burn miserably as a result of my hubris.
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Jul 11, 2016 19:22
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) is that none of the practice exams I've tried really correlate that well to the actual exams. Official study guide DVD exams, Boson ExSim Max, Cisco's official practice exams - all kind of lovely. This was the opposite of my experience with ICND1, where the Boson practice exams in particular were very close to the real thing to the point where my scores between the two were almost identical.
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sean10mm posted:ICND2 was definitely harder for me, because it seemed to be consistently more skewed towards testing your brute force memorization of minutiae than ICND1, and I'm worse at that. welp I'm boned
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Jul 11, 2016 20:33
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sean10mm posted:You should be fine for time, just focus on the key topics in the study guide, especially the week before. Do practice tests periodically but once you get 900+ on them quit giving a poo poo about the last 10% and focus on re-reading the tables of fussy poo poo about every kind of spanning tree and poo poo like that. The simulation questions are the easiest part if you are any good with the CLI, especially EIGRP and OSPF. It's more that memorizing stupid minutiae is my weakest point. I'm fine for simulations and anything that requires that you show an understanding of a concept, but before every single cert test I've taken I've had to cram things like common port numbers and the classful IP ranges because I have a poo poo memory and I never need to use them for work. Part of the reason I did so well on ICND1 was because half the test was a subnetting, which is a skill, and the simulations were far easier than I expected so I was over prepared for them. ICND2 will mark my 4th cert test, you'd think I'd have some of the easy stuff committed to memory by now but nope.
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Jul 11, 2016 21:22
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Rhymenoserous posted:Testing on poo poo that most people look up is stupid. When's the last time you calculated a subnet by hand? Did the internet suddenly disappear from the entire world or did the devil steal every subnet calculator that does the work for you for a laugh? I didn't say I agreed with the way it's done, but this is the hand we're dealt. sean10mm posted:I'm bad at rote memorization as well.  
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Jul 11, 2016 22:34
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I can't stand the Odom books. He uses several paragraphs to explain a concept that could be done in just a few sentences. I feel like I'm reading the same thing over and over again, until my eyes start to glaze over and I realize I didn't retain anything I just read. Luckily I get a free subscription to CBT Nuggets through work, so I mainly use that with the Odom book to supplement where needed. I can see how some people like that book because it's very detailed, but personally it's just not my thing. All the details in the world don't mean poo poo if I'm just going to glaze over it and fall asleep.
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Aug 8, 2016 14:35
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So I'm learning Frame Relay right now for my CCNA and I have more of a real world question. If nobody really uses Frame Relay anymore, what do people normally use these days? Certainly Leased Lines aren't the norm because they're so expensive? It seems packet switching would be better in a real world scenario but Frame Relay is the only thing that's covered. Yes I know they're getting rid of it on the new revision, but I'm taking the old test at the end of the month.
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Aug 12, 2016 15:02
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ErIog posted:They don't cover PPP or HDLC in that version of the test? They do, but PPP and HDLC are for leased lines. Unless you can packet switch with them too and my idiot newness is showing. I don't even know what the big deal with frame relay is either. The hardest part was figuring out how to make it work in Packet Tracer, the config was pretty easy. STP still gave me more trouble by far. Probably just understanding the concept that there's no MAC addresses, and that DLCI numbers work backwards.
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Aug 12, 2016 15:23
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Just barely passed my ICND2 exam oh man it was close. That test was not easy, ICND1 really gave me a false sense of security.
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Aug 27, 2016 20:17
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skipdogg posted:Congrats! A pass is a pass. I passed one of the msft exams with a 702 once. 700/1000 is the cutoff. I took it As my VP likes to say: What do you call a Doctor who graduated bottom of his class? A Doctor.
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Aug 28, 2016 12:05
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MSP = Managed Service Provider, basically a company that does outsourced IT for other companies too small to have their own IT department. NOC = Network Operations Center, first level of escalation for a larger company. I work at a NOC right now, and we're basically a jack of all trades. We know a little bit about everything but nothing in depth. It's a fantastic starting point because we can get a taste a whole bunch of different technologies and are surrounded by experts knowledgeable in all those fields so we can branch out as we want. You don't need as as technical knowledge because the entire job is centered around communication first and foremost. blah blah blah every NOC is different, but that's how ours operate. e: it helped a lot with my CCNA to have a department full of CCNAs and CCNPs sitting 10 feet behind more, eager to answer any questions I had (so I can start doing their job for them) Renegret fucked around with this message at 21:10 on Aug 29, 2016 |
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Aug 29, 2016 21:03
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Schroeder91 posted:All right I'm definitely shooting towards the CCENT. What's a decent estimated time of studying to passing the cert? Anything specific to double dip on? They're pretty upfront with exam topics: https://learningnetwork.cisco.com/community/certifications/ccna/icnd1/exam-topics As far as double dipping, subnetting is the single best skill you can walk into the test with. Even non-subnetting questions will have subnetting elements in them. It took me a month, but I'm single and childless so I was able to hammer it out really quickly with a fair bit of work. Even though the OP is out of date, the information is still pretty good. Cisco Packet Tracer is free and will get you through just fine if you don't want to put down a few bucks on some test equipment. The official Cisco Press books by Wendel Odom are dry, and while I personally don't like them, they have all the information you'll ever need for the test. Also keep in mind that the exam was just revised. Not many people have taken the new version yet so details on the new revision are kind of sparse.
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Aug 30, 2016 00:22
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MrBigglesworth posted:
I personally haven't even started considering it yet, but I have friends and coworkers who are currently going for it right now and that's the order they're doing it. Last I asked them, two are still stuck on TSHOOT. Makes sense, to leave the hardest for last.
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Sep 6, 2016 15:15
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I'm kind of in the minority that I'm glad I got my A+ back in the day. Sure the cert itself hasn't been very useful, but in studying for my A+ I still learned a lot of little things that filled in gaps in my knowledge. All my experience with computers before that was from being "the neighborhood kid good with computers" so it gave me a solid baseline to start off with and move on. Though I don't deny that there was a lot of useless bullshit on it as well. Sec+ was laughable and I can count the number of actual useful things I learned on one hand.
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Sep 7, 2016 18:02
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Mouse Cadet posted:How difficult would the S+ be for someone who not that familiar with networking (took one class in college 5+ years ago). It's fine. I took S+ with no knowledge of networking, walked out with an equal amount.
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Sep 8, 2016 01:18
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ErIog posted:So I'm making flashcards for the CCNA and my RFC number cards have reached a critical mass of unusability. How important is it to know RFC numbers for specific networking things? I've never needed it in the real world, but have any of you needed it before for the the test? Don't bother
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Sep 13, 2016 11:06
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ErIog posted:Okay, is it also worth knowing any 802 numbers besides 802.2, 802.3, 802.11 and 802.1Q? Make sure you know 802.1D and 802.1W as well. Along with 802.1Q, I'd say those three are the most important to know. I think 30% of the test is spanning tree? Somewhere in that region. It's possible you'll get questions about those.
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Sep 14, 2016 03:17
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CBT Nuggets alone isn't enough, you really should be combining it with a book imo. It might be enough to pass but it certainly doesn't cover everything that will be on the test. I just checked and they just released the new video series for 100-105, but they haven't done 200-105 yet.
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Sep 21, 2016 19:01
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I'm sure somebody who knows the industry better than me can give better suggestions, but I got in coming from retail and no professional experience by getting a job at a NOC, with a willingness to work overnights as a big selling point. I had an A+ cert at the time, which I doubt was a factor in my hiring, and a bachelors in Comp Sci, which looks good on paper but is completely useless as far as technical skills go in IT. There was a healthy sprinkle of luck in there too because I shared an alma mater with the department manager and I'm pretty sure that's the only reason I got hired. We're at the point where my department will hire anybody as a temp to hire with a CCENT, a personality more interesting than a wet paper bag, and willingness to be exploited for lovely pay. e: Even though my A+ was completely useless, I still have no regrets getting it. It was still a good learning experience and filled a lot of gaps in my knowledge I had from being "that neighborhood kid who's good with computers." Renegret fucked around with this message at 20:46 on Oct 16, 2016 |
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Oct 16, 2016 20:44
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big money big clit posted:I'm familiar with the requirements, I've worked in gov IT and carried a clearance. The content is irrelevant because whether the server was hers or on the OpenNet network it still would have violated requirements to keep classified info on isolated networks like SIPR. If the problem is that classified information was sent on unclass networks and housed on unclass machines that would also be true if it was sent to hrc@state.gov, or whatever. I'm really interested in the more technical side of the whole ordeal, but I don't really want to contribute to some sort of horrible derail. Is there any place with a really good write up that someone could link before we go on our merry cert-going ways?
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Nov 7, 2016 00:07
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Thom and the Heads posted:The Network + was an exercise in getting through 80 vague questions that barely gave enough information to answer them. I thought Cisco exam questions were garbage with all the "Pick 3 out of 5 That Are MOST right" type stuff but CompTIA takes the "holy gently caress these questions are traaaash" cake. Dear god I just took this and wowie it was bad. There was more than one question where the answer was obvious but I didn't know which choice it was because they were all bad. Whatever, I'm done with comptia for another 3 years so I can continue doing nothing with their certs other than resume padding. The best part of the test was speeding through the CBT Nugget videos in two days just looking for acronyms and new concepts, and seeing the point that the video maker just gave up trying to teach and started just hitting bullet points off of the test objectives since there's no rhyme or reason behind what's on there. Renegret fucked around with this message at 20:59 on Jan 20, 2017 |
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Jan 20, 2017 20:56
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Personally I would recommend taking the two separate tests. It's the same cost either way, but if you take them separately and don't know the ICND2 material well enough, you can still walk away with a CCENT certification, and it'll only cost you $150 to take the second test again. If you take and fail the composite, you walk away with diddly squat and it's another $300 to try again. Plus, from what I heard from coworkers, it sounds like the composite test makes up for the additional ICND1 material by having more difficult ICND2 material. I went the two test route and I don't regret it.
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Feb 19, 2017 04:13
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I'm thinking of getting another CISCO cert for funsies/resume padding/promotion leverage. I was thinking of going for CCNA Security but it looks like the Cisco Press book is complete dog poo poo. There's also only 7 hours worth of CBT Nugget Videos so I somehow doubt that covers everything. Are there any recommended study materials for this or should I just muddle through it best I can? It's worth noting that I don't actually work in Networking right now but I'm trying to find a new job. I already have a CCNA R&S and it just feels wrong to study for an NP without actually working a day in the field.
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Mar 29, 2017 14:45
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Judge Schnoopy posted:Don't worry about it too much, the only thing you need to know about sockets is that AMD doesn't fit in an Intel motherboard, and AMD has a lever that has some official name I promptly forgot. I had a question asking for the specific socket type of an ancient CPU when I took my A+ six years ago, but really what they were testing was that I could recognize the naming conventions between the two. To be fair, that's not something that's all that difficult to study for, but it was unexpected and really threw me off at the time.
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Apr 4, 2017 13:06
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Dr. Arbitrary posted:Security+ is super easy if you're even sorta clued into computer security stuff. I can't let a Security+ discussion pass buy without laughing at warchalking
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Apr 4, 2017 18:30
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BrainMeats posted:Sounds good I'll grab the next book and get to studying. I used the Mike Meyers All-In-One exam guides for A+ and Network+. Seemed to do a good job separating out how things work in the real world and how things work on a CompTIA cert exam. Though for Security+ there is a Mike Meyers text and a All-In-One text and they are not the same. All I used for Network+ was Keith Barker's CBT Nugget videos and you could hear him having a hard time holding it together when he was talking about it. For Sec+, I used Mike Meyer's book and he take it completely seriously. I couldn't help but laugh my way through the whole chapter.
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Apr 4, 2017 18:37
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Maybe the cert writers are just suburban stay at home moms and they heard about it once on TV as the next threat to your children's safety
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Apr 4, 2017 18:54
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ICND1 is a test of "do you know how to subnet and also probably some other stuff in the course objectives, maybe" So more than anything else make sure your subnetting is strong.
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Apr 5, 2017 12:49
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