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Tab8715 posted:How long does it reasonably take one to get CCNA-Certified? Well, in my case my motivtion sorta trundled and flagged for the two months prior. Nothing says doubledown like putting about 30 hours of helldesk on the line in order to get it done. In the last week or two, I've made alarmingly more progress on my study materials than in a month or so. Now my training plan is to put something like 15 hours a week minimum into it until I can reliably perform all the tasks indicated as objectives and lab out the needed objectives using all materials avaliable and be able to pass any/all questions on the material. I'll be aiming for 640-802 before it expires and then immediately burn for a CCNP while I've got momentum. Also it helps that everyone in the office is gunning for it now so I gotta beat them to it too QuiteEasilyDone fucked around with this message at 00:44 on Jul 9, 2013 |
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Jul 9, 2013 00:40
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I need to renew my CCNA before Jan 30 or whenever. I was hoping to crank out CCNA Security but it looks like the new one is ASA-centric and I don't really have the means to practise that. Just going to have to man up and do CCNP ROUTE finally. Hopefully I can knock that out side by side with this VCP thing.
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Jul 9, 2013 00:51
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Tab8715 posted:How long does it reasonably take one to get CCNA-Certified? Do the CCENT first which you can probably knock off in a month or two
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Jul 9, 2013 01:39
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Martytoof posted:I need to renew my CCNA before Jan 30 or whenever. I was hoping to crank out CCNA Security but it looks like the new one is ASA-centric and I don't really have the means to practise that. Just going to have to man up and do CCNP ROUTE finally. Hopefully I can knock that out side by side with this VCP thing. 640-554 has some ASA material, but I'd say it's more CCP/IOS-focused than anything else.
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Jul 9, 2013 03:20
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Martytoof posted:I need to renew my CCNA before Jan 30 or whenever. I was hoping to crank out CCNA Security but it looks like the new one is ASA-centric and I don't really have the means to practise that. Just going to have to man up and do CCNP ROUTE finally. Hopefully I can knock that out side by side with this VCP thing. There isn't really any ASA on CCNA Security outside of a couple over very high level firewall concepts. It was mostly using that stupid CCP interface on IOS devices. You don't really touch any ASA until CCNP Firewall (2.0) and it's like 70% ASDM and 30% CLI. I'd go for CCNA Security - I thought that was a lot easier than CCNA R&S.
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Jul 9, 2013 03:30
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Oh neat. For some reason someone told me the new CCNA Sec. is heavy on ASA. I should probably do my own research before jumping to conclusions, huh.
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Jul 9, 2013 03:56
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I think measuring how long in days is pointless, because thats not a real unit of measurement since you dont study all day. However, if you define a day as "If you spent all your waking hours studying and labbing" you can knockout the CCNA in one week with no cheating. For CCNP you could do switch in 1 week, route in 1 week, and tshoot in 3 hours (provided you do it after switch/route). Now, as to whether this would be the best way to have long term retention? No, but thats not really the question is it?
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Jul 9, 2013 04:42
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Mugaaz posted:However, if you define a day as "If you spent all your waking hours studying and labbing" you can knockout the CCNA in one week with no cheating. For CCNP you could do switch in 1 week, route in 1 week, and tshoot in 3 hours (provided you do it after switch/route). Now, as to whether this would be the best way to have long term retention? No, but thats not really the question is it? Maybe if your diet consists of all nootropics. However, the point behind a certification is not to get the paper, it is to have a good understanding of the material you studied. I understand what you are saying but some people may be popping into the thread saying "how do I get X" without understanding the cert without the knowledge behind it is close to worthless
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Jul 9, 2013 05:03
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You can reasonably aim to sit the CCNA in 240hrs of study using the official Net Academy resources. This is the timeframe in which I used to teach it, four hours a day, for 12 weeks with weekends off. This includes 3 weeks of basic intro stuff which, if you understand the OSI model and TCP/IP, you can skip and move straight into the routing and switching and WAN stuff. For current IT people maybe working helldesk who have networking basics or people with N+: Given 2hrs a night and 4hrs on both weekend days, you'll get it done in about three months. For noobs who are in work: Go same schedule as above, but aim for four to six months If you have all day to study then seriously go for six weeks. In terms of what you should actually do in that time, you should focus on getting GNS3 set up and LAB HARD. Lab time beats theory study hands down. Also don't bother getting the N+ first if you don't already have it.
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Jul 9, 2013 05:04
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Martytoof posted:Oh neat. For some reason someone told me the new CCNA Sec. is heavy on ASA. I should probably do my own research before jumping to conclusions, huh. It's heavy on CCP, basically. Get hold of CCP and know it in and out. All my sim questions on the CCNA Sec. were set in CCP rather than the CLI.
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Jul 9, 2013 05:10
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Cenodoxus posted:Some enterprising goon could make a fortune writing a test engine that randomly generates the numbers and corresponding answers - or maybe someone already has and I just haven't heard of it. That would have been enough to keep me on my toes past the eighth or ninth practice round. Well, for subnetting, there is https://www.subnettingquestions.com
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Jul 9, 2013 11:09
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Are there any Android apps for CCNA study? I've seen a couple crappy flashcard apps with wrong answers, but nothing useful yet.
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Jul 9, 2013 15:14
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Martytoof posted:Oh neat. For some reason someone told me the new CCNA Sec. is heavy on ASA. I should probably do my own research before jumping to conclusions, huh. I found the book to be heavyish on ASA, but the exam not so much. I actually had a hard time with the CCNA Sec, but trying to study while going through a divorce will do that to you.
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Jul 9, 2013 18:02
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QuiteEasilyDone posted:Okay so I'm looking to setup a basic home lab Not to necro from a couple weeks ago, but if you're still reading I just noticed a "Build your own Virtual Lab" intro webinar here. Don't know the speaker myself, but the group has usually put on decent speakers in the past and the synopsis notes using only free tools and your existing home computer. There will probably be a database-oriented slant to it as well.
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Jul 9, 2013 19:24
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I'm considering taking advantage of free Mac certification offered through my company. http://training.apple.com/certification/osx I skimmed over the integration basics review packet. It's a 70 page PDF that doesn't seem incredibly technical, however it's loaded with  .Do I actually have to read, take notes on, study etc. this review PDF in order to pass, or can I just work off experience? I was looking at a random, internet stranger's flash cards here. Example... Question: "Why is a password important to your computer's security" Answer: "Your password is used to: 1) Install software 2) Set up accounts 3) Access the KeyChain utility 4) Log into your computer" Basically: Do I really need to study for this? I was hoping someone could provide me with a fairly current, practice test, notes or review material. I feel as though I could blow it, by conjuring up complicated answers for extremely foundational questions. 1) Roughly how many questions can I expect? 2) Is it timed? 3) Multiple choice, fill in the blanks, writing sample, etc? What type of submission entries do they throw at you? 4) How do they possibly prevent cheating? cname fucked around with this message at 21:33 on Jul 9, 2013 |
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Jul 9, 2013 21:28
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I ran across this question in one of my CCENT prep books,code:So... by my figurin', only A and B fit, but the answer guide says B, C & E. Am I looking at this wrong? Or is there a typo somewhere I'm not seeing? Even if you look at it bitwise, code:The answer key goes on to explain, quote:A Class A network address with a /18 is 255.255.192.0. ... quote:The subnets in the third octet are 0, 64, 128, 192. quote:The network address in the question is 110.64.0.0, with a broadcast of 110.64.127.255, since the next subnet is 110.64.128.0. Answers B, C, and E are correct host IDs. I'm confused.
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Jul 9, 2013 21:57
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QPZIL posted:Wait what? How did we get 110.64.0.0? I thought the first 18 bits were unchangeable, why are we changing the second octet?  Author/technical editor done hosed up.You're correct, A and B are logically the only IPs that can belong to the 110.68.4.0/18 subnet.
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Jul 9, 2013 22:18
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cname posted:I'm considering taking advantage of free Mac certification offered through my company. 1) Don't remember. Not that many. Should easily be able to complete it in the allotted time. [e: now that I think about it I want to say 50] 2) Yes 3) Multiple choice, select-an-icon, and other similar choices. Nothing that would require a review from a test adviser or anything wonky like that. 4) gently caress me I thought the test was open book  (and now that I'm looking I can't find anything that mentions it anywhere....)This shouldn't be considered cheating but I've only taken two certifications so please tell me if this is some sort of brain dump or anything: http://bjornhouben.wordpress.com/2013/01/27/apple-notes-summary-for-the-mac-integration-basics-10-8-exam/ is what I used to study and I felt like it pretty much covered everything that was included in the test and just sort of abbreviates the stupid PDF they have.
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Jul 9, 2013 22:27
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I was presented with an awesome opportunity today! I work for a telco and I was told that I may be brought into the fold on a ground-floor SP MPLS network that we're designing. At worst, I'll be primarily responsible for the internal network while our current top guru gets pulled onto that project. Either way, it's a HUGE opportunity for me (not many people get to see an ISP built from day one). Needless to say, I need to learn a whole lot of information. I don't want to just get a piece of paper, I need to actually know the material because the people I work with are smart and they will call me on my bullshit without hesitation. Luckily, I have an engineering background, so networking just clicks for me. I sat down with our top guy for a few days, read Odom's books over the long weekend and crushed the new CCNA today. I took a cursory glance at CCNP ROUTE and the material doesn't look horrific. If my eventual goal is actual, comprehensive CCIE R&S/SP knowledge in an accelerated time frame -- is my next move CCNP R&S or CCNA SP? I want to have a better understanding of BGP as soon as possible since a huge part of this potential opportunity is going to involve serious poo poo w/r/t BGP. Just looking for some advice from Cisco guys; I'm young, ambitious and my company is behind me one-hundred percent. Classes I should take? Unrelated books to read? Best next body of knowledge to tackle?
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Jul 9, 2013 22:32
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Red Robin Hood posted:This shouldn't be considered cheating but I've only taken two certifications so please tell me if this is some sort of brain dump or anything: http://bjornhouben.wordpress.com/2013/01/27/apple-notes-summary-for-the-mac-integration-basics-10-8-exam/ is what I used to study and I felt like it pretty much covered everything that was included in the test and just sort of abbreviates the stupid PDF they have. Yes, that blog post is perfect. The .pdf is extremely strange. It's as though it attempts to be entry level, yet fails to define technical terminology/anagrams. Instead, it reads like the inner thoughts of someone attempting to connect to a user account to an LDAP network. I'll just bite the bullet and toss down the $65 expense report. The only reason I wish I could see a sample test, is because I have no idea how they'd possibly design an exam for such software/UI heavy material. cname fucked around with this message at 00:42 on Jul 10, 2013 |
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Jul 10, 2013 00:37
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cname posted:Yes, that blog post is perfect. The .pdf is extremely strange. It's as though it attempts to be entry level, yet fails to define technical terminology/anagrams. Instead, it reads like the inner thoughts of someone attempting to connect to a user account to an LDAP network. It is like they literally took a screenshot of the system menu and let you select icons and poo poo like that.
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Jul 10, 2013 02:17
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Protokoll posted:I was presented with an awesome opportunity today! I work for a telco and I was told that I may be brought into the fold on a ground-floor SP MPLS network that we're designing. At worst, I'll be primarily responsible for the internal network while our current top guru gets pulled onto that project. Either way, it's a HUGE opportunity for me (not many people get to see an ISP built from day one). Since you need to learn BGP well, and you are not primarily concerned about getting a piece of paper as quickly as possible, I would start with ROUTE and then SPADVROUTE. You are allowed to take the exams without having the requisites for the certification. I finished my CCNP R&S and am now going for CCNP SP. Having CCNP let's me sub CCNA:SP plus SPROUTE. (downside of that is that I am skipping IS-IS, but my company doesn't use that right now.)
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Jul 10, 2013 06:45
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I want to take the A+ plus exam to see if IT is something for me. I plan on using the site listed in the OP and the Sybex study guide. I'd like to take the test by October. Is this enough time if the time available is several hours daily every other week until September when I can commit several hours daily every week? Thanks for your help.
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Jul 10, 2013 18:29
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Well my PMP test is scheduled for July 30th. I'm nervous as hell right now and feeling a bit overwhelmed with everything I need to memorize before the test. 20 days and counting. Also my testing application was selected for auditing (of course) and while the process wasn't that bad it was a pain in the rear end since my references were old managers who have quit. Luckily they like me and took some time out of the day to meet up with me and sign all the paper work
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Jul 10, 2013 19:01
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Arrite, registered and paid for my Stanly VCP5-ICM course. Who else here is in my class? 
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Jul 10, 2013 22:55
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Martytoof posted:Arrite, registered and paid for my Stanly VCP5-ICM course. Who else here is in my class? 
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Jul 10, 2013 22:57
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MC Fruit Stripe posted:I've received no word from them, and even re-waitlisted to make sure. Nothing. When did you originally waitlist? I don't know where I was in the queue when I signed up, but it could be that I was near the tail end for the upcoming semester. If you signed up shortly after I posted originally then you should either be in this one (which it sounds like you're not) or likely in the winter semester or spring (I don't really know how they run their poo poo) semester.
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Jul 10, 2013 23:01
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But seriously, gently caress Prometric. All day.
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Jul 11, 2013 01:26
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I don't know why I never thought to check SA for this thread before. I put in 3 months of self-study for the N+ exam and just passed it today. I'm working 40 hours a week, taking 9 credit hours towards my associates year-round, and have a 7 month kid at home so finding spare time was not easy. I decided to pick up Glen Clarke's Net+ book set published by McGraw-Hill when I started. 850 page textbook, 250 page practice test book, and a CD Rom with videos and more practice tests. For anybody who happens across this book set and considers buying it, good loving luck. The book was very unfocused and often delved into complicated topics you frankly don't need to know. I wasted a lot of extra time on this stuff, though I guess it helps to have the background knowledge for a future IT job. The practice tests are also extremely easy, straight forward, and self explanatory compared to the types of questions I actually came across on the test (choose the BEST answer questions suck when you've only practiced answering the one correct option listed). Anyway, I'm in contact with a project manager at an IT company who is kindly guiding me through the certification track to getting a job. She says A+ isn't worthwhile, Sec+ is a more "specialized" cert, and CCNA is undoubtedly the way to go. With my busy schedule, I'll be taking the CCNET route first. Can anybody recommend the absolutely definitive best book to read to prepare? e- Also, how much is each CCNA test if you go the two-test route? Judge Schnoopy fucked around with this message at 02:18 on Jul 11, 2013 |
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Jul 11, 2013 01:58
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Judge Schnoopy posted:I don't know why I never thought to check SA for this thread before. I found the Cisco Press one to be really good
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Jul 11, 2013 02:06
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My work (a telco) is offering courses for the two CCNA SP exams, which I have enrolled for (Global Knowledge is our training vendor, my limited experience with them has been positive). The curious thing about CCNA SP is, of course, that there is no real study material readily available for it outside of classroom training (please, PLEASE correct me if I'm wrong). BGP, VRF, and IOS XR are some of the more relevant topics in it that I deal with every day but have little understanding of. I'm hoping to knock out both exams as quickly as possible following the training, I'm counting on some of the CCNA Routing and Switching overlap to help me be ready faster. Work is really starting to add significant incentives to maintain a CCNP or higher, but it was always kind of my plan to tackle at least one CCNA concentration before moving on to ROUTE as a starting point. I was able to start a real lab with spare equipment from work, so that should definitely help CCNP study. I have two 2811s (with what was the newest IOS 15 release last I checked), an 1841 with IOS 12, and sadly only one switch so far, however, it is a Catalyst 3550 (Layer 3!!!!!!). I'm thinking of adding a couple more switches to the mix, one being PoE preferably, to round out the lab shortly. Judge Schnoopy posted:
$150 each, the standalone CCNA is 290ish, I think, trying to verify on their site but it's not loading for me presently. So, you don't save a lot on the single test. Go the two test route, I did the single test successfully, but I don't recommend it. Canadian Maniac fucked around with this message at 02:52 on Jul 11, 2013 |
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Jul 11, 2013 02:50
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Canadian Maniac posted:$150 each, the standalone CCNA is 290ish, I think, trying to verify on their site but it's not loading for me presently. I'll echo CM's sentiment, as well - take the two test route. From a financial standpoint, saving $10 won't help you if you bomb one section and have to take all $290 of it again. From a non-financial standpoint, having a breather in between gives you time to focus on reviewing your CCENT material at first, then once you've locked that in, reviewing the ICND2 material. e: I think Cisco allows each exam partner to slightly vary their prices, but the math still works out to a $5-10 difference. Cenodoxus fucked around with this message at 03:07 on Jul 11, 2013 |
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Jul 11, 2013 03:00
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I live in a semi-small university town out in the endless Illinois corn. There are a couple IT jobs open that I'm applying for, but in your (the internet's) experience is the Net+ cert enough to get me in the door? I've worked 3 years in customer service / sales / phone support, but nothing related to direct IT experience. Should I be hoping for a starting position soon or am I more likely to suffer another winter of sales while achieving my associates degree / CCNA?
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Jul 11, 2013 03:28
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The problem with that question is that "IT jobs" is meaningless. No real way to judge without knowing what you're applying for.
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Jul 11, 2013 03:39
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Judge Schnoopy posted:I live in a semi-small university town out in the endless Illinois corn. There are a couple IT jobs open that I'm applying for, but in your (the internet's) experience is the Net+ cert enough to get me in the door? I've worked 3 years in customer service / sales / phone support, but nothing related to direct IT experience. You may need to clarify what you're looking for when you say IT. What kind of jobs are you applying for? Certs like A+ and Net+ are great for getting your foot in the door for helpdesk positions. Your prior customer service and phone experience is a big plus as well. If your resume's up to snuff, you can probably expect one or more callbacks. System/network administration positions, not so much. A+ and Net+ are less relevant. CCNA, MCSE, and Linux+ are usually in demand. Ultimately though, past work experience tends to be the deciding factor. Cenodoxus fucked around with this message at 04:40 on Jul 11, 2013 |
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Jul 11, 2013 04:38
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The main job I'm hunting now is titled "Technical Support Analyst" at a local hospital. It sounds like a runner / "fix simple stuff i dont have time for" for a current senior level IT admin. I guess though from one job to the next, the type of IT they expect you to do can be vastly different. All I can do is apply and hope.
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Jul 11, 2013 13:52
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Judge Schnoopy posted:The main job I'm hunting now is titled "Technical Support Analyst" at a local hospital. It sounds like a runner / "fix simple stuff i dont have time for" for a current senior level IT admin. Hey, my last job had basically that same title, and what you described WAS my main job function... but I also got sucked into web development, server administration, backup administration, cell phone administration, network administration, etc. It was great for my resume, but terrible for my soul. Getting paid $28k to be the main helpdesk/server/network/phone guy for an organization comprised of 200+ people is awful.
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Jul 11, 2013 13:57
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T-minus 3 hours until my ICND1 exam. I've prepared as much as I can and am getting constant 85-90% on the practice tests (the rest is usually just dumb mistakes since I'm doing all my studying at work and not focusing). Come what may, I suppose. This is my first "real" IT cert exam. I have ITIL Foundations, but that one was so laughably easy.
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Jul 11, 2013 16:23
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QPZIL posted:T-minus 3 hours until my ICND1 exam. I've prepared as much as I can and am getting constant 85-90% on the practice tests (the rest is usually just dumb mistakes since I'm doing all my studying at work and not focusing). As my friend said to me before my test, "YOU CAN DO IT FAGIT" Just read and reread the question. Take your time dude and you will be strumming the air guitar in celebration.
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Jul 11, 2013 16:33
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QPZIL posted:T-minus 3 hours until my ICND1 exam. I've prepared as much as I can and am getting constant 85-90% on the practice tests (the rest is usually just dumb mistakes since I'm doing all my studying at work and not focusing). Pace yourself - nobody gets extra credit for finishing early. Also, ask for earplugs. I don't know about you, but sometimes even the sound of the A/C turning on is enough to distract me. Now for an anecdote from my own ICND1 experience - I was about 75% of the way through and was making great time when I started to get that sinking pessimistic feeling of "ugh, maybe I'll fail... not by a lot, but just barely. I wonder if I misread any questions or missed some 1s or 0s somewhere." I tuned it out, trusted the last few weeks of study and practice, and was more than pleased with my final score. Good luck!
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Jul 11, 2013 17:06
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