Cisco Certified

[MarkJ]

Morning all,
I'm wanting to get a new job in networking. I've worked in IT for the last eight years in group support roles looking after the servers and the network, and want to specifically get into just the networking side. My current job was an even spread over servers, network and databases but has recently become 90% DB and I do not like it.

I have a networking BSc degree, and have thought about self teaching myself the CCNA course. Has anyone done this before? Anyone with a Cisco qualification recommend it?

Thanks

[t121anf]

I know a few people with CCNA and they tell me it's very very hard.

No doubt worth it though.

[natefz6]

Loads of CBT nugget stuff available on line, video based tuition. That and the books either from a good library or ebay should see you set as long as you spend time reading/watching them.

My work have sent me on a few Cisco courses and I can say (for me) that they are not worth the money. One that I was sent on was just shy of £5k, it was boring as hell and I knew more than the instructor. You can get software labs now so having expensive equipment to do the lab practice is not needed any more really.

I would not recommend it (depends on your goals) but "how to pass" https://www.how2pass.com/ is pretty much exactly the same as what you will get in the exams. So good for practice if you are not sure you will pass, or do as some people do and just parrot learn all of the answers.

Depending on your current salary and position depends on if it will be worth it for you. When I look at CV's CCNA is a nice to have but experience counts much more imho.
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"no I didn't steal it that's just the way I ride"

[P.addy]

Hey buddy,

I've done CCNA and CCNP back when I was at college... did it in addition to the college course in my own time.

It hasn't really got me anywhere special, I think it helped sway the decision to employ me at my current job though. It could get me somewhere if I was willing to be an on call Cisco engineer for various companies, have seen various jobs for things like £150 a day > £300 a day on call techs for large companies around London.

It looks good on a CV, it is pretty easy fundamentally, especially if you have prior significant networking knowledge.

[MarkJ]

Paddy, that's what I was after I'm not wanting to use it as a ticket to any networking job, it's just that a lot of the jobs I'm looking at all state "must have knowledge/experience of Cisco equipment" and I thought CCNA would perhaps stand me in good stead for that aspect.

Anyone recommend any good books? I've heard the Todd Lammle books are good but there are loads of different versions.

[woodall57]

Cheers for the insight paddy. My degree i should be starting in September at Sheffield Hallam, (network design) includes the Cisco syllabus and exam fee
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cbt:4/7/12 theory:16/7/12 module 1:12/8/12 module 2: ?

[P.addy]

I'll see if I have any of my CCNA stuff at home on CD.

Definitely would check out some online torrents though, they were stashed with good CCNA/CCNP stuff when I was studying away from home

[Islander]

CCNA isn't particularly difficult but the Cisco pass marks are set high and the exam is adaptive so if you're weak on knowledge in one area then it'll find you out.

[Irn-Bru]

I found CCNA difficult, it was more about cramming lots of info in your head than anything else, really boring stuff usually.
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KTM 990 SMT & Suzuki DR-Z 400 SM

[Islander]

[Spudly]

I'm pretty sure I have all four books from Cisco about the CCNA, I'll have a look this weekend.

As far as doing it is concerned, I found the hardest part of it was getting my head around subnetting. Once that clicked though, I found the rest of it was easy. Mostly, the Cisco specific stuff is about navigating their console. It's reasonably logical though.
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The Old Apprentice

[Ingah]

I'd say it's the qualification track to go for if you are chasing a networking career, especially in any environment that involves looking after large networks. I don't believe it's necessary for an IT career - i disagree with the school of thought that it strictly follows what you need to know to do IT jobs, as it's far more Cisco networks orientated.

The whole point of it is that if you have the qualification, you are likely to be able to be put on a Cisco network and let loose with a minimal amount of training and guidance.

There are more general qualifications out there, but if your goal is strictly within networking, Cisco is probably the route for you.

I recommend the official Cisco press books, as they contain all the details you need to pass the exam; details that appear to be missing in the training videos.

Good luck.
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-- Ingah

[Frost]

If you want another networking qualification maybe have a look at LPIC. It's a fuck load cheaper than cisco. I think most companies (well ours at least) don't throw all their eggs into one basket and go all in with a single company like cisco. So whilst CCNA is useful to them a good general knowledge of setting up systems is going to be more valueable to more companies

[MarkJ]

Thanks for the help everyone, it sounds like it's what I thought it would be It being quite heavy on subnetting is actually good news as my degree focussed quite heavily on it