They asked me , Certified on Networks? , so you are a CCNA

jsobrinog

The topic for this text is impresive to me. I recently went to my ex teacher that is responsable in the math and science area at my university. I told him that now im certified in networks , and he said " from cisco", inside on me something said " WTF " , i just wonder why everyone relates networks with cisco. It´s very sad to hear that from a teacher that has a lot of years teaching and recruting people for networks and that his little horizon limits networks to cisco.

What do you think people?

I just looked around the web and find some interesting topics and charts that compare ccna and network+ . And network+ has some diferences with ccna :S

Ricka182

Network+ is a vendor neutral exam, focusing on the technologies of general networking. CCNA is Cisco specific, and Cisco is one of, if not the top name networking technologies. More people know Cisco.

porengo

jsobrinog,

As I'm certified in both CCNA and Network+ I can tell you that CCNA, although vendor specific, goes a lot more in depth when it comes to networking. That's probably another reason why it's more recognized, and valued, over Network+.

Peter

jsobrinog

Yes i agree that cisco is more specific. But i think that like everything, you can give a chance to other kind of certifications.

And yes, im going to work for ccna but not now, i need more experience with routers and switchs from cisco.


But you agree that a certification is a certification?

Webmaster

Well, I don't agree that a certification is a certification. There are no two alike. Apart from that, the reaction of your ex-teacher is pretty much the same you would get from most employers if you claim to be "certified on networks".

i just wonder why everyone relates networks with cisco.

Because far out most corporate networks are held together with Cisco equipment. Network+ is an excellent introduction to networking, and lays a great foundation for further network knowledge, but by itself is not really comparable to CCNA as the latter focusses more on skills with Cisco products rather than general network theory. Network+ is about 25% of CCNA (50+% of CCNA Intro exam).

Regardless, that doesn't make Network+ any less of an achievement or any less useful than it is. But you could safely take your teacher's comment as a sign CCNA (for starters) is a good one to have if you want a career in networking.

jsobrinog

Ok, ill start working for my ccna exam but in the next 4 months. Today im focused on a+ and maybe mcse ( work required )

garv221

Certified on networks is too broad, IE "A network of people". You can be certified in "Cisco networks" or "Juniper networks" or the topology like Net+. The correct repsonse is "What kind of network?"

Judd

Webmaster wrote:

Apart from that, the reaction of your ex-teacher is pretty much the same you would get from most employers if you claim to be "certified on networks".

Nicely put. Please don't go into an interview with "certified on networks" on your resume. Technically speaking, the Net+ exam can equivocate to a Network Technicians level of experience, even the Net+ objectives state this clearly. "Nine months networking experience".

Regardless, that doesn't make Network+ any less of an achievement or any less useful than it is. But you could safely take your teacher's comment as a sign CCNA (for starters) is a good one to have if you want a career in networking.

A career in Networking can be achieved without a CCNA certification, it will depend on the employers perception of certifications. For example, we just hired a Systems Engineer with 7+ years experience working with networks/servers, he has NO college or certifications. He DOES have practical, hands-on experience that was clearly evident to the boss during his interview. Having said that, Net+, CCNA, 2/4 year degrees definately increase your chances of getting your ideal networking job.

Webmaster

Judd wrote:

A career in Networking can be achieved without a CCNA certification.

Certainly, and even without any certifications at all. I was just saying it is a good one to have if you want a career in networking, not that it is a requirement. Even if you end up working with non-cisco networks, it (the knowledge and skills one can gain from learning for it that is) will still be useful. But you indeed don't need a CCNA, and even with the CCNA it can be very tough to find a job where they will actually allow you to touch the cisco equipment. Especially with Cisco, but in most other areas as well, experience weights heavier than a certification. It wasn't always that way though. Being certified used to mean that one has experienced and is certified to do things properly (i.e. the Cisco way). But that's not really the purpose of CompTIA, which mostly indicate a good and broad foundation, which is just as important as knowing how to configure certain products, but usually employers are looking for the latter.

Judd

Webmaster wrote:

I was just saying it is a good one to have if you want a career in networking, not that it is a requirement.

Completely agree with you.

I personally don't see the benefit of A+ certification for Network Admins, unless needing it for a precursor for other certifications or interests.

I'm a believer that if one has demonstrated themselves through college, work experience, or a network certification, that the concepts and material covered on either A+ exam should be a given. These are areas that should not be in question for any Network Admin with the exception of new technologies, which wouldn't be covered on a CompTIA test for quite some time. This is of course my personal view, but it's one shared with many others in the industry.