CCNP before CCNA Collab

Simrid

Hi guys,

Just wondering if it's best to go for CCNP R&S before CCNA collab and even perhaps security before CCNP R&S?

Thoughts?

Simon

cisco_nerd

This really depends on -
1. What is your current skill level with R&S for the purpose of voice/video implementation?
2. What is your engineering aspirations?

Do you want to be a voice engineer... or a network engineer... or a security engineer?

It is certainly good to have a well rounded understanding of the basics (R&S and security) for voice work, but you can learn most of it on the job anyway - and often this is a good way to learn it (from an implementation/troubleshooting view).

Voice security for example (by no means exhaustive) is usually ACL to prevent unauthorised SIP servers trying to send calls out of a registered gateway... maybe even switchport security at the access layer to prevent 3rd party phones being plugged in and getting auto-registered... and routing, is well routing...

I would say do which ever one grabs at you the most. For me that is voice, then R&S. From a re-certification point of view, its a moot decision really because if you do NP first then NA collab... you can just sit an NP Collab exam and you're all good.

So... if you like/prefer R&S, then do the NP... if you love voice... then do the Collab - R&S doesn't change that much, voice is where it's at!!

Simrid

Haha, thanks! I'll bare that in mind