Time required to complete CCVP

mhdanas

I would like to know how long will it take to complete CCVP certification if one goes with serious studies. Could anyone who completed help me : .

Thank you.

mikej412

Well -- using all the information you provided about your experience and assuming you have access to the books and/or courseware and voice routers, gateways, gatekeepers, POTS/PBX simulator (or real phone lines and PBX(s)), servers, and software for a Voice Lab -- I'd guess at least 5 times the amount of time it took you to get your CCNA -- maybe more.

mhdanas

Thank you so much for your great help

mhdanas

What do you advise about Checkpoint Certified Security Administrator. Shall I go into security ( if yes, CCSA or CCSP ? ) or CCVP ? Please advise

mikej412

It really comes down to what opportunities do you have, or what's available in your area. What you'd like to do could also be a consideration.

mhdanas wrote:

What do you advise about Checkpoint Certified Security Administrator.

Someone did a good review a while back in the Checkpoint forum -- made it sound interesting. If it something that's used where you work, or your company's customers use it -- then it's worth considering. If you did decide to go into security -- it gives you another security tool for your "toolbox."

mhdanas wrote:

Shall I go into security ( if yes, CCSA or CCSP ? )

You need to get some experience before people will trust you with their network and their security. Doing the CCSA or some of the Cisco Qualified Specialist certs (like the CQS-CFWS) can get you the "entry level" experience you'd need. But you'd also have to look at some of the higher level networking certs like the CCNP -- I wouldn't trust someone to secure a network that they didn't know how to build. Then you'd look at the CCSE or finishing the CCSP -- depending on what you like better or which gives you more opportunities.

mhdanas wrote:

or CCVP ?

Hot! Hot! Hot! I'd usually say go for the CCNP after the CCNA -- but if you have an opportunity to work with Voice Stuff, do it. It seems to be very popular. Check out this CCVP vs CCNP thread from a day or two ago for some more CCVP info (and I did mention the CCSP in there too).

mhdanas

Then CCVP would be best for me since I have been working for a VoIP service provider for last couple of years ( www.sipmicro.com ). Is is must go get security certification also with CCVP ? please advise.

Thank you.

mikej412

Performance, scalability, and security are always 3 important things that can easily get overlooked -- for software, networks, and even hardware. You get small pieces of security when you do the CCNP and CCVP -- enough to get you by if you study hard. Figure the CCNP gives you more knowledge to deal with the performance and scalability (and redundancy) issues, and the CCSP gives you more confidence when (and if) you have to secure the network.

You have to start somewhere, and since you're with the VoIP service provider now, the CCVP may be a more useful start. Then you might follow up with the CCNP and then the CCSP. If the Service Provider you work for also provides Internet access for customer, the the CCIP (and later the CCIE Service Provider) could be an option.

Beyond that -- there is the CCIE Voice, which 343 people currently have achieved.

When I decided to finally get some certifications, I spent a bunch of time on the vendor websites checking out what was available, what they covered, and what the requirements were. Cisco's main Certification page is here

mhdanas

I would really thank you for your great advise and appreciate your huge experience. I will start with CCVP and will continue with CCNP and CCSP.

THANK YOU