Network Admin Job

Is it possible to be a network/system admin with a ccna and not a mcsa. Or do I need to have a mcsa and a ccna is a plus. I'm getting ready to tackle one of the 2 certs and am trying to decide which I should do first. I have also considred a network engineer position, and in regard to this type of position which I would assume the ccna would be more important.

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tibul

Depends whether you will be mainly working with the MS stuff or cisco stuff, i'd say it would be good to have both, if you have experiance with either one then it may be better to go for the one you dont have experiance with.

so then you would have experiance say in MS and the cert in cisco would look good to a potential employer.

TechJunky

IMO there is a lot more to learn with getting a MCSA. A CCNA now adays doesnt mean much to an employer, its one test and one certification. Where the MCSA shows that you stuck with a goal that you were striving towards and accomplished that goal.

If you are wanting to be a router monkey Admin, get CCNA, CCDP, CCNP

If you are wanting to be a Microsoft Admin get MCP, MCDST, MCSA.

Microsoft Engineer MCP, MCDST, MCSA, MCSE, MCSE + Exchange

router monkey Enginer CCNA, CCDP, CCNP, CCIE

sprkymrk

TechJunky wrote:

IMO there is a lot more to learn with getting a MCSA. A CCNA now adays doesnt mean much to an employer, its one test and one certification. Where the MCSA shows that you stuck with a goal that you were striving towards and accomplished that goal.

If you are wanting to be a router monkey Admin, get CCNA, CCDP, CCNP

If you are wanting to be a Microsoft Admin get MCP, MCDST, MCSA.

Microsoft Engineer MCP, MCDST, MCSA, MCSE, MCSE + Exchange

router monkey Enginer CCNA, CCDP, CCNP, CCIE

You realize you have just insulted half the people on this forum, don't you?

LukeQuake

Since when has CCNA been 1 test? :S

goforthbmerry

Luke, you can do the CCNA in either one test or two. It depaends on the format you chose. The overall objectives of both paths are the same. The two test route just splits the objectives into two parts. Some people are more comfortable with this approach.

elover_jm

sprkymrk wrote:

TechJunky wrote:

IMO there is a lot more to learn with getting a MCSA. A CCNA now adays doesnt mean much to an employer, its one test and one certification. Where the MCSA shows that you stuck with a goal that you were striving towards and accomplished that goal.

If you are wanting to be a router monkey Admin, get CCNA, CCDP, CCNP

If you are wanting to be a Microsoft Admin get MCP, MCDST, MCSA.

Microsoft Engineer MCP, MCDST, MCSA, MCSE, MCSE + Exchange

router monkey Enginer CCNA, CCDP, CCNP, CCIE

You realize you have just insulted half the people on this forum, don't you?

LOL

TechJunky

How is this an insult? This is a very realistic expectation for any big company looking for someone who is going to control their network/systems.

I only have my A+, N+, MCP, MCDST... Should I have my MCSA to consider myself an Admin? YES. I may have a job title of a Systems Administrator, though I do not feel I am fully qualified to consider myself as a true admin until I obtain that last certification. This should give people motivation rather than insulting them. Education in this field is a life long project and keeping up to date should be everyones goal.

tibul

i think its becouse you said that CCNA doesent mean much to an employer etc, even though from what i can tell the CCNA is harder to pass than the MS stuff that i have done so far and there are much more MCP's than CCNA's so to be honest i see the CCNA more in demand and less jobs for them equaling higher wage, this is why i intend to finish my MCSA in security then switch to Cisco for a while and do more security certs.

In the end both CCNA and MCSA are just as good it depends on what career path you want and how much knowledge you want many people work with Cisco and MS stuff.

steve-o87

I think sprkymrk was referring to the fact that you put in your above post that anyone with Cisco certs or working with Cisco kit is a "Router Monkey".

Not that I'm too phased

TechJunky

I dont feel the Cisco test was any harder than the Microsoft course. I was a CCNA up until this year. My certfication expired this May. I did not take the test again to renew because my work deals directly with windows and has nothing to deal with cisco. In smaller organizations you may deal with cisco/windows stuff, however many BIG companies where you will make good money and get great experience are specialized as a windows department and a network department.

I know this because I have worked for 2 BIG companies before I got the position where I am now and they each had different departments depending on what you were specialized in..

IE: MIS-I Windows Support Group, MIS-II Applications Support Group, MIS-III Network Support Group

Each department dealt with its own baby, however each group does work closely with the other groups. I took an extreme pay cut to work where I am now, however I get to come to work late, leave early and still get paid 45k a year so it actually works better than working 12-14 hour days 7 days a week and making 80k a year.

I can refer to people with CCNA, CCNP etc as router monkeys because I was one for over a year and a half and I hated every minute of it. Checking damn traps of over 2000 routers = no fun!

RTmarc

LukeQuake wrote:

Since when has CCNA been 1 test? :S

It's one or two. You can take the full CCNA exam or you can take an Intro exam and then the ICND exam. Cisco recommends going the two exam route.

bmauro

"A CCNA now adays doesnt mean much to an employer, its one test and one certification."

LOL - good one.

You could also say that a CCIE is only two tests (Lab and written) - guess that means that doesn't mean much either....

garv221

I can tell you this router monkey makes a killing as IT Director for a big company with only a few small certs at 40hrs.

Also, please excuse my racial slurs toward indians, it's alright my ex girlfriend was an indian, I'm safe. wtf

Humper

Your CCNA expired in May.....Have you tried writing the latest one? How do you know if its difficult or not.

CCNA is not easy, many people take a couple tries before passing.

TechJunky

ModemHunter: What is hard for some may not be hard for others... Do I sound erregant? Most defiantly. Do I have a reason to be? Most defiantly. Yes, it could be harder than my last write, however I have not scored less than a 900 on any test I have ever taken. So do I have a reason to be a cocky punk? I would think so. If you dont like it thats your progative. The fact is that I make things happen and I dont sit around waiting for others to pass me by.

garv221: I am happy you are making a killing being a router monkey. Many people do make a good living. I was making over 60k a year at age 19 when I was a router monkey. I am not down playing their role, it just seems people who get into cisco are sitting in front of 5 monitors watching traps and telneting into routers all day long making sure ports are up, half duplex and full duplex are set correctly yata yata. I would know, I worked for the number 1 ISP up here and was the main Network Analyst that watched over our backbone connection to Sprint and AT&T.

bmauro: I never said that the CCIE was an easy test, I was simply referring to the CCNA certification. I have had plenty of years of experience to back up my claims and anyone who knows me personally knows that I am not blowing smoke. IMO CCIE is an amazing accomplishment and very little people have their CCIE. Every CCIE I have met has been nothing but astonishing in their field.

Lets try and keep on track here. I was simply suggesting what certification routes he should take to be exceptional in his field.

bmauro

"I was simply suggesting what certification routes he should take to be exceptional in his field."

That sounds much better the second time around

sprkymrk

Techjunky wrote:

Do I sound erregant? Most defiantly. Do I have a reason to be? Most defiantly.

Sorry, I don't believe anyone has a good reason for arrogance. Confidence yes, arrogance - no.

neo468

So does a router monkey equate to a network engineer in job terms.

To be a router monkey do I need to have more than a ccna

What cisco cert would help in voip cisco equipment.

Thanks for all your help guys

garv221

TechJunky wrote:

I may have a job title of a Systems Administrator,

TechJunky wrote:

I have taken little to no college courses and I am a network administrator

http://www.techexams.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=19432

TechJunky

neo468: I would consider an engineer as an engineer. Everyone is taking the term router monkey way to literal here.... I have been called a router monkey, jumper monkey, cable monkey, etc. It was common to call people that. It basically means someone who is told what to do and can comply doing it but cant do anything beyond that position. IE: I&R technicians for telephone companies would be a great example. 90% of them dont know what IEEE even stands for, how a dsl modem actually works, how a cable modem works etc. They know how to hook up some cross connects, do some fiber splicing etc, but they dont understand the technology behind it and why it works/doesnt work and this is why it takes forever for some techs to troubleshoot simple problems. They dont even know what a A+, N+ certification is. The only real certification they know about is the BISCI cert and possibly the CCNA.

Quit taking things so literally. If you let little things like this bother you guys then perhaps you are just a router monkey/jumper monkey etc and need to take action to change?

garv221: your last quote is very accurate, however please follow the link he posted. Dont expect to get where I am without any experience.

sprkymrk

TechJunky wrote:

It basically means someone who is told what to do and can comply doing it but cant do anything beyond that position. IE: I&R technicians for telephone companies would be a great example. 90% of them dont know what IEEE even stands for, how a dsl modem actually works, how a cable modem works etc. They know how to hook up some cross connects, do some fiber splicing etc, but they dont understand the technology behind it and why it works/doesnt work and this is why it takes forever for some techs to troubleshoot simple problems. They dont even know what a A+, N+ certification is. The only real certification they know about is the BISCI cert and possibly the CCNA.

Quit taking things so literally. If you let little things like this bother you guys then perhaps you are just a router monkey/jumper monkey etc and need to take action to change?

Or maybe you need to quit belittling people and their skills/jobs. You seem to be alienating more folks the longer you keep talking. At first I was amused and surprised at your wording, but now I am wishing I was a Mod on this thread so I could keep you from eventually insulting even more people, however unintentional it may be.

bmauro

TechJunky - yea man.. you have quite the talent of putting your foot in your mouth.

PS. I haven't taken any offense to anything you've said - but I can see the hole you're diggin yourself in.

garv221

TechJunky wrote:

garv221: Dont expect to get where I am without any experience.

Do I sound erregant? Most defiantly.

LOL! Where you need to be is in a spelling class! Do you have Tourettes?

TechJunky

Last time I checked this was a forum, not english 101.

I am not trying to belittle anyone. I am simply stating facts.

sprkymrk

TechJunky wrote:

I am not trying to belittle anyone. I am simply stating facts.

Actually you have stated opinions, I didn't see a single "fact".

But opinions are okay, and I believe you didn't intend to belittle anyone. Let's leave it at that.

neo468 wrote:

Is it possible to be a network/system admin with a ccna and not a mcsa. Or do I need to have a mcsa and a ccna is a plus. I'm getting ready to tackle one of the 2 certs and am trying to decide which I should do first. I have also considred a network engineer position, and in regard to this type of position which I would assume the ccna would be more important.

You can be a network admin with or without any certs or education. In general though, if you are going to manage servers (assuming Windows of course) employers will likely look for MCSA/E. If you are going to manage infrastructure an employer would likely look more for the Cisco certs and/or Network+, the more you have the more responsibility you can handle. Read some of the posts by Darby Weaver, Wildfire and Mike for examples of real world jobs where their Cisco certs have really come into play. I am sure there are many in this forum that can testify to real world situations where the MS certs have helped. Let's not leave out the CompTIA stuff either, many jobs require A+ or Net+ to even get your foot in the door.

garv221

I think Tourettes is the answer. It can only explain why someone would throw racial slurs out of the blue. Just like the movie Deuce Bigalow when he is on that date.

TechJunky

agreed.