CCNP or CCSP

svo4dot6

Hey guys, I passed my CCNA a few months ago and am ready to move on to the next step but am sort of stuck at a cross roads. I already have 4 years experience in the routing/switching side of networking (network admin for an isp and network admin for domain registrar), but i also have 2 years under my belt as a network admin for a company working with the routing/switching side, but also handling the security side of things because of the nature of our business. Considering my experience what do you guys think would be a better route for me to take? I enjoy the routing side just about the same as the security side, but the thing i don't really like is that with the CCSP other than the SNPA and the SND exams, pretty much all of the other topics bore the hell out of me.

Any thoughts/suggestions?

mikej412

svo4dot6 wrote:

other than the SNPA and the SND exams, pretty much all of the other topics bore the hell out of me.

Sounds like you answered your own question -- go for the CCNP.

You can add the Cisco Firewall Specialist Certification if you also want to configure firewalls.

AlanJames

Yeah it's always hard to know what next after ccna. especially when you're interested in voice, security, routing and switching like myself.

I went the CCNP route, as feel it lays great foundation for voice and security as well.

Although in saying that, i've been reading a lot of cvoice material last week for a change.

svo4dot6

Yeah I forgot that with the SND and SNPA exams you obtain the Firewall Specialist as well as the Security Specialist certs as well. That'll probably be the route I taken then, CCNP + SND and SNPA

Thanks for the input.

romain

Hi,

I'd say that CCNP will give you good fundations before moving to a more specialized certification level. But it also depends on your technical background.

Cheers