ADVICE on CCNA or CCDA

jermaine.harrison

Hello All ! I am looking for some advice on which route to take . I am in the last 4 months of completing my B.S Mangement Information System and have been studyin for my CCENT . I need some advice on which route to take wether CCNA or CCDA . I currently work with sales/ consulting firm and deal with Cisco hardware all day everyday . My goal currently is when it all set in done I would like to pursue a career as to a Pre- sales engineer . With all that said I currently have some junk... Cisco2514 , Cisco2502 and a few WS-C1924-EN pleae advise if this would be some decent equipment to get started . I have also been watching the CBT Nuggets Videos as well any advice would be apprecitative. I am not here to sell Cisco but I do have access to everything that is Cisco if you are needing advise on if your getting a good deal when buying from your sources . Enough typin..... looking for some advice on whether this is the right gear to start with(Cisco 2502,2532 & WS-C1924-EN) and advice on after getting my CCENT should i do the CCDA or CCNA.

miller811

It would be extermely difficult to pass the CCDA without the CCNA, and it is also highly recommended that you complete some the NP track to prepare you for everything on the CCDA exam. I personally completed the NA, and then the NP before the CCDA.

jermaine.harrison

Thanks also what do you think about studying with (2)2500 routers and the WS-C1924-EN switch for my CCENT . i will take your advice and go with the CCNA before CCDA . I am not to sure what the NP or NA is can you adivise?

jermaine.harrison

Thanks for the insite. Do you feel a 1924 and a couple of 2500 routers would be ok to start?

tiersten

jermaine.harrison wrote: »

Thanks for the insite. Do you feel a 1924 and a couple of 2500 routers would be ok to start?

1924 switches are useless. They're hopelessly out of date and don't run IOS at all.

mikej412

jermaine.harrison wrote: »

Thanks also what do you think about studying with (2)2500 routers and the WS-C1924-EN switch for my CCENT . i will take your advice and go with the CCNA before CCDA . I am not to sure what the NP or NA is can you adivise?

The CCDA now suggests BSCI level knowledge which is one of the 4 exams need for the Cisco Certified Network Professional Certification -- the CCNP.

NA is just short for the CCNA. The "Cisco Certified" part is in the Associate, Professional, and Expert Level Certifications -- so sometimes we'll drop the leading CC when mentioning a string of Cisco Certs.

The CCDA is good for some pre-sales work -- and may fill a required specialty for a Cisco Business Partner. For someone just doing technical work, the CCDA is probably easier to do after earning the CCNP. I actually read the DESGN Certification Guide while I was studying for the CCNA, but waited until after I finished the CCNP to take the design exams.

The 1900 switches have been obsolete for years -- and hasn't been on any Cisco exams for quite some time now. The current layer 2 switch that you should know for the exam is the 2960 -- but the older (and cheaper) 2950 is what most people use now in their home labs.

The 2924-XL-EN is another older cheaper switch which I'll usually suggest as a 3rd switch.

I'll suggest an old 1900 as a 4th switch.... but only because I think someone can get by with just 3 switches for the CCNA.

A couple of 2500 routers will get you started, but you'll need a newer router, like a 1721, that can support SDM and 802.1q trunking (for router on a stick). Then you'd also want a switch that can also function as a frame relay switch.

Here's a recent router thread -- http://www.techexams.net/forums/ccna-ccent/38753-questions-about-different-routers-home-lab.html

And you can check out the CCNA FAQ for more links about CCNA books, Lab Equipment, Simulators, etc...

drew2000

Mike,
Why do you suggest getting a third switch? What subject matter does that expose you to that having 2 switches doesn't?

I'm not trying to grill you, but I need to decide if I should pick up a 3rd switch when I attack the CCNA test.

Thanks!

Andrew

drew2000

Never mind - I just found your answer in the FAQ:

"If you got a 3rd switch, it should be cheap IOS based 29xx that supports ISL -- it would be nice to see ISL, and you could have a server, client, and transparent swtich for VTP. The 3rd switch is nice, but if you're buying on eBay -- don't overpay/overbid -- nice to have, but you can live without it if you're counting pennies."

hypnotoad

For the OP...

Do the NA first. You are already halfway there if you are working through CCENT.

Also, the NA is required for all the Professional tracks. It also is a solid cert for a resume and provides good skills to use in the real world. This makes it versatile and valuable, should you change your mind about the DA/pre-engineering sales, which is more esoteric.

tech-airman

miller811 wrote: »

It would be extermely difficult to pass the CCDA without the CCNA, and it is also highly recommended that you complete some the NP track to prepare you for everything on the CCDA exam. I personally completed the NA, and then the NP before the CCDA.

miller811,

I took and passed the 640-441 DCN exam before the 640-607 CCNA exam, so YMMV.

tech-airman

mikej412 wrote: »

The CCDA now suggests BSCI level knowledge which is one of the 4 exams need for the Cisco Certified Network Professional Certification -- the CCNP.

mikej412,

According to the "CCDA Certification" webpage it states...

CCDA Certification wrote:

CCDA Prerequisites
CCNA level knowledge and BCMSN level knowledge is needed to prepare for the CCDA certification exam.

Source:

1. "CCDA Certification" webpage @ cisco.com - CCDA - Career Certifications & Paths - Cisco Systems

tech-airman

jermaine.harrison wrote: »

Hello All ! I am looking for some advice on which route to take . I am in the last 4 months of completing my B.S Mangement Information System and have been studyin for my CCENT . I need some advice on which route to take wether CCNA or CCDA . I currently work with sales/ consulting firm and deal with Cisco hardware all day everyday . My goal currently is when it all set in done I would like to pursue a career as to a Pre- sales engineer . With all that said I currently have some junk... Cisco2514 , Cisco2502 and a few WS-C1924-EN pleae advise if this would be some decent equipment to get started . I have also been watching the CBT Nuggets Videos as well any advice would be apprecitative. I am not here to sell Cisco but I do have access to everything that is Cisco if you are needing advise on if your getting a good deal when buying from your sources . Enough typin..... looking for some advice on whether this is the right gear to start with(Cisco 2502,2532 & WS-C1924-EN) and advice on after getting my CCENT should i do the CCDA or CCNA.

jermaine.harrison,

My advice would be to take and pass the 640-822 ICND1 exam and become CCENT certified first. Then review your exam report and strengthen your weakness areas. Then come back to ask your question again later.

mikej412

tech-airman wrote: »

According to the "CCDA Certification" webpage it states..

Ah... correct -- BCMSN. I get confused because I think it should be BSCI level knowledge. That's what I get for not double checking the Cisco Certification site

But thinking about it.... it should probably be both BCMSN and BSCI level knowledge.

miller811

tech-airman wrote: »

miller811,

I took and passed the 640-441 DCN exam before the 640-607 CCNA exam, so YMMV.

How long ago was that?

For me, going through the CCDA was like a refresher from most topics completed during the CCNP.

tech-airman

mikej412 wrote: »

Ah... correct -- BCMSN. I get confused because I think it should be BSCI level knowledge. That's what I get for not double checking the Cisco Certification site

But thinking about it.... it should probably be both BCMSN and BSCI level knowledge.

mikej412,

Once upon a time ago, back in the 640-441 DCN exam, it was basically the opposite of the CCNA. The reason why I say "opposite" is that the 640-607 CCNA focussed more from OSI layer 1 through 7. The 640-441 DCN exam focussed more from OSI layer 7 down to Layer 1.

The 640-441 DCN exam was replaced by the 640-861 DESGN exam on 5 Mar 2003. The 640-861 DESGN exam itself was replaced by the 640-863 DESGN exam on 13 Jul 2007. It was made clear that the purpose of the CCDA certified individual was not to just design CCNA level network solutions but to be able to design network solutions for all of the Cisco Partner specializations of: 1) Advanced Wireless LANs 2) Advanced Routing & Switching 3) Advanced Security 4) Advanced Unified Communications. 2) through 4) is covered in the Cisco Press self-study guide for the 640-861 DESGN and 640-863 DESGN exams. However, 1) was written with the assumption that you understood 642-812 BCMSN level wireless knowledge. The Cisco Press self-study guide for 640-861 DESGN was published on Dec 4, 2003. The Cisco Press self-study guide for 640-863 DESGN was published on Oct 12, 2007. During the same time frame, the Cisco Press self-study guide for the 642-812 BCMSN was changing from at least 2nd edition of Apr 8, 2004 through 4th edition of Dec 29, 2006, So instead of waiting for the BCMSN self-study guide to be published before publishing the Cisco Press self-study guides for 640-861 DESGN and 640-863 DESGN to be published, it was feasibly simpler to require "...BCMSN level knowledge" instead of waiting forever for the 642-812 BCMSN self-study guide authors to settle down long enough.

Source:

1. Retired Certification Exams - IT Certification and Career Paths - Cisco Systems
2. CCDA Self-Study: Designing for Cisco Internetwork Solutions (DESGN) 640-861 - $56.00
3. Designing for Cisco Internetwork Solutions (DESGN) (Authorized CCDA Self-Study Guide) (Exam 640-863), 2nd Edition - $52.00
4. CCNP Self-Study: Building Cisco Multilayer Switched Networks (BCMSN), 2nd Edition - $48.00
5. CCNP Self-Study: Building Cisco Multilayer Switched Networks (BCMSN), 3rd Edition - $52.00
6. Building Cisco Multilayer Switched Networks (BCMSN) (Authorized Self-Study Guide), 4th Edition - $56.00

baycreek

Jermaine can you give any advice on how to deal with issues of purchasing equipment that was not represented correctly? Especially Cisco?