Cisco

sotheara82

I was wonder how do i start and what do i need to study first because i want to become a network engineer. I already got my college degree in IT but i don't know which Cisco Certification i need to start first. Thanks everyone in advance.

luke_bibby

That certainly is some options you have there in your poll :P

Before you think about the higher level certs such as CCNP and CCSP you will have to look at obtaining the CCNA certification.

Option 1: CCNA, CCENT
Study for the ICND1 exam, pass it, and obtain the CCENT certification. After that, study for the ICND2 exam, pass it, and obtain the CCNA.
Pros: Smaller amount of stuff to learn for the test; provides a nice friendly introduction into the world of networking and cisco IOS (the OS which runs on a lot of their devices); same price as only taking the 1 exam track (option 2); get two certifications if you want to pad out your resume.
Cons: Two trips to the assessment centre :roll

Option 2: CCNA
Study for the CCNA exam, pass it, and obtain the CCNA certification.
Pros: One exam to study for; one trip to the assessment centre; maybe someone else can chime in here cause I did option 1
Cons: You don't get the CCENT certification; more stuff to remember for the exam (which may be overwhelming if you don't work in the field or you haven't got much networking experience)

This site will provide you with all the information you need to get ready for the wonderful world of cisco certification (look on the left hand bar for all of the certifications you can get):
https://learningnetwork.cisco.com

Some study materials which others have found good for the CCNA are:
Amazon.com: CCNA Official Exam Certification Library (Exam 640-802), Third Edition (Containing ICND1 and ICND2 Second Edition Exam Certification Guides) (9781587201950): Wendell Odom: Books
Amazon.com: CCNA: Cisco Certified Network Associate Study Guide: Exam 640-802 (9780470110089): Todd Lammle: Books
CBT Nuggets: Cisco CCNA Certification Package

Hope that helped somewhat