CCNA Voice Concerns

Daniel333

Well, my job really needs us in the help desk knowing voip and they are not apt to train...so here I am.

I am concerned about a couple things though.

1) Unity Express, these modules are INSANEly priced for a self studier. How is everyone else handling this?
2) Simluating T1/PSTN/FXO drops etc in your home? How are you doing this?


And more of a certification I hear there is a IIUC2, but I don't see any training available? Anyone familiar with this?

mikej412

If you can't afford the Unity Express module you probably want to watch the CCNA Voice CBT Nuggets to get an idea what the stuff looks like for the exam. And spend some extra study time working on the the Unity Express (voice mail) exam topics. You should be able to figure out what you need to know from that -- and what configurations you may need to memorize.

You can attach an FXO port to your home analog phone line (just don't configure and make any lab 911 calls).

You can attach an FXO port to a 2nd router's (PSTN Router/Cloud) FXS Port -- and configure an analog phone on the 2nd FXS Port (of a VIC-2FXS) to be any PSTN phone in the world. Or you can task an IP Telephone in your PSTN Cloud with that task (being any other phone number in the world).

You can also configure an MFT-T1 or MFT-E1 (VWIC-1MFT-T1, VWIC-2MFT-T1, VWIC-1MFT-E1, VWIC-2MFT-E1 or old MC3810s with MFT-T1/E1) interfaces back-to-back using a T1 Crossover cable (one T1 in your branch router and 1 T1 in your PSTN cloud -- or E1 to E1).

The VWICs have come down in price and work in a 1760-V (a 1760 with PVDM(s) installed) without an additional Network Module like a 2600XM router would need (NM-HDV and PVDMs). But even the Network Modules have come down in price to a reasonable level (compared to what they used to be).

The quantity and quality of available old and useful (non-stripped) MC3810s on eBay has dropped -- but occasionally you find a fully loaded MC3810 in the $10-$50 range (with MFT-T1/E1 and an assortment of 6 FXS/FXO ports). Some people figured they could buy up and strip the components from the MC3810s and sell the empty chassis to uninformed people -- and then sell the components at inflated prices to make the empty chassis useful again. And other people finally figured they could just jack up the prices of almost complete or fully complete MC3810s to sell to those people. MC3810s are definitely a "Buyer Beware" market on eBay.

There has been some sort of Cisco IP Communications Express Specialist Certification since I can remember -- not sure about the course/exam abbreviations. Sounds like they either changed the course/exam name to match the CCNA Voice, or they named the CCNA Voice course/exam after the Express Specialist course/exam.