Rookie looking for some assistance...

cains

Hi all..

Just found this site searching on google.. And wish i had found it several months ago.

Shortly.. Im 33. Working as Hardware technician all my life. Starting to take courses on cisco routers, to learn some more. Its not something i will ever use at my current job. But also im not planning on staying there forever. So would be nice to know new stuff when applying for jobs elsewhere..

Im not taking cisco certifications. But im taking the courses and the exam so i will have a piece of paper telling me that i have passed and understood what i have learned. From the courses im attending, i also get a piece of paper but it only says i had attended the course not understood it or anything like that. And from the last 2 weeks of lessons i found out that im in top 10% of the class, so would be nice to have this extra prove that im better than the last 90% taking these classes.

Well that wasnt shortly


I little about what i have been taking now:
Course: Network Fundamentals
Version 4.0

Taking these test online before the exam:
ENetwork Chapter 2 - 11

The exam is thursday next week.. And im defently going to take a closer look at this site the next week to read up on it all..

Is there any of you in here who knows how to read the personalized feedback ?? Im having trouble out of the things highlighted in the feedback to know exactly what i should concentrate on reading up on.. Would be waste of time reading a lot of stuff i already know..

Hope it all makes sense.
And if any of you want to help i would really appreciate it..

Thanks in advance.

earweed

Welcome to TE!
There are a lot of knowledgable people here who can help you on your quest for knowledge. That course may help you a lot but you also need some exposure to Cisco switches and routers either physical or simulated in order to get the full benefits of your studies.
Read around the Cisco forums here for a while. You might gain some knowledge from it (I know I have)

cains

Thanks ew.

Im on call duty this weekend. So if everything is quiet i have a lot of sparetime just to study.. So will defently use a lot of time in here

I have worked a little bit with cisco routers, but the company i work in has now removed it all to let extern companies do it all. So it will problably not be a lot of work im gonna have here.. But i got a few different cisco routers that ended in the trash, but still works i can play with

And do have packet tracer.

Bl8ckr0uter

I have a question, why aren't you going for the cisco certs? Also what do you see yourself doing? Networking? Sysadmin? Both? Neither? You need to have a clearly defined goal as for what you want to do.

Slowhand

Welcome to TE, you've found the right place if you're interested in expanding your career options.

I'm going to have to ask the same question that Bl8ckr0uter did, why aren't you planning on taking any Cisco certs if you're already going to study the material and you're wanting to get a piece of paper that says you can do the work? Cisco's certs are going to trump any certificate of completion a college or vocational school offers, any day of the week.

Since you're looking to move away from your current job-role, not to mention your current job, you might want to think about, exactly, you want to do. If you have an interest in Cisco, then your first stop should be the Cisco Learning page. After that, you should look at GNS3 and some tutorials on how to use it.

*BB*

Yeah, taking those courses, I'd work a little harder and get that piece of paper.

Heero

I think i'll agree with most people here...if you are taking the courses, get the cert. That is the best way to prove you know your stuff (other than experience).

cains

Thanks for all the replies

The courses im attending right now is for unemployed and for people in job that wants extra education. And its split up big time. Had 5 days 1month ago.. Next part of the router course is not until late may 2011..
Actually im not 100% sure what it is, the test im taking thursday. I know its cisco but not certification. But if i pass i will receive a letter from cisco with a pass. I think...

Is it correct that certification is only valid for 2 years ??

Im not 100% sure what to do in future.. I love working as hardware technician, but i think its interesting to be able to do some more stuff than just changing MB and other hardware stuff.. I have taken a 5 day network security course as well earlier this year. And that is interesting as well. So i think my interest is pretty big, and love to do stuff that is not the same day in day out.. (actually that is what im doing now, but would like some more stuff instead of "what i call monkey read / monkey do stuff) that i can see some of my co workers dont mind doing day in and day out.. I like to get challenged on my work.


ps. I will find out on thursday exactly what it is im taking. And then i post in here. If its not to expensive, (and i pass and do ok) i will defently think about the certification.

pps. In my current job its fixing computers in the retail. And making sure survaillence is working proberly. I like the survaillence part as well but think is not much i can progress there.. I can install servers with the correct software and make sure it runs proberly.

ppps. Im from denmark. Working in denmark. But have a dream to work in the US. And dont have anything holding me back at the moment. But not sure if its even possible with all the crises around the world and economic falling apart everywhere. But im having the hope, and these extra courses is also meant to give me a better chance to optain it.. (just hope most i write is spelled right so thats not what taking my chance away)

earweed

Cisco certifications are 3 years but you can renew by either retaking the same test or taking a higher level test. That's part of the reason why you don't see many Cisco people here with only 1 Cisco cert.

rogue2shadow

I glimpsed the post aboves and will add to this one later.

In regards to reading the feedback, basically look for the chapter sections that are bolded and that will reveal the material revolving around the questions you missed during the assessment. Based on the version number you wrote, I am assuming you're in the Cisco Network Academy.

The late May course will most likely be entitled "Routing Protocols and Concepts". This course will teach you about general router operation and configuration, OSPF, and EIGRP.

cains

earweed wrote: »

Cisco certifications are 3 years but you can renew by either retaking the same test or taking a higher level test. That's part of the reason why you don't see many Cisco people here with only 1 Cisco cert.

Okay thanks.. If i has to take cert. I has to pay for it my self.

cains

rogue2shadow wrote: »

I glimpsed the post aboves and will add to this one later.

In regards to reading the feedback, basically look for the chapter sections that are bolded and that will reveal the material revolving around the questions you missed during the assessment. Based on the version number you wrote, I am assuming you're in the Cisco Network Academy.

The late May course will most likely be entitled "Routing Protocols and Concepts". This course will teach you about general router operation and configuration, OSPF, and EIGRP.

This is one of my feedbacks. Hope you can see it



And yes the May course is routing protocols and concepts... And then in august i plan to go to the Lan switching and wireless that is next in line.. Both of them is 10days courses

chrisone

Welcome to TE,

One word of advice is go 110% in cisco or dont even bother my friend. Taking a class is great and is the right step in the direction towards seriously studying for a cisco cert. I know everyone has different lifestyles and situations that may prevent them from pursuing a cisco certification, but i believe if you have the time to attend classes you should have the time to study a cisco self study certification book. Cisco is much harder and deeper than what you may believe, it takes time and many months to years to establish your profession in cisco networking. Oh but many will tell you here once you have established yourself in cisco networking you wont regret it, plus you will have a good career. Hell, it beats working a dead end Job.

rogue2shadow

cains wrote: »

This is one of my feedbacks. Hope you can see it



And yes the May course is routing protocols and concepts... And then in august i plan to go to the Lan switching and wireless that is next in line.. Both of them is 10days courses

The ones that are highlighted are the ones you should re-read according to the feedback.

cains

chrisone wrote: »

Welcome to TE,

One word of advice is go 110% in cisco or dont even bother my friend. Taking a class is great and is the right step in the direction towards seriously studying for a cisco cert. I know everyone has different lifestyles and situations that may prevent them from pursuing a cisco certification, but i believe if you have the time to attend classes you should have the time to study a cisco self study certification book. Cisco is much harder and deeper than what you may believe, it takes time and many months to years to establish your profession in cisco networking. Oh but many will tell you here once you have established yourself in cisco networking you wont regret it, plus you will have a good career. Hell, it beats working a dead end Job.

I will see how it goes thursday. And find out what the price is for cert.. If i do good enough thursday and it aint to expensive i will take the cert as well.

cains

rogue2shadow wrote: »

The ones that are highlighted are the ones you should re-read according to the feedback.

Damn i got some work to do now then.
Back to reading

Thanks for all the response in here so far

chrisone

Yes you have a lot of homework and labing to do. What i was trying to get across to you earlier was that, just getting one certification like a CCNA wont help you much if you are trying to do networking as a career, i believe someone else mentioned it here already about why most of us here have multiple Cisco certs. At best and if you are lucky, a CCNA will get you a JR position to get your foot in the door. However you will need more experience and knowledge in the networking field other than just a CCNA, you will be probably required to obtain your CCNP soon after getting the position.

Many companies have voice, wireless, and most definitely security features. The main technologies other than routing and switching will be security , ASA's and firewalls. I am looking at this from a Professional cert level , which you will still have to focus on if you get your CCNA. So i hope this opens up your eyes and realize that a CCNA these days wont do much for you career wise if you had planned to bet set for life after getting a CCNA. Its a long journey with good benefits and rewards, however like i said it takes more than just that cert and the career deserves 110% and some investment by your part, not just attend some class on ccent/ccna topics get a paper that says you completed the class andbe done with it, dude that paper isnt worth the ink it is printed with.

cains

Thanks for all the answers. You have defently open my eyes to a hole new world.

Im taking the test tomorrow, and hope i do well. I feel im ok with it right now. there is some small things where i think i could use some more knowledge.. But havent found it.. So has to do without it right now. When im taking the routing concepts and protocols, i will have the test right after the class, so there i have the teacher to give me the last info i need..

I have deceided that if i do good enough tomorrow, i will take the cert if its not to expensive. I have no idea of what the cost could be in denmark for that at the moment. But right now my focus is on tomorrow.

cains

I passed

Still not sure what the test was.. I asked the teacher if they had cert. And he said that this was cert. But im still not 100% that it is that.. But i will see when i get the papers..

Dont know if any of you can see what it was i passed.. But defently not the last cisco thing ive done

rogue2shadow

cains wrote: »

I passed

Still not sure what the test was.. I asked the teacher if they had cert. And he said that this was cert. But im still not 100% that it is that.. But i will see when i get the papers..

Dont know if any of you can see what it was i passed.. But defently not the last cisco thing ive done

If you get an 80% on the final of CCNA exploration section 4 (Accessing the WAN) and you complete all four courses you get a voucher for the composite for i think about 60 something dollars.

iSpaZZZ

cains wrote: »

I passed

Still not sure what the test was.. I asked the teacher if they had cert. And he said that this was cert. But im still not 100% that it is that.. But i will see when i get the papers..

Dont know if any of you can see what it was i passed.. But defently not the last cisco thing ive done

This it what the Teacher at my college said, but he did refer to a "formal exam". I'm in a mind to believe that there are two things, the CCNA @ an academy, and a CCNA by doing the formal exams. I think doing the formal exams is better, as would most people I would have thought...

gosh1976

iSpaZZZ wrote: »

This it what the Teacher at my college said, but he did refer to a "formal exam". I'm in a mind to believe that there are two things, the CCNA @ an academy, and a CCNA by doing the formal exams. I think doing the formal exams is better, as would most people I would have thought...

You may receive a certificate of completion for the academy classes but that doesn't make you a CCNA. As stated above after completing all 4 modules of the CCNA exploration curriculum you will be eligible for a voucher if you pass the exams with at least 75% not 80. Also with the exploration courses you can get vouchers for the two exam route or you can elect to go for the composite. Just log into the academy connection and look under certifications and vouchers for info.

You have a long way to go before you are ready for the CCENT or the composite CCNA. You need to make sure you get a better grasp of the network fundamentals before anything else. The way the exploration courses are laid out you will not have covered everything that could be on the CCENT (ICND1) until you have done all 4 modules. Of course, by the end of the 4th module you will have also covered everything on the composite CCNA exam.

cains

Okay thanks.. That makes sense for the ccna. On the schools website it say than when completing first 4 modules im ready to take ccna. And then from module 5 or 6 it should be possible to take ccnp..

Then i know what my goal is..

Now its up to my boss when i will be able to take the ccna. Normally im only allowed 2 weeks of school a year. (If i can get him to accept 6 weeks next year) i am able to take course 2,3 and 4. And take the ccna before X-mas

Just didnt make sense the way they wrote it compared to what the teacher said.. But with your replys it does.

Why is there a letter AND a Certificate ??
And what does each of them mean ??

/ Carsten

alan2308

rogue2shadow wrote: »

If you get an 80% on the final of CCNA exploration section 4 (Accessing the WAN) and you complete all four courses you get a voucher for the composite for i think about 60 something dollars.

The vouchers are for half off, you can pick 640-802 or 640-822 and 640-816.

sthompson86

I would for sure go ahead and get the Cert (CCNA) It will look great on your resume, and will increase your self wealth.

cains

Im back..

So i have talked with my boss now..

He has accepted 6 weeks next year. AND he will pay for CCNA

He know it aint worth much at my current job since he knows what i stands for. But if im in future is looking to find new job the CCNA will be good for me. So he thought that i off course should have it

2 weeks in may. 2 weeks in august. 2 weeks in september. And then a CCNA shortly after that..

So now i got my goal ready for 2011..

Marry X-mas and happy new year all..