Sitting SNRS in an Hour

powerfool

I will be sitting SNRS in an hour. While the material has a lot of overlap with IINS, I am still feeling the jitters about sitting my first professional level Cisco exam. IINS had a lot of correlation with the CCNA, in that it was 50% general security and 50% Cisco specific, whereas the CCNA was 50% general networking and 50% Cisco specific. I have a feeling that I am still going to be in for a surprise.

rogue2shadow

Good luck power! You got this.

powerfool

Well, I nailed it. This was a tough exam for me, though. In the realm of Cisco, I am weakest with routers as my focus has been PIX/ASA and switching for the past eight years. That being said, many of the concepts were the same, it was just changes in configurations syntax, which were minimal.

I have to say that after IINS and SNRS, I am sick of studying VPN technologies. While I know SNAA covers VPN, I am hoping for a break from them in SNAF, which is next up.

I hope to get at least SNAF done before mid-March, with a stretch to get SNAA done, as well. My company's fiscal year ends 31MAR, so expenses during the last two weeks are frowned upon. That will give me some room to do SNAA the first week of April, but I hope to do some pre-study for CEH then, as I am sitting a bootcamp the second week of April.

This year is already flying by, and it is just crazy. The first third of my year is booked as far as work, school, and certifications, and we are about half way through that already.

I would also like to revisit Microsoft and sit the Exchange 2003 exams before they retire, but that is a lower priority. I definitely want to stay away from the Exchange 2003 to Exchange 2010 migration for my work client, but I would love to do a few of them on the side over the course of the year. The exams would help to solidify that for me.

mikej412

powerfool wrote: »

nailed it

Congratulations!!

Yahel

Congratulations

phoeneous

powerfool wrote: »

I would also like to revisit Microsoft and sit the Exchange 2003 exams before they retire, but that is a lower priority.

Has a date been set?

powerfool

phoeneous wrote: »

Has a date been set?

The end of March is when 70-284 and 285 retire.

peanutnoggin

CONGRATS on the pass!!!

What did you use as study material/lab preparation?

-Peanut

docrice

How much overlap was there between IINS and SNRS and what materials did you use to study? I looked at the SNRS blueprint a while back and wondered just how much in addition to the IINS would there be. I found the material in my IINS prep to be pretty helpful in understanding some attack counter-measures that I could put to use in my environment, but at the same time my training content wasn't as deep as I had hoped.

powerfool

I used CBT Nuggets and the Skillsoft recorded training session (which includes the official Cisco curriculum, which is not Cisco Press) to study, as well as Cisco documentation for 802.1x, and various VPN setups.

As far as overlap, the materials have significant overlap. What is tested in the exams in a bit different, though. My initial impression is consistent, as well... CCNA Security mirrors the CCNA a lot, in that it is 50% general security material and 50% Cisco specific; the SNRS is not like that at all.

I would say, based on the study material, and its practicality, there is significant focus on various VPN technologies, Zoned-based Policy Firewall, SDM, IBNS (802.1x). Know that stuff inside and out.

While I did well, this exam hurt my brains. Certainly not the worst ever, but considering my router weakness, it was definitely a challenge. Now on to my specialty, ASA.

wirerat

Congrats on the pass.

jamesp1983

congrats!

ChooseLife

Congrats on the pass and thanks for sharing your experience!

ConstantlyLearning

powerfool wrote: »

I have to say that after IINS and SNRS, I am sick of studying VPN technologies. While I know SNAA covers VPN, I am hoping for a break from them in SNAF, which is next up.

Prepare to get sicker then.