To CCNA or NOT to CCNA; that is the question

drkat

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drkat

that sucks. I work with this stuff in production so my lab is huge

haha

Shanman

Maybe someday I can work for a company with more cisco gear. Our network is all hp procurve except our core switch which is a 3550.

Turgon

drkat wrote: »

I've come to the conclusion that I dont want to "sit at routers or packet tracer for hours"

I'm actively looking for a different avenue to take that is actually INTERESTING

Gonna just focus on the VoIP Specific certifications for now

What exactly is so interesting about VoIP that makes you averse to 'sitting at routers or packet tracer for hours'? VoIP is over an IP network using routing and switching and if you want QoS you need to know something about making that happen on an R&S infrastructure. As a voice guy specialising in VoIP you are very dependent on the network guys. Learn something about it.

drkat

I'm not a voice guy specializing in voip. I'm a data/voice guy moving into voip and the voip side only - CME/Broadsoft (from a provider view); hell I've even worked in Lucent 5ESS and Genband G9 (SS7, SIP)) and Soft Switches (Meta, Plexus) so my job currently is to admin broadsoft and troubleshoot sip and call flow, along with turning up new customers using cisco 79xx series and polycoms. I manage the T1's and the MPLS along with QoS and routing and our layer 2 devices and anything carrier related. I'm not quite sure where you got the impression I was a voice guy moving into voip. My experience spans from the Central Office to the patch panel; I'm proficient in carrier grade facilities, switching and routing -TDM to VoIP - I'm just looking for a specialization.

My idea of a fun time isnt sitting here in front of the computer playing with "my router" all day. That's all I'm saying. Not to say I'm probably not at a cross road in my career but I'm finding it hard to stay interested in a lot of this stuff lately.

Turgon

drkat wrote: »

I'm not a voice guy specializing in voip. I'm a data/voice guy moving into voip and the voip side only - CME/Broadsoft (from a provider view); hell I've even worked in Lucent 5ESS and Genband G9 (SS7, SIP)) and Soft Switches (Meta, Plexus) so my job currently is to admin broadsoft and troubleshoot sip and call flow, along with turning up new customers using cisco 79xx series and polycoms. I manage the T1's and the MPLS along with QoS and routing and our layer 2 devices and anything carrier related. I'm not quite sure where you got the impression I was a voice guy moving into voip. My experience spans from the Central Office to the patch panel; I'm proficient in carrier grade facilities, switching and routing -TDM to VoIP - I'm just looking for a specialization.

My idea of a fun time isnt sitting here in front of the computer playing with "my router" all day. That's all I'm saying. Not to say I'm probably not at a cross road in my career but I'm finding it hard to stay interested in a lot of this stuff lately.

Mike is probably our most experienced voice guy, perhaps shoot him a PM about the specialization options.

drkat

Not to revive an old thread... So I passed the NA in April and looking at the voice tracks - is cisco the only game in town? I've been working with CUCM and hate it with a passion, CCME is great but CUCM 8x is just boring as f***

any suggestions?

networker050184

Cisco is about the only certification that is worth much of anything. There are definitely other players in the game though. Avaya, Mitel, ShoreTel, Asterisk etc.

NetworkVeteran

drkat wrote: »

I’m 28 living in upstate NY. I've been working with computers for over 17 years now... I currently work for a telecom wholesaler doing VoIP... I know I should probably get a CCNA... I've met guys with CCNA's who didn’t know their elbow from Jesus and it's really disappointing.

1. I don't know why you feel you should get an entry-level certification if you have seventeen years of experience. I would hope that by this point in your career you're no longer applying for entry-level positions.

2. The CCNA doesn't cover VoIP. It won't deepen your understanding nor show competence to employers.

3. The CCNA doesn't cover Jesus. Jokes aside, I've heard many variations of your comment. A CCNA should know the exam objectives--no more and no less. If you expect that, you'll generally be satisfied.

Edit: OIC, this is an old thread with only a few revival messages.

drkat

lol...

I have the "working on computers" thing but professionally for 7 years. To be honest I bounce around a lot - I mean I just want to make a good salary and enjoy what I'm doing.

I took the CCNA because everyone and their mother says "get it" and my current job was flippin the bill. I dont feel any different

My point was more to the guy who is a Senior Engineer with just a CCNA and cant fix a sandwich.

I'll just say that I jumped into "cisco" to make more money because I couldnt get any further in the Microsoft world. Since that time I've done the just so much different crap.

I like the idea of voice but hate the idea of cisco products... I mean seriously - why is it every f*** thing cisco does is a complete cluster... the syntax of commands the documentation on cisco's site read like stereo instructions I mean c'mon. I'm a KISS kinda guy and meh... go adtran.... lol

I was thinking maybe pairing the CCNA with an MCSE and moving back to M$ and going into Messaging + Lync - idk.. still throwing the idea around.

rriker82

IMO,not being currently CCNA, scheduled to take the exam in june of this year. Having the cert will definitely help. My current position is working for a local school district in illinois. I handle level 1 2 3 issues everyday. If I didn't have my A+ they wouldn't have looked at me. However, I know a CCIE that applied to an unnamed gov't position and was turned away due to lack of BS in CS. I think a bunch of crap. That's gov't for ya. I can't wait for the test, I'm always practicing and learning new things. You have to rotate your learning, windows, linux, mac (if your so inclined to learn the apple, blah), juniper, 3com. I started getting burnt out with A+ drills but rekindled when took a week off from studies. I've got 4 cert tracks now, ccna, mcitp win 7, rhce and net+. keep changin it up, learn what's difficult and then go back and review somethin different.

drkat

Looking back on this thread:

I know I said I didnt want to "sit in front of packet tracer all day" - however I think I underestimated something. See I was transition from a company where I did everything to a voice only job and trying to maintain my R&S skill set and it wasnt working because I was just doing voip. I got sucked into the voip hype.

My current employer wants me to get CCNP: Voice - which is fine and dandy.. but I honestly have no interest in the CUCM platform, CME isnt bad.. and I'm comfortable with SIP captures, PRI traps etc but that's about as "involved" I want to be with voice... I dont want to configure and deploy XXXX phones and provision this and that and deal with hunt groups and features and people bitching about their call park groups... I like the voice aspect from the regard of "routing and switching voice" you know? RTP captures, SIP troubleshooting etc etc.. but the actual features are a BORE... I have to look at line apperances and function codes and all this crap... which I dont wanna do.

I have an IT back ground, Operating Systems, stuff that runs on the OS (web,dns,etc) - That's the stuff I like - making the network work and admin the services that run on top of that network. Voice is only interesting to a point... However the company wants me to get the NP: Voice and honestly I want to get the NP R&S and possibly an MCSE 2003 to compliment the IT background.

MCSE in Messaging or Security and NP in R&S

What should I do about my work wanting me to get the NP Voice when my heart is no where near it?

stlsmoore

you think CUCM 8x is bad, try version 4x or older. Even the front end is in a weird boring beige color

drkat

stlsmoore wrote: »

you think CUCM 8x is bad, try version 4x or older. Even the front end is in a weird boring beige color

lol - yeah you're telling me. I've seen the pictures.