CCIP vs. CCNP

Cat5

Is a CCIP looked at by an employer with the same value as a CCNP, do you think? I've seen lots of NPs wanted, but I'm not sure I've ever seen an IP wanted.

I'm about to start work with an ISP, so I thought the CCIP would be the way to go - even though it means one more test (or studying four topics instead of three). I think long-term I'd be more valuable to them with a CCIP than just a CCNA, even if I learn their processes and procedures fine. Having a professional title behind your experience sometimes means that you're the one who doesn't get laid off during hard times.

cxzar20

Cat5 wrote: »

Is a CCIP looked at by an employer with the same value as a CCNP, do you think? I've seen lots of NPs wanted, but I'm not sure I've ever seen an IP wanted.

I'm about to start work with an ISP, so I thought the CCIP would be the way to go - even though it means one more test (or studying four topics instead of three). I think long-term I'd be more valuable to them with a CCIP than just a CCNA, even if I learn their processes and procedures fine. Having a professional title behind your experience sometimes means that you're the one who doesn't get laid off during hard times.

I would go with both. CCIP will be more valuable to a service provider (emphasis mine), but the CCNP is more well known and may be more valuable at the enterprise level. So, total of 5 tests (with the composite)

Cat5

cxzar20 wrote: »

I would go with both. CCIP will be more valuable to a service provider (emphasis mine), but the CCNP is more well known and may be more valuable at the enterprise level. So, total of 5 tests (with the composite)

I'd love to do both, but with a family I simply don't have the time. Do it while you're single and don't have kids.

SteveO86

Gotta agree, CCIP is more along the line of Service Provider BGP/MPLS. CCNP is more of an advancement from CCNA, with the routing/switch. It touches on BGP just not as in depth as CCIP goes.

I'd hit CCNP first, unless you work for a service provider.

Forsaken_GA

Honestly, I'd go for both (and I did!)

The CCNP covers your basic routing and switching, the CCIP covers more advanced topics. It shares the routing exam with the CCNP, and in addition covers BGP, MPLS, and QoS. The MPLS is the only portion that's more service provider oriented. If you work for a large enough enterprise, then the BGP and QoS knowledge is very good to have, those topics are not limited to only service providers.

Bl8ckr0uter

You know I have been thinking about this (why people say get CCNP+Specialization pro level cert) rather than just Specialization cert (CCSP/CCNP:S CCIP, CCNP:V, CCVP etc). I had an issue last week where my lack of advanced level networking caused me to be a bit short sighted on a solution. The bottom line is imo CCNP does form that base that all network engineers need. I think that if you want to specialize in SP networking it would behoove you to get the CCNP (or at least study those topics deeply). I am greedy so I credit for everything I do (maybe I didn't get enough gold stars as a child lol) so I feel like if I am going to study EIGRP, OSPF, GRE and redistros I should get an exam that says I did that (ROUTE) and the same applies for switching and troubleshooting. Get the CCNP and (possibly) be more marketable.

Cat5

SteveO86 wrote: »

I'd hit CCNP first, unless you work for a service provider.

I'd love to do both, but with a family I simply don't have the time.

Bl8ckr0uter

Cat5 wrote: »

I'd love to do both, but with a family I simply don't have the time.

We have time for things we make time for. If you truly don't have any time study the CCNP topics and go do CCIP.

vinbuck

Bl8ckr0uter wrote: »

We have time for things we make time for. If you truly don't have any time study the CCNP topics and go do CCIP.

True dat I started going into work an hour of two earlier to get enough quiet time (My wife and I have a two year old) to be able to pass ROUTE. It sucked and I was pretty tired at the end of the day, but it paid off. You also have to be realistic about the time it will take to study. I probably could have knocked out ROUTE in a couple of months if I was a single guy, but it took me 11 months with a family to look after. I plan to finish the CCNP by the first quarter of 2012 and then start working on CCIP as a preparation step for the CCIE. I'm going to do the CCIP at a slower pace than the CCNP because I already work for a Service Provider and get to touch BGP, MPLS and QOS on a fairly regular basis, so it will be easier to integrate studying into my real world project list than in-depth studying on EIGRP (which we don't use)

The cert is nice to have and I'll be proud to have it on my wall, but the knowledge gained during the journey is the most important thing for me. I am able to directly apply knowledge learned in a CCNP lab on a pretty frequent basis and those core concepts translate to almost every project I work on now.

I've been working on a WiMAX deployment and was able to contribute to a bug workaround due to some of the concepts I learned while studying for ROUTE which was a good feeling after all the hours i've put in.

As to the topic of CCIP vs. CCNP, I really feel that you should tackle the CCNP and then go for the CCIP. Even if you don't work in the enterprise, service providers exist to support the enterprise and the end customer, so it is beneficial to understand networking from both perspectives.

networker050184

Cat5 wrote: »

I'd love to do both, but with a family I simply don't have the time. Do it while you're single and don't have kids.

Well, you aren't the only one with a wife and kids. I did both the CCNP and CCIP while having a busy family life. Just make time for it.

If you are hard set on only doing one though, my vote would be for the CCNP. CCNP is a lot more well known than the CCIP which is more of a niche market.

Cat5

networker050184 wrote: »

Well, you aren't the only one with a wife and kids. I did both the CCNP and CCIP while having a busy family life. Just make time for it.

If you are hard set on only doing one though, my vote would be for the CCNP. CCNP is a lot more well known than the CCIP which is more of a niche market.

I would do what you mentioned, but to be honest, for me CCNP = eating dry leaves. Someone once said do what interests you, and I agree. Studying something that has zero interest for me - no matter how useful it may be - would be a mistake, IMHO. I'm not exactly in love with the CCIP, either, but at least I have some interest in it, which should be enough to get me through it.

vinbuck

Cat5 wrote: »

I would do what you mentioned, but to be honest, for me CCNP = eating dry leaves. Someone once said do what interests you, and I agree. Studying something that has zero interest for me - no matter how useful it may be - would be a mistake, IMHO. I'm not exactly in love with the CCIP, either, but at least I have some interest in it, which should be enough to get me through it.

Hate to say it man but if you don't enjoy doing this stuff then you're going to have a rough time with CCNP or CCIP. The amount of hours you have to put in to pass professional level tests are steep (eclipsed only by the CCIE) and even when you enjoy it, you have to will yourself on sometimes.

What is that interests you about the CCIP that is different from the CCNP? The two share a large volume of core fundamentals. TSHOOT is part of the CCNP and not the CCIP, but you are useless to a Service Provider if you can't effectively troubleshoot when you have no clue where the problem is (this happens a lot). Only when you get really good at systematic troubleshooting of complex networks do you start to see the patterns in troubleshooting different technologies as well as different OSI layers (Physical layer is easily the root of 3/4ths of network outages and maybe more. Network Engineers make up the other 1/4th ).

crushboy18

@Network Engineers make up the other 1/4th!!

Lol!!

Sett

CCIP is like CCNP vol2. The both fit nicely together. The BGP in the NP curriculum was on very basic level at the time I took the CCNP (the 4 exams time) and I'd imagine it's the same now. And it's just not enough for any Network Engineer, workign in a ISP or not. The extra QoS and the grains of MPLS are also nice addition. If you are working in data networking I'd say to go for the both.

bellhead

Also most large organizations have huge lans' that cover multiple state's anymore, and act like a service provider. I work for a power company and have multiple sonet rings on our own company owned fiber, which the data rides over.

BroadcastStorm

I would love to have CCIP.

Its like having a BMW and Benz, the question is how hard is this CCIP?

bermovick

Well, for one thing, the CCIP isn't obtainable anymore unless you've already passed the BGP and MPLS exams (or the composite that combines the two)

NetworkVeteran

BroadcastStorm wrote: »

I would love to have CCIP. Its like having a BMW and Benz, the question is how hard is this CCIP?

It's an intermediate-level certification.. so it's about the same difficulty level as the CCNP.. but it covers more content. The CCNP has two content exams: OSPF/EIGRP for IPv4/IPv6 and Switching. The CCIP has that same OSPF/EIGRP exam, plus a BGP exam, plus a QoS exam.

The CCIP track is no longer offered. The CCNP Service Provider track is now offered instead! It has some perks: It covers IS-IS instead of EIGRP and touches on IOS-XR, MPLS-TE, VPWS, and VPLS. All good food for a growing service provider engineer.

I would be very tempted to get it if I weren't aiming for expert level.

BroadcastStorm

I need to join the herd and just do CCNP's, I am wrapping up my Tshoot and will debate between Security and Service Provider.

What do you guys think of Brian's teaching style from INE he goes very in depth to the core of how some of the routing protocol works and it's database at times he got me lost, do you guys lab it hard to work on some of the fuzz?