Starting CCNP: ROUTE, SWITCH, or TSHOOT.

Roguetadhg

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Which exam would you recommend starting first? ROUTE, SWITCH, TSHOOT.

I've heard from Cisco's Webnar that Cisco exam designers recommends "SWITCH" first. However, hearing first hand from people that studied for the exams would be better.

I'm interested in decrease the amount of time I spend reading white-papers, wiki articles, random websites for information to fill-in gaps that may-have been filled in just by studying for ROUTE or SWITCH prior. I say "May-have" because I'd look back on the study time to see how I could've improved or absorbed the information best and what mistakes I've done while studying. One of those topics would have to be: "Did I pickup the right book first?"

Thank you in advance

spicy ahi

Before I took on a new job, I was studying for the Switch exam. Mainly because my shop essentially only maintains the local network so I'd be able to put the rubber to the road with the Switch concepts. My buddy (who is going through the CCNP right now) works for an ISP and does a lot of work with BGP and OSPF so he studied for Route first. If you're in a Lan shop, I'd suggest first looking at which of the two (or the concepts within) you do more of the day to day work with and go with that one. Take the "easy" one out first, then go back and hit the other one and cap off with TSHOOT.

martell1000

i first started with switch last august, but switched to route then.

reason: my table at home was too small for the lab.

so having passed route last week and touched some of the switch videos last summer i would say it doesnt matter. switch might be easier if you come directly from the ccna because route is somehow overwhelming. took me a lot of time to get a grip with it. switch felt a lil more familiar.

anyhow - seems more people here are preparing for switch here in the forums at the moment. so why dont you join the club if you have a lab. if not just fire up gns3 and go for route...

martell1000

p.s.: i got me a second table and piling up switches from ebay atm

Turgon

Do switching first. It's so important. Routing is overrated.

MrBrian

I guess I would echo what spicy ahi said. Go for the one that would help you at work the most. That way it can benefit you right away. Maybe you do more switching compared to routing, or vice versa. Either way, you can't go wrong with which one you do first. Just dive right in, it's the only way! And good luck to you.

vinbuck

I don't know how the content was split out for those of you who took the predecessor exams for the CCNP, but in the current model, ROUTE has almost twice the material of SWITCH, which is why I decided to take it first.

ROUTE FLG and OCG = 1675 pages cover-to-cover
SWITCH FLG and OCG = 986 pages cover-to-cover

Roguetadhg

vinbuck wrote: »

I don't know how the content was split out for those of you who took the predecessor exams for the CCNP, but in the current model, ROUTE has almost twice the material of SWITCH, which is why I decided to take it first.

ROUTE FLG and OCG = 1675 pages cover-to-cover
SWITCH FLG and OCG = 986 pages cover-to-cover

But the material, do they overlap? Whereas ROUTE assumes you already know material from SWITCH, or vise versa?

MrBrian

No, they're basically separate. i.e There won't be any routing in the SWITCH material that's over a CCNA's head.. and no switching material in ROUTE that's over a CCNA's head. You can really start with either. Just don't start with TSHOOT

Turgon

Back in 2001 when I did CCNP I did switching before routing. It worked for me.

Nate--IRL--

Also consider that with SWITCH you will need a 3550 or two. For ROUTE only GNS3 is required. This is why I've gone with ROUTE for now.

Nate

Roguetadhg

Nate--IRL-- wrote: »

Also consider that with SWITCH you will need a 3550 or two. For ROUTE only GNS3 is required. This is why I've gone with ROUTE for now.

Nate

I have to agree, Nate. Mostly because of same reason :P