Help... Network Administration Certs obtained through studying (no experience) ??

Hello,

Just as the title state I need help. I want to become a network administrator so I'm wondering which certs I can obtain with a few weeks/months of studying if I have no experience (will obtain some after I get out of the military).

As of now I know A+, Net+, Sec+ all can be obtained with dedicated studying time. Which certs towards networking can be obtained the same way.

If you don't mind also list other certs related to network administrator that require experience to obtain and how many years.

I want to do Cisco administration because I heard it was the most popular/needed.

Thanks for your help with this!!

Find more posts tagged with

SAVE $250 on Your Boot Camp — Use Code "EXAM26"

Exclusively for TechExams members for Infosec Boot Camps starting before April 30, 2026

View Boot Camps

Comments

RouteThisWay

You just said you wanted to do Cisco. So.. go get your CCNA. It is the associate level certification and can be obtained with no experience- just hit the books and find a good simulator to lab things out.

Good luck!

Unistic

Thank you for the response.

So its all three comptia and then the CCNA. I got a long road ahead of me hopefully I will get done with all of these in a year.

Hard work and studying!

Thanks Again!

Zartanasaurus

Unistic wrote: »

Thank you for the response.

So its all three comptia and then the CCNA. I got a long road ahead of me hopefully I will get done with all of these in a year.

Hard work and studying!

Thanks Again!

I wouldn't bother with A+/Network+ unless a specific job you want requires it. Security+ might open doors since you're in the military.

paul78

When you say that you have no experience, do you mean that you have no Cisco networking experience or do you mean that you have no IT technical experience?

If you are really starting with zero IT skills, starting by studying for the CompTIA certs may help. If you already have IT experience, depending on level, you could start with CCNA as @Zartanasaurus suggested.

nel

its rare to walk straight into network engineering anyway, most of us start in support and work our way up. For that reason i would always recommend a MS/Cisco cert path to start out, like a MCITP:SA and CCNA combo.

If you do not want to do any MS qualifications then i would focus purely on CCNA and work from there.

JayTheCracker

do u like server admin(Microsoft/Linux) ? or networking(route/switch)?

A+, CCENT & 70-642(network infrastructure) are good starts

iDShaDoW

If by Network Administration you mean Systems Administration, you'll wanna look into the MCITP:SA exams. I believe there's 3 or 4 you have to pass as they've changed it up from the MCSA and I haven't been keeping up on the changes.

The IT manager I interviewed with definitely thought it was a plus when he saw that I had CompTIA basics, CCNA, and a bit of Microsoft stuff and nodded a lot as I told him later down the line I saw myself in a Network/Systems admin position.

Chances are, you'll need to be able to do some networking and some systems admin stuff once you get promoted/start in that type of role rather than thinking you'll only do one or the other.

MrXpert

If you have absolutely no experience or actual IT skills (building PCS etc) and have no understanding of concepts such as OSI and ARP then I would suggest doing the Network+first or even an A+ and then going onto CCENT/CCNA or some Microsoft cert which focusses on Server stuff.