Xengoreth's CCNP Thread

With my CCNA Security studies winding down and hopefully a pass coming up two weeks from tomorrow, I'd beginning to focus more heavily on path of study more likely to breathe life into my dying IT career. I'm not really after the certification so much as I would like to arm myself with everything possible to become employable as a network administrator/engineer. I have eighteen years of IT experience at this point and feel I need to specialize to stay marketable for the thirty or whatever years remaining in my career. I've outgrown my current role and circumstances prevent me from taking another job until around 2018. I just want to make sure that when that time comes I'm actually hirable!

While I have network administration responsibilities in my current position, supporting over 300 routers, WLCs, and APs, as well as Cisco ISE and Prime Infrastructure, I'd like to be set to move into a more advanced role where less of my focus is picking up phone calls when our helpdesk monkey decides he has an eye problem and can't see himself coming to work today. My experience is all over the place, although I'd certainly still like to keep focus on virtualization, and scripting/programming (my strong areas besides system administration).

I'm going to be dividing my off-work hours between finishing with the rest of the fluff for WGU as I also start working on CCNP (and beyond) reading and labbing.

I have access to the following tools at my disposal:

INE Videos/Workbooks
René Molenaar's CCNP Books and Labs
OCG and Lab Books (lots of other books on my reading list as well)
Chris Bryant Videos
Narbik's CCIE Foundation Workbook
GNS3/VIRL/Physical Lab (3x 3560, 3x 2960, 3x 1841) -- I have access to way more gear at home than work.

The plan is to tackle ROUTE first, which seems to be the most logical approach. This week I'm reading Network Warrior and working on CCNA Security but I'm going to also be labbing this week, mostly with the goal of redesigning my home lab network! I'll also whip up a quick diagram of the current mess (I mean lab).

I hope this information will be of use to someone down the road on the same journey or at least entertaining, but it's mostly my way of keeping myself on track.

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Comments

thatguy67

Very nice. I have a similar 2016 goal list and study materials as you. I will be checking in for updates!

xengoreth

I've gotten more than a little side-tracked with the CCNA Security, but luckily there is some overlap of topics. For example, layer two stuff like PVLANs, DHCP Snooping, Dynamic ARP Inspection and layer three topics like IP Services, AAA with RADIUS and TACACS+, and routing protocol authentication, just to name a few.

I have a feeling, however, that the level of depth for the CCNA Security won't be anywhere near enough on its own for the overlapped topics. Given that, I'm beginning to reinforce the CCNA Security materials with the appropriate NP-level OCG.

I plan to take the CCNA Security in two weeks, so after that I'll be jumping right into my studies for the NP R/S.

I might try SWITCH first since it can be knocked out of the way more quickly. If you compare ROUTE to SWITCH, the difference in number of topics is staggering!

Danielh22185

xengoreth wrote: »

I've gotten more than a little side-tracked with the CCNA Security, but luckily there is some overlap of topics. For example, layer two stuff like PVLANs, DHCP Snooping, Dynamic ARP Inspection and layer three topics like IP Services, AAA with RADIUS and TACACS+, and routing protocol authentication, just to name a few.

I have a feeling, however, that the level of depth for the CCNA Security won't be anywhere near enough on its own for the overlapped topics. Given that, I'm beginning to reinforce the CCNA Security materials with the appropriate NP-level OCG.

I plan to take the CCNA Security in two weeks, so after that I'll be jumping right into my studies for the NP R/S.

I might try SWITCH first since it can be knocked out of the way more quickly. If you compare ROUTE to SWITCH, the difference in number of topics is staggering!

If you are going to have CCNA / CCNA Sec fresh on the mind I would definitely suggest jumping into SWITCH as your first NP test, there will be a lot of overlap.

White Wizard

How do you like the INE workbooks so far? Thinking about buying the $200.00 bundle.