CCNP

I might be getting ahead of myself talking about ccnp as ive not passed my ccna yet (taking it tomorrow) but i feel quietly confident and i have found a recent enthusiasm to push my career forward as much as i can so i want to look forward to ccnp. i have just been looking for ccnp books and there seems to be alot of differant books for ccnp so i was hoping somone could give me an idea of what books i will need. for my ccna i bought the cisco press books and the sybex todd lammle book which i found gave a good balance as i could read the sybex for a brief overview and the labs then read the cisco press for a more in depth look so i would be after a similar approach to ccnp.

also this might seem a really silly question but how much of a 'step up' is ccnp from ccna as i#ve not yet looked at any material.

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Comments

Daniel333

elementour,

What's your background? CCNP without experience isn't going to help all that much.

elementour

i work for a network security company that manages a pretty large global network. i mostly do client setups which restricts my work mainly to switches and check point firewalls but i do some basic router config with acl's etc. ive been doing that for just over a year and i will shortly be moving to the faults side of things so i should develop my troubleshooting skills plus getting more involved in more technical issues. my aim really is just to increase my knowledge and experience so i can get a job when i am either higher up in a small team or managing a small network on my own.

cisco_trooper

elementour wrote:

I might be getting ahead of myself talking about ccnp as ive not passed my ccna yet (taking it tomorrow) but i feel quietly confident and i have found a recent enthusiasm to push my career forward as much as i can so i want to look forward to ccnp. i have just been looking for ccnp books and there seems to be alot of differant books for ccnp so i was hoping somone could give me an idea of what books i will need. for my ccna i bought the cisco press books and the sybex todd lammle book which i found gave a good balance as i could read the sybex for a brief overview and the labs then read the cisco press for a more in depth look so i would be after a similar approach to ccnp.

also this might seem a really silly question but how much of a 'step up' is ccnp from ccna as i#ve not yet looked at any material.

Get the Cisco Press Series for starters. And it wouldn't hurt to supplement that with "Routing TCP/IP Volume I, Second Edition" by Doyle, also from Cisco Press.

LOkrasa

Daniel333 wrote:

elementour,

What's your background? CCNP without experience isn't going to help all that much.

Better then no CCNP and no experience.

I say go for it. Cisco Press books are the only game in town really when you go past the CCNA. Go to www.ciscopress.com and check out the books for the CCNP line of exams. If you bought Cisco books for your CCNA then register them on the website and you get a 35% off voucher for your next purchase.

elementour

well i passed my CCNA today so bring on the CCNP

dtlokee

Congrats

and good luck on the CCNP. Make sure whatever books you use you also refer to the documentaion CD as you go

7255carl

congrats on the pass

elementour

ok i thought i would reply to my original thred rather than start a new one. I have ordered the cisco press CCNP study guide and there are 4 books, BSCI, ONT, ISCW and BCMSN. ok so i have no idea which do i need to read first ?

Netstudent

BSCI or BCMSN are the usual starting points for NP.

Mrock4

Most people start with either the BSCI or BCMSN. I think slightly more lean towards the BSCI first. I am going with BSCI first as well. I find there's a lot of overlap with the CCNA..since the BSCI is all Layer 3.

Paul Boz

Start with the BSCI. The basic foundation of IP routing is the core of everything you'll learn from here on out, be it CCIP, CCVP, or what. Almost everything in the networking world relies on the BSCI's knowledge.

It all starts with routing.

singh8281

I don’t think it’s in your best interest to buy a certification library. I would buy each exam book separately since the material is updated so frequently or not necessarily updated, but maybe a next edition with all the errors worked out form previous print so who knows by the time you’re done with BSCI or BMSN the remaining 2 or 3 books are not as easy to follow as the newer edition. I thought of ordering the certification library myself but realized that the pace at which I am going to study, it will take me 6 to 8 months to get over all four exams given that I pass all the exams in first or at least 2nd attempt. Buying study guides individually after finishing the first isn’t going to put a big dent in your pocket since you’ll be so excited from passing the exam and so eager to get your hands on the next book in order to complete the series.

shednik

Paul Boz wrote:

Start with the BSCI. The basic foundation of IP routing is the core of everything you'll learn from here on out, be it CCIP, CCVP, or what. Almost everything in the networking world relies on the BSCI's knowledge.

It all starts with routing.

I agree start with the BSCI or you could go for the exam for the freaks which is the composite

qplayed

yep take composite...kill 2 birds with one stone....that's where i'm headed...besides its cheaper

Paul Boz

I'm glad that I took the composite but I wouldn't recommend it to people unless they know the material well enough to do so. I'd say that since the original poster recently got his CCNA he should tackle each exam individually.

mikej412

qplayed wrote:

besides its cheaper

But only if you pass on your first try.

Paul Boz

It's really not THAT much cheaper either. The composite cost me either $225 or $250, i don't remember. Either way it was only like $50 less than taking them separately. they definitely don't offer the composite for the purpose of saving money.

ITdude

mikej412 wrote:

qplayed wrote:

besides its cheaper

But only if you pass on your first try.

Beat me to the punch again. Mike!

qplayed

i agree.....but i plan on passing it the 1st time around...big words yes....but i don't plan on screwing around.....

yukky

Are there any major changes planned for the CCNP?

I see the library was released 2007/08, not so long ago.. The saving is only around $20, but you get the nifty box!!

dtlokee

The CCNP was last changed in November of 2006, so based on the usual 3-4 year rotation I would say it's not going to change soon but you never know for sure.

had303

Hi

I have completed my MCP & CCNA last month but I do not have any work experience whatsoever. So will this affect my CCNP preparations in any way because I'm thinking of going ahead with CCNP. Plz guys help me out as I'm a total newbie as far as work experience is concerned.

nicklauscombs

had303 wrote:

Hi

I have completed my MCP & CCNA last month but I do not have any work experience whatsoever. So will this affect my CCNP preparations in any way because I'm thinking of going ahead with CCNP. Plz guys help me out as I'm a total newbie as far as work experience is concerned.

Not to say you can't complete the CCNP or it wouldn't be worth it but maybe the CCNA specialization certs would serve you better since you have no work experience

had303

nicklauscombs wrote:

had303 wrote:

Hi

I have completed my MCP & CCNA last month but I do not have any work experience whatsoever. So will this affect my CCNP preparations in any way because I'm thinking of going ahead with CCNP. Plz guys help me out as I'm a total newbie as far as work experience is concerned.

Not to say you can't complete the CCNP or it wouldn't be worth it but maybe the CCNA specialization certs would serve you better since you have no work experience

Hey Thanks for replying

, but looking at most posts in the forum I cannot understand even a penny of what they are saying (in terms of technical terms), might be due to my in-experience.

So if I start with such a background, will I succeed in passing CCNP or else will I have to approach a professional who's already a CCNP or CCIE to help & guide me????

nicklauscombs

do you have no work experience at all or just no work experience with cisco gear?

had303

nicklauscombs wrote:

do you have no work experience at all or just no work experience with cisco gear?

No work experience at all.......I've just finished my graduation & then completed my CCNA in June.

nicklauscombs

First thing I would suggest is find an entry level position and start getting some experience wither it is a network position or a help desk role what's important here is to get some job experience, if you want to go for the CCNP there should be nothing to stop you and is definitely do-able, not to mention nothing says you HAVE to put down you hold a CCNP if you want to move into a entry level networking position that is asking for a CCNA, the most helpful things I can suggest if you go for the CCNP is to make sure you have a decent lab setup (real gear or dynamips) and get multiple sources to study from (I assume you'll start with the BSCI if that is the case make sure to get the self study guide as the exam cert guide isn't enough to pass). Good luck!

jbaello

So are we not able to just purchase the whole lab from Ebay and get the experience from there? to pass CCNP?

I was thinking of purchasing something like this, and keep playing around with it, until I get comfortable with the technology then take the exam.

http://cgi.ebay.com/CISCO-LAB-CCNA-CCNP-3x-3640-ROUTERS-2950-SWITCH-12-4_W0QQitemZ140255469438QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item140255469438&_trkparms=72%3A1071%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&timeout=1218476968606

had303

nicklauscombs wrote:

First thing I would suggest is find an entry level position and start getting some experience wither it is a network position or a help desk role what's important here is to get some job experience, if you want to go for the CCNP there should be nothing to stop you and is definitely do-able, not to mention nothing says you HAVE to put down you hold a CCNP if you want to move into a entry level networking position that is asking for a CCNA, the most helpful things I can suggest if you go for the CCNP is to make sure you have a decent lab setup (real gear or dynamips) and get multiple sources to study from (I assume you'll start with the BSCI if that is the case make sure to get the self study guide as the exam cert guide isn't enough to pass). Good luck!

I am desperately trying for a decent job but what I'm being offered at fresher level is stupid & rubbish Call Center's voice process based jobs & similar kinds of jobs with no network exposure.

So I'm fed up of these offers because even after having an Engineering Degree + MCP + CCNA can't get me a decent networking job. So I thought why not go for CCNP & then try for job.

You've mentioned of having a decent lab setup : My question is what all things are required for such a decent lab & what would be its approximate cost??? Moreover, will the same lab be useful for CCIE???? Study material won't be a problem because I'll refer this forum before buying any study material & when there are very helpful members like you, then whats the need to worry.

Thanks for helping me out bro.

Slowhand

Figured I'd share some thoughts on the CCNP books. I saved about $75 purchasing the CCNP Official Exam Certification Library (5th Edition) by buying from an independant seller. Considering that each book is $50 - $80, I'd say that spending $105 in total isn't a bad deal. As for updates to the books, there is an errata for each book, and the content of the exams they cover do not change. When a new exam is released, a new book is released, so as long as the CCNP exams remain valid, the books are useful. (Which, considering that these exams were released last year, should be for another 4 - 5 years.)