CCIE Pressure

So I have a buddy who is also finishing his CCNP. Neither one of us are really big networkers. Mainly small business stuff.

He has decided based on the recommendation of his boss (I believe they are paying for it) to use ine.com to start in on his CCIE in April. He wants me to rush my CCNP by April and join him in his CCIE quest.

I think I am going to stick with a slow paced CCNP, then CCNP: Voice and then CCNP:Security while gaining more networking experience over the next year or two. But he seems to think it's something I should start on sooner rather than later. His argument is that CCNP:Voice/Security are really not going to make me anymore ready for CCIE studies and the CCIE will take just as long if I do them or not.

Anyhow, I don't feel ready to open a CCIE book at this time. Anyhow, thoughts on this? Thoughts on ine.com?

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Hypntick

Well, i'll say this much, if you feel that you're not ready then you probably aren't. Don't give in to your buddies pressure to start something before you're comfortable starting it.

erpadmin

Hypntick wrote: »

Well, i'll say this much, if you feel that you're not ready then you probably aren't. Don't give in to your buddies pressure to start something before you're comfortable starting it.

+1 on that.

Seriously, a CCIE isn't a team effort (though I guess the buddy system helps). You don't want to be derailed on your own path just to be on your buddy's. Stay on the path you're comfortable with and politely tell your friend you're not ready and be insistent. You'll do it (if you even want to) when you're good and ready.

mikej412

But all the cool kids are going for their CCIEs.

Daniel333 wrote: »

Anyhow, I don't feel ready to open a CCIE book at this time. Anyhow, thoughts on this?

Working on the CCNP is the perfect time to read your first CCIE Book for the first time -- Doyle, Routing TCP/IP. You can start with just the chapters that relate to the CCNP topics. Then you fill in reading the topics that help with work. And when you realize you've read both volumes cover to cover twice, then you might want to consider the CCIE (and a job with a Cisco Business Partner so you can gain experience on all sizes and shapes of networks).

Mike-Mike

I don't have any Cisco certs, but is the OP's friend right? I would think like the OP that getting all the CCNP add ons would make one more ready for a CCIE

Bl8ckr0uter

I think it would be a very bad idea for you to try to rush into a CCIE. Take it at your pace and tell the other guy to buzz off.

networker050184

Just wait until you are ready. Trust me, if you aren't 100% ready and dedicated its not going to happen.

I've tried to start going for the CCIE a few times now, but I just wasn't ready for the amount of work and dedication it takes. Even if you are ready, experience and knowledge wise, all the studying isn't going to come easy.

Besides, while doing the Voice or Security tracks you might find your passion really lies there.

powerfool

If you don't feel ready, then don't rush through your CCNP to get to it. However, there is nothing stopping you from following your friend through studying for his CCIE... it will help prepare you for the CCNP. As for hitting multiple professional level certs, it is certainly a valid thing to do if you are not planning on doing your CCIE soon, if ever. Each professional level exam that you pass resets your recertification time for your existing professional level certifications.

If doing the CCIE is within two years timeframe, then I wouldn't go for another professional level certification unless it aligns with your career goals.

zerglings

Hypntick wrote: »

Well, i'll say this much, if you feel that you're not ready then you probably aren't.

Pauschism?

Daniel333

Decided, still shooting for CCNP by June then onto CCNP: Voice.

..and I really do need to move out of my current job. I am too comfortable.

aldous

mikej412 wrote: »

But all the cool kids are going for their CCIEs.

Working on the CCNP is the perfect time to read your first CCIE Book for the first time -- Doyle, Routing TCP/IP. You can start with just the chapters that relate to the CCNP topics. Then you fill in reading the topics that help with work. And when you realize you've read both volumes cover to cover twice, then you might want to consider the CCIE (and a job with a Cisco Business Partner so you can gain experience on all sizes and shapes of networks).

I second reading doyles routing TCP/IP i wish i had known how awesome those books are when i was doing BSCI instead of filing them under "CCIE read later".

Will doing ccnp:v and CCNP:S help you get a CCIE R&S? not really but you'll be much better networker as a whole. Ultimatly you need to do whats best for you i know i wouldn't be attempting the CCIE now were it not for the job demanding it!

Turgon

aldous wrote: »

I second reading doyles routing TCP/IP i wish i had known how awesome those books are when i was doing BSCI instead of filing them under "CCIE read later".

Will doing ccnp:v and CCNP:S help you get a CCIE R&S? not really but you'll be much better networker as a whole. Ultimatly you need to do whats best for you i know i wouldn't be attempting the CCIE now were it not for the job demanding it!

Doyle is just the beginning. There are a slew of texts anyone serious about a career in networking should be reading during CCNA studies. Unfortunately the emphasis on academic texts has waned as the dash for certs continues, something I have noticed the last 10 years as certification took off.

No wonder people dont understand sliding window or the three way handshake, much less are able to interpret a firewall log properly.

Bl8ckr0uter

Turgon wrote: »

Doyle is just the beginning. There are a slew of texts anyone serious about a career in networking should be reading during CCNA studies. Unfortunately the emphasis on academic texts has waned as the dash for certs continues, something I have noticed the last 10 years as certification took off.

No wonder people dont understand sliding window or the three way handshake, much less are able to interpret a firewall log properly.

I've been wondering if you were going to list out those books at one point.

Turgon

Bl8ckr0uter wrote: »

I've been wondering if you were going to list out those books at one point.

There are too many to list. Stallings and Stevens spring to mind. Anything by Pete Welcher. Interconnections by Perlman. Pildush for ATM, Kwok for ISDN. Giles for frame theory. Caslow is worth a shout as well because while dated it's still relevent and the price of a happy meal used on Amazon. You should read a wide range of texts, RFCs and white papers outside certification tracks.

mikej412

Bl8ckr0uter wrote: »

I've been wondering if you were going to list out those books at one point.

The CCIE Reading list linked to by The Cisco Learning Network just lists the Cisco Press Books now: https://learningnetwork.cisco.com/docs/DOC-4601

So you may want to grab a copy of the "old list" that's still on the Cisco web site: Book List - CCIE - Cisco Systems

Over the years I've worked with bunches of people who've had the Comer Internetworking with TCP/IP and/or The Stevens/Wright Illistrated TCP/IP volumes in their office.

Ditto with Perlman's Interconnections: Bridges & Routers

I actually owned and read all of the "Other Reading" books (except the Cisco Documentation and the Cisco Internetworking Technology Overview) long before I considered getting Cisco certifications.

I did spend a lot of time in the LAN Protocol Handbook back in the day (UNIX & DOS Network Programming) -- but most people could probably skip that one now. *sigh*

EDIT: I'll post the "Other Publications" here in case the original Cisco website CCIE Book List vanishes.

Other Publications

•Cisco Documentation
•Configuring IPv6 for Cisco IOS (Edgar Parenti, Jr., Eric Knnip, Brian Browne, Syngress, ISBN# 1928994849)
•Interconnections: Bridges & Routers, Second Edition (Perlman, Addison Wesley, ISBN# 0201634481)
•"Internetworking Technology Overview" Available through Cisco Store under doc # DOC-785777
•Internetworking with TCP/IP, Vol.1: Principles, Protocols, and Architecture (4th Edition) (Comer, Prentice Hall, ISBN# 0130183806)
•IPv6: Theory, Protocol, and Practice, 2nd Edition (Pete Loshin, Morgan Kaufmann, ISBN# 1558608109)
•LAN Protocol Handbook (Miller, M&T Press, ISBN# 1558510990 )
•Routing In the Internet (2nd Edition) (Huitema, Prentice Hall, ISBN# 0130226475)
•TCP/IP Illustrated: Volumes 1, 2, and 3 (Stevens/Wright, Addison Wesley, ISBN# 0201633469, 020163354X, 0201634953)