best path too ccnp voice

I was planning on taking ccna voice then start works on all the tests for ccnp voice. But I just finished reading some blogs which said I would be better off going through the ccnp track 1st, then start voice. I guess there thinking they spend much more time working on VLAN's and deeper router setup then trouble with voice. For me trouble support is more my heart then setup admin. Now my question is which way should I go. should I keep with the voice and forget the R&S certs, or or get more R&S and then perform the voice stuff.

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Roguetadhg

R+S is the core of the CCxx. Think of it this way. Can you have Voice, Wireless, Security, Design, Data without Routers and Switches?

If CCNP Voice is your goal. Go ahead and do it. If you discover issues - things that R+S would cover, look it over as well.

drkat

I never understood this? When going down the voice track you're moving away from R&S and going into the CUCM application and Signaling etc etc.. you really dont need to be good at eigrp/bgp/ospf to do voice

If you want to do voice then just go down the voice track, your CCNA will be sufficient and you'll just have to pick up any of the R&S stuff that you're lacking. You wont need a full NP however.

DexterPark

drkat wrote: »

I never understood this? When going down the voice track you're moving away from R&S and going into the CUCM application and Signaling etc etc.. you really dont need to be good at eigrp/bgp/ospf to do voice

If you want to do voice then just go down the voice track, your CCNA will be sufficient and you'll just have to pick up any of the R&S stuff that you're lacking. You wont need a full NP however.

I thought that too at first, but the more I got into it the more I realized that I needed a deeper understanding of networking to support the voice piece. That's why I went back and started on the CCNP & CCDP tracks. When you look at a real voice engineer you see someone who has a solid networking foundation. Understands the basics of security, design, wireless, etc....

You also need to support DHCP, VLANS, NTP, TFTP, and QOS as core pieces for your voice infrastructure. So like I said at first I was thinking maybe I should just do the NP: Switch exam & CCDA just to get the bare minimum, but after I passed it I realized there was still so much more I needed to know about DATA before I could even think to design a voice network.

stlsmoore

I'm working towards CCNP: V without the R&S but we'll prob circle back around to it once the voice is finished, if it's ever finished. The design tracks would probably help me a lot now in my current role.

Roguetadhg

The design track is something I've wanted to avoid, due to the design aspect. I'd rather know that my design of a wireless network incorporated the channels, NAC. I've looked at the Design Track as mostly the "capstone" to the knowledge of everything.

I look at it this way: Surely, I could build a network without VoIP, or Wireless, or Security... but I'd be afraid to not know anything then to be asked as the Cisco Man - "What about Wireless Security?"

Uh. I know! WPA2-PSK! "What about a RADIUS server?" Uh.. Yeah.. Dradius? Battlestar Galactica? I didn't know we had a high-tech radar in the company! I'd like to see the "Dradius" console...

drkat

DexterPark wrote: »

I thought that too at first, but the more I got into it the more I realized that I needed a deeper understanding of networking to support the voice piece. That's why I went back and started on the CCNP & CCDP tracks. When you look at a real voice engineer you see someone who has a solid networking foundation. Understands the basics of security, design, wireless, etc....

You also need to support DHCP, VLANS, NTP, TFTP, and QOS as core pieces for your voice infrastructure. So like I said at first I was thinking maybe I should just do the NP: Switch exam & CCDA just to get the bare minimum, but after I passed it I realized there was still so much more I needed to know about DATA before I could even think to design a voice network.

I guess my side of it is a bit limited, I'm an SP guy

but I'm in the enterprise now but we dont do any UC so I'm just the network/security/wireless guy.. the only guy actually... pretty scary

Once my NP is completed I'll take a look at a CCDA/CCDP

shodown

I think it depends on what your job is. If you are working for a var who's business is medium to large sized business you will have a team that can help out with route/switch issues that occur. My current client has a dedicated WAN engineer who takes care of all the route/switch needs for voice. The most I do is add some static routes, setup VLANS and some basic EIGRP.

When I worked for a small-med business VAR, there was never any complex routing. Everything was static routes and 5 vlans at the most to route so you didn't need much route/switch support.

When I worked internal IT for a large enterprise who didn't separate voice from route/switch, if you didn't know BGP/OSPF your voice traffic wasn't' making it that far, you could prob call a guy down the cube, but good luck on calling the guy/gal in Afganistan.

So what I'm saying is that it depends on what you are doing. I think if your passion is voice get the CCNP V done 1st then if you feel you have a need for high level route/switch you can always do the CCNP later. I took the CCNP before finishing up ccnp v and I have damn near forgotten most of it.

drkat

Well said - the var I worked for did small to medium business stuff so sure.. we might've had eigrp doing like 50 routes

Roguetadhg

far enough!

shodown

Yeah it all just depends on your job and environment. A good buddy of mine is doing a large retail chain with 400 sites. Its just him doing the entire design and dial plan. The company itself has there own internal IT staff handling all the route/switch and its usually like that for all his designs.

drkat

Yeah I'd rather just do the one thing. I think I get ahead of myself often with folks because my experience - I often look at things through that view. Working in for multiple telco's I get do see the whole shebang and the var I was at I did the R&S and voice stuff so you get to see the whole picture... So when you're installing equipment that terminates the WAN, does bgp or ospf over it and setting up the switches for qos and voice vlanning and then doing the phones... you get to see some stuff - however I know a lot of the questions really come from a "voice only" perspective.

I still think voice is awesome just wasnt a huge fan at first of CUCM but it grew on me my last few weeks at the VAR.. I might end up pursuing voice anyhow.