Interview question

So I'm preparing for CCENT, which is this friday and I was applying for a job as well.

I got a call saying they have a position and they asked me general questions along with the following:

what is a domain controller.

Now, I know this is not a topic of ICND1 or anything and I googled and it was basic stuff that I didn't know.

This is my question:

The job was for a help desk position and I didn't even know this.

Which certificate involves this topic can someone please tell me? How do I get the basic knowledge of networking so in future I can answer these simple questions and not feel stupid?

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theodoxa

samwinchester wrote: »

Which certificate involves this topic can someone please tell me? How do I get the basic knowledge of networking so in future I can answer these simple questions and not feel stupid?

MCTS: Windows Server 2008 Active Directory, Configuring
<---

https://www.microsoft.com/learning/en-us/exam-70-640.aspx

Most employers want you to have some Microsoft knowledge as they want you to do more than just Routing and Switching.

[EDIT] You can also integrate certain Cisco products with Microsoft products. For example, you can use a Microsoft Active Directory Domain Controller to authenticate users (using RADIUS) to the CLI on a router or switch.

samwinchester

theodoxa wrote: »

MCTS: Windows Server 2008 Active Directory, Configuring
<---

https://www.microsoft.com/learning/en-us/exam-70-640.aspx

Most employers want you to have some Microsoft knowledge as they want you to do more than just Routing and Switching.

[EDIT] You can also integrate certain Cisco products with Microsoft products. For example, you can use a Microsoft Active Directory Domain Controller to authenticate users (using RADIUS) to the CLI on a router or switch.

I feel like such an idiot. Is it a good idea to get MCTS before I go for ICND2?

samwinchester

One more question, I'm sorry I'm directly asking instead of searching but,

what would you guys, who have achieved microsoft certificates, would advice, about entry level microsoft certificates. I see there are a lot of them,

I'm planning to go for CCNA -- CCNP security in future, but I want to gain the basic knowledge and knowledge about stuff I might might not encounter in future.

So which would be great Microsoft entry level certs as well as useful for this path?

TehToG

Focus on your CCNA or CCENT for now. This is a really easy and basic interview question that was designed to see if you had business experience. The MCSA is the equivalent for microsoft. I'd aim for those.

samwinchester

TehToG wrote: »

Focus on your CCNA or CCENT for now. This is a really easy and basic interview question that was designed to see if you had business experience. The MCSA is the equivalent for microsoft. I'd aim for those.

You're right, I lost my aim. I'll ace CCENT first then i'll look more into it.

Jon_Cisco

samwinchester wrote: »

Which certificate involves this topic can someone please tell me? How do I get the basic knowledge of networking so in future I can answer these simple questions and not feel stupid?

I decided to study for the Microsoft MTA 98-365 exam. https://www.microsoft.com/learning/en-us/exam-98-365.aspx

I have not taken it but I read most of the book and played around a little with active directory on a virtual machine. It's fairly straight forward and will give you the basics without getting bogged down in a major Microsoft cert.

Hondabuff

This is why A+, Network+ is the prereq to CCNA. The DC is the Heart of any corporation.

d4nz1g

samwinchester wrote: »

I feel like such an idiot. Is it a good idea to get MCTS before I go for ICND2?

I got my MCSA 2 months before going after CCNA (Back in 2012). All I can say is: The knowledge I acquired is still valuable, but nowdays it's just a useless piece of paper.

Hondabuff

My instructor told us a great analogy when I was in school that the Network is the roads and highways of the corporations. You must know what the vehicles are that are on your highway so you can build it properly and maintain it. You don't have to know how to drive the big rigs but you should have a understanding on how they work. The DC and servers are your big rigs and PC's are your normal cars. Just like the real highway there are a bunch of specialty nodes such as IP cameras, IP phones, motorcycles and busses. Each one leaves a foot print as it moves across the network and highways. Each has its on load on the pavement and network. Heck, where do you think the whole VPN "tunnel" concept came from. Take it as a learning experience. The things you fail at, You will remember the most.

NetworkNewb

I was thinking maybe do something like theodoxa, taking one of the smaller exams instead of the MCSA. I don't plan on being a systems administrator, but would like to know more about Windows Server. Thinking of just taking the 70-411 exam, Administering Windows Server 2012, once I finish my CCNA.

Or maybe 98-356, MTA: Windows Server Administration Fundamentals. I haven't looked too much into yet though.

samwinchester

Hondabuff wrote: »

This is why A+, Network+ is the prereq to CCNA. The DC is the Heart of any corporation.

Are A+ and Network+ exams online like ITIL? or is it like ICND1 that you go to a center to give the exam?

CompTIA A+ Voucher

is this a correct website to buy the voucher?

samwinchester

NetworkNewb wrote: »

I was thinking maybe do something like theodoxa, taking one of the smaller exams instead of the MCSA. I don't plan on being a systems administrator, but would like to know more about Windows Server. Thinking of just taking the 70-411 exam, Administering Windows Server 2012, once I finish my CCNA.

Or maybe 98-356, MTA: Windows Server Administration Fundamentals. I haven't looked too much into yet though.

So Microsoft certs over A+/net+ ??

Jollycork

A solid foundation on Microsoft Active Directory services, as well as individual operating system isn't a waste of time.

An example, a international fast food business still uses Windows XP embedded for some of the operating systems for some of the equipment. Why? well the expense of upgrading when they don't really have to. Why don't they have to? Well they had configured their corporate network to be secure and they use Microsoft Active Directory, Group Policy, hardware and software scripts to lock down equipment, as well firewalls, proxy servers to filter traffic, to secure their networks.

They use Windows Active Directory, they use sites within active directory for each fast food store. They have Group Policy that applies to each individual site, applied from the Network Operation Center based upon the individual sites need and configuration.

So if your working a help desk that deals with issues at a particular store, you would need a solid understanding of Microsoft Active Directory for how it works, how individual hardware can be configured through Group Policy in Microsoft Active Directory, and how permissions are set for each object in a container in Active Directory, and how Group Policy is applied, to be able to understand what might be causing networking or hardware issues that are not simply failing hardware.

And help desks, at least level 2 or level 3 tech support has this knowledge, where level 1 tech support are people who answer the phone, read off a list of standard troubleshooting steps and once they reach the end of the list, and they haven't fixed the problem, hand off to level 2 tech support.

Level 3 or higher technical support at most businesses isn't just networking. If you want a job that is just networking, then go to work for a government agency where you only work on one thing and one thing only.

In private businesses , level 3 and higher do everything from designing the network to work with Active Directory Services for the hundreds of stores they might have around the country or around the world, and be able to look at individual components, see what's wrong and determine if it's software or hardware, and maybe fix the software issue without crashing the entire network or crashing the store. Writing scripts, and a whole set of stuff not specifically dealing with networking such as routing and switching.

Further, they have to deal with IP phone systems, video conferencing systems, etc.

samwinchester

Jollycork wrote: »

A solid foundation on Microsoft Active Directory services, as well as individual operating system isn't a waste of time.

An example, a international fast food business still uses Windows XP embedded for some of the operating systems for some of the equipment. They also use Windows Active Directory. As an international fast food business, they use sites within active directory for each fast food store. They have Group Policy that applies to each individual site, applied from the Network Operation Center based upon the individual sites need and configuration.

So if your working a help desk that deals with issues at a particular store, you would need a solid understanding of Microsoft Active Directory for how it works, how individual hardware can be configured through Group Policy in Microsoft Active Directory, and how permissions are set for each object in a container in Active Directory, and how Group Policy is applied, to be able to understand what might be causing networking or hardware issues that are not simply failing hardware.

And help desks, at least level 2 or level 3 tech support has this knowledge, where level 1 tech support are people who answer the phone, read off a list of standard troubleshooting steps and once they reach the end of the list, and they haven't fixed the problem, hand off to level 2 tech support.

Level 3 or higher technical support at most businesses isn't just networking. If you want a job that is just networking, then go to work for a government agency where you only work on one thing and one thing only.

Private businesses have level 3 and higher do everything from designing the network to work with Active Directory Services for the hundreds of stores they might have around the country or around the world, and be able to look at individual components, see what's wrong and determine if it's software or hardware, and maybe fix the software issue without crashing the entire network or crashing the store.

Thank you that was very informative.

Jollycork

That's a real world example of a international fast food restaurant...You see their stores everyday... probably have eaten there...and if you wanted to work in their network operations center that's what their help desk does.

Most Restaurant and Hospitality [which is hotel chains] businesses operate that way.

NetworkNewb

samwinchester wrote: »

So Microsoft certs over A+/net+ ??

Definitely