VLAN & VTP CCNA Review

The past few days I have been studying and practicing my VLAN and VTP skills. I am enjoying my studies a lot more now due to the fact that I don't have to rush and can take my time going at my own pace. I spent sometime playing with the Packet Tracer software from Cisco and never realized how good it really was. You can really do some cool stuff with it like creating a visio type diagram and log into the devices in real time. I created a VLAN lab that built on to itself starting by creating one switch in an office LAN closet with the 3 VLANs for Sales, Helpdesk, and Accounting. I then created another switch with the same VLANS then used VTP on the first switch to manage the VLAN's on both switches. Then obviously I needed to create a way for the VLANS to talk to each other since they were in their own subnets and since we all know switch's can't do Layer 3 routing (besides a L3 switch). I did the good ole Router-on-a-stick where we use a router's interface to create sub-interfaces and trunk 802.1q (or ISL) encapsulation over it's interface for all 3 VLANS. This was a good refresher!

Reviewing ICND2 Materials

I have officially started the first step to tackling the CCNP, I have ordered the Official BCSI Study Guide Book. This will prepare me to move on to the BCSI Exam Guide Book later. I will use mainly GNS3 to lab for this test, but hopefully I can through a little lab together with the spare devices we have in the NOC during the slower times at work. While I'm waiting for my book to arrive, I'm going through the ICND2 book and labs once again to make sure I have foundation laid to properly prepare for the CCNP topics. With that said you should be seeing more frequent updates for a while now!

Cisco Call Manager Study

I've been taking some time the last few weeks to really understand the inner workings of VoIP and how it works within the Cisco world. The ISP I work for deals with a lot of VoIP issues, so much that I think it's best that I spend the next few months learning how calls flow and are routed. A co-worker gave me great study material for Cisco Call Manager and how it works as a whole for VoIP. Honestly I never would of thought I would of liked VoIP but I guess that was because I didn't know anything about it. I figure that after I wrap up these Call Manager study guides and get some more on the job experience I'll focus all my attention back on to the Routing and Switching side of things. From there I think I'll see what the CCVP is all about!

Researching for the CCNP

As I prepare to battle on through the next level of Cisco Certifications I have to research exactly what tools I will use and how I will execute my preparation. I'm going to start with the recommended BCSI Exam even though everyone comments that this is the most challenging. As a matter of fact I'm going to order the Cisco Study Guide book to prepare me on how to go through the real Cisco Exam Book, how crazy is that! I'm excited though, after two or three months I usually get bored and antsy not studying for the next cert. I noticed IT certifications have a way to doing this to you.

I am A+, Network+, Microsoft Certified Professional (Windows XP/2003 Server), and most recently Cisco Certified Network Associate. I started taking exams in the order listed in the previous sentence and each time you pass a test after all the hard work you put in there is a VERY satisfactory feeling after passing. Especially the CCNA for me because I knew that with this certification was a beginning to a new start for me. After 5 years of IT I knew exactly what field I wanted to be in and now I'm here and I'm looking forward to the new adventures ahead!

Learning Past the CCNA Level

I have learned a lot in the past two months in the networking field but more specifically, I'm starting to slowly but surely understand concepts pass the CCNA Level of things. The Cisco CCNA Certification merely goes into any sort of depth about the WAN side of things. The past two months I have already dealt with many LECs (Local Exchange Carriers) regarding different types of circuits . While it has been mainly T1's with a few Frame Relay/MPLS circuits I am starting to understand the importance of knowing WAN topology concepts. Understanding where the Demark is for the carrier to the customer is very important. Also knowing the different types of symptoms that cause a circuit to do down is even more important.

Funny enough the most common thing that causes a circuit to go down isn't anything related to the line or equipment itself. Mother nature herself is the #1 reason circuits go down rather it's because of a massive thunderstorm or a tree falling and damaging the fiber lines. Believe it or not, many times a line will go down because of a tractor rolling over the cable! You would think that carriers would bury the lines deeper but oh well. I hope in the next 4 months to have the WAN concepts down pretty good from a topology stand point, this will help a ton for preparation for CCNP.

Massaging the mind for CCNP

I'm still on the path of mentally preparing myself to go fully into study mode for CCNP starting early next year. I've been using the Cisco Learning Network and going through mainly OSPF and some IPv6 topics that will be covered extensively on the BCSI exam. I have my work cut out for me but it should be enjoyable at the same time. With all the experience I'm gaining from my job, plus all the experience my co-workers have, and on top of the self studying I'll be doing I should be alright!

Preparing for the CCNP

Even though it's going to be at least 6 months maybe even a year before I start my quest on towards CCNP I've been going through the Cisco CBT's on the Cisco Learning Network. I've been doing 1 CBT a week but might make that 2 CBT's a week until I officially start the studies for CCNP. This is mainly so I don't become complacent with the material I've learned during the CCNA but the work I'm doing at my job now is also helping out a lot. I popped my cherry and configured my first official Cisco Router in a production environment which was really cool and I can't wait until I get to take on more router configuration tasks. For now I'm mainly focusing on learning how to use Cisco Unity Server, Call Manager, and various other tools for configuring VoIP Phones. I'm learning so many new things but the best part is that I'm enjoying the new things I'm learning, this is for sure the side of IT I want to stay in!