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- Computer Repair Online Schools Can Be Easy And Fun By : Michael Bustamante
With millions of PCs in U.S. and Canadian homes today, there is an ever-growing need for computer repair services. You can get the training you need for troubleshooting, repairing, and maintaining PCs through an online computer repair school. They provide a very convenient course of study, allowing you to receive all the study materials, information, and knowledge necessary for success in this interesting occupation. - Why Taking A Computing Course Is A Good Idea By : Morgan Hamilton
It would be a wise idea to take advantage of a contemporary computing course because knowing how to operate a computer is one of those imperatives in life these days. I’m really amused with my cousin who never took a computing course in her life. She is just not interested in it, and she won't even buy a computer. Of course, I tried to convince her that a computer would make her life easier, but she just wouldn’t give in.
I can’t persuade her to purchase a computer, even if I told her that she could do all her shopping on the web. I explained to her that she could even order her groceries and have them delivered where she lives if she has a computer. However, my cousin still refuses to buy a basic desktop computer and take a simple computing course. I even offered to teach her all she needs to know if she would get a stinking computer. Well, I guess some folks just have trouble evolving. - The Value Of A Computer Information Systems Degree By : Morgan Hamilton
The invention of computers has changed the world. In this, the computer age, almost everything we do involves computers and the Internet. Communication, business, entertainment, and other aspects of human life rely on computers and related technology. It’s essential for people to adapt to the computer revolution by making themselves familiar with computer related knowledge. Computer information systems degree and similar courses can provide people with opportunities to benefit from the influence of computers.
Many parents these days are encouraging their children to consider a computer information systems degree for their future career. Parents can sense the trends of the present job market and they know that computer related degrees are a wonderful way of approaching college. A computer information systems degree provides a person with valuable knowledge that are in demand in most modern businesses. Knowledge about computers in today’s world gives a person an edge over individuals who are computer illiterate. - IT Certifications: Do Your Clients Even Understand Them? By : Joshua Feinberg
When targeting small businesses that are in the sweet spot size, what IT certifications do you typically need? One thing to keep in mind is that you are not selling to a real IT manager in most cases.
Remember Who You Are Selling Your Services To - IT Certifications: What Types of Support Do Your Clients Need? By : Joshua Feinberg
Sweet spot small businesses have distinct support needs-strong desktop support skills and light LAN skills. In this article, you'll learn what skills and certifications are most important to your sweet spot business clients.
What Specific Tasks Will Your Clients Need Help With? - IT Certifications: Are They Important? By : Joshua Feinberg
Most of your sweet spot small business clients are just starting to gain awareness of the value of certifications. But most sweet spot clients don't know enough about IT to appreciate and pay for the differences in different levels of certification. In this article, you'll learn what your clients are looking for with your IT certifications.
What Do IT Certifications Mean to Your Clients? - More Computer Consulting 101 Hiring Tips (Part 2 of 2) By : Joshua Feinberg
Does your company need to retain the services of a competent computer consulting firm, but you have no idea how to really evaluate “competence”?
In the first part of this two-part series on Computer Consulting 101 hiring tips, we looked at why small businesses find it so difficult to hire good computer consulting companies, as well as four basic questions that you must be addressed when searching for a new computer consulting vendor. - Computer Consulting 101 Hiring Tips (Part 1 of 2) By : Joshua Feinberg
Does your business need the services of a computer consulting firm? Before you rush out and hire the first techie or slick-salesperson that knocks on your door, be sure to consider these favorite Computer Consulting 101 hiring tips for screening and interviewing local computer consulting firms. In this first in a two-part series, we’ll look the root of the problem, as well as the four most basic criteria that you’ll need to ask about when searching for computer consulting vendors.
Computer Consulting 101 Preventative Medicine - Important Computer Certifications For Computer Technicianscccc By : Natalie Aranda
After deciding on the career of a computer technician, there are a few things that people need to take care of in order to jump start their careers. There is a lot of computer based training that could help people improve their experience and their skill. There are several key certifications that are must haves when you decide to become a computer technician, including Cisco certifications, which are highly respected, Microsoft or MCSE certifications, and A+ certification.
Getting these certifications is a great asset because you will receive industry recognition for the knowledge and proficiency level that you are currently at without question. A MCSE certification means that you know the ins and outs of the most difficult Windows operating system and the Microsoft Windows Server system. It will also give you access to technical and product information that may be valuable for solving problems on the fly at work. While this may not be as important, Microsoft will also offer you discounts on many products and systems from different companies. In order to obtain a MCSE certification, a person must have at least one year of experience working with networking systems along with at least one year of implementing and administering a desktop operating system and designing a network infrastructure. When trying for this certification, it might be a wise choice to take one of the MCSE boot camps that are offered online. These courses are rigorous and expensive, but are usually worth the time and money. - Cisco Certifications For Networking Professionals By : Natalie Aranda
In order to achieve the second tier of the Cisco Pyramid, one needs to pass the Cisco Certifications for Network Professionals exam. This exam will prove that a network professional will be able to install, configure, and troubleshoot converged local and wide area networks with one hundred to five hundred or more nodes. They will also be able to manage routers and switches that are part of the network core, along with edge applications that integrate voice, wireless and security into the network. One needs to pass a total of four tests to achieve this title and they will need to renew this certification every three years.
If you are having trouble passing these required tests or just need some extra help, many websites offer a CCNP boot camp which is usually a rigorous and effective course that will improve your chances of passing the test with ease. These classes are no joke and can last from eight AM in the morning to late into the evening, and will be either a great review for the test or it will help you learn the daunting information that will be on the test. - Overview Of Microsoft Certification Training By : Natalie Aranda
The Microsoft Certification program is one of the most valuable certification programs available to the IT tech simply because Microsoft is a leader in the software field. The value of a Microsoft Certification is unquestioned. It increases the confidence of the individual who earns it and opens up professional opportunities. They become what is called a Microsoft Certified Professional, or MCP. This recognition is not lost on potential employers. The rapid growth and change of the IT environment has created a need for professional technicians who have demonstrated initiative above the norm.
Microsoft lists six steps in the Certification process. Identification of the proper Certification is the first step. There are many different ones covering the full spectrum of interests and skills. The second step is to gain hands on experience working with Microsoft systems. A full six months of work experience is recommended before considering attempting to earn a certification. This would be increased to one year for the advanced level certifications. The next step is to expand your experience with training. Microsoft training is conducted through formal classroom training or through a distance learning based network. E-learning programs are also available for self paced learning. There are videos and books available as well to supplement all three modes of training. It is vital to make sure that you are training for the correct certification. A MCSE training video, designed for the basic level Microsoft Certified System Engineer certification is a good place to start. - A Brief History Of Cisco Certification Training By : Natalie Aranda
Cisco Systems was founded in 1984 by a married couple named Len Bosack and Sandy Lerner. They were computer engineers employed at Stanford University near San Francisco, California. The name cisco, which was originally spelled using a small c, was taken from San Francisco. It created the first commercially successful multi-protocol router. This was exactly the right product at the right time as it enabled previously incompatible computers to communicate with each other. The cisco router was thus instrumental in the establishment and growth of the internet. The change to the standard Internet Protocol (IP) cut drastically into the need for a multi-protocol router, but by this time the company was well established and able to diversify into other networking system products.
In 1990, just six years after it was founded, the company went public and the name was changed to Cisco Systems. The founders walked away with a nice profit of around 170 million dollars. In the following years, the company continued to grow. Just before the dot com. bubble burst, Cisco Systems was one of the richest companies in the world. Today, the company has managed to stay on the cutting edge of networking systems technology and has retained its position as a leader in the field of Internet technology. - The Secrets To Pass It Certification Exams With Ease By : Natalie Aranda
How do you pass an IT Certification Exam with Ease? It may not seem this is a possibility to a person preparing to take one. The importance of the Certification process to the career of an IT tech and normal test anxiety are certainly going to make the whole certification process seem daunting. There are some ways to reduce this anxiety and make the entire test taking process much easier. The first thing is to realize is that the entire Certification process is designed for success. It is not meant to fail people or to reduce the number of IT techs. The goal is to create a standard knowledge level for IT techs not to weed out failures. Understanding this simple distinction and knowing that the entire system is designed to help you pass not to make you fail is the first step.
There are several ways to prepare for the test and all of them are important. There are hands on labs and extensive boot camps. There are books and study guides for each specific certification area. You can take a self test to identify your weak areas. All of these methods are designed to give you a contextual knowledge of the subject. A contextual knowledge goes beyond simple memorization of things and gives a complete understanding. It also helps to identify distracters. The idea of distracters is important because the exams are concerned with what is wrong as well as what is right. This is why the exam formats are given as multiple choice. The IT practice exam prepares you for this format. - Before Entering The Exam Room: Comptia A+ Certification Practice Tests By : Natalie Aranda
The Computing Technology Industry Association is the sponsor of the CompTia A+ Certification program. This is considered one of the benchmark certifications in the field of Information Technology (IT). It covers the basic knowledge and skills needed for a successful IT and is recognized by employers the world over as a basic educational standard for this career field. It is only natural that the successful completion of this examination is of utmost importance to an aspiring IT. There are several things that a candidate can do to increase their chances in the examination.
There are study materials available from organizations that are members of the CAQC, the CompTia Approved Quality Curriculum. The CLA, CompTia Learning Alliance, also has training centers where students can have instructor guided training to prepare them for the examinations. There is still one last and important thing that can be done once training is complete, and the candidate feels ready to attempt the examination. This is to take one of the A+ certification practice exams. - The Basic Requirements For Mcse Certification By : Natalie Aranda
The Microsoft Systems Engineer Certificate known as the MCSE is the basic fundamental certification program for an IT working in any Microsoft environment. The Certification concept has been developed in the rapidly changing and expanding field of computer technology to bring some order. When a person earns certification, employers and potential employers become confident that a certain standard threshold of expertise has been attained.
MCSE Certification is often a starting point for more advanced and specialized certifications. The basic requirements include normally at least one year of experience in the field implementing or administering a network operating system. The experience can also be in a client operating system or designing a network infrastructure. In order to earn the certificate, the candidate must pass a serious of examinations. There are four basic exams required that cover operating systems. Another exam tests and gives proof of expertise in design skills. Finally, two elective exams must be completed. These exams may be selected from a list of choices that include such diverse topics as security and implementation of various operating systems. - How Does A Mcse Boot Camp Work? By : Natalie Aranda
One of the best methods of securing IT training, and preparing for your MCSE Certification examination is the boot camp. MCSE stands for Microsoft Certified System Engineer. The MSCE boot camp gives you the intensive training that you need to not only pass the examination, but also to handle the work afterwards. The boot camp concept takes its name from military basic training and although it does not resemble that in the discipline area, it certainly earns its name for its intensity.
A typical MCSE boot camp lasts around two weeks. The fee for the camp includes air transportation to the camp site, and lodging during the duration of the course. If air transportation and lodging are not needed, these expenses will be deducted from the cost. Meals are also included in these packages. Students will take up to seven certification examinations during the boot camp. The class room work will be directed toward preparation for each examination. Students will be working also on the actual hardware and software under the guidance of instructors who are experience in all Microsoft platforms. Most boot camps have 24/7 lab access available to the students. - The Pros And Cons Of It Training Boot Camps By : Natalie Aranda
Many technicians interested in improving their overall skill level have opted for IT training boot camps. They offer intensive training, and give plenty of hands on training, and most important they award the all important certificates that have become necessary for the advancement of the technicians career in the IT field.
So, what are the pros and cons of the IT training boot camp as compared with other more conventional certification programs? What are the factors that can help guide your decision? - How To Choose The Right It Certification Boot Camps By : Natalie Aranda
The field of IT training has become one of the biggest growth areas in the entire employment and training arena. The demand for trained technicians has outstripped the supply for years now, and each passing day and new technological development has made this more acute. One of the new methods that have emerged in recent years is the IT Certification Boot Camp.
The entire concept of IT certification has emerged as an important part of the overall training environment. College degree programs were becoming more of an introduction to the complex field, and there was a demand for skilled technicians beyond what the colleges could provide. On the other hand, employers were left with no sure method of evaluating the skill level of prospective employees. The Certification revolution addressed this problem. The Certifications gave a measuring stick for the learning level of the IT technician. - Microsoft Mcse Certification And Your Career Development By : Natalie Aranda
One of the most important certifications in the IT field is the MCSE certification. This is the Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer certificate and it covers a wide range of Microsoft based systems. The MCSE certificate can be earned in a large number of different ways. You can use classroom training, distance or online learning courses, or Microsoft’s own e-learning program. There are even programs that combine online learning with classroom training for those who benefit from a more personal approach.
The importance of Microsoft systems in the world of Information Technology (IT) can not be stressed too highly. The future is going to bring demands for specialized training beyond the current levels, and certification is going to be more than suggested, it is going to be required. In fact, this situation has already become the norm in many major organizations. - Training Options For It Certifications By : Natalie Aranda
IT (information technology) covers all aspects of managing and processing information. With IT Certification, you can develop, design, support, and manage networks, hardware and computer software. Most computer training programs offer some type of e-mail support and sometimes phone support. The IT field of training is getting more and more competitive and crowded each year. Yesterday’s skills don’t cut it in todays more advanced technological world. You can show your commitment to your career as well as expertise by becoming certified. IT training validates your commitment to being the best.
Employers value an IT certification because it brings to the organization better quality of work for the whole of the company. When it comes to choosing the best certification training, there are many choices available to you. Every computer professional out there today understands the value of IT certification and IT training. The computer field is always progressing and always improving. In most high ranking jobs you can’t just walk in with your current skills and expect to be hired. You must continue to strive in your field with new skills; this means you are constantly seeking to improve your education. CBT or Computer Based Training is available at your finger tips. There are so many programs out there that can help you with this task. - Match Training Options With It Certifications By : Natalie Aranda
It is important to the career development of an IT tech to have proper certification. It is getting more important everyday as the IT field continues to grow. Computer based training is not something that is optional any longer. So, the question is no longer if you should pursue it or not, but rather where can you get it. There are several options.
It does not come as a surprise that IT training is available on the internet. There are quite a few sites offering computer based training, and preparations for Certification training. Online training, or distance training as it is often called, is a viable option in many different circumstances. Not everyone is in a position to abandon their jobs and take time off to attend onsite type of training. The major advantage of distance training is that you can work at your own pace. What is important is your own personal learning profile. Some people learn better in a hands on environment with the guidance of a trainer. Other people thrive on independent study and have the self discipline to make their own schedule and to adhere to it. - Comptia A+ Certification Reality Check By : Natalie Aranda
The Computing Technology Industry Association offers a number of Certifications that enable IA techs to make their resumes look stronger and that also give employers a measuring stick for evaluating the skill level of an applicant. The A+ Certification is one of these and is considered an entry level general purpose vendor-neutral certification. It covers a wide range of skills related to the maintenance of personal computers. It also covers basic networking, security, safety, and even environmental issues.
A+ Certification training is available worldwide and is designed to prepare the student for the certification exam. There is a common misconception, however, concerning A+ Certification training. Many aspiring techs view it as a basic training course for beginners to the IA technology field. In planning their career path, they view the A+ training as the starting place for their overall training. This is a mistake. The Certification training programs are designed to prepare the student to take the comprehensive exam to receive the Certification. A certain skill level and educational background is going to be assumed of the students taking the training. If you have not received the elementary training, you are going to be over your head. - Overview Of Comptia A+ Certification By : Natalie Aranda
The field of computer technology is experiencing an explosive surge of growth, and the outlook is that this will continue unabated in the coming years. The concept of training and certification has become increasingly important for people pursuing a career in this field. The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) has introduced several Certifications to strengthen employee resumes and enable employers to judge the skills and training levels of prospective employees. The basic one is the A+ Certification.
The A+ Certification is a vendor-neutral test of the overall knowledge of computer hardware and operating systems. It covers the candidate’s ability to install, configure, fix, upgrade, and even troubleshoot personal computers. It covers skills in diagnosing and preventive maintenance as well as basic networking. The exam covers such domains as security, safety, and even environmental issues. - The Value Of It Certification Boot Camps By : Natalie Aranda
There is no career field expanding quite as fast as the Information Technology field. Most experts predict this field will remain one of the fastest growing segments of the job market for many years to come. There is hardly a job that does not use computer technology to some degree or another and the demand for trained IT certified techs is reaching critical mass in many industries. One of the major problems within this growth industry is the rapid advances in technology. Training has to be continuous as new software is introduced or upgraded almost daily. One method of determining the level of training of a prospective employee is Certification.
Although online certification courses are becoming more and more popular, they are not always the best way to gain the needed skills. Many people work better with the help of instructors and in group learning situations. It is for exactly these kinds of people that the Certification Boot Camp has been developed. - Introduction To Thomson Netg By : Natalie Aranda
Thomson NETg is one of a kind global learning Enterprise offering live online classrooms and a wide range of Integrated Learning solutions. Their learning offer includes high-quality instructional content, cutting-edge enabling technologies with multiple delivery options, and a full range of expert consulting services.
NETg has been around for 35 years, as a leader in learning and professional development partner of choice for innovating organizations worldwide. Their Integrated Learning solutions are designed to help other companies to unlock the potential of people in their organizations to achieve the results each company needs. - Microsoft Certification 101 By : Natalie Aranda
In the current job market, Microsoft certifications represent one of the richest and varied spectrums of job roles and responsibilities, which are embraced by industry professionals worldwide, that earning a specific credential provides an objective validation of their ability to successfully perform critical IT functions in a wide range of companies and industries.
Microsoft certification is the top effective way to achieve goals in long-term IT careers, being at the same time a useful tool for companies to develop and retain valuable IT professionals - The Value Of It Certifications In Career Development By : Natalie Aranda
Information technology (IT) is the branch of engineering dealing with the use of computers and telecommunications, developing and maintaining systems as well as retrieving, storing and transmitting information. Therefore, any person wanting to develop a career in IT should be aware of the value of IT certifications.
Through education and certification, professionals gain the skills, knowledge, and validation needed to be recognized as an expert in diverse products or technologies. MCSE Certification, CCNA Certification, A+ Certification, and SAP Certification are just a few of the many credentials an IT professional may achieve. - Computer Training And It Certifications By : Natalie Aranda
In the competitive world of the internet, computer training is necessary to gain skills and knowledge in order to get the validation you need to be recognized as an expert IT professional confronting all those opportunities and career challenges that have never been greater than today.
An IT certification is a common a prerequisite to get a job or a salary increase, hence professional certifications are a necessity and not just a marketing strategy to sell determined software or useless courses. Both computer training and IT certification are the best way to demonstrate your skills and expertise in any given technical field to present to prospective employers. - Ccnp Certification Bcmsn Exam Tutorial: Mac Address Flooding By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
Network attacks take many forms, and it's important to know how the potential security issues with ARP, DHCP, and MAC addresses. They're innocent looking enough, but each of these common network protocols and addresses can be turned against us. Today, we'll talk about what MAC Address Flooding is, how it can be used against our network, and the best defense against this attack.
A MAC Address Flooding attack is an attempt by a network intruder to overwhelm the switch memory reserved for maintenance of the MAC address table. The intruder generates a large number of frames with different source MAC addresses - all of them invalid. As the switch's MAC address table capabilities are exhausted, valid entries cannot be made - and this results in those valid frames being broadcast instead of unicast. - Cisco Ccnp Bcmsn 642-812 Certification Exam Tutorial: Dhcp Snooping By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
An important part of passing the Cisco CCNP BCMSN exam and protecting your network from intruders is to recognize that even everyday protocols and services can work against us once that intruder is in our network.
It may be hard to believe, but something as innocent as DHCP can actually lead to trouble for your network. When a host sends out a DHCPDiscovery packet, it listens for DHCPOffer packets - and accepts the first Offer it gets! - Cisco Ccnp Bsci 642-901 Exam: Ospf And Passive Interfaces By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
Your BSCI exam may well be the most challenging of the four exams you must pass to become a CCNP, so you have to have the details of every protocol on the exam mastered! Today, we'll look at the passive-interface command as it relates to OSPF.
Passive interfaces accept routing updates, but do not send them. Regarding OSPF, even though OSPF does not sent "routing updates" in the form that RIP, IGRP, and EIGRP do, you can still configure an OSPF-enabled interface as passive in order to prevent OSPF traffic from exiting that interface. No OSPF adjacency can be formed if one of the interfaces involved is a passive interface, and if you configure an OSPF-enabled interface as passive where an adjacency already exists, the adjacency will drop almost immediately. - Microsoft Vista Certification Tutorial: An Introduction To Windows Defender By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
You don't have to be working on a Microsoft Windows Vista certification to know about the security problems that past versions of Windows have encountered. As a result, Microsoft is paying special attention to security with Vista, and one of the new features Vista features is Windows Defender.
What exactly are we defending against with Defender? Spyware. Spyware programs range from annoying (one pop-up banner after another) to downright destructive (capturing your computer's keystrokes). Windows Defender is designed to operate much like an antivirus program in that Defender will detect the offending spyware and then quarantine or delete the spyware. - Cisco Ccna / Ccnp Certification Exam Tutorial: Eigrp And Split Horizon By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
EIGRP is a major topic for your CCNA and CCNP studies, and one basic skill you’ll need to pass your Cisco certification exams is to identify situations where you need to enable or disable split horizon. EIGRP commands tend to be a little different than those used with other protocols, so let’s take a look at how EIGRP and split horizon interoperate.
R1 is our hub router, with R2 and R3 as the spokes. There are no subinterfaces, and each router is advertising a single loopback network using its router number for each octet. R1 will see both R2 and R3’s loopback network, but the spokes will not have a route to the other spoke’s loopback. “show ip route eigrp” verifies this. - Cisco Ccnp Bsci 642-901 Tutorial: Clear Text Ospf Neighbor Authentication By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
An OSPF adjacency can be authenticated with MD5 (Message Digest 5) or with a clear-text password. I’m not much on clear-text passwords, and hopefully you aren’t either! Whether you’re working in the real world or the certification exam room, though, it’s always a good idea to know more than one way to do things. Let’s take a look at how to configure clear-text authentication of an OSPF neighbor relationship.
The commands we’ll use are “ip ospf authentication-key” and “ip ospf authentication”. In this example, we have preexisting adjacencies between three routers in an OSPF NBMA network. The hub router (R1) has an adjacency with two spoke routers, R2 and R3. - Cisco Ccnp 642-901 Bsci Exam Tutorial: Eigrp Adjacencies And Secondary Addresses By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
I've read some non-Cisco documentation that EIGRP will not allow adjacencies to form when secondary addresses are used. This is incorrect, but there is one common error that can result if both addresses are not secondary. To fully prepare for the 642-901 BSCI exam, you should know about this error. Let's take a look at R2 and R3, which will be using secondary addresses to form an EIGRP adjacency across an ethernet segment.
R2(config)#interface ethernet0 - Cisco Ccnp Cit Exam Training: Creating A Network Baseline By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
The first thing we've got to do in order to document our network is to create a network baseline. After all, if we don't know our goals, we can't accomplish them. A baseline is really a "network snapshot", a picture of our network devices and their performance - which also helps us spot issues before they happen.
Every network has its "breaking point", the point at which it can no longer transfer data effectively. By creating a baseline, you can see what the current network load is now - and by maintaining that baseline, you can spot network issues well before they become critical. For example, say you baseline all your network routers, and part of that is noting the CPU capability and usage. By maintaining the network baseline, you can note smaller, gradual increases in CPU usage and do something about it before the situation becomes critical. - Cisco Ccna And Ccnp Bcran Exam Training: Frame Relay Pvc, Svc, Dlci, And Map Statements By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
In today's CCNP certification tutorial, we'll concentrate on the BCRAN exam and Frame Relay PVCs, SVC, and DLCIs in particular.
There are actually two kinds of virtual circuits - Permanent Virtual Circuits (PVCs) and Switched Virtual Circuits (SVCs). An SVC doesn't have anything to do with an L2 switch - it's a VC that is built only under predefined circumstances, similar to an ISDN connection that is only built when interesting traffic hits the line. SVCs go through a basic four-step process, and it's a lot like ISDN: - Ccna Certification Exam Training: Do Your Best And Get Some Sleep! By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
CCNA certification is tough enough without you making it tough on yourself. There are a few simple things you can do that will increase your exam day performance greatly. Let's take a look at these simple yet powerful techniques.
First, get plenty of sleep the night before. I've taken certification exams from the CCNA to the CCIE, and I'm always amazed at the number of bleary-eyed test takers that show up at the testing center looking like they're about to fall asleep. Don't cram the night before - if you don't know it by 10 PM the night before the exam, you just don't know it. In the words of Dave Attell, "Get some sleep!" - Microsoft Vista Certification Exams Announced By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
Microsoft Vista certification is on the way, and Microsoft recently announced the first Vista exams. In keeping with trends in certification, these particular exams are designed for different job roles. These exams are scheduled to be released in "early 2007", according to Microsoft's website:
MCITP - Microsoft Certified IT Professional - "Consumer Support Technician" and "Enterprise Support Technician" certifications - Cisco Ccna Certification: The Proper Use Of Default Static Routes By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
Earning your Cisco CCNA certification means knowing the details of Cisco routing, and that includes knowing when Cisco routing terms don't quite mean what they sound like they mean. For example, the general meaning of "default" is a setting that is used unless you or I change it. On the other hand, a default route is a route taken by packets that have no other route they can take. Let's take a look at how a default static route is configured and used on a Cisco router.
Here's our current routing table: - Ccna Certification: Three Occasions To Reload Or Reopen A Cisco Router Interface By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
Passing the CCNA certification exam means that you know how to configure and troubleshoot a Cisco router instead of using what I call the "hope method" - you know, "Let's reload the router and hope that takes care of it." The majority of Cisco router configurations take effect without the need for a reload, but every once in a while you just have to reload a router or shut and reopen an interface. Let's take a look at three such scenarios.
The first is when you change an OSPF Router ID from its default. For the new RID to take effect, you must either reload the router or clear the OSPF process, which means that all existing adjacencies will come down. Cisco routers are kind enough to tell you this with the following message after you configure a new RID: "Reload or use "clear ip ospf process" command, for this to take effect". - Ccna Certification Training: Configuring Static Routes On A Cisco Router By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
The great thing about CCNA certification training is that the skills you learn will truly come in handy when working with Cisco routers and switches in production networks. That's particularly true of static route configuration. While most networks use dynamic routing protocols such as RIP, EIGRP, and OSPF to build routing tables, static routes still come in handy sometimes - especially if a routing protocol configuration goes awry.
Let's say that you just added a new segment to your network and you've successfully added it to your network's routing tables. Suddenly, on Monday morning, users on that segment can't get to a network resource such as an email server, or they can't get out to the Internet. We all know what it's like to try to fix something while the phone's ringing like crazy. That's when we have to do two things. - Cisco Ccna Certification Training: Etherchannels And Spanning Tree Protocol (stp) By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
Cisco CCNA certification looks great on your resume, and it also teaches you vital real-world networking skills. One exam topic that you'll definitely see in today's networks is the configuration of an Etherchannel on a Cisco router. You need to know how to build and verify one - so let's build one right now!
In this Cisco training tutorial, we'll use two switches that are connected at ports 0/11 and 0/12 via crossover cables. SW1 is the root bridge, SW2 is the non-root bridge. Even though there are two separate physical connections, spanning tree protocol (STP) will only allow the use of one, as verified by the partial output of "show spanning vlan 1" on SW2. - Cisco Ccnp Certification Training Tutorial: The New Ont 642-845 Exam By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
The Cisco CCNP certification is changing at the end of 2006, with the BSCI and BCMSN exams being updated and the BCRAN and CIT exams being dropped. One of the two new exams is the 642-845 Optimizing Converged Cisco Networks (ONT) test, and the name of the exam doesn't give many hints as to the material covered!
According to Cisco's exam blueprint, the major topics on this new exam will be Voice over IP (VoIP) and Quality of Service (QoS). This exam change is an excellent move on Cisco's part, since VoIP is one of the fastest-growing network technologies today, and implementing VoIP demands the ability to implement QoS! - Cisco Ccna Certification Training Tutorial: Ppp Multilink And Isdn Bri By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
Earning your CCNA certification means you have to notice details about Cisco routers that others might miss, and that's true in the exam room and on the job. In today's tutorial, we'll take a look at multilink PPP - a topic that seems simple enough, but has details that trip up some CCNA certification candidates.
ISDN BRI (Basic Rate Interface) has two B-channels that both carry data, and they each have a capacity of 64 KBPS. Interestingly enough, they don't share the load by default - the first channel has to be at capacity before the second channel starts taking some of the load. It's more efficient to have the channels share the load before then, and we can do just that by configuring PPP multilink. (Note that it's called PPP multilink for a reason. We can't configure it if the BRI interface is running at the default of HDLC.) - Cisco Ccnp Certification Training Tutorial: The New 642-825 Iscw Ccnp Exam By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
Cisco CCNP certification is getting a brand-new look, and that new look includes two new exams! The BCRAN and CIT exams are retiring at the end of 2006, and the exam replacing the BCRAN is the 642-825 Implementing Secure Converged Wide Area Networks exam, which is thankfully known as ISCW.
The key word in this Cisco exam is "secure". Very few of the BCRAN topics are moving to the ISCW exam, and an emphasis is being placed on VPNs and network security configurations and methods. According to Cisco's exam blueprint, the only BCRAN topics you can expect to possibly see on the ISCW exam are PPPoE and PPPoA. The importance of network security has never been higher, and it's to Cisco's credit that their new CCNP exams are emphasizing security. - Ccna Cisco Certification Training Case Study: How Multiple Passwords Affect Router Access By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
Your CCNA certification exam efforts must include practicing with different password types and knowing how to configure them on a Cisco router - but for CCNA exam success and to thrive in real-world networks, you also have to know how to examine a Cisco router configuration and determine the level of network security that is already present. After all, most routers you work with already have passwords set, and it's up to you to determine if those passwords are getting the job done.
Let's start with a telnet password. Telnet passwords are configured on the VTY lines, and no telnet access is enabled on a Cisco router by default. If you saw the following configuration, what would it mean? - Yahoo And The Peanut Butter Manifesto By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
One of the great internal battles at any successful company is the desire to expand versus the desire to branch out into other areas. After all, if an organization is wildly successful at one thing, they usually feel that they can be successful at anything.
That line of thinking is particularly true at Yahoo, Google, and MSN, today's three largest search engines. All three companies are continually expanding, and a senior executive at Yahoo recently sent an internal memo that basically said Yahoo is spreading itself too thin. Nothing unusual there, since it's common for executives at rapidly-expanding companies to guard against such things - but the comparison the exec used to draw this conclusion was rather unusual. - Cisco Ccnp Certification Training : The New Ccnp Bcmsn 642-812 Exam By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
Cisco CCNP certification is about to become more valuable and more difficult! Cisco is making major changes to the CCNP certification program, retiring two exams (BCRAN and CIT) while updating two old friends, the BSCI and BCMSN exam. Today, we'll take a look at the changes in the Building Converged Cisco Multilayer Switched Networks (BCMSN) exam.
According to Cisco's exam blueprint, there are some major additions with the introduction of the 642-812 exam. Wireless access, security, and voice are all rapidly growing features and concerns in today's real-world networks, and Cisco is responding to that by adding all three of these topics to the CCNP BCMSN exam. Cisco CCNP candidates should expect to be questioned on WLANs as well as wireless clients. - Ccna Certification Exam Training: Passwords, Cisco Routers, And Network Security By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
CCNA certification is important, and so is securing our network's Cisco routers! To reflect the importance of network security, your CCNA certification exam is likely going to contain a few questions about the various passwords you can set on a Cisco router. Let's take a look at some of those passwords and when to apply them.
If the previous user has logged out of the router properly, you will see a prompt like this when you sit down at the router console: - Cisco Ccnp Certification Training: What's New On The Bsci 642-901 Exam? By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
CCNP certification is getting a new look at the end of 2006. The BSCI and BCMSN exams are being updated, and the CIT and BCMSN exams are being retired. Let's take a look at what to expect from the new BSCI exam.
According to Cisco's exam blueprint - admittedly a very broad blueprint at this time - the major new topics are IP version 6 (IPv6) and multicasting. The addition of these two topics will make an already demanding Cisco certification exam that much tougher, but this is a great change for the exam and for the candidate. IPv6 is just going to become more and more prevalent in today's networks, and multicasting is as well. - Ccna Certification Exam Training: Circuit Switching Vs. Packet Switching By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
CCNA certification exam training is all about learning the details, and an important part of your CCNA test prep is knowing the differences between Cisco router and switch technologies that are somewhat similar. Packet switching and circuit switching are both methods of getting packets from "point A" to "point B", but the methods used are very different - and you must know these differences to earn your Cisco CCNA certification.
In my last CCNA training tutorial, I discussed packet switching. In case you missed that article, packet switching is a method of transporting packets from source to destination via different paths; that is, the packets will not necessarily share the same physical path. The packets are put into their proper order at the destination. Packet switching is highly effective, but should not be used for delay-sensitive traffic such as voice or video packets. Not only is Frame Relay a big topic for your CCNA certification exam, it's also an excellent example of a packet-switching technology. - Cisco Ccna Certification Exam Case Study: Frame Relay, Pings, And Routing Protocols By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
Cisco CCNA certification training includes troubleshooting your own work and that of others. The best CCNA training you can do is indeed troubleshooting your own Cisco router and switch configurations - as I'm always telling my students, "I can guarantee that any error you make has been made before, and you'll probably see it again one day." One such common error involves two very important Cisco CCNA certification topics - Frame Relay and routing protocols.
A student was working on her Cisco CCNA exam home lab and came up with an interesting problem. He set Frame Relay up in a hub-and-spoke configuration with R1 as the hub and R2 and R3 as the spokes. He wrote the following frame map statements: - Cisco Ccna Certification Exam Training: What Is Packet Switching? By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
Cisco CCNA certification exam training means you've got to learn a lot of new terms, and some of them can be a little confusing at first. To pass this tough certification exam, one term you definitely need to understand is packet switching. The first question, of course, is "What is packet switching in the first place?" Let's define this term in today's Cisco CCNA exam prep tutorial.
Packets transmitted from "point A" to "point B" all have to arrive at the same destination, but with packet switching, they do not all have to take the same path to get there. If you and I are standing 10 feet apart and I want to throw a basketball to you, I've got a couple of options. I could bounce the ball off the floor to you, I could throw it straight at you, or I could throw it high into the air to you. Packet switching is really the same thing - packets will take different paths to get from source to destination, but the end result is that all the packets arrive at the destination. The packets are then reassembled to take the form of the original message. - Cisco Ccna Certification Exam Tutorial: The Config Register And Password Recovery By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
Whether you're preparing for the CCNA certification exam or not, you must be prepared for the following question:
"Hey, I reloaded this router and it wants an enable password. Do you know it?" - Comptia Network+ Certification Exam Tutorial: Antivirus Programs By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
In the first part of this CompTIA Network+ certification exam tutorial, we looked at the different types of viruses and other invaders trying to get into our network, and how antivirus programs help to stop them. Today, we’ll discuss some tips on how to get the maximum protection from your antivirus program.
I strongly recommend you choose an antivirus program that offers automatic updates. If you rely on manual updates - that is, relying on remembering to go out and check for updates yourself instead of having them automatically downloaded when new updates are available - I can practically guarantee you're going to forget to do so, and this can be a fatal mistake for both your network and your career. - Comptia Network+ Certification Exam Tutorial: Virus Attacks And Antivirus Programs By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
Whether you’re preparing to pass the Network+ or Cisco CCNA certification exam or not, you must not underestimate the importance of antivirus programs and virus definition updates. With all the attention we pay to viruses and their prevention, I feel a little silly even saying that. But….
If there's one thing you must have working at full capacity in your network, it's the antivirus programs. - Network+ / Ccna Certification Exam Tutorial: Port Numbers And Troubleshooting By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
Passing the Network+ and CCNA exams demands that you know quite a few port numbers, but they're important to know when working with real-world networks as well. Before we discuss why, here's a partial list of important port numbers to know for these certification exams:
Ports 20 and 21 are used by File Transfer Protocol (FTP). - Comptia Network+ Certification Exam Tutorial: The Five Ip Address Classes By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
Passing the CompTIA Network+ certification exam and going on to become a subnetting expert is mastering the basics of IP addressing, and that means knowing the different classes, their default masks, and what these masks mean. Let’s get started!
Part of every IP address indicates the network the host is part of, and the other part identifies that particular host. You need to be able to look at an IP address and determine the network and host portions, and you do that by determining the class of the address. - Comptia Network+ Certification Exam Tutorial: Hubs, Repeaters, Bridges, And Switches By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
To pass your Network+ certification exam, you must know the differences between hubs, repeaters, bridges, and switches. The differences are straightforward for the most part, so let's examine the basic purpose of these devices.
Hubs and repeaters both work at the Physical layer of the OSI model. They do not help to direct traffic toward the proper destination, as routers and switches do. Their purpose in the network is simply to make the signal strong enough to reach its destination, by regenerating the signal. Hubs and repeaters both take an incoming data signal and make a clean, strong copy of the signal. Otherwise, the signal would suffer from attenuation, the gradual weakening of a signal as it gets farther and farther away from the source. - Comptia Network+ Certification Exam Tutorial: Dhcp And Dhcp Relay Agents By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
As a CompTIA Network+ exam candidate, you’re probably familiar with DHCP – but just in case, we’re going to review DHCP basics here and then go into a discussion of DHCP Relay Agents.
When it comes to assigning an IP address to all the PCs on our network, along with their network mask, DNS server location, and more, we've got two choices on how to do it: - Comptia Network+ Certification Exam Tutorial: Hot Sites, Warm Sites, And Disaster Recovery By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
Part of passing the Network+ exam and being an outstanding network administrator is being prepared for disaster. Sometimes that's a disaster on a relatively small scale, such as a drive failure. If you're running data backups on a regular basis (and you are, aren't you?), you're prepared for that issue.
What is your network's disaster recovery plan from a true disaster, either natural or man-made? What if the entire building your servers are in disappeared tonight? What is your plan if that happens? In today's world, that's not a rhetorical question. Disaster recovery is taken to the next level by preparing a cold site, warm site, or hot site at another physical location. - Network+ Exam Tutorial: Becoming A Master Troubleshooter By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
Passing your Network+ exam is the first step on the way to becoming a master network troubleshooter, and that's where you need to be. The average network admin spends 90% of their time troubleshooting and 10% installing hardware and software, so you better be good at troubleshooting!
In my experience, there are two kinds of network troubleshooters in the world: - Network+ Exam Tutorial: Network Interface Cards (nics) By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
Part of the challenge of passing the Network+ exam is learning about all the different types of hardware a network requires. Today we’ll take a look at a vital part of network connectivity, the Network Interface Card (NIC, pronounced “nick”).
The NIC is the device, or card, that gives the host a physical connection to the network. The NIC is generally an internal device, but one that can be removed and replaced with a different NIC. NICs are considered Physical layer devices and work at Layer 1 of the OSI model. - Ccna Exam Tutorial: Mac Addressing Formats And Broadcasts By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
Your CCNA exam success depends on your mastery of networking, routing, and switching fundamentals. Those fundamentals have to include knowledge of MAC addresses, so let’s take a close look at Media Access Control addressing.
A typical MAC address looks something like this: - Network+ Certification Exam Tutorial: How And When To Use Virtual Lans (vlans) By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
From your Network+ exam studies, you know that switches forward broadcasts, and that sounds great, but that's not always a good thing. A switch can have anywhere from 12 ports to 80 or more, and by default all hosts connected to that switch are going to be in the same broadcast domain. Let's say we have an 80-port switch. If one host connected to that switch sends a broadcast, by default, all of the other 79 hosts are going to receive the broadcast. That will unnecessarily take up our network's available bandwidth.
It gets worse. For some network services and protocols, a broadcast received by a host results in that receiving host transmitting a broadcast of its own. Then when all the hosts receive that broadcast, they all end up transmitting even more broadcasts. Pretty soon, all these broadcasts have snowballed into a broadcast storm, which can take up most of a network's bandwidth and make normal network operations almost impossible. - Network+ Exam Tutorial: Ports, Port Numbers, And Sockets By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
If there's one thing that can be a bit confusing to many Network+ certification exam candidates, it's the concept of ports and sockets. Well, it was confusing to me when I got started with computer certifications! Let's take a look at ports and sockets, and why we need them in the first place.
Past Network+ exam tutorials have focused on how two PCs start communicating, but what we've got to keep in mind is that host PCs may and probably will have several different kinds of communications going on at the same time. A single PC may be sending email, receiving a Telnet request, and accessing the Internet at the same time. These conversations have to kept separate.. but how? - Network+ Exam Certification Tutorial: The Bus Topology By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
The Physical layer of the OSI model isn't the most exciting or interesting to work with, but it's the foundation for everything we do in networking. The same goes for the physical side of networking - whether it's cable types, network topologies, or network cards, it's not necessarily the most exciting study you'll ever do, but it is the most important. After all, if a network has physical issues such as a bad Network Interface Card or mismatched cables, there's no way the network can work properly!
My next few Network+ exam tutorials will discuss the different network topology types, and we’ll start with a look at the dreaded bus topology. After we define it, I'll tell you why I call it "dreaded". - Network+ Certification Exam Tutorial: Dhcp And Rarp By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
Part of passing the Network+ exam is mastering the many different protocols and services you're introduced to in your studies, and that's especially hard when two protocols do much the same thing! That's the case with RARP and DHCP, so let's take a close look at these two protocols and why we use them in the first place.
Whether you've been around networks for a while or are just getting started with your IT career, you'll quickly notice that many basic tasks in networking can be handled either statically or dynamically. By "statically", I mean configuring each device in question manually; by "dynamically", I mean having it done (almost) automatically. Generally, you're going to choose the dynamic method, and not because it's easier or quicker - it's because dynamic methods are much more adaptable to change, and today's networks are always changing. - Network+ Certification Exam Tutorial: Arp And Proxy Arp Explained By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
In yesterday's Network+ tutorial, we talked about the importance of Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) in today's networks. A host PC must have the MAC and IP addresses of a remote host in order to send data to that remote host, and it's ARP that allows the local host to request the remost host to send the local host its MAC address through an ARP Request.
The ARP Request is a layer two broadcast, and like all L2 broadcasts it has a destination MAC address of ff-ff-ff-ff-ff-ff. Switches forward broadcasts, but routers do not, which brings up a basic problem. If there's a router between two hosts, how can one possibly send an ARP Request to the remote host, since routers do not forward broadcasts? - Cisco Ccnp Certification Exam Tutorial: Making The Most Of Cisco's Ccnp Program Changes By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
As you probably know by now, Cisco's making some sweeping changes in their Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) program. Two longtime exams are being retired at the end of the year, two are being revised, and two new exams will be making their debut in late 2006.
If you're currently working on the CCNP or even thinking about it, the one thing you must NOT do is postpone your studies. On occasion, some certification exam candidates postpone their studies when they hear of an exam change. Cisco has announced these CCNP changes well ahead of time, and you've got plenty of time to pass some CCNP exams by the end of the year - and they still count toward the CCNP! - Network+ Certification Exam Tutorial: Address Resolution Protocol (arp) By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
When you're studying for the Network+ exam, you've got to master the fundamentals of networking, because the Network+ is a hard exam to pass due to the range of information covered. One such fundamental is the Address Resolution Protocol, commonly referred to as ARP.
ARP operates at the Data Link layer of the OSI model, and its purpose is often overlooked. When Host A wants to send data to Host B, we know Host A must have a destination IP address for Host B (the Network layer address). What we tend to overlook is that Host A must also have a Layer 2 destination address for Host B -- in other words, it's got to have a destination MAC address for Host B. That's where ARP comes in. - Ccna / Network+ Certification Exam Tutorial: Collision Domains And Switches By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
In the previous Network+ exam tutorial, we talked about how collisions occur when data sent by two hosts on a shared Ethernet segment transmit data at the exact same time. Collisions result in the colliding data being unusable, which means the hosts must retransmit the data - and all this extra activity slows the network down!
Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection helps limit the number of collisions, but by dividing one large collision domain into smaller collision domains, we can further reduce or actually eliminate the number of collisions. That's where switches come in! - Network+ Certification Exam Tutorial: Ethernet Csma/cd Explained By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
When you're studying for the Network+ exam, you've got a lot of new acronyms to learn! One of the basics is CSMA/CD, which stands for Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection. That's quite a mouthful, but it's an important term to know for both your exam and real-world success.
On an Ethernet segment, hosts can send data at any time. As you might guess, that's a bit of a problem in itself, because if multiple hosts send data at the same time, a collision will occur and the data will become unusable. That's why CSMA/CD requires a host that wants to send data to listen first. Listen for what? Data being sent by another host. If the host hears data being transmitted, that host will not begin sending data itself. That's the "carrier sense" part of CSMA/CD. If that host hears nothing, the host will begin to transmit. - Cisco Ccna / Ccnp Home Lab Tutorial: The 2520 Router By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
I hear from CCNA and CCNP candidates every day, and the most common question is "What routers and switches should I buy for my home lab?" There is no one right answer to this question, since every test candidate has a different budget. There are also CCNA candidates who want to go on to the CCNP and want to know what routers and switches are best for future study. Again, there's no one right answer, but there are routers that fit every budget and every study plan - and the Cisco 2520 router is the king of home study labs.
The 2520 has four serial ports, one ethernet port, and a BRI port. You can use a 2520 as a frame relay switch, and still have ports to spare to practice routing protocols and directly connected serial interfaces. I know ISDN home simulators are still expensive if bought new, but you can get a used one on eBay and go from there. Even if you choose not to buy an ISDN simulator now, the 2520 gives you that opportunity for future home lab growth - and "planning for future growth" is important when it comes to your home lab as well as production networks! - Cisco Ccna / Ccnp Certification Exam Tutorial: Troubleshooting Eigrp By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
Part of earning your CCNA and CCNP - especially passing the difficult CIT exam - is becoming a master network troubleshooter. Today, we'll take a look at troubleshooting EIGRP and spotting common errors.
Most adjacency issues are easily resolved - mistyped IP address, bad wildcard mask in the neighbor statement, mistyped EIGRP AS number, and so forth. You know the AS number has to match, but always double-check that. Next, check the wildcard mask to make sure the correct interfaces are EIGRP-enabled. In the following example, we've configured three loopbacks on R2 and want to advertise all three loopbacks via EIGRP, but R4 only sees one. - Cisco / Microsoft Computer Certification: Be Ready For Your Opportunity By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
I was reading The Big Moo: Stop Trying To Be Perfect and Start Being Remarkable this morning, and I’d recommend a copy of this to anyone who wants to improve their career and their future. And that’s all of us, right?
There was one particular line that really stood out to me: Betting on change is always the safest bet available. That describes life perfectly, but it also describes a career in Information Technology perfectly as well. There is no field in the world that has the constant and never-ending changes that IT does. And every single one of us can look at this as a massive opportunity for personal and professional growth. - Cisco Ccna / Ccnp Certification Exam: Troubleshooting Direct Serial Connections By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
A prime topic of your CCNA and CCNP CIT exams will be connecting Cisco routers directly via their Serial interfaces, and while the configuration is straightforward, there are some vital details and show commands you must know in order to pass the exams and configure this successfully in production and home lab networks. Let's take a look at a sample configuration.
Connecting Cisco routers directly via their Serial interfaces works really well once you get it running - and getting such a connection up and running is easy enough. You can use show controller serial x to find out which endpoint is acting as the DCE, and it's the DCE that must be configured with the clockrate command. - Cisco Ccna / Ccnp Certification Exam Lab: Frame Relay Subinterfaces And Split Horizon By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
Earning your Cisco CCNA and CCNP is a tough proposition, and part of that is the fact that you quickly learn that there’s usually more than one way to do things with Cisco routers – and while that’s generally a good thing, you better know the ins and outs of all options when it comes to test day and working on production networks. Working with Frame Relay subinterfaces and split horizon is just one such situation.
One reason for the use of subinterfaces is to circumvent the rule of split horizon. You recall from your CCNA studies that split horizon dictates that a route cannot be advertised out the same interface upon which it was learned in the first place. In the following example, R1 is the hub and R2 and R3 are the spokes. All three routers are using their physical interfaces for frame relay connectivity, and they are also running RIPv2 172.12.123.0 /24. Each router is also advertising a loopback interface, using the router number for each octet. - Cisco Ccna / Ccnp Certification Exam: Cabling Your Home Lab By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
More CCNA and CCNP candidates than ever before are putting together their own home labs, and there's no better way to learn about Cisco technologies than working with the real thing. Getting the routers and switches is just part of putting together a great CCNA / CCNP home lab, though. You've got to get the right cables to connect the devices, and this is an important part of your education as well. After all, without the right cables, client networks are going to have a hard time working!
For your Cisco home lab, one important cable is the DTE/DCE cable. These cables have two major uses in a home lab. To practice directly connecting Cisco routers via Serial interfaces (an important CCNA skill), you'll need to connect them with a DTE/DCE cable. Second, if you plan on having a Cisco router act as a frame relay switch in your lab, you'll need multiple DTE/DCE cables to do so. (Visit my website's Home Lab Help section for a sample Frame Relay switch configuration.) - Cisco Ccna / Ccnp Certification Exam: Caller Id Screening And Callback By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
As a CCNA and/or CCNP candidate, you've got to be able to spot situations where Cisco router features can save your client money and time. For example, if a spoke router is calling a hub router and the toll charges at the spoke site are higher than that of the hub router, having the hub router hang up initially and then call the spoke router back can save the client money (and make you look good!)
A popular method of doing this is using PPP callback, but as we all know, it's a good idea to know more than one way to do things in Cisco World! A lesser-known but still effective method of callback is Caller ID Screening & Callback. Before we look at the callback feature, though, we need to know what Caller ID Screening is in the first place! - Cisco Ccna / Ccnp Certification Exam: Same Command, Different Results By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
As a CCNA or CCNP, one thing you've got to get used to is that change is constant. Cisco regularly issues new IOS versions, not to mention the many different kinds of hardware they produce! While it's always nice to have "the latest and the greatest" when it comes to routers, switches, firewalls, etc., we have to be prepared for the fact that not all our clients are going to have that latest and greatest!
For instance, there are still quite a few Catalyst 5000 switches out there humming away, and if you're used to working on IOS-driven switches like the 2950, the same command can have dramatically different results. - Cisco Ccna / Ccnp Certification Exam: Frame Relay Encapsulation Types By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
When you're studying to pass the Cisco CCNA and CCNP certification exams, you quickly learn that there's always something else to learn. (You'll really pick up on this in your CCIE studies, trust me!) Today we'll take a look at an often-overlooked topic in Frame Relay, the encapsulation type. You don't exactly change this on a daily basis in production networks (not if you want to stay employed, anyway!), but it's an important exam topic that you must be familiar with.
The DCE and DTE must agree on the LMI type, but there's another value that must be agreed upon by the two DTEs serving as the endpoints of the VC. The Frame encapsulation can be left at the default of Cisco (which is Cisco-proprietary), or it can be changed to the industry-standard IETF, as shown below. If a non-Cisco router is the remote endpoint, IETF encapsulation must be used. Note that the default of Cisco isn't listed as an option by IOS Help, so you better know that one by heart! - Cisco Ccna / Ccnp Certification Exam: Frame Relay Becns And Fecns By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
BECNs and FECNs aren't just important to know for your Cisco CCNA and CCNP certification exams - they're an important part of detecting congestion on a Frame Relay network and allowing the network to dynamically adjust its transmission rate when congestion is encountered.
The Forward Explicit Congestion Notification (FECN, pronounced "feckon") bit is set to zero by default, and will be set to 1 if congestion was experienced by the frame in the direction in which the frame was traveling. A DCE (frame relay switch) will set this bit, and a DTE (router) will receive it, and see that congestion was encountered along the frame's path. - Cisco Ccna / Ccnp Exam Tutorial: Testing Isdn Links Without Pings By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
To earn your Cisco CCNA and CCNP certifications, you've got to master ISDN - and despite what some people say, there's still a lot of ISDN out there that needs to be supported. And when it comes to troubleshooting ISDN, there's a lot to look at. Is the correct ISDN switchtype configured? Are the dialer map statements correct? What about the dialer-group and dialer-list commands? And that's just the start.
I always say that all troubleshooting starts at Layer 1, the Physical layer of the OSI model. The usual method of troubleshooting ISDN is sending pings across the link, but the connection can be tested without using pings or even before assigning IP addresses to the BRI interfaces! - Cisco Ccna / Ccnp Certification Exam Tutorial: Floating Static Routes By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
To pass the Cisco CCNA and CCNP certification exams, as well as becoming a world-class networker, you've got to know how and when to use floating static routes. And if you're wondering what makes them "float" -- read on!
In this example, R1 and R2 are running OSPF over a Frame Relay network, 172.12.123.0 /24. They're also connected by a BRI ISDN link, 172.12.12.0 /24. R1 is advertising a loopback network, 1.1.1.1 /32, via OSPF. We want R2 to have a route to that loopback even if the frame goes down - and here, we'll use a floating static route to make that happen. - Cisco Ccna / Ccnp Certification Exam Tutorial: Configuring Ppp Callback By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
You may run into situations where a router in a remote location needs to dial in to a central router, but the toll charges are much higher if the remote router makes the call. This scenario is perfect for PPP Callback, where the callback client places a call to a callback server, authentication takes place, and the server then hangs up on the client! This ensures that the client isn't charged for the call. The server then calls the client back.
In the following example, R2 has been configured as the client and R1 is the callback server. Let's look at both configurations and the unique commands PPP Callback requires. - Cisco Ccna / Ccnp Certification Exam Tutorial: Dialer Watch By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
Dialer Watch is a vital part of your CCNA and CCNP studies, particularly for the BCRAN exam, but it's one of the most misunderstood technologies as well. To help you pass the CCNA and CCNP certification exams, here's a detailed look at Dialer Watch.
Dialer Watch allows you to configure a route or routes as "watched" when the watched route leaves the routing table and there is no other valid route to that specific destination, the ISDN link will come up. In the following example, R1 and R2 are connected by both a Frame Relay cloud over the 172.12.123.0 /24 network and an ISDN cloud using the 172.12.12.0 /24 network. The routers are running OSPF over the Frame cloud, and R1 is advertising its loopback of 1.1.1.1/32 as well as an Ethernet segment, 10.1.1.0/24, via OSPF. R2 has both of these routes in its OSPF table, as shown below. - Cisco Ccna Certification Exam Tutorial: Port-based Authentication By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
To pass your CCNA exam and earn this coveted certification, you must understand the details of port-based authentication. This knowledge has a great deal of value in production networks as well, since this authentication scheme is regularly implemented. Let's take a look at this particular CCNA skill.
Consider a situation where you have a server that will be connected to your switch, and you want the port to shut down if a device with a different MAC address that that of the switch attempts to connect to that port. You could also have a situation where you have someone who has a connection to a switch port in his office, and he wants to make sure that only his laptop can use that port. - Cisco Ccna / Ccnp Certification Exam Review: Protocol Basics By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
To earn your Cisco CCNA certification and pass the BSCI CCNP exam, you have to know your protocol basics like the back of your hand! To help you review these important concepts, here's a quick look at the basics of RIPv1, RIPv2, IGRP, and EIGRP.
RIPv1: Broadcasts updates every 30 seconds to the address 255.255.255.255. RIPv1 is a classful protocol, and it does not recognize VLSM, nor does it carry subnet masking information in its routing updates. Update contains entire RIP routing table. Uses Bellman-Ford algorithm. Allows equal-cost load-balancing by default. Max hop count is 15. Does not support clear-text or MD5 authentication of routing updates. Updates carry 25 routes maximum. - Cisco Ccna / Ccnp Certification Exam Tutorial: Isdn And Multilink Ppp By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
ISDN is a huge topic on both your Cisco CCNA and BCRAN CCNP exams. While many ISDN topics seem straightforward, it’s the details that make the difference in the exam room and working with ISDN in production networks. Configuring and troubleshooting multilink PPP is just one of the skills you’ll need to pass both of these demanding exams.
With BRI, we've got two B-channels to carry data, and both of them have a 64-kbps capacity. You might think it would be a good idea to have both channels in operation before one reaches capacity, and it is a great idea Problem is, it's not a default behavior of ISDN. The second b-channel will not begin to carry traffic until the first one reaches capacity. - Cisco Ccnp / Bsci Exam Tutorial: 10 Isis Details You Must Know! By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
Earning your CCNP certification and passing the BSCI exam depends on knowing the details of many Cisco technologies, ISIS chief among them. To help you prepare for exam success, here's a list of ISIS terminology and basic concepts that will help you pass this tough exam. Enjoy!
ISIS Terms: - Cisco Ccna / Ccnp / Bcmsn Exam Review: Trunking And Trunking Protocols By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
To earn your CCNA or CCNP certification, you've got to understand the basics of trunking. This isn't just a CCNA topic - you must have an advanced understanding of trunking and etherchannels to pass the BCMSN exam and earn your CCNP as well. Before we address those advanced topics, though, you need to master the fundamentals!
A trunk allows inter-VLAN traffic to flow between directly connected switches. By default, a trunk port is a member of all VLANs, so traffic for any and all VLANs can travel across this trunk. That includes broadcast traffic! - Ccna / Mcse / Ccnp Certification: Making Failure Work For You By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
Whether you're on the road to the CCNA, CCNP, MCSE, or you're on any other computer certification track, the odds are that sooner or later, you're going to fail an exam. It's happened to almost all of us, yours truly included. What you have to keep in mind in these times is that success is not a straight line. You've probably seen charts showing the growth of an industry or a business -- you know, the ones that go from left to right, and look kind of jagged. The line goes up for a while, then down a bit, then up some more, then down a little.
The key? While every business has its setbacks, the net result is that the line goes up and progress is made. That's how you want your certification pursuit and your career to go as well - upward! - Ccnp Certification / Bcmsn Exam Tutorial: Server Load Balancing (slb) By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
When you're working on your BCMSN exam on your way to CCNP certification, you'll read at length about how Cisco routers and multilayer switches can work to provide router redundancy - but there's another helpful service, Server Load Balancing, that does the same for servers. While HSRP, VRRP, and CLBP all represent multiple physical routers to hosts as a single virtual router, SLB represents multiple physical servers to hosts as a single virtual server.
In the following example, three physical servers have been placed into the SRB group ServFarm. They're represented to the hosts as the virtual server 210.1.1.14. - Ccnp Certification / Bsci Exam Tutorial: The Bgp Neighbor Process By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
Like TCP, BGP is connection-oriented. An underlying connection between two BGP speakers is established before any routing information is exchanged. This connection takes place on TCP port 179. As with EIGRP and OSPF, keepalive messages are sent out by the BGP speakers in order to keep this relationship alive.
Once the connection is established, the BGP speakers exchange routes and synchronize their tables. After this initial exchange, a BGP speaker will only send further updates upon a change in the network topology. - Cisco Ccna Certification Exam Tutorial: Keep Your Most Important Appointment By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
Imagine this. You have an appointment with a client to work on a server or router install. A few minutes before you're scheduled to be there, you decide there's something really good on TV you'd like to watch. Or you decide to go to the gym, or play a game, or do anything else except go see the client.
Even if you weren't going to get fired for not showing up, it's certainly unfair to the client. You've got a professional obligation, and you should be there on time.
Now, what's this got to do with you becoming a CCNA or CCNP? Plenty. Because when it comes to your study time, you're the client. You owe it to yourself to show up. You would never blow off an appointment to meet a client to get some important work done. - Cisco Ccna Certification Exam Tutorial: Distance Vector Command Review By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
Part of studying for CCNA exam success is keeping all these new commands straight in your head! And let's face it, there are a lot of commands you need to know in order to pass the CCNA exam and earn that certification. Here's a review of some very important distance vector and static routing commands you need to know, along with their proper usage and console output.
Bandwidth
IGRP makes a default assumption that any Serial interface running IGRP is connected to a T1 line, which runs at 1544 KBPS. With equal-cost load-balancing enabled by default, this may be an undesirable assumption. - Cisco Ccnp Certification / Bsci Exam Tutorial: An Introduction To Bgp By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
When you're studying for the BSCI exam on the way to earning your CCNP certification, it's safe to say that BGP is like nothing you’ve studied to this point. BGP is an external routing protocol used primarily by Internet Service Providers (ISPs). Unless you work for an ISP today or in the future, you may have little or no prior exposure to BGP. Understanding BGP is a great addition to your skill set – and you have to know the basics well to pass the BSCI exam.
Note that I said “the basics”. BGP is a very complex protocol, and when you pursue your CCIE, you’ll see what I’m talking about. As with all things Cisco, though, when broken down into smaller pieces, BGP becomes quite understandable. You will need to know the basics of BGP as presented in this chapter to pass your BSCI exam – so let’s get started. - Cisco Ccnp Certification / Bcmsn Exam Tutorial: The Hsrp Mac Address By : Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
To pass the BCMSN exam and earn your CCNP, you've got to know HSRP inside and out! Part of that is knowing how the MAC address of the virtual router is derived, and another part is knowing how to change this address. We'll look at both features in this tutorial.
We've got two routers on a segment running HSRP, so first we need to find out what the MAC address of the HSRP virtual router is. The show command for HSRP is show standby, and it's the first command you should run while configuring and troubleshooting HSRP. Let's run it on both routers and compare results.
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