Cisco Certifications
This site was first constructed soon after I first passed the CCNA exam on the 2nd March 1999. Not surprisingly much has changed since then. The Cisco Certifications, syllabi, exams, and entire organisation has evolved in parallel with the technological changes within both the entire IT industry as well as the Cisco Systems company itself.
On thing that has not changed in the last ten years or so is the fact that obtaining the CCNA or any other of the entry or associate exams is still a good way of starting a career in networking or improving upon an existing role. The Cisco accreditations are widely respected and considered by many to be the best in their class.
The hardware and software has evolved, new products have been launched, and new buzzwords have been introduced, but the fundamentals of networking and internetworking remain largely unchanged. The OSI Reference Model and the TCP/IP suite of protocols remain in place as the foundations for every network.
If you are considering obtaining Cisco accreditation then there are many more resources available to you now than there were a decade ago. Tens of thousands of individuals have trodden the path from the starting point to CCNA or CCNP certification and many of them have left hints and tips in the form of websites, blogs, and books for those who follow behind.
However, avoid the temptation to make use of Cisco braindumps and other shortcuts of dubious ethical and legal integrity. They don’t help you develop the level of knowledge that you’ll need for a long term career and they may seem like a helping hand at the time, but often the information they contain isn’t accurate and is therefore confusing and potentially damaging. They are a false economy, and as hobbit once said, “Short cuts make long delays.”
Cisco Study Guides
Most network engineers have a large collection of study guides on their bookshelves or stored under their desks. These serve at least two purposes; to help with revision for passing exams, and as reference manuals for work on configurations.
Cisco study guides come in all sorts of flavours, but they are usually large, weighty and expensive. As the exams are updated so too are the books so over the years it becomes necessary to replace outdated study guides and reference manuals with the latest version.
One of the most prolific publishers of such volumes is Cisco Press. It’s worth registering at their website to take advantage of the samples and other freebies they offer. You can also join their group on Facebook or follow them on Twitter. They don’t send too much marketing material; just enough to keep you interested and to bring new publications to your attention.
If you live in the USA or Canada then you’ll probably look for your Cisco study guides on Amazon.com or your local bookstore. Likewise, if you live in the UK then you might use Amazon or one of these other online bookshops. Even if you’re employer is paying for the cost of the books it’s worth getting the best deal.
If you’re in the UK and considering buying a book online in the USA then remember to include the tax that you’ll be charged when the book arrives in the UK. I’ve tried this myself and have had to pay and extra £23 pounds to Fedex for a book that appeared to be a bargain in the USA but the saving was lost when the import tax and duty was paid. It wasn’t such a bargain after all. You’re better off buying your Cisco study guides in the UK.
