Cisco CCNA Certification

Learn How to Qualify CCDP Certification

2009-11-03T22:35:00.001-08:00

If you are a network design professional looking forward to sharpen your skills further, then you might be aspiring to become a Cisco Certified Design Professional. For this, you need to possess the basic associate level certification offered by Cisco, which are CCNA and CCDA. CCDP is the professional level certification projected to reflect the latest and advanced knowledge in network design along with your relevant past experiences in this field. CCDP professionals are supposed to design and develop advanced addressing and routing, IP multicast complex multi-layered enterprise architecture including VPN and wireless domains and build scalable internetworks.

To earn the CCDP certification, you need to qualify three exams related to Building Scalable Cisco Internetworks, Building Cisco Multilayer Switched Networks and Designing Cisco Network Service Architecture. These exams are a combination of multiple choice questions, drag and drop, simulations etc, and as per the exam the count of questions varies. This certification is valid for three years and to recertify yourself again, you need to either pass any professional level part of the 642 exam or any CCIE/CCDE exam before the validity of your current certification ends. This in turn automatically extends the active CCDP certification. These exams are taken through Prometric or Pearson VUE testing centers.

The job roles of those who have achieved the CCDP certification are network infrastructure administrator, infrastructure engineer, network designer and network architect. All these are very high paying jobs and thus to see yourself in these roles, you need to manage your time efficiently in order to do self study, attend training and practice tests along with your work. Since, you are already a CCNA and CCDA certified professional, you definitely know what it takes to get certified by Cisco at the associate level, and what it might take for the professional level.

To achieve the CCDP certification, it is highly recommended to undergo specialized training in CCDP due to the fact that it's a professional level certification. Free study guides may not be helpful, and you might end up wasting money for your certification. You can choose a course or a training product from the various offers which will provide you all kinds of tutorials, test series and practice sets. You can yourself ensure your success in attaining the CCDP certification by making the right choice and working hard.

If you are looking for CCDP exams training like 642-524 exam and 642-504 exam. I'd like to advise to make use of practice exams, study guides, selftest engines, certification tutorials developed by Industry leading Exams Expert with 100% passing and money back guarantee incase you fail in your exam. Visit for more details.

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How to Become A Cisco Certified Sales Expert

2009-11-03T22:33:00.000-08:00

Cisco Sales Expert certification has become a global standard for many companies in the IT industry. If you are a Cisco certified professional and willing to update yourself with the market standards, then you should get yourself well equipped with the CSE certification. This certification increases the employment opportunities for you in the IT industry and proves your expertise on the Cisco CSE and the corresponding technologies. This certification is very much beneficial for Cisco Account Managers, Cisco hardware, software and channel partner salespeople as it gives them an insight of sales-oriented introduction to the business requirements and the impact of network infrastructure and Cisco technologies on the business.

By achieving the CSE certification, you can increase your chances to become a partner in the Cisco Channel Partner Program of the Cisco. To obtain this certification, you need to prepare yourself in the wide range of Cisco technologies and solutions available and sales networking. Once you are confident with all these things, you need to qualify the CSE exam. This certification validates your knowledge and skills of Cisco technologies and solutions. For achieving this, you have to complete a CSE training course. These days, you can find so many alternatives for these courses and study materials and you can reduce your expenses on these exams. Most of them offer training courses along with free vouchers for the CSE exam. Some also provide 2 to 3 consecutive free or discounted vouchers if you had been unsuccessful. You may also refer other tutorials and study guides apart from the training. By putting some extra efforts, you can easily accomplish the CSE certification.

The CSE certification is designed to evaluate the candidate's knowledge about the features and benefits of unified communications, mobility, security, data center, routing and switching products, partner tools and positioning of Cisco's solutions. Because of the great demand of sales experts in the IT industry, the CSE certification has also got highlighted among networking professionals. This certification helps you to upgrade your credentials and get recognition from the IT industry and hence, it boosts your career growth.

If you are looking for Sales Expert exams training like 642-533 and 642-545. I'd like to advise to make use of practice exams, study guides, selftest engines, certification tutorials developed by Industry leading Exams Expert with 100% passing and money back guarantee incase you fail in your exam. Visit for more details.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Herry_Lance

Cisco CCNA Exam Questions

2009-04-26T06:02:00.001-07:00

Here are some free Cisco CCNA exam questions to get you thinking. We are going to ensure you are clear on router memory types. It is very easy to get tripped up on these types of questions in the CCNA exam due to pressure of time.

They apply for either the CCNA And CCENT Exam:

1. Where is the router running-configuration file stored?
A. ROM
B. DRAM
C. EEPROM
D. NVRAM

Answer: B. The running config is only needed while the router is live and so DRAM is used. If you want to save the current running config you save it using the 'copy run start' command which saves it to NVRAM.

2. Where is the router IOS file stored?
A. ROM
B. DRAM
C. EEPROM
D. NVRAM

Answer: C. The IOS is stored in EEPROM or Flash memory. It can be wiped or have more than one IOS image stored on it.

3. Where is the router startup configuration file stored?
A. ROM
B. DRAM
C. EEPROM
D. NVRAM

Answer: D. NVRAM. The IOS is stored in EEPROM or Flash memory. It can be wiped or have more than one IOS image stored on it.

4. Where is the router boot strap file stored?
A. ROM
B. DRAM
C. EEPROM
D. NVRAM

Answer: A. The boot strap (or rommon image) is stored in ROM. It cannot be wiped.

5. Which memory is used for to buffer packets and store routing tables?
A. ROM
B. DRAM
C. EEPROM
D. NVRAM

Answer: B. DRAM is used to temporarily store packets, the routing table is also stored here.

Paul Browing is the owner of HowtoNetwork which provides comprehensive CCNA training - and why not download our free CCNA exams? Paul is also the author of CCNA Simplifed - Your Complete Guide to Passing the CCNA Exam. He has taught over 2000 CCNA students via his boot camps and online CCNA training courses.
You can also join his free 'How to Pass Your CCNA in 60 Days' coaching program via the site.

Best of luck with your CCNA certification.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_Browning

Benefits of CCNA

2009-04-26T06:01:00.001-07:00

The CCNA certification (Cisco Certified Network Associate) is an entry-level networking certification. After completing candidates should be able to productively carry out any number of essential networking, upholding and troubleshooting duties such as installing, configuring and operating LAN, WAN and dial access services for small networks. You should also be able to have good working knowledge of protocols such as IP, IGRP, Serial, Frame Relay, IP RIP, VLAN's, Ethernet and Access Lists.

There are no prerequisites to CCNA, but it should be treated as an intermediate certification. Those who have no prior knowledge about networking should lay their foundation by taking CompTIA Network. CCNA certification is itself a prerequisite to CCNP, CCSP and the CCIE.

Higher salary more responsibility:

Higher salary everyone's dream come true, but you would need to be committed and dedicated to your work. The responsibilities you received will be doubled and you need to work twice as hard in less amount of time. There also will be budget constraints. Luckily your certifications would have trained and oiled you well. The personal satisfaction you feel after you have completed your tasks and the look of approval on your employers face will be priceless. The clients and colleagues will now look up to you as one of their favorites in the company.

Recognition and skill and knowledge:

After receiving such recognition your confidence will take you to better future and prospects. The experience you gain after the certification will enhance and to keep climbing the ladder of success you would continuously want to take related certifications. Your skill and knowledge will vastly improve and maintaining a steadfast relationship with your work and certifications would be your top priority.

Our Experts and professionals agree certification should be main concern for every IT personnel because without it your foundation would be quite frail and you wouldn't be able to quite stand up your career.

To know more about popular Cisco Certifications and resources for Cisco Certifications preparation, feel free to ask me or visit my blog. Thank you.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Anthony_David_Hopkins

The in Depth Analysis of the Linux Certification

2009-01-12T22:14:00.002-08:00

Certifications are slowly evolving as the life lines of those who are craving for better placements and job facilities at the global level. Due to these reasons, there has been a sudden bloom in the number of institutes which provide certifications like the Microsoft certification, the Cisco certs, the MCSE certification and the CCNP certification. Thus, it becomes, quite a herculean task for the professionals to choose for the best one.

But, this entire process of selection has been simplified by the important role which is being played by the TNS Institute, which has emerged as one of the Microsoft training institutes in India. The certification provided by TNS is important due to various reasons because they are reflections of the unbeatable qualities which have been inculcated in the professionals. At the same time, the entire IT service sector has witnessed tremendous growth, but at the same time, the employment opportunities are very limited and are available only for those who have the recognition and identification in this sector.

Over the past ten years, there has been a tremendous increase in the job advertisements which demand in depth knowledge and practice in Linux. The skills which are needed for the technical workman ship can be tested only through credibility which is provided by the professionals having Linux certification. Thus, the entire segregation of professionals, well conversant with the Linux skills has become the new trend in the IT market.

The Linux certification adds to the credibility of the professional and sharpens his technical acumen. At the same time, the certifications which are provided by the TNS institute are taken very seriously by the leading companies and organizations of the IT sector and thus, the professional is saved from unwanted hassles and groovy start-ups.

There are various kinds of Linux certifications which are provided by the TNS institute, further adding to the specialization of the professionals in this domain. Some of the certifications are

• Vendor-neutral
• Entry level

But these certifications are not that credible, when taken into account, with the technical managers. For those, who are already working with the Linux systems, should better try for more complex certifications of Novel and Red Hat. Just like the reliable and reputed Cisco certifications, even these certifications have a lot of market value and being endowed by TNS, adds more quality and prestige to them.

TNS Institute of Technology, Microsoft and Linux Certification Institute from Delhi, India offers CCNA Certification, Microsoft Boot camp Training, Microsoft Certification, Hardware & Networking Training and CCNP Certification.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rajesh_Tiwari

Get Cisco Certified and Prosper, Even in a Recession

2009-01-12T22:14:00.001-08:00

No one will argue that the current economy is bad. As a consultant, I have noticed a significant decrease in project opportunities over the last 6 months ending 2008. The same has happened in the IT job market. Organizations are looking to cut cost. The question you have to ask yourself is "How can I survive in this environment?"

I believe the best thing any IT professional can do is increase their knowledge. One of the best ways to do that is to pursue a certification. I started my IT career working with Microsoft technology and then progressed into working with Cisco equipment. So I will narrow my comments to networking certifications.

When I first learned about certifications, I was going through a tough time in my career. I was out of work with very few prospects. I started researching different certification programs and was surprised to learn what Microsoft Certified System Engineers (MCSEs) and Cisco Internetwork Experts (CCIEs) were earning. That motivated me to purse first the MCSE and then CCNA, CCDA, CCNP, CCDP, CCSP, CCVP and then finally the CCIE. I can say without a shadow of a doubt, that it has been one of the best investment I have ever made. Each certification I have obtained has provided me with bigger and better career opportunities. It has also helped me differentiate myself from the competition.

Getting certified is not easy. It requires discipline and hard work, but there is a multitude of learning opportunities available today to help you reach your goal. You no longer need to purchase a bunch of lab equipment. You can rent online racks of equipment for a small fee. I personally believe that hands on is the best way to learn a subject. You also do not need to travel to take classes anymore. There are many companies offering online training classes and video-on-demand options.

If you are interested in getting certified, but are not sure which route to go, here are a few recommendations. Unified Communications is a growing field. Voice and video over IP is just getting started and there will continue to be a demand for qualified Engineers. Network Security is another good alternative. As more kinds of devices get connected to the internet, security concerns will continue to grow.

Here are a few of the certifications I recommend:

Unified Communications

• CompTIA Convergence+

• Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)

• CCNA Voice

• Cisco Certified Voice Professional (CCVP)

• Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) Voice

Network Security

• CompTIA Security+

• CCNA

• CCNA Security

• CCSP

• CCIE Security

I challenge you to investigate which is the right certification for you and to get started now. You will not be sorry you did!

If you are interested in learning more about Cisco Unified Communications sign up for our free newsletter and get a free bonus training video: Introduction to Cisco Unified Communications ($49 Value).

http://www.VoIP-Tutor.com/freetutorial.htm

About the Author:

Milton Moore is Principal Consultant and Trainer at IP Consulting, Inc and a major contributor at VoIP-Tutor.com. Prior to founding IP Consulting he was a Senior Systems Engineer with Cisco Systems where he specialized in Voice over IP and Security for more than 6 years. His certifications include the Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert Routing/Switching and Voice. He can be reach via email at Milton.moore@ipconsultinginc.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Milton_Moore

Cisco Network Certification Explained

2008-12-22T03:41:00.000-08:00

Cisco Corporation provides a wide array of certifications for technically minded people who want to specialise in supporting their hardware and networking equipment. There are three levels of certification in the General certifications path, from Associate to Professional to Expert, with certification paths covering Routing and Switching, Network Design and Architecture, Network Security, Service Provider, Storage Networking and Voice Certification.

While not directly comparable to college degree programs in all aspects, you can think of the Associate certification as being roughly equal to an Associate of Arts degree in the generalised technology area, the Professional as being just shy of a Science degree, and the Expert certification as being broadly comparable to a partial Master's Degree program.

Many professionals end up getting an Expert certification in one area, and branching out with Associates and Professionals in a few supporting topic areas.

Going beyond the generalised certification programs, Cisco also has Specialist Certifications, all of which require an Associate or better certification to take the exam. These get significantly more diverse, with subjects covering Advanced Routing and Switching, with field specialists (people who trouble shoot problems), sales specialists (people who are good at defining what range of Cisco products a customer needs and getting them in place) and solutions specialists (who design full architected systems for customers).

The most common Specialist certifications deal with data centres, and there are eight of them, usually split between Support, Design and Sales, for Application Services, Network Switching interfaces, and Network Storage Certifications. These build on several foundation skills.

The second most common Specialist certifications cover IP (Internet Protocol) Communications Certifications; these are, in effect, engineering certifications, and cover the range from Telephony Network Design services, Contact Centre certifications, generalised IP communications certifications and more. What these certifications do is give a baseline for setting up networking solutions for large organisations.

One of the most demanded sets of specialisation certifications include the VPN and Security specialisations, which cover everything from firewalls to generalised security technical's to architectural setup certifications. There are also specialisations covering wireless LAN and channel partner certifications.

All of these certifications (both General and Specialist) have attended course requirements and exams; you can expect that a typical course will run from three weeks (at the Associates level) to six to eight weeks, and be followed by an exam; expect to pay a largish fee for these certification processes.

Unlike most of the professional IT certification programs, Cisco's tends to involve a hands-on approach with the class work and certification; this is a direct response to the watering down of competing certifications, many of which now have "cheat sheet" web sites to help potential students 'hit the books' for the tests. Cisco Systems knows that its certification program rests on the fundamental skills used by its students; people with certifications who can't do the work don't do a good job of promoting Cisco, nor are they assets to their employers. As a result, expect to work hard for these certifications.

The up side of these certifications is that they give you a leg up in the job market when working with this particular hardware set and these protocols. Therefore Cisco certifications are an excellent investment in your IT future.

Derek Rogers is a freelance writer who writes for a number of UK businesses. He recommends Prodec Networks, a leading Cisco training specialist.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Derek_Rogers

10 Multiple Choice Questions Free - CCNA Practice Exam - 640-802

2008-12-08T19:32:00.000-08:00

Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)

After you study your text books it is important to test your newly acquired knowledge and see just how well you have absorbed the material. Practice exams....

- Reinforce what you learnt - fill in the gaps of what you missed
- Get you used to answering questions to build confidence and familiarity

Here are 10 Multiple Choice exams questions for you to practice on:

Question 1# - Which of the following are ways to provide login access to a router? (choose all that apply)

A. HTTP
B. Aux Port
C. Console
D. LLC
E. Telnet
F. SNMP

Question 2# - Which statement is true regarding the user exec and privileged exec mode?

A. They both require the enable password
B. User exec is a subset of the privileged exec
C. The '?' only works in Privileged exec
D. They are identical

Question 3# - This modem standard has a speed of 28.8k and has error-correction features.

A. V.42
B. V.32bis
C. V.90
D. V.34

Questions 4# - What would be the proper command to set a DCE clock rate of 56k for a serial interface?

A. Router (config) # clockrate 56000
B. Router# clockrate 56000.
C. Router (config-if) #clock rate 56000
D. Router (config-if) # clockrate 56k

Question 5# - What is an example of a MAC address?

A. Az32:6362:2434
B. BA:281x:8288
C. 101:354:665:8734:ffd6:8023
D. A625:cbdf:6525

Question 6# - Which command does not show that two devices are failing to route packets between them successfully?

A. show interface
B. trace
C. telnet
D. ping

Question 7# - You are designing a network which needs to support 200 users. You don't plan to extend the segment beyond the current number of users. Which subnet mask would best meet your needs? Select the best answer.

A. 255.255.0.0
B. 255.255.255.0
C. 255.0.0.0
D. 255.224.0.0
E. 255.255.255.200

Question 8# - MAC is to Ethernet what ________ is to Frame Relay.

A. DLCI
B. LCI
C. PVC
D. None of the above

Question 9# - The 802.2 frame specifies a type whereas 802.3 frame specifies a length:

A. True
B. False

Question 10# - What is used to see if a client is still connected to a NetWare server?

A. Spoofing TCP/SAP
B. Watchdog packet
C. GNS Round Robin
D. DNS Round Robin

ANSWERS

Question 1 - Correct Answers: B,C,E
Question 2 - Correct Answers: B
Question 3 - Correct Answers: A
Question 4 - Correct Answers: C
Question 5 - Correct Answers: D
Question 6 - Correct Answers: A
Question 7 - Correct Answers: B
Question 8 - Correct Answers: A
Question 9 - Correct Answers: A
Question 10 - Correct Answers: B

By Georgie Stath - Certification Help is a beginners guide to getting certified. Also find 8 Accelerated LearningTechniques that will see you getting certified faster.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Georgia_Stath

Cisco CCNA Exam - 10 Fatal Mistakes to Avoid

2008-11-18T01:45:00.000-08:00

Cisco CCNA - 10 Fatal Exam Mistakes to Avoid

The fact you are reading this means you are planning to take your Cisco CCNA or another Cisco exam in fact and just knowing that means you may fall victim to one of the 10 fatal exam mistakes. I can speak with some authority on exam mistakes because over the past 8 years I have made most of them myself.

Enough about me anyway. I have taken a lot of IT exams since I left the police including Comptia exams, the MCSE, CCNA and the CCNP among a few others. IT exams are usually taken at an approved testing centre who all have to follow set rules and procedures to ensure each candidate has a similar experience. The problem is that there are factors both outside and inside the centre which can make passing the exam far more difficult for you than it needs to be.

Without further ado, allow me to explain how to avoid the 10 fatal exam mistakes for your Cisco CCNA exam or any other IT exam for that matter.

Mistake 1 - Not Doing a Dry Run

I took an exam recently. It was at the same testing centre I have used over the past 6 years. The only problem was that when I arrived to take my test I parked outside the office block and went for a nice coffee safe in the knowledge that I had allowed myself a good 30 minutes before my allocated test time.

The problem was that when I went to the front door I read to my horror a sign saying that they had moved. I felt a surge of adrenaline rush through the pit of my stomach. Luckily, they had only moved to the other side of the same building. Even though, that experience was very unnerving and I was still a bit jittery when I walked into the centre.

Please make sure you know EXACTLY where your testing centre is and if necessary do a dry run before exam day.

Mistake 2 - Cram or Not to Cram

Do you drive to the exam testing centre with your cram notes in your pocket? I have done both, taking cram notes and not taking them. I can't tell you which is the right thing for you to do but my personal experience is that you should not take cram notes with you for a last minute read. Sitting in your car outside the testing centre trying to read notes with your hands shaking will not help your nerves. You would be better served listening to some relaxing music.

Mistake 3 - Not Reading Your Exam Confirmation

Would you believe that my friend turned up to take a Cisco exam a few years ago and when he sat in front of the computer he realized to his horror that he was taking the wrong exam! He was a clever guy as well. It was just that when he booked the exam he mistook a number and booked himself onto a specialist Cisco exam instead of the CCNP module he wanted. Strangely enough, he actually passed the exam as well!

It is so easy to book the wrong exam so please double check before you book. Please print out your exam confirmation and double check the exam code, the date, time and venue. Please also ensure you take your exam confirmation with you to the testing centre. I have turned up to take an exam in the past and was told that I was not expected that day or any other day in fact. If I hadn't taken my confirmation with me then I would have had to drive all the way home as well. Not good.

Mistake 4 - Caffeine

I love coffee. I am in Starbucks almost every day. But there is a price to pay and that is having to visit the toilet every 30 minutes. Most Cisco exams are 90 minutes long as from my experience, they take almost exactly 90 minutes to complete. If you have to visit the toilet twice then you have lost about 5 precious minutes in your exam which you can't afford to do.

I would avoid having any caffeinated drinks before your exam.

Mistake 5 - Not Reading the Questions

I know you are not daft and can read perfectly well. I have done this myself though, I read the question on the exam but due to nerves and pressure of time I see the question I want to be there. Our eyes are basically scanning tools and the brain performs some sort of auto-complete as we read any text.

The auto-complete feature is not very useful when it comes to exams. Please read the question twice before looking at the answers.

Mistake 6 - Trying to Beat the Clock

That pesky clock sits in the corner of your computer screen silently taunting you as you sit there reading the questions. It might as well be a movie of sand falling through an egg timer.

The clock is a useful tool of course but don't let it pressure you to going faster than you can. The next few questions could be very simple ones such as port numbers rather than multi-step router configurations or 5 part troubleshooting scenarios. Use the clock to keep yourself on track but don't let it make you rush your answers.

Mistake 7 - Panicking

Exam nerves are very common and a little stress is good. What I find when I speak to many CCNA exam candidates is that they are experiencing symptoms such as shaking hands, excessive visits to toilets, blurred vision, memory loss and even tears!

I know how you feel because as a former police officer I have experienced terrible stress and nerves. Try having a gun pointed in your face! If you feel that exam nerves are going to affect your performance then please get help early. I recommend relaxation downloads. Find a reputable hypnosis downloads website and download some inductions for a few dollars. Money well spent. Please also see mistake 10.

Mistake 8 - Not Booking the Exam!

Do you know how many people I know who tell me that they are going to book their exam 'When I Feel Ready.' If I could comment on this situation. You will never feel 'ready' so you might as well book the exam now. Book it for a few weeks time and put the date into your diary. You can always move it back if you get to a few days away and are not adequately prepared.

Your brain is a goal seeking organism and if you have no firm goal set then you will yourself getting distracted or side tracked with the usual things life throws at you. For this reason I strongly recommend booking your exam date, even if you are just starting out with your studies.

Mistake 9 - Making a Fuss

When I took a Cisco exam recently the simulation software did not load correctly. I had to configure a router but the router prompt was below the window on the screen so I couldn't see what I was typing! Talk about difficult. I had to type commands and then press enter several times to see what I had typed finally appear in the window.

I pointed out the issue to the exam invigilator so I had a witness. She didn't have an suggestions for me and told me to fill in a box on the screen pointing out the issue to Cisco. There was no point shouting at her or demanding refunds. She was just there to set up my exam and enforce the rules about cheating.

I actually passed that exam which was a surprise to me but had I failed I'm sure Cisco would have given me a refund and I had a witness to the issue as well.

The wrong approach would have been to argue with the invigilator, to make a scene or even to refused to finish off the exam. If you see issues with the questions in your exam or experience similar issues then make a note on the screen which will be sent to Cisco, tell the invigilator if you need to and then continue. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Mistake 10 - Taking it Too Seriously

In know it is important to you but in the grand scheme of things it is only an exam! The most important things are you health, your family and God. Failing an exam will not be the end of the world.

Over the past few years I have failed exams, driving tests, job interviews and several other things which seemed important at the time. I even failed the CCIE lab once and that cost me $1500 plus air fare. Ouch! I just retook anything I failed or worked out other things I wanted to do instead.

If you do fail an exam then well done, at least you had a crack at it. Write down an action plan to tackle your weak areas and book it again. Everyone in the world fails at something important and you are no exception.

Conclusion

Keep a cool head and plan your exam in advance to give yourself the best chances of success. Treat the exam as a project and be serious about passing and at the same time, if you are not successful then give yourself a break, you are only human and anything worth passing is going to be hard by its very nature.

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Paul Browning and I run my own IT training company in the UK and I also own an online Cisco certification resource site called http://www.howtonetwork.net I used the CCNA exam to help me leave my career as a police officer in the UK and get my first role as a network support engineer.

Paul Browning - CCNP, MCSE

Paul is the creator of the Cisco CCNA Training Site http://www.howtonetwork.net so please come and visit us and enjoy some free CCNA study tools.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_Browning

CCNA Security Exam Tutorial - When It's Good to Add Salt

2008-11-18T01:44:00.000-08:00

When you started studying for your CCNA certification exam, one of the very first things you learned was the major difference between the enable password and the enable secret - the enable secret is encrypted by default, where the enable password is just sitting there in clear text, waiting to be read!

When you look at the enable secret in a Cisco router configuration, it looks like it would be impossible to guess. After setting the enable secret on this router to the word security, here's how it appears in the configuration:

enable secret 5 $1$24me$gVFxUOI4gYp0IQbhtH8Rz0

That password has been encrypted by MD5, the Message Digest 5 algorithm. The result of the MD5 algorithm being applied to the password is a 32-character hexadecimal value.

That password is hard to guess, but not terribly hard to crack. Anyone looking over your shoulder would not be able to come up with that password, but there are readily-available password cracking software devices that can crack that encryption in a matter of minutes. That's true of any MD5-encrypted password, not just those on Cisco routers.

So what can we do about this? We can add SALT to our MD5.

The salt itself is simply a string of random characters that are added to the encryption process. Salting makes it much more difficult for a hacker to come up with the password; each bit added by the salt process literally makes it twice as difficult for the password to be compromised. A recent Wikipedia entry states that if a password was one of 200,000 words, a 32-bit salt would require 800 trillion hashes for a full-blown brute force attack.

The actual creation and application of a salt is beyond the scope of the CCNA Security exam, but once you've earned that valuable certification - or maybe while you're preparing for it - do a Google search on "salt md5" and read up on this powerful security tool. In the meantime, look for more CCNA Security tutorials on the site you're on now as well as my website!

Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage, home of free CCNA Security Exam tutorials.

Get your CCNA and CCNP certifications with The Bryant Advantage!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Bryant

Free Cisco CCNA, CCENT, CCNP Certification Tutorial

2008-11-07T23:28:00.000-08:00

Routing

Routing is a relay system by which packets are forwarded from one device to another. Each device in the network as well as the network itself has a logical address so it can be identified and reached individually or as part of a larger group of devices. For a router to act as an effective relay device, it must be able to understand the logical topology of the network and to communicate with its neighboring devices.

The router understands several different logical addressing schemes and regularly exchanges topology information with other devices in the network. The mechanism of learning and maintaining awareness of the network topology is considered to be the routing function while the movement of traffic through the router is a separate function and is considered to be the switching function. Routing devices must perform both a routing and a switching function to be an effective relay device. A router receiving a packet from a host, the router will need to make a routing decision based on the protocol in use; the existence of the destination network address in its routing table; and the interface that is connected to the destination network. After the decision has been made the router will switch the packet to the appropriate interface on the router to forward it out. If the destination logical network does not exist in the routing table, routing devices will discard the packet and to generate an Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) message to notify the sender of the event.

Routing Table

A routing table is a database repository that holds the router's routing information that represents each possible logical destination network that is known to the router. The entries for major networks are listed in ascending order and, most commonly, within each major network the sub networks are listed in descending order. If the routing table entry points to an IP address, the router will perform a recursive lookup on that next-hop address until the router finds an interface to use. The router will switch the packet to the outbound interfaces buffer. The router will then determine the Layer 2 address that maps to the Layer 3 address. The packet will then be encapsulated in a Layer 2 frame appropriate for the type of encapsulation used by the outbound interface. The outbound interface will then place the packet on the medium and forward it to the next hop. The packet will continue this process until it reaches its destination. There are two ways in which a routing table can be populated: a route can be entered manually, this is called static routing, or routers can dynamically learning a route. Once a router learns a route, it is added to its route table.

Visit Freetechexams.com to earn CCNA Certification for free.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=M._Aslam

Cisco CCNA Voice Certification Exam Tutorial - Default Max Ephone and Ephone-dn and Configurations

2008-08-19T03:32:00.001-07:00

How many phones and directory numbers can be configured on Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express by default?

Answer: Zero!

Yes, by default, no ephones or directory numbers can register. Before doing anything else, the following configuration is required:

Router>enable

Router#configure terminal
Router(config)#telephony-service
Router(config-telephony)#max-ephones 4
Router(config-telephony)#max-dn 8

This allow up to 4 phones to register / be configured and 8 directory numbers.

If you don't do this, the router will not allow ephones or ephone-dns to be created. Here is an example of what would happen:

R1(config)#ephone 1
ephone tag 1 exceeds max-ephones 0
R1(config)#ephone-dn 1
dn 1 exceeds max-dn 0

The maximum number of ephones and ephone-dns that can be configured is platform dependent. Here is an example of my router that can support 30 phones with up to 150 ephone-dns:

R1(config-telephony)#max-ephones ?
<1-30> Maximum phones to support

R1(config-telephony)#max-dn ?
<1-150> Maximum directory numbers supported

Cisco have a great document showing you how many ephones/dns are supported on specific platforms. Have a look here

As an example, using CME version 4.3:
The 2801 supports 25 phones and 120 ephone-dns
The 2811 supports 35 phones and 144 ephone-dns
The 2821 supports 50 phones and 192 ephone-dns
The 3845 supports 250 phones and 720 ephone-dns

(There are others, please refer to the link above for a full list)

Cisco also recommend that you only enable the number of ephones and ephone-dns for the number you require, not the maximum the platform can support. The reason is that when a ephone / ephone-dn is created, it uses up memory on the router. Don't just create them because you can! Create only what is required.

To your success!

David Bombal,

CCIE #11023, CCSI, CCDP, CCIP, CCNP, CCSP, CCVP, CCNA, CCDA

David has over 10 years experience in the IT industry and has been training in the Cisco market for over 8 years. He has worked with Cisco IP Telephony since the Call Manager 3.0 days in 2001.

He is the owner of http://www.CCNAVoice.com which has many resources for the CCNA Voice candidate. Get access to free articles, eBooks, training and more.

http://www.CCNAVoice.com also provides test questions and simulations to help you prepare for your studies, premium access to more detailed information and mentoring.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Bombal

Cisco CCNA, CCNP, and CCENT Practice Exam Questions - DTE, DCE, OSPF, IP Phones and More

2008-06-17T22:40:00.001-07:00

By Chris Bryant

To help you prepare for total success on your Cisco certification exams, here are some free practice exam questions to test your knowledge. Enjoy!

CCNA And CCENT Certification:

You have two Cisco routers directly connected at their Serial 0 interfaces. Identify the true statements regarding this connection.

A. The DCE must supply clockrate to the DTE.

B. The DTE must supply clockrate to the DCE.

C. No clockrate needs to be supplied by either side.

D. Both the DTE and DCE must supply clockrate to the other.

E. Since Cisco router Serial interfaces are DTE by default, such a connection literally cannot work.

F. Since Cisco router Serial interfaces are DCE by default, such a connection literally cannot work.

Answer: A. The DCE must supply the clockrate to the DTE. Cisco router Serial interfaces are DTEs by default, but a Serial interface can be configured to run as a DCE. You'll also need a DTE/DCE cable for this connection.

CCNP Certification / BSCI Exam:

Short answer: You are configuring an OSPF router to inject a default route into an OSPF domain. The command you've entered under the OSPF process is "default-information originate". What else do you have to do?

Answer: In this situation, make sure the router has a default route to advertise! To advertise such a route when none actually exists, use "default-information originate always".

CCNP Certification / BCMSN Exam:

What interface-level command, configured on a switch port, will tell the IP Phone not to trust any CoS values sent from a PC connected to the phone?

A. switchport priority no cos trust

B. no mls qos

C. no mls qos trust cos

D. switchport priority extend cos 0

E. switchport priority extend cos 5

Answer: D. The command "switchport priority extend cos x" tells the phone to overwrite the CoS value coming in from the PC. Setting "x" to zero is effectively telling the phone not to trust the incoming CoS value.

CCNP Certification / ISCW Exam:

Short answer: How many classes can be defined for PQ?

Answer: 64.

CCNP Certification / ONT Exam:

In the analog-to-digital conversion process, which of the following is optional?

A. Sampling

B. Quantizing

C. Encoding

D. Compression

Answer: D. Compression is often a good idea, but it's not required.

Look for more free question sets on my website, and posted on this website as well!

Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage, home of free CCNA certification exam and CCNP certification tutorials, The Ultimate CCNA Study Package, and Ultimate CCNP Study Packages.

Visit his blog, which is updated several times daily with new Cisco certification articles, free tutorials, and daily CCNA / CCNP exam questions!

A free 7-part course, "How To Pass The CCNA", is also available.

Get your CCNP Boot Camp CBT with this special from The Bryant Advantage

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Bryant

Yet Another Reason to Learn Linux - Linux Certifications

2008-06-14T00:23:00.003-07:00

By Levi Reiss

There are currently four programs that enable people to become certified as Linux Systems Administrators. These programs are offered by the Computing Technology Industry Association, the Linux Professional Institute, the Novell Corporation, and Red Hat, Inc. The first two are professional industry associations whose certification programs do not depend on any specific Linux distribution. Novell and Red Hat Linux certifications are closely associated with their popular Linux distributions. Should you wish to prepare for either of these two certifications you will definitely need access to their Linux version.

What's involved in obtaining a Linux Certification? You must pass one or more extensive tests that demonstrate your prowess in dealing with the typical and some atypical problems faced by Linux systems administrators. We'll take a closer look at the CompTIA Linux+™ Certification, the one often recommended as the first certification for people new to Linux. This certification does not apply to any specific Linux version. The test is designed to validate the knowledge of individuals with a minimum of six to twelve months of practical Linux experience. According to the Computing Technology Industry Association, professionals achieving the CompTIA Linux+ certification can explain fundamental management of Linux systems from the command line, demonstrate knowledge of user administration, understand file permissions, software configurations, and management of Linux-based clients, server systems, and security. Many of these functions are available on Damn Small Linux.

The Linux+ certification is a basic, entry-level certification for Linux system administrators. It is intended for people with six-months experience installing, operating and maintaining Linux operating systems. To achieve Linux+ certification, candidates must pass the 98 question Linux+ exam which covers seven areas: Planning and Implementation; Installation; Configuration; Administration; System Maintenance; Troubleshooting; and Identify, Install and Maintain System Hardware. This multiple-choice exam costs about $232 and is a good starting point for those who want to continue with other Linux certifications including those from Novell and Red Hat.

Why would anybody want to start preparing Linux certification on a limited version of Linux? The answer is simple - certification is not to be taken lightly. Don't make a major financial and time investment unless you know that you really want to be certified and that you possess the required skill set. It's not hard to find schools that promise you success in Linux certification and in any of their course offerings. But Linux certification may not be for you. Don't make a major certification investment only to find that it wasn't what you had in mind. Work your way through my tutorials including the suggestions for going further. Get your hands on a variety of Linux books. I would start with books designed for learning Linux and for running Linux systems before working with Linux certification books.

Don't be satisfied with running computer exercises in your mind, and nodding your head at the appropriate times. To succeed you must do the exercises on a computer running Linux. Since installation is a component of all Linux Certification exams don't stint on installing several versions of Linux on your computer. An external USB hard drive is not very expensive. Try to make friends with someone who knows better than you how to do things. Ask a lot of questions. And good luck!

And while you're working on your certifications take a look at some of Damn Small Linux's other advantages in our final article in this series.

Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet. He loves the occasional glass of wine as exemplified by his wine websites including http://www.theworldwidewine.com - He teaches Linux and Windows operating systems plus other computer courses at an Ontario French-language community college. Visit his new website http://www.linux4windows.com which teaches you how to download and run Damn Small Linux on Windows computers, even if they are "obsolete."

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Levi_Reiss

Cisco CCNA and CCENT Certification Training - 10 Frame Relay Practice Exam Questions

2008-06-14T00:23:00.001-07:00

By Chris Bryant

Frame Relay is a major topic on your CCNA and CCENT certification exams, and for good reason. Frame Relay is a part of just about every Wide Area Network (WAN) you'll ever work with, and you've got to know how to configure and troubleshoot FR to be successful in the exam room and your job.

To help you pass the CCNA and CCENT exams and be prepared for real-world success, here are 10 free Cisco certification exam training questions on Frame Relay. Some have choices, some do not - after all, there's no multiple choice at the command line!

1. Your Frame Relay provider is guaranteeing you a certain amount of bandwidth that will be available to you at any given time. What acronym is used to describe that guaranteed bandwidth?

A. DE

B. CIR

C. LMI

D. BECN

E. FECN

2. A Frame Relay cloud consists of what device types?

A. Frame Relay switches acting as DCEs

B. Frame Relay switches acting as DTEs

C. Frame Relay routers acting as DCEs

D. Frame Relay routers acting as DTEs

3. Which of the following terms describes Frame Relay?

A. packet-switching

B. circuit-switching

C. relatively inexpensive when compared to other WAN connectivity methods

D. relatively expensive when compared to other WAN connectivity methods

4. What message types serve as keepalives between the DTE and DCE?

A. LMI

B. DLCI

C. DE

D. CIR

5. Short answer: What is the default encapsulation type of a Cisco router Serial interface?

6. Short answer: When LMI Autosense is in effect, what message type(s) does the DTE send to the DCE?

7. Short answer: When LMI Autosense is in effect, what message type(s) does the DCE then send to the DTE after receiving the message(s) referred to in question 6?

8. What command resulted in the following output?

LMI Statistics for interface Serial0 (Frame Relay DTE) LMI TYPE = ANSI

Invalid Unnumbered info 0 Invalid Prot Disc 0

Invalid dummy Call Ref 0 Invalid Msg Type 0

Invalid Status Message 0 Invalid Lock Shift 0

Invalid Information ID 0 Invalid Report IE Len 0

Invalid Report Request 0 Invalid Keep IE Len 0

Num Status Enq. Sent 121 Num Status msgs Rcvd 94

Num Update Status Rcvd 0 Num Status Timeouts 26

A. show frame pvc

B. show frame lmi

C. show frame timeouts

D. debug frame lmi

9. What command resulted in the following output?

R1#

3d04h: Serial0(out): StEnq, myseq 49, yourseen 94, DTE down

3d04h: datagramstart = 0xE329E4, datagramsize = 14

3d04h: FR encap = 0x00010308

3d04h: 00 75 95 01 01 00 03 02 31 5E

A. show frame pvc

B. show frame lmi

C. show frame dte

D. debug frame lmi

10. Short answer: What protocol enables dynamic Frame Relay mapping?

Here are the answers! No peeking!

1. (B). That's the Committed Information Rate - the CIR.

2. (A). A Frame Relay cloud consists of Frame Relay switches, and those are DCEs.

3. (A, C). Frame Relay is a packet-switching protocol, and one major advantage of Frame is its cost - it's relatively cheap!

4. (A). The Local Management Interface sounds like some kind of GUI, but it's not. Among other functions, the LMI serves as a keepalive between the DTE and DCE. If there's an LMI mismatch, the physical interface will remain up but the line protocol will go down.

5. The default encapsulation type of a Cisco Serial interface is HDLC, as verified here with show interface serial0. This particular interface is shut down, but the default encapsulation type still appears in the command output.

R1#show int serial0

Serial0 is administratively down, line protocol is down

Hardware is HD64570

MTU 1500 bytes, BW 1544 Kbit, DLY 20000 usec,

reliability 255/255, txload 1/255, rxload 1/255

Encapsulation HDLC, loopback not set

6 & 7. When LMI Autosense is in operation, the DTE will send three LMI Status messages. The DCE will respond with one LMI Status message. The DTE sees that Status message coming in, and from that point on only sends the LMI Status message type that matches the type it received from the DCE.

8. (B) That output is the result of running the show frame lmi command. An excellent starting point for Frame Relay troubleshooting.

9. (D) That output is the result of running debug frame lmi. Always be careful when running debugs in a production network - never run a debug unless you're sure of the resulting output, which can overwhelm the router.

10. Inverse ARP enables dynamic Frame Relay mapping. Inverse ARP is often disabled in today's networks, and this is done by running the no frame-relay inverse-arp command at the interface level.

Look for more Cisco certification exam practice questions on this website!

Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage, home of free CCNA and CCNP exam tutorials, The Ultimate CCNA Study Package, and Ultimate CCNP Study Packages.

Visit his blog, which is updated several times daily with new Cisco certification articles, free tutorials, and daily CCNA / CCNP exam questions!

A free 7-part course, "How To Pass The CCNA", is also available.

Get your Cisco CCNP Boot Camp with this special from The Bryant Advantage!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Bryant

Cisco CCNP ISCW Certification Exam Tutorial - The Key Difference Between IPS And IDS

2008-05-17T23:28:00.001-07:00

By Chris Bryant

When it comes to your Cisco CCNP certification exams, success is in the details, and that's particularly true of your ISCW exam.

You're going to need to know all the vital details of configuring and troubleshooting Cisco's Intrusion Prevention System (IPS), both from the command line and via Security Device Manager (SDM).

We first need to draw a clear line between the operation of the Intrusion Prevention System and the Intrusion Detection System (IDS). Those terms sound similar, but they're quite different in operation.

An IDS does just what its name tells us - it detects network intrusion. Simple enough! However, the IDS is basically a "town crier" in that it will notify other network devices about the attack, but does not directly defend against the attack itself.

The IDS does not receive traffic flows directly. Instead, the traffic flows are mirrored to the IDS.

When infected traffic does hit the network, the IDS will see this and take appropriate action. The problem is that this appropriate action is not direct action; since the IDS is not in the traffic flow, it has to inform a network device that is in that flow that action must be taken.

By the time the IDS detects an issue and notifies the appropriate network devices, the beginning of the infected traffic flow is already in the network.

In contrast, our Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) does sit in the middle of the traffic flow - in this case, the IPS will actually be our Cisco router. When the IPS detects a problem, the IPS itself can prevent the traffic from entering the network.

Cisco's website describes the IPS as a "restructuring" of the IDS. While you'll see more of IPS than IDS in today's real-world networks, we have to be crystal clear on the differences between the two for the ISCW exam. Make sure you're comfortable with configuring IPS from the command line and by using SDM as well!

Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage, home of free CCNP certification and CCNA certification tutorials, The Ultimate CCNA Study Package, and Ultimate CCNP Study Packages.

You can also visit his blog, which is updated several times daily with new Cisco certification articles, free tutorials, and daily CCNA / CCNP exam questions!

A free 7-part course, "How To Pass The CCNA", is also available.

Earn your CCNA with The Bryant Advantage!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Bryant

Cisco CCNA, CCNP, And CCENT Exam Training Questions - MAC Addresses, EIGRP, And More!

2008-05-04T19:12:00.001-07:00

By Chris Bryant

Here are some free Cisco certification exam training questions to help you prepare for exam success!

CCNA And CCENT Exam:

A frame enters a switchport. Which of the following does the switch examine first?

A. Source IP address

B. Destination IP address

C. Source MAC address

D. Destination MAC address

Answer: C. The switch will check the source MAC address first, and then decide whether that particular address and corresponding port number need to be added to the switch's MAC address table.

CCNP Certification / BSCI Exam:

In the following EIGRP configuration, what does the first "100" represent? And while you're at it, tell me what the second "100" represents, too!

R2(config)#router eigrp 100 R2(config-router)#redistribute ospf 1 metric 1544 100 1 255 1500

Answer: The first "100" is the EIGRP AS number. The second "100" is the delay metric for the OSPF routes redistributed into EIGRP.

CCNP Certification / BCMSN Exam:

What single command can be used to change the speed and/or duplex setting of multiple ports simultaneously?

Answer: interface range.

CCNP Certification / ISCW Exam:

Briefly describe the "principle of minimum trust". Not too briefly, though! ;)

Answer: This principle states that one system shouldn't unconditionally trust another system. This principle is particularly important when trusting or not trusting a device running in the DMZ.

CCNP Certification / ONT Exam:

You want to run Weighted Fair Queueing on a link that's running faster than 2.048 MBPS. What global configuration command allows this?

Answer: None - WFQ does not work on interfaces running at a speed higher than 2.048 MBPS.

Look for more free Cisco exam training questions on this same website!

Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage, home of free CCNP certification and CCNA certification tutorials, The Ultimate CCNA Study Package, and Ultimate CCNP Study Packages.

You can also visit his blog, which is updated several times daily with new Cisco certification articles, free tutorials, and daily CCNA / CCNP exam questions!

A free 7-part course, "How To Pass The CCNA", is also available.

Earn your CCNA with The Bryant Advantage!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Bryant

A Word About MCSE, A+, CCNA Braindump Certification

2008-05-01T05:19:00.001-07:00

By M. Aslam

Information Technology (IT) industry is one of the major areas of human activities. It has rapidly matured in relatively short span of time. More or less every one is taking advantages of IT and those who have yet not integrated IT in their work and life want to. Like any other industry, IT also has its own share of problems. One of the major problems IT industry and professionals are facing is called braindumps - questions and answers from an actual IT certification exam that leak out to those who are getting IT certification to enhance their skills and knowledge.

Braindumps are engaged in is an illegal practice that has seismic effects on all concerned. How is it illegal? Every candidates going for IT certification is required to sign non disclosure agreement not to leak the exam related information. But leaks still happen and it is these the leaks have given birth to braindumps providers who are mushrooming by days.

In IT Industry certification examinations Non Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) are also known as 'Confidential Disclosure Agreements (CDAs), Confidentiality Agreements, Secrecy Agreements or Exam Security Agreements. Whatever you like to call them, they all basically state the same thing, "Do not release the information provided to you on this exam."

Microsoft Non-Disclosure Agreement states, "You are expressly prohibited from disclosing, publishing, reproducing, or transmitting this exam, in whole or in part, in any form or by any means, verbal or written..." Hence, examinees who take a Microsoft exam agree not to reveal any of the content of the exam in any form. This is a legal bond. Similarly, Cisco's Confidentiality Agreement (pdf) also put legal bond on examinees.

Many certification providers have implemented NDAs to prevent examinees from stealing their information and passing on in mass. Prior to taking any certification exam, it is required that examinees sign the NDA. But given the rapid growth of braindumps, this is not enough.

What can be done to when examinees violate this bond and feed the information to braindumps? This is a collective problem of the IT industry and should be tackled collectively at all levels.

No one should opt for braindumps certifications in the first place. It is illegal, unethical and debars anyone from learning. Anyone who has an idea of any such violation should blow a whistle and report them. Individuals own this to the IT industry where they belong.

Why is it then that so many individual these days refuse to rely on experience and actual hands-on training, hard work and opt, instead, for braindumps in order to pass the test? Tests do change - and many exams have sets of thousands of questions that could be selected from to populate in any particular exam. If, in fact, a particular braindump has the correct questions and answers - you would have to memorize hundreds if not thousands of questions and answers just to ensure you knew everything. I can assure you that similar time devoted to hard work and studying the material can bring similar results?

We all need to have a bit more pride in ourselves by truly knowing the entire curriculum?

At the same time, IT industry needs to have Zero Tolerance Policy toward braindumps. Those who get IT certification and or support the use braindumps in any form or ways should be black listed from IT community. I am against any type of censorship but I suggest all braindumps sites should be shut down and excluded from search engines searches. (Imagine the results brought out by any search engine using words like Braindump, brain dumps, braindumps, or dump.)

The main responsibility to stop this menace lies with the Industry giants who are also certification providers. They need to make a conscious effort to defeat any effort against their systems. They need to guard their name and come up with a solution to defeat braindumps. There are many ways to do that.

The best would be to divide certification exams in different parts; theory can stay online and practical may be conducted in examination centers in different places around the world. Students who qualify the theoretical portion may be invited to those centers where they should take the practical exam and prove their skills in a particular product and or application. Some of the websites and forums have already added filters to block the usage of the names of such websites and some others are doing good jobs to create awareness about this trend.

Read more about A+ Braindumps , MCSE Braindumps and CCNA Braindumps .

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=M._Aslam

Earning Your MCSE Certification

2008-05-01T05:18:00.001-07:00

By Anthony T Moss

As an IT professional, you understand all too well the importance of certifications. Obtaining a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer certification is definitely a positive move for your career. MCSE is a Microsoft-specific certification that proves your knowledge and abilities in the design and implementation of the network infrastructure for businesses. The MCSE certification requires the IT professional to successfully pass seven exams. No wonder it's considered one of Microsoft's Premier Certifications.

In today's highly competitive IT market, advancing your education is very important. The fact that you are rising above other IT professionals to keep your competitive edge does not go unnoticed. Business owners looking for a self-motivated engineer to fill a position in their company often look for current certifications. Microsoft offers a wide variety of Microsoft Certified Professional certifications. Microsoft's certifications carry a lot of influence with business owners. Whatever Microsoft certification you're pursuing, you won't be disappointed by the results after you add your certification to your résumé.

Earning an MCSE certification is no simple task. This fact, paired with the demand for corporate level IT professionals, makes an MCSE a very valuable certification to acquire.

Your MCSE may be on Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2000, Windows NT4.0 or Windows 2000. MCSE training is most appropriate for those already in a professional IT field. Systems engineers, technical support engineers, systems analysts, network analysts and technical consultants would already be familiar with the basic framework in a business' infrastructure. IT professionals who have experience are already be familiar with some of the subject matter on the exams and would have the ability to put real-world experience to the test. Related work experience gives you the edge over someone who isn't as familiar with design and implementation of a network infrastructure.

After you have achieved the MCSE certification on the operating system of your choice, you will have the opportunity to pick a specialty to further set yourself apart from your peers. MCSE specializations are a way for IT professionals to more easily identify their focus in a particular field. You may choose to specialize in messaging or security with any MCSE certification you acquire. Business owners often require an employee with specific specialization in security. An MCSE: Security would let potential employers know you are MCSE certified with a focus on security.

Many websites offer reading material, study guides and even free practice tests to help you prepare for your MCSE exam. Microsoft often offers a free second-chance test if you don't pass the exam the first time. Many professionals require a second chance, so don't let a first-exam failure deter you from reaching your goal.

The seven examinations leading up to certification consist of four on networking, one on client operations, one on design and one elective. The elective examination is of your choice and ranges from servers to security. Upon completion of the exams, you will receive your MCSE Certificate, a wallet card, a lapel pin and a few other bonus gifts from Microsoft. Students passing the examination can download their transcripts through the exclusive MCP member website. You will reap the benefits of the real reward when you've added your MCSE certification to your résumé and negotiated a higher salary or landed a new job.

In addition to your certificate and other gifts from Microsoft, you will receive great deals on industry-specific magazines, websites and MCP-only databases. Through the MCP member website, you can access Microsoft Certified Professional Magazine Online. The magazine has been regarded as one of the industry's leading career and professional development magazines. Regular online chats with other Microsoft professionals will keep you in the loop and help further your education and career.

Todd Moss is an IT professional and owns http://mcsestudysite.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Anthony_T_Moss

Cisco CCNA, CCNP, And CCENT Practice Questions - MAC Addresses, BGP, And More!

2008-04-27T16:39:00.001-07:00

By Chris Bryant

Let's test your knowledge of the MAC OUI, BGP attributes, DHCP Snooping, and other vital Cisco certification exam topics!

CCNA And CCENT Exam:

Short answer: In the MAC address aa-bb-cc-11-22-33, what portion is the OUI?

Answer: aa-bb-cc. The first half of the MAC address is the Organizationally Unique Identifier.

CCNP Certification / BSCI Exam:

Identify the optional transitive BGP attributes.

A. origin

B. next-hop

C. LOCAL_PREF

D. AS_PATH

E. aggregator

F. atomic aggregate

G. community

H. MED

Answer: E, G. Community and aggregator are the two transitive optional BGP attributes, "transitive" meaning that their values will be carried from one AS to another. MED is the only optional non-transitive attribute.

CCNP Certification / BCMSN Exam:

Short answer: Briefly describe the purpose and operation of DHCP Snooping.

Answer: DHCP Snooping is a method of detecting rogue DHCP servers and minimizing or eliminating their impact on the network. DHCP Snooping determines whether a DHCP device is trusted or untrusted, and only DHCP messages from trusted devices are passed through the switch.

CCNP Certification / ISCW Exam:

Short answer: What term is used to describe a router with some interfaces in a "normal" IP network, and other interfaces in a Multiprotocol Label Switching network?

Answer: This is an Edge Label Switch Router, or Edge LSR.

CCNP Certification / ONT Exam:

Short answer: What is the default DSCP setting?

Extra credit: Of the 8 bits in the ToS field, which bits comprise the DSCP?

Answers: The default DSCP setting is zero. From left to right, the first six bits of the ToS field comprise the DSCP value (the six "most significant bits").

Look for more free Cisco certification exam questions on this same website!

Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage, home of free CCNP and CCNA tutorials, The Ultimate CCNA Study Package, and Ultimate CCNP Study Packages.

You can also visit his blog, which is updated several times daily with new Cisco certification articles, free tutorials, and daily CCNA / CCNP exam questions!

A free 7-part course, "How To Pass The CCNA", is also available.

Earn your CCNA certification with The Bryant Advantage!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Bryant

Cisco CCNA And CCNP Practice Questions - Static Routing, EIGRP, And More!

2008-04-20T07:10:00.003-07:00

By Chris Bryant

Let's test your knowledge of static routes, EIGRP, wildcard masks, and other important Cisco exam topics!

CCENT Certification:

What command creates a default static route that uses the local router's serial0 interface as the exit interface?

Answer: ip route 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 serial0

CCNA Certification:

Which of the following wildcard masks or words would be used in an ACL line that should match one and only one IP address?

A. any

B. host

C. 0.0.0.0

D. 255.255.255.255

Answer: B, C. A wildcard mask of 0.0.0.0 has the same effect as the word "host". Any line with either one of those values will match only the particular IP address named in the line.

CCNP Certification / BSCI Exam:

Short answer: By default, what percentage of an interface's bandwidth can EIGRP use?

Answer: By default, EIGRP can use up to 50% of an interface's bandwidth.

CCNP Certification / BCMSN Exam:

Short answer: At what layer of the Cisco three-layer model should a network's root bridges be found?

Answer: The Core layer.

CCNP Certification / ISCW Exam:

Short answer: What is the minimum length of a Cisco router password?

Answer: One character. It's the minimum length, but not a recommended length. ;)

CCNP Certification / ONT Exam:

Which of the following are best to use when optimizing video tranmission flows?

A. LLQ

B. TCP Header Compression

C. WFQ

D. RTP Header Compression

Answers: A, D. LLQ works well with voice due to the reserved priority queue, and RTP header compression is a good choice with voice as well.

Look for more Cisco certification exam questions on this website!

Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage, home of free CCNP and CCNA tutorials, The Ultimate CCNA Study Package, and Ultimate CCNP Study Packages.

You can also visit his blog, which is updated several times daily with new Cisco certification articles, free tutorials, and daily CCNA / CCNP exam questions!

A free 7-part course, "How To Pass The CCNA", is also available.

Earn your CCNA certification with The Bryant Advantage!

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Cisco CCNA, CCNP, And CCENT Practice Questions - Register Settings, Passwords, And More

2008-04-20T07:10:00.001-07:00

By Chris Bryant

Let's test your knowledge of Cisco router password recovery, the configuration register, and other vital Cisco exam topics!

CCNA And CCENT Certification:

As part of a password recovery procedure on a 2500 router, the configuration register will be changed to 0x2142. What does this change force the router to do?

A. Erase NVRAM contents

B. Erase the existing enable password

C. Ignore the contents of NVRAM

D. Erase the existing starting configuration

Answer: C. The contents of NVRAM will be ignored during the boot process, but not erased.

CCNP Certification / BSCI Exam:

Short answer: Name three methods of migrating from IPv4 to IPv6.

Answer: Three such methods are 6to4 tunneling, NAT-PT, and Dual Stack.

CCNP Certification / BCMSN Exam:

A VTP switch has a revision number of 5. This switch receives a VTP advertisement with a revision number of 6. What action(s) will this switch take?

A. The advertisement is accepted.

B. The advertisement is rejected.

C. The receiving switch increments its revision number.

D. The receiving switch decrements its revision number.

E. The receiving switch does nothing to its revision number.

Answer: A, C. The VTP switch will accept the advertisement; since the revision number of the ad is higher than its own, the advertisement is more recent. The switch will then increment its revision number by one.

CCNP Certification / ISCW Exam:

Which of the following is generally considered the strongest symmetric encryption algorithm?

A. AES

B. 3DES

C. DES

D. RSA

E. Diffie-Hellman

Answer: A. Both AES and 3DES are strong symmetric encryption algorithms, but AES is considered the stronger of the two. Both RSA and Diffie-Hellman are asymmetric encryption algorithms.

CCNP Certification / ONT Exam:

Which of the following does 802.11 use for avoiding unnecessary collisions?

A. CSMA/CD

B. CSMA/CA

C. CSMA/CB

D. CSCA/CC

Answer: B. 802.11 uses Carrier Sense Multiple Access / Collision Avoidance (CSMA/CA).

Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage, home of free Cisco CCNP and CCNA Exam tutorials, The Ultimate CCNA Study Package, and Ultimate CCNP Study Packages.

You can also visit his blog, which is updated several times daily with new Cisco certification articles, free tutorials, and daily CCNA / CCNP exam questions!

Visit his blog and sign up for Certification Central, a daily newsletter packed with CCNA, Network+, A+, and CCNP certification exam practice questions. A free 7-part course, "How To Pass The CCNA", is also available.

Earn your Server 2008 and Vista certification with The Bryant Advantage!

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Information Highway And IT Certification

2008-04-10T02:30:00.001-07:00

By Emma Gill

The future of IT is bright as predicted by analysts and trend setters of information technology. Many in their forecasts over exaggerate the effects. Some do it to promote certain trends, products and services, some to prove the industry leadership.

This is not another crystal ball gaze but a simple extension of empirical observations of our own (still less connected) environment into the future, assuming that the present milieu surrounding IT continues. Good chances are that upward trend will not only continue but improve; in quality, quantity and area coverage. However, this article is not from the point of developers but views here are from the users. Perceptions are already changing noticeably.

Most of the local analysts such as, trend watchers and users whom I talked to, expressed hope for positive changes which IT is poised to bring about. Though, one would certainly like to see more, but considering the development in IT which has resulted in access of computers. Similarly, some of the software houses are doing contractual work for western developers in their individual capacity for example, online businesses, cross political and corporate boundaries in seconds, forming new alliances that were unknown to traditional structures and channels.

Akin to this, computers and the Internet are penetrating in households more and more. Rich and poor have nearly equal access to cyberspace almost anywhere and anytime. It is in this situation that those who have employed IT in corporate sector say that business practices as well as consumers' behavior have already changed optimistically. Businesses have gone increasingly international in scope. Markets have expanded and monopolies are changing into oligopolies if (yet) not in pure competition. Any one who can bring a first class product and harness technology successfully is bound to prosper in world market.

"World in which we do business today differs profoundly from that of ten years ago, and this difference is mainly because of development in IT. Why else sky suits made in Karachi and sport goods made in which are seen prominently in international championships," says an International Marketing expert of Punjab University, Professor Mike Asthmas. Sure we are not making most of existing IT infrastructure. "What I can say with certainty about the future is this: number of business concerns, large and small, are poised in making optimum use of IT and benefit. The realization is already upon us that IT (coupled with standard business practices) is the only way ahead".

Call center based resource center's consultant International Study Solutions thinks, "IT is not just a set of programs, instruments or utilities processing information. It is a mixture of all these essentials to meet and to achieve business goals and should be able to meet the needs of any business outfit. It is the output from all the applications and experience to produce something useful; a product, a process, a system, a methodology. It is a result that matter ultimately because that is what businesses want. Every futuristic concern now believes that employment of IT results in better efficiency, lower cost, more production flexibility, and product quality and consistency. IT expenditure, observed the drop off early in this decade world wide, has been on the rise in Pakistan.

Hopefully, more business adopting call centers and deploying other IT solutions in future are to develop. "The power of computers is increasing by every other day. They are getting affordable to have, simpler to learn and massively customizable for different set of wants, making them vital part of all contemporary life activities. It is now imaginable to consider an era where hotel, airline, rail and other reservations, stock exchange trade, banking, shopping, payroll accounting and many other functions, all become computerized. "It is no prophecy because these systems are already successfully working in the west. What I see is the local users developing trust in gizmo's and networks to transfer information as well as money economically and speedily," e-mailed Mike, a graduate from reputed local IT institute now studying on scholarship in America he got is MCSE Exams Training

IT is not autonomous. It is part of social and cultural phenomena. "Information found online in its various forms, "voice conversations, still images, motion pictures, multimedia presentations and online, including those not yet conceived", is bringing about social changes; some are already visible. Users are demanding quality information that they can turn into common knowledge and apply to real life problems on ground. A sociologist Dr McPherson predicts, "What we find on the internet is to become part of wisdom ultimately. Or it will be rejected right away."

Past events and the measure taken are suggesting safer surfing in future. Users have been complaining of information deficiency syndrome (and information overload), spam, security concerns, identity theft, caber crimes, copyright violations, and unsavory material that mar the internet experience. Only spasm has coasted millions to businesses besides irritating individual users by filling in their in boxes with mails sometime carrying viruses such as: Trojan horses, ads for herbal medicines or links to explicit imagery. But a lot is being done to clean the cyberspace and make it more live able. A hardcore Ezechiel Aphids Abbrev says, "In future, commute on the Information Highway will be much safer. Ethics will get better. On the downside, I see paid contents on the Internet increasing. More information will go behind subscriptions and or security firewalls." This is the future, and it is heavily IT dependent. IT plays central role in business world and in the lives of individual users, what ever they happen to be doing in life or career.

Academicians, media and IT professionals themselves are best placed than any other category, to span the gaps between real world and IT and the gap between IT and perceptions. New generation will be more digital than the present one.

And if you are planning to archiving the IT Certification http://www.testkingdom.com provide the best solution for your IT career.

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Computer Certifications - Do I Need Certifications To Work In Computers?

2008-04-10T02:29:00.001-07:00

By Fred Roe

I got started in computers back in the mid 90's when computer certifications were just gaining prominence. I can remember when the Microsoft certifications first came out. I got my first MCSE back in 1996. And back then you could write a check with a certification. Just having the certification was a ticket to going from $40,000 or so a year to $70-80,000 a year. I know when I posted my MCSE on monster.com my phone was going crazy.

Today however the certification craze has died down. While still important it isn't the guarantee of instant earnings like it was at one time. There are still a few instances when having a certification can definitely help.

If you're just getting started in the field, it can definitely help to get a certification. For instance someone who is looking to get into work as a computer technician will be well served by getting their A+ certification prior to getting a job. It's just a way of showing that you are serious about the profession, not someone just idly looking for a new job.

Secondly I believe people that are transitioning into more senior positions can be well served by certifications. A programmer with 2-4 years of experience would have a better shot at senior level positions with a programming certification like MCSD. With solid work experience and the effort to get certified it makes recruiters take note of your ability to grow into the field.

Lastly consultants can usually use their certifications to achieve a higher hourly rate. When I got my MCSD about two years ago, my hourly rate shot up $10 an hour. Having multiple certifications and a very solid work experience can add up to a very lucrative and rewarding consulting career.

So, while you don't strictly need any certifications to work in computers there are certain situations which are greatly aided by having certifications. With all of the resources available now, getting certifications is much easier than it ever has been and shouldn't be a hindrance to moving ahead in your career.

Fred is a computer repair technician with Atlanta Computer Repair company Nerds Next Door. If you have any questions, or would like information about computer repairs in Atlanta, visit our website at http://www.AtlantaComputerRepairs.net

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Cisco CCNA And CCNP Practice Questions - ARP, Proxy ARP, Admin Distance, And More

2008-04-10T02:28:00.001-07:00

By Chris Bryant

Test your knowledge of ARP, Proxy ARP, administrative distance, and other vital Cisco exam topics with these free questions!

CCNA And CCENT Certification Exam:

Host A wants to send data to Host B. Host A knows Host B's IP address, but not its MAC address. There are two switches and a hub between the two hosts. What protocol will allow Host A to transmit data successfully to Host B?

A. ARP

B. Inverse ARP

C. RARP

D. Proxy ARP

Answer: A. ARP can work successfully in this situation, since there are no routers in the path between Host A and Host B. ARP broadcasts will successfully be forwarded by the switches.

CCNP Certification / BSCI Exam:

Given the following routing table excerpt, what local interface will traffic destined for 234.4.4.4 use to exit the router?

R 234.4.4.0 /24 [120/2] via ethernet0

I 234.4.4.0 /23 [100/4253] via ethernet1

R 234.4.4.0 /24 [120/2] via serial0

O 234.4.4.0 /23 [110/20]via serial1

Answer: The load will be shared over the two RIP paths. They have the longest prefix for the route (/24), and since the metrics are equal, they will equal-cost load-share over the two paths. Hopefully you'll only see a routing table like that on an exam or here in a practice question!

CCNP Certification / BCMSN Exam:

Short answer: You want to connect a router's AUI port to a switch port. What kind of cable will you need?

Answer: You'll need a straight through cable as well as a transceiver.

CCNP Certification / ISCW Exam:

Short answer: Packet filtering can use information from what OSI model layer headers to permit or deny traffic?

Answers: Packet filtering can match against both L3 and L4 criteria.

CCNP Certification / ONT Exam:

Cisco routers support three types of digital phone ports. Name them.

Answer: Our old friend ISDN, along with Common Channel Signaling (CCS) and Channel Associated Signaling (CAS).

Look for more free Cisco certification exam practice questions on this website soon!

Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage, home of free Cisco CCNP Certification and CCNA Certification Exam tutorials, The Ultimate CCNA Study Package, and Ultimate CCNP Study Packages.

You can also visit his blog, which is updated several times daily with new Cisco certification articles, free tutorials, and daily CCNA / CCNP exam questions!

Earn your Microsoft Server 2008 certification with The Bryant Advantage!

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