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Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933 Profile and Articles
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51). Cisco CCNA / CCNP Home Lab Tutorial: The (Many) Cable Types And Their Purposes
One of the most common questions I get from CCNA and CCNP candidates who are setting up their own home labs is "What cables will I need?" The answer is "It depends." As you know from your exam studies, the physical layout of your lab is what determines the cables you'll need. Let's take a look at the most common home lab cable types and when you wi...
52). Cisco CCNA / CCNP Home Lab Tutorial: Planning Ahead For IE Study
Candidates preparing to pass the CCNP exams are putting together Cisco home labs like never before. With CCNA and CCNP home lab equipment more affordable than ever, candidates have realized the importance of working on real Cisco routers and switches on the way to earning their certifications.
One question I get often from CCNP candida...
53). Cisco CCNA / CCNP Certification Exam: Attending A Video Boot Camp
When you're studying for the CCNA and CCNP exams, you've got a lot of different choices when it comes to training. One popular choice is choosing one of the many "boot camps" and five-day in-person courses that are out there. I've taught quite a few of these, and while many of them are good, they do have drawbacks.
Of course, one is c...
54). Cisco CCNA Certification: Broadcasts, Unicasts, And Multicasts
When you begin your CCNA studies, you get hit with a lot of different networking terms right away that you might not be familiar with. What makes it a little more confusing is that a lot of these terms sound a lot alike. Here, we're going to discuss the differences between broadcasts, multicasts, and unicasts at both the Data Link (Layer 2) and Net...
55). Cisco CCNA / CCNP Exam Tutorial: Five Debugs You Must Know
To pass the BSCI exam and move one step closer to CCNP certification success, you've got to know how and when to use debug commands to troubleshoot and verify network operations. While you should never practice debug commands on a production network, it's important to get some hands-on experience with them and not rely on "router simulators" and bo...
56). Cisco / MCSE Exam Study: Creating A Road Map To Success
Planning for success on the CCNA, CCNP, and other Cisco exams is much like taking a trip in your car. You've got to plan ahead, accept the occasional detour, and just keep on going until you get there. But what do you do before you get started?
Create a road map - for success.
If you were driving from one side of the count...
57). CCNP Certification / BCMSN Exam Tutorial: QoS Service Types
To pass the CCNP exams, you’ve got to master Quality of Service, and the first step in doing so is knowing the differences between the different QoS types.
Now this being Cisco, we can't just have one kind of QoS! We've got best-effort delivery, Integrated Services, and Differentiated Services. Let's take a quick look at all three.
58). Cisco CCNA / CCNP Certification: Learning To Navigate Cisco&
When studying for your Cisco CCNA, CCNP, or CCIE exam, you’ve got a powerful online weapon at your disposal. It’s Cisco Connection Documen
59). Cisco CCNA / CCNP Certification: Introduction To BGP Attributes
BGP is one of the most complex topics you'll study when pursuing your CCNP, if not the most complex. I know from personal experience that when I was earning my CCNP, BGP is the topic that gave me the most trouble at first. One thing I keep reminding today's CCNP candidates about, though, is that no Cisco technology is impossible to understand if yo...
60). Cisco Certification: Suggested Home Lab Setups
When you make the decision to put your own home lab together for your CCNA and CCNP studies (a very wise decision, if I may say so!), the hardest part is figuring out how to spend your budget. Do you spend it all on the routers and go with a cheaper 1900 switch, knowing that the 640-801 (CCNA), 640-821 (Intro), and 640-811 (ICND) exams now place a ...
61). An Introduction To Microsoft Vista Business
As I'm sure you already know, Microsoft Vista is on the way! Microsoft projects that all five versions of Vista will be available by mid-2006, and if that holds this will be the longest time period ever between versions of Windows.
Yes, that's right - I said "all five versions". Microsoft says that past versions of their OS, such as Wi...
62). Cisco CCNA Certification Exam Tutorial: The OSI Model’s Physical Layer
To pass your CCNA exam and earn this coveted certification, you've got to master the seven layers of the OSI model and what each layer does. For those of you taking the two-exam path, you can expect quite a few OSI model questions on the Intro exam. In this seven-part series, we'll spend some time taking a look at each of the OSI model layers, star...
63). Cisco CCNA Certification Tutorial: Segmenting Your Network
When you're getting started on your CCNA studies on your way to earning this certification, you're swamped with network device types that you're familiar with, but not quite sure how to use. Let's look at these networking devices and their main purposes.
Hubs and repeaters operate at Layer One of the OSI model, and they have one main p...
64). The Hidden Benefit Of Computer Certifications
The web is covered with stories regarding the benefits of professional computer certification, and most of them are backed up with salary surveys and the like. While there’s certainly nothing wrong with making more money and having better job prospects, there’s one benefit of certification that many candidates forget about.
Confidence....
65). Cisco CCNA Certification Exam Tutorial: Prefix Notation
When you're preparing to pass the CCNA exam and earn this coveted Cisco certification, you've got to be totally prepared for the many kinds of binary and subnetting questions Cisco may throw at you. You also have to be familiar with the different manners in which a subnet mask can be expressed, as in the following:
255.255.255.0 ...
66). Cisco CCNA Certification Exam Tutorial: OSPF Hub-And-Spoke
CCNA certification demands that you master the basics of OSPF, and for many studying for the CCNA exam, their first exposure to OSPF is a hub-and-spoke configuration. That's a tough way to get started, because a hub-and-spoke configuration built over an NBMA technology such as Frame Relay requires quite a bit of attention to detail. Let's take a qu...
67). Cisco CCNA Certification: Cisco Switching Modes Tutorial
To pass the CCNA exam and earn that coveted certification, you've got to know Cisco switches inside and out. Among the many important details you've got to know are the three methods that Cisco switches use to forward frames, and the differences between the three.
The first switching method is Store-and-Forward. The name is the recipe,...
68). Cisco CCNA Certification: The Joy Of Hex
Cisco certification candidates, particularly CCNA candidates, must master binary math. This includes basic conversions, such as binary-to-
69). Cisco CCNA / CCNP Home Lab Tutorial: Cabling Your Access Server
A Cisco home lab is an invaluable study tool when you're preparing for CCNA and CCNP exam success. Once you've gotten a couple of routers and switches, you'll quickly get tired of moving that blue console cable every time you want to configure a different device. The solution to this problem is purchasing and configuring an access server (AS).
70). Cisco Certification: CCNA Certifcation FAQ
When you start your CCNA studies, a lot of questions come to mind! Here are the five most common questions CCNA candidates have, answered by Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933.
Q. What exams do I have to take to get my CCNA?
A. The CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate) certification offers two paths. You can take the one-exam pa...
71). Cisco CCNA Exam Tutorial: Loopback Interfaces
As a CCNA candidate, you most likely have some background in PC hardware and workstation support. If so, you're already familiar with loopback interfaces, particularly 127.0.0.1, the loopback address assigned to a PC.
When you're learning all about the different physical interfaces for your CCNA exam - serial, ethernet, and BRI, among ...
72). Cisco CCNA / CCNP Home Lab Tutorial: The 2501 Router
To be truly prepared for your CCNA and CCNP exams, you need real hands-on experience with real Cisco routers and switches. However, a production network is a really bad place to practice your configurations, but an excellent way to get fired and/or sued. The key to becoming a true CCNA and CCNP is assembling your own Cisco home lab.
Yo...
73). Cisco Certification: Surviving The Cisco Cable Jungle
One of the most confusing parts of beginning your Cisco studies is keeping all the cable types separate in your mind, and then remembering what th
74). Cisco Certification: How To Build Your Own Home Lab
CCNA and CCNP candidates hear it all the time: “Get some hands-on experience”. From my personal experience climbing the Cisco certification ladder
75). Cisco CCNP / BSCI Certification: BGP Route Reflector Tutorial
When you're studying for your BSCI exam and CCNP certification, you quickly realize that BGP is a whole new world from anything you've previously studies. One topic that sometimes confuses CCNP candidates is when a BGP route reflector needs to be configured.
In the following example, the routers R1, R2, and R3 are all in BGP AS 100. Th...
76). Cisco CCNA Certification: Introduction to ISDN, Part I
From the CCNA to the CCIE, ISDN is one of the most important technolgies you'll work with. It's also very common in the field; ISDN is fre
77). Cisco Home Lab Tutorial: Buying And Building A Frame Relay Switch
One of the major topics on your CCNA and CCNP exams is Frame Relay. Additionally, Frame Relay is one of the most popular WAN technolgies in today's networks. Getting hands-on experience with Frame Relay in Cisco networks isn't just a good idea, it's a necessity. Let's face it, your employer is going to get a little touchy if you start experimenting...
78). Cisco CCNA Certification: Don't Overreact To Exam Version Ch
CCNA Certification: Don't Overreact To Exam Version Changes
Whenever a Cisco exam version changes, there's always a lot of chatter about it on
79). Cisco CCNP Certification: The BGP Weight Attribute
When you're studying for the CCNP certification, especially the BSCI exam, you must gain a solid understanding of BGP. BGP isn't just one of the biggest topics on the BSCI exam, it's one of the largest. BGP has a great many details that must be mastered for BSCI success, and those of you with one eye on the CCIE must learn the fundamentals of BGP n...
80). Cisco CCNP / BCMSN Exam Tutorial: Multicasting And Reserved Addresses
Ever since you picked up your first CCNA book, you've heard about multicasting, gotten a fair idea of what it is, and you've memorized a couple of reserved multicasting addresses. Now as you prepare to pass the BCMSN exam and become a CCNP, you've got to take that knowledge to the next level and gain a true understanding of multicasting. Those of y...
81). Cisco CCNP / BSCI Exam Tutorial: A Guide To Ipv6 Addressing
Learning IPv6 is paramount in your efforts to pass the BSCI exam and go on to earn your CCNP, and it's going to help in your real-world networking career as well. IPv6 can be confusing at first, but it's like anything else in Cisco or networking as a whole - learn one part at a time, master the fundamentals, and you're on your way to success. In to...
82). Cisco CCNA Exam Tutorial: Configuring Standard Access Lists
Access Control Lists (ACLs) allow a router to permit or deny packets based on a variety of criteria. The ACL is configured in global mode, but is applied at the interface level. An ACL does not take effect until it is expressly applied to an interface with the ip access-group command. Packets can be filtered as they enter or exit an interface.
83). Cisco CCNA Certification: The Value Of The CCNA And CCNP
One question I see often on the 'Net is "Is it worth my time to earn a CCNA / CCNP / CCIE certification?" My personal answer to that is a resounding yes. The power of Cisco certifications has allowed me to create a tremendous career, and they can do the same for you.
There has never been a better time to accelerate your IT career, and ...
84). Cisco CCNA Exam Tutorial: Password Recovery Procedures
It might happen on your CCNA exam, it might happen on your production network - but sooner or later, you're going to have to perform password recovery on a Cisco router or switch. This involves manipulating the router's configuration register, and that is enough to make some CCNA candidates and network administrators really nervous!
It...
85). Cisco CCNA Exam Tutorial: A Guide To RAM, ROM, NVRAM, and Flash
CCNA exam success depends on knowing the details, and nowhere is this more true than knowing the various components of a Cisco router. This is also where you can quickly start drowning in acronyms! The terms "RAM" and "ROM" probably aren't new to you, but keeping up with "what goes where" with RAM, ROM, NVRAM, and Flash Memory can be quite a challe...
86). Cisco CCNA Certification: Why You MUST Gain Hands-On Router
CCNA and CCNP candidates hear it all the time: "you have to get some hands-on experience to pass the exams".Candidates tend to think that
87). Cisco CCNA Certification: Defining Broadcast Domains
When you're studying to pass the CCNA exam and earn your certification, you're introduced to a great many terms that are either totally new to you or seem familiar, but you're not quite sure what they are. The term "broadcast domain" falls into the latter category for many CCNA candidates.
A broadcast domain is simply the group of end ...
88). Cisco CCNA Certification: Should You Take The One-Exam or T
One question I’m often asked by CCNA candidates is whether to take the “one big exam”, or take the two separate exams required by Cisco to
89). Cisco Certification: In What Order Should You Take Your CCNP Exams ?
When you choose to pursue your Cisco Certified Network Professional certification, you've got some decisions to make right at the beginning. Cisco offers a three-exam path and a four-exam path, and you select the order in which you'll take and pass the exams.
While every CCNP candidate has to make their own decision, I'd like to share ...
90). Cisco CCNP / BSCI Exam Tutorial: RIP Update Packet Authentication
When you earned your CCNA, you thought you learned everything there is to know about RIP. Close, but not quite! There are some additional details you need to know to pass the BSCI exam and get one step closer to the CCNP exam, and one of those involves RIP update packet authentication.
You're familiar with some advantages of using RIPv...
91). Cisco CCNP / BSCI Certification: The BGP Attribute “MED”
When you're preparing to pass the BSCI exam and earn your CCNP certification, one of the biggest challenges is learning BGP. BGP is totally different from any protocol you learned to earn your CCNA certification, and one of the differences is that BGP uses path attributes to favor one path over another when multiple paths to or from a destination e...
92). Cisco CCNP / BCMSN Exam Tutorial: Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) Timers
In your BCMSN / CCNP exam study, it's easy to overlook some of the details of Spanning Tree Protocol (STP). After all, you learned all of that in your CCNA studies, right? Not necessarily! While some of the BCMSN material will be a review for you, there are some details regarding familiar topics that you need to learn. That includes the timers for ...
93). How To Excel In A Technical Job Interview
Ah, the technical interview. Nothing like it. Not only does it cause anxiety, but it causes anxiety for several different reasons.
How many people will be asking questions? From experience I can tell you there’s nothing like walking into a room and seeing nine people on the other side of the table.
Second, what will you b...
94). Cisco CCNA / CCNP Home Labs: Developing Troubleshooting Skills
CCNA / CCNP candidates are going to be drilled by Cisco when it comes to troubleshooting questions. You're going to have to be able to analyze configurations to see what the problem is (and if there is a problem in the first place), determine the meaning of different debug outputs, and show the ability not just to configure a router or switch, but ...
95). Cisco CCNP Certification FAQ
To earn your CCNP, you've got to pass some very rigorous Cisco exams, and you also need to know the rules regarding this important certification. In this article, I'll answer some of the most commonly asked questions regarding the CCNP.
Q: What exams do I need to pass to get my CCNP?
A: You have two options, a three-exam p...
96). Cisco CCNA Certification: Five Things To Do DURING The Exam
There are plenty of articles out there about how to prepare for the CCNA exam. However, there are also things you can do to increase your
97). Cisco CCNA Exam Tutorial: Cisco Discovery Protocol (CDP)
The Cisco Discovery Protocol (CDP) sure looks simple enough, but there are quite a few details to know for success on the CCNA exam. In your CCNP studies, you'll be introduced to additional uses for CDP, but for now it's enough to know that CDP is designed to give you information regarding directly connected Cisco routers and switches.
...
98). Cisco CCNP / BCMSN Exam Tutorial: Configuring PortFast And BPDU Guard
In your CCNA studies, you learned about PortFast and the trouble it can cause if configured on the wrong port! Suitable only for switch ports connected directly to a single host, PortFast allows a port running STP to go directly from blocking to forwarding mode.
A Cisco router will give you a warning when you configure PortFast:...
99). Cisco CCNA Certification: Why You MUST Have Hands-On Experie
CCNA and CCNP candidates hear it all the time: “you have to get some hands-on experience to pass the exams”.
Candidates tend to think that’s j
100). Cisco Certification: The Most Important Study You'll Ever Do Is....
All of us are familiar with the pyramids of Egypt. These magnificent structures have stood for thousands of years, withstanding extreme heat and other factors that would bring down an ordinary structure.
When we look at these pyramids, we instinctively look toward the peak. We tend to do the same with the Cisco Learning Pyramid. If yo...
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