Cisco Certification: Taking Your First Certification Exam by Chris Bryant
You've studied hard; you've practiced your configurations; you've used your flash cards over and over again; and finally, the big day is here. Your first certification exam! For many Cisco certification candidates, their first exam is the CCNA Composite exam or one of the two exams that make up... Pay Attention To The Exam Tutorials You'll then be presented with an exam tutorial, showing you how to answer the different types of questions Cisco may ask. ... I strongly advise that if you're taking your exam at a technical school, ask to see the testing room BEFORE you sign up for the exam.

CCNA Certificates by Marcus Peterson
CCNA stands for Cisco Certified Network Associate. CCNA professionals can install, configure and operate Local Area Networks or LAN, Wide Area Networks or WAN and dial access services for small networks. CCNA certification is the foundation and the novice level in networking. ... A CCNA professional is eligible to work anywhere in the world. ... This makes the exam more practical in nature, covering all hands-on tasks. ... CCNA is an internationally recognized certification. ... Free resources for CCNA preparation are available on the Internet.

Cisco CCNA Certification Exam Tutorial: OSPF Hub-And-Spoke by Chris Bryant
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... By paying special attention to these details, you're that much close to CCNA exam day success and earning your certification. ... Let's take a quick look at several common OSPF configuration errors and how to avoid them on your CCNA test.

CCNA Certification Exam Training: Circuit Switching vs. Packet Switching by Chris Bryant
CCNA certification exam training is all about learning the details, and an important part of your CCNA test prep is knowing the differences between Cisco router and switch technologies that are somewhat similar. Packet switching and circuit switching are both methods of getting packets from... Not only is Frame Relay a big topic for your CCNA exam, it's also an excellent example of a packet-switching technology. ... In my last CCNA training tutorial, I discussed packet switching. ... The deciding factor between circuit switching and packet switching comes down to the tolerance for delay.

Cisco CCNA Certification Exam: Five Frame Relay Details You Must Know by Chris Bryant
When you're studying for your CCNA exam on the way to earning this coveted Cisco certification, the details can seem overwhelming! In this article, I'll point out five Frame Relay details that you must keep in mind when you're on your way to the CCNA exam! ... This last one is for the many of you building CCNA home labs. ... A large number of Status Timeouts indicates that there may be an LMI problem between your router and the frame relay switch. ... A frame relay switch is a great addition to your lab!

Cisco / MCSE Exam Study: Creating A Road Map To Success by Chris Bryant
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. ... Study until you get to the point that on exam day, you know that you are already a CCNA or CCNP and you’re just there at the testing center to make it official. ... If you hit a bump in the road and don't get your certification the first time you take the exam, regroup and create another plan.

How To Earn Cisco's Firewall Specialist Certification by Chris Bryant
Security is a hot topic in today's networks, and will continue to be for a long time to come. With that in mind, you must consider adding a Cisco security certification to your resume and firewall skills to your skill set. It's quite a jump from the CCNA to the CCSP (Cisco Certified Security... The final day to register for the SECUR exam is December 19, 2005. ... (As always, you should check for the latest exam blueprints at Cisco's website. ... The only prerequisite for this certification is that you must hold a valid CCNA certification.

Cisco CCNA Certification Exam Tutorial: Prefix Notation by Chris Bryant
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,... Not only will you see prefix notation in Cisco documentation, but you’ll probably see it on your CCNA exam. ... ("I thought about using a two-fifty-five two-fifty-five two-fifty-five zero mask ,but then decided to use a two-fifty-five two-fifty-five two-fifty-five one-twenty-eight mask...") Be...

Tips On Buying A Cisco CCNA / CCNP Home Lab Kit by Chris Bryant
Buying a CCNA / CCNP home lab is the best way to be totally prepared for your Cisco exams. Most home labs are put together one router or switch at a time, but many CCNA / CCNP candidates prefer to buy kits where you get multiple routers and switches, along with all the cables and other... You don't necessarily need the latest and greatest IOS version for CCNA study, but don't buy routers with IOS versions beginning with "10" unless you have an IOS to upgrade them with. ... (And make sure the routers have enough memory to handle the IOS you plan on putting on them.) Purchasing a Cisco CCNA...

Cisco CCNA Certification Exam Tutorial: The OSI Model's Physical Layer by Chris Bryant
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... Learning the OSI model's Physical layer isn't just important in your CCNA exam studies, it's the first step in any network troubleshooting. ... Often, CCNA candidates ask if the OSI model has any practical uses for network administrators.