In the world of IT, competition has become fierce and keeping your edge may require
certification. Discover the secrets behind being successful on your Cisco Certified
Network Associate certification exam.
Staying competitive in the ever-changing information technology market is a challenge.
With employers trying to get more skills for their hiring dollar, competition in the market
has become fierce. Today many employers are looking for IT professionals who are well
versed in the many nuances of the field with desktop, server, and networking skills to
provide comprehensive support skills. A major factor for remaining competitive in the IT
field is the completion of industry certifications. Many certifications are available;
however, one vendor is viewed by many as the leader in the certification market. That
vendor is Cisco Systems.
There have been many debates in the IT market concerning the validity and the
worthiness of industry certifications—the bottom line is that employers still value a
certification from a reputable organization as a benchmark for both the interview process
and for advancement into higher level positions. Of course the importance of the
certification is not the piece of paper, the number, or even the title; the value is in the
knowledge that one gains by preparing for and acquiring the certification. Much of what
one learns in pursuing a Cisco certification is fundamental networking knowledge that
can be applied to any networking environment, regardless of the vendor.
In pursuing a Cisco certification, the first mile marker one will encounter along the path
is the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) certification. This certification is
designed to validate a solid foundation of networking skills, including a basic knowledge
of the OSI reference model, networking protocols, Layer 2 switching concepts and
protocols, routing concepts and protocols, and wide-area networking (WAN)
connectivity. A person who achieves CCNA certification should have the skills necessary
to provide basic network installations and level 1 troubleshooting skills.
The knowledge required to pass the CCNA certification exam is among the most valuable
skills required in the networking field. The topics covered by the CCNA certification
exam are the building blocks of all networking topologies and protocols. Without the
proper grounding in these skills, a networking professional will find it difficult to
understand many of the more complex technologies in the networking field. The most
important aspects of the certification are the ways that devices communicate between
each other in a networking environment using the different devices, such as Layer 2
switches and routers, to provide interconnectivity.
The key in preparing for the CCNA certification exam is not memorization of terms, but
rather, learning the processes involved in passing traffic through Layer 2 switches and
routers and the services provided by these devices. Most of the CCNA certification
revolves around the fundamentals of switching and routing. Key to this understanding is
the ability to "see" networking from the perspective of each device, to be able to identify
an Ethernet Frame or IP packet, and to understand what each device must do to move the
packet to the next device or "hop" in the network path.
Describing the protocols and encapsulation methodology used to communicate between
different types of media and the addressing schemes used by different protocols are also
keys to understanding this transportation process. Once an individual begins to
understand how these processes are being accomplished, patterns begin to emerge. For
example, a device that uses protocol addresses to identify networks will all have some
scheme for identifying a network and a host on that network. Also, any devices that
communicate directly on a media will have some addressing or mapping mechanism to
identify other devices on the segment. These patterns go beyond the concepts of the
foundations learned when starting out in networking and continue into some of the more
advanced networking topics like Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) or Packet–over–
SONNET (POS).
An understanding of the principles of networking also aids in day-to-day troubleshooting
of network problems. The ability to identify and correct a problem lies in the
understanding of how the network functions. Having a network technician who doesn't
understand the basics of a network would be like having a doctor who didn't pass
Anatomy 101. Sure the person may still be a doctor, but I wouldn't want him or her
performing surgery on anyone I care about.
There is, however, one more piece to the puzzle, and that is the ability to demonstrate
one's skills and expertise. What many industry certifications lack in testing is the
capability to have candidates demonstrate their knowledge. Cisco has implemented
changes in their most recent certification exams that require candidates to demonstrate
their knowledge by using a simulator to configure and validate the operation of many
fundamental networking functions. This is where the operating system portion of learning
becomes a factor. Understanding fundamentals means a person knows exactly what must
be done to make networks communicate, but performing those functions requires a
knowledge of the devices and operating systems involved.
Two things are required for a person to pass the CCNA certification exam: a full
understanding of networking fundamentals and the ability to configure and troubleshoot
Cisco networking devices to operate in a network. These factors are the main reasons the
CCNA certification is so popular among employers today. Cisco Systems has the largest
install base of any networking vendor in the world and for an IT professional to show
fluency with Cisco devices is a bonus, as many networks use Cisco products. There is
also a common view that if someone understands networking enough to pass a Cisco
certification exam, the person then only needs to learn a different vendor's operating
system and products to perform the same tasks. These factors make the CCNA
certification valuable and credible to many employers in determining which candidates
are considered for hiring or promotion.
