Unitek Cisco Training Blog

So I’ve been dabbling with the CCSP Certifications and I must admit they are one heck of a lot easier than the CCNP track!  The books are straightforward, the labs are simple enough and the exams are laughable.  Wow, is CCNP a brute in comparison!   2 exams to go and I’m done with my CCSP, a whopping 2 months of study!

…Looking back at it I think the CCNP has lent quite a bit of logic to understanding the security devices.  CCSP becomes really quite self explanatory after understanding advanced OSPF and BGP config… Coupled with the fact the CCNP now covers Firewall IOS & IPS in ISCW, QOS for policing in ONT courses.

Alright, chugging back along with our look at Cisco Certifications, we look at the CCNA Wireless Certification.

CCNA Wireless recognizes the critical importance of professionals supporting wireless LANS including Networking Associates/Administrators, Wireless Support Specialists and WLAN project managers.

The CCNA Wireless Certification validates candidate’s skills in the configuration, implementation and support of wireless LANs, specifically those networks using Cisco equipment. Students completing the recommended Cisco training are provided with information and practice activities to prepare them for, configuring, monitoring and troubleshooting basic tasks of a Cisco WLAN in SMB and Enterprise networks. Employers will be able to validate their staff have the skills needed for basic wireless networking on a Cisco WLAN in SMB and enterprise networks after completing certification.

Cisco has just launched an exiting new series of certifications as I am sure you are aware of at this point with our Cisco Certification Spotlights.  The new entry level certifications are aimed at baseline administrator level staff.

One that is of particular interest to the aspiring Voice engineer is the Cisco CCNA Voice certification.  I wanted to take a closer look at this particular one.

The Cisco CCNA Voice Certification aims to give you the required skill set for specialized job roles in voice technologies such as voice technologies administrator, voice engineer, and voice manager.

It validates skills in VoIP technologies such as IP PBX, IP telephony, handset, call control, and voicemail solutions.

Students also get familiarity with Cisco’s Unified Communications architecture and design covering mobility, presence, and TelePresence applications.

The CCNA Voice Certification helps employers to ensure that staff possess a strong foundation in voice applications and infrastructure concepts; and are capable of performing baseline installation, operating, and maintenance tasks on Cisco VoIP solutions, particularly the Smart Business Communications System from 8-250 lines.

The prerequisite of the CCNA Voice Certification is that you have to be a valid Cisco CCNA.

Exam number:
640-460 IIUC Implementing Cisco IOS Unified Communications (IIUC)

Recommended Training
IIUC class (Implementing Cisco IOS Unified Communications)

One point of note to Cisco Partner employees, and those interested in this career path, is the current requirements of the Cisco IP Communications Express Specialist is to pass the 642-144 IPTX IP Telephony Express (IPTX) exam. This class is retiring iminently, and this exam is expected to retire shortly and be replaced with the IIUC and/or IIUC2 exam.

642-145 IIUC2 Implementing Cisco IOS Unified Communications Part 2 (IIUC2) is a new course being launched by Cisco shortly, that is a more advanced course, covering more details and advanced concepts.

Watch this space for details.

We are launching a IIUC/IIUC2 bootcamp this fall to cover both these classes.

This new bootcamp will cover both classes and the majority of the information on the old 642-144 IPTX IP Telephony Express class. So will be ideal for students wanting the new material, or needing to pass the Cisco IP Communications Express Specialist certification before the new one is finalized.

Chugging along with our Cisco Certifications, we now move on to the Cisco CCNA Voice certification.

The Cisco® CCNA Voice certification confirms that you have the required skill set for specialized job roles in voice technologies such as voice technologies administrator, voice engineer, and voice manager. It validates skills in VoIP technologies such as IP PBX, IP telephony, handset, call control, and voicemail solutions. Candidates also get exposure to the Cisco Unified Communications architecture and design covering mobility, presence, and TelePresence applications.

The CCNA Voice Certification enables employers to validate that their staff possess a strong foundation in voice applications and infrastructure concepts; and are capable of performing baseline installation, operating, and maintenance tasks on Cisco VoIP solutions, particularly the Smart Business Communications System from 8-250 lines.

We continue our Cisco Certification Spotlight by looking at the Cisco CCNA Security Certification.

The Cisco CCNA Security Certification meets the needs of IT professionals who are responsible for network security. It confirms an individual’s skills for job roles such as Network Security Specialists, Security Administrators, and Network Security Support Engineers. This certification validates skills including installation, troubleshooting and monitoring of network devices to maintain integrity, confidentiality and availability of data and devices and develops competency in the technologies that Cisco uses in its security structure.

Students completing the recommended Cisco training will gain an introduction to core security technologies as well as how to develop security policies and mitigate risks. IT organizations that employ CCNA Security-holders will have IT staff that can develop a security infrastructure, recognize threats and vulnerabilities to networks, and mitigate security threats.

Hi all,

Thought it’d be a good idea to give a quick breakdown of the different Cisco certifications over the next few weeks to cover what they entail. Let me know if there are any questions regarding these posts. I’m all ears!

The Cisco CCNA (Network Associate) certification validates the ability to install, configure, operate, and troubleshoot medium-size routed and switched networks, including implementation and verification of connections to remote sites in a WAN. This new curriculum includes basic mitigation of security threats, introduction to wireless networking concepts and terminology, and performance-based skills. This new curriculum also includes (but is not limited to) the use of these protocols: IP, Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (EIGRP), Serial Line Interface Protocol Frame Relay, Routing Information Protocol Version 2 (RIPv2),VLANs, Ethernet, access control lists (ACLs)

Hey Im an UNCLE!  Nothing to do with Cisco nor any sort of certification but I have a blog and I get to say what gets posted.  Call me Uncle Cisco!

Cisco offers two routes to earn your CCNP. You can take composite exam which covers routing and switching or take the standalone BSCI & BCMSN exams.  Which one is easier to take?  Well its simple, the composite exam gives you 2 hours to complete 60 questions vs. the standalone exams are 90 minutes and 60 questions each…  The composite is about an even split 30 routing & 30 switching questions which once you pass you are 50% the way for your CCNP certification!  The single exam approach has about the same passing score necessary as the multiple exam approach.  The downside is the amount of information you are responsible to recall for the composite exam.  The plus side is the watering down of the BSCI material since they must ask a certain amount of switching questions.

In my experience the BSCI is an unruly exam because of the depth and breadth of the material.  While the BCMSN exam is rather easy due to the lack of complexity of layer 2 switching.  By combining the two in one sitting you raise your chances of success quite a bit by watering down the difficulty of the exam by sprinkling in switching questions.  My vote is the composite!

Of course you still need to pass ONT and ISCW for your CCNP certification.

So I have been tooling around with a piece of software called dynamips/dynagen for a couple of years now. It is a two piece open source software package that emulates a Cisco routers motherboard. You can fire up a Cisco routers IOS and have full use of all the services and commands. I see the future of Cisco training going down this virtualization path. You can setup multiple routers with serial and Ethernet connections in between. Basically a full stack of equipment, I am currently using it to study up for my Cisco CCIE R&S lab. Yes it is that functional! For Cisco CCNA training it will be tremendously useful, for the Cisco CCENT perhaps not so much because Cisco CCENT certification is more along the lines of theory where as CCNA and the CCNP are more practical/hands on in nature.

We just started teaching the new Cisco CallManager CCVP Training classes back in April, and I must say: they are quite awesome. I think they do a pretty fantastic job in preparing you for Cisco CCVP or CCIE Training classes (even though Cisco CCIE uses CallManager4, the concepts taught in the classes are great prep for the CCIE track).

Expect to come to the Cisco CIPT 1 v6 class and have a nice introduction to the CallManager world.

Then sit through the Cisco CIPT2 v6 class, and hit the road running. You get to do a monster lab on the first day.  Basically, you configure up a complete dial plan with Search Spaces and Partitions and Gateways at different sites. It really ties together the concepts taught in the CIPT1 v6 class, and then builds on them from there. Good job Cisco!!!