Archive for the ‘Certification’ Category
Passed QoS and got my CCIP!
Well after 7 months of studying and 2 exams later I’ve finally obtained my CCIP! When I initially thought about going after my CCIP I said this shouldn’t be too bad after going through Routing TCP/IP Volume II, BGP Design & implementation, and half way through MPLS fundamentals (See my Library page on the left for links) I was really starting to feel it. I kept moving along and passed the 642-691 I got a little bit of hope and jumped right into QoS. The funny thing about QoS was I didn’t realize how much I really new about it, nor did realize how much more I could do with it. QoS certainly was an interesting topic to learn, and I am sure I’ll be learning even more about it as time goes on.
Now that I’m done with my CCIP, I think I am going to take a small break from studying. I am going to focus back on my blog (So hopefully I will get some more updates out) and I am going to start building my own home lab for whenever I decide to start studying for my CCIE (not sure when but I will pursue that eventually). Not a bad way to start the new year right?
Expanding skill set to SonicWall.
Well, I was taking a SonicWall class last week, and finally got around to taking the certification test earlier this evening. It was a 60 question exam, and I passed the exam with an 88%, not perfect but the passing score was an 80% plus I didn’t want to go back and double check all the questions I marked. Since the voucher code I was given provided me with 3 attempts I was not feeling the pressure. It wasn’t a very complex exam it had a mixture of basic IPSec, NAT, VPN functionality, but still not as in depth as what is covered in the CCNA/CCNA: Security exam if you’ve debugged a few IPSec VPN’s on a Cisco device you can definitely read the logs on a SonicWall device. The other half of the test was all related to SonicWall functionality its routing, security, & wireless features. If you’ve got some good security experience and can navigate your way through a SonicWall like the back of the your hand then I’d say go for it. Of course considering my existing number of certifications I have yet to find out if adding SonicWall to my credentials will pay off, only time will tell.
Now back to the 642-642 QoS Exam (Which I was studying for in the middle of the SonicWall class), let’s see if I can take & pass this exam by the end of the year!
BGP+MPLS passed onto QoS!
Well I was finally able to sneak out of the office to go take the BGP+MPLS 642-691 exam earlier this week, something I have been trying to do for almost 2 weeks now. I really didn’t think finding the time to schedule the test was going to be the toughest part. The test took me an hour, and I passed so all my studying and work has paid off.
I was honestly a bit disappointed with the test, it seemed a bit more one-sided to me and the simulations were less than challenging in my opinion. I’ve done much more complicated labs in GNS3 and at work that matter. So as I was going the exam I felt more and more confident and really over-prepared. I do suppose it’s better than the alternative and failing the exam so I won’t dwell on this any further I passed and I am one step closer (well two technically) to getting my CCIP certification.
I’ll be jumping into QoS in hopes of taking this test by end of the year, and starting 2012 with my CCIP Certification!
BGP study notes posted.
I’ve updated my Study Notes page to include my BGP notes. Due to my recent job change I’ve found myself working much more closely with WAN Technologies QoS, BGP, IPSec, MPLS, EIGRP, OSPF Networks. So I figured CCIP level knowledge would very beneficial. My goal to take the BGP+MPLS 642-691 exam within the next month. Then hopefully pass the QoS 642-642 Exam before the end of year. I’m hoping to ring in the new year with a CCIP certification.
I’m using the following resources to study for the BGP+MPLS 642-691 Exam:
- Routing TCP/IP Volume II
- Internet Routing Archtitectures 2nd Edition
- BGP Design and Implementation
- MPLS Fundamentals
Study Notes page is up!
I’ve added a new page to the blog, Study Notes. In this section I will be posting the notes I take while studying for different topics. Now my notes are usually pretty rough and right to the point I take the notes in evernote so I can read them anywhere. Currently I have my CWNA Security Objective notes there, next up will by notes for the Site Surveying Objective. I’m hoping to tackle one CWNA objective a week.
CWNP Question of the Day
Well, it appears after a few months of visiting CWNP’s website (Yes, even on the weekends) their daily questions have finally started to repeat themselves. I knew it would end eventually and considering the price (free) 3 months of questions is a pretty good deal.
I really recommend anyone who is studying for a CWNP exam (or anything wireless related) to head over to this page and take a shot at the daily question. Don’t let the fact that they are free put you off they are good quality questions, and every question has a detailed explanation so if you get the question wrong or don’t understand it at first the explanation will lead you in the right direction. These questions will also touch on many different topics within the world of wireless, I’ve seen stuff ranging from non-technical security questions to questions concerning the 802.11 frame so this is a quick and dirty way to see inside the CWNP Professional level tracks (CWSP, CWAP, CWDP) just no where near as in-depth.
You can find a link to the CWNP Question of the day right here, their is also a link my Blog Roll. I am going to leave the link in my Blog Roll for any new visitors to find, so it won’t be going anywhere anytime soon. Hopefully CWNP will update the question as time goes on so we will see.
CCIE or Null! 