CCNA

Welcome to the exciting world of THE NET! The understanding of the network can help you get your first networking job, or more money and a promotion if you are already in the field! Cisco certification can improve your understanding of the internetworking of more than just Cisco products: You will develop a complete understanding of networking and how different network topologies work together to form a network. This is beneficial to every networking job and is the reason Cisco certification is in such high demand, even at companies with few Cisco devices.

The CCNA certification was the first in the new line of Cisco certifications, and was the precursor to all current Cisco certifications. Now, you can become a Cisco Certified Network Associate for about $150 for the test. But you don’t have to stop there - you must choose to continue with your studies and achieve a higher certification, called the Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP). Someone with a CCNP has all the skills and knowledge he or she needs to attempt the CCIE lab. However, because no textbook can take the place of practical experience, we’ll discuss what else you need to be ready for the CCIE lab shortly.

To meet the CCNA certification skill level, you must be able to understand or do the following:

  • Install, configure, and operate simple-routed LAN, routed WAN, and switched Virtual LAN (VLAN) networks.
  • Understand and be able to configure IP, IGRP, EIGRP, OSPF, serial interfaces, Frame Relay, IP RIP, VLANs, Ethernet, and access lists.
  • Install and/or configure a network.
  • Optimize WAN through Internet-access solutions that reduce bandwidth and WAN costs, using features such as filtering with access lists, bandwidth on demand (BOD), and dial-on-demand routing (DDR).

Cisco has announced a two-step process that you can take in order to become a CCNA that may be easier then taking one longer exam. You spend more money if you take these two exams instead of the 640-802 exam, but it may be easier to break up the exam into two smaller exams. These tests are:

  • Exam 640-822: Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices 1 (ICND1)
  • Exam 640-816: Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices 2 (ICND2)