Cisco is one of the biggest technology companies on this planet, & just like MS, it's a market-leader. From its humble inception some 26 years ago, Cisco now invests in the region of five Billion US Dollars on research and development, and heads the entire world in networking hardware. The web, its said, operates 'because' of 'Cisco' engineering. The Cisco brand is deemed to be responsible for over 70 per cent of all networking hardware. Not surprisingly then, anybody hoping to develop a career to do with networking-hardware should refer to 'Cisco'. Cisco also has a number of trading arms which automatically permeate the Security, VOIP (Voice Over IP) Communications & Wireless-Data (Wi-Fi) sectors - as they start to gain more business relevance.

Many individuals elect to blend the 'A+', Network+ and 'CCNA' path with the MS 'MCSA' or 'MCSE', to get a more rounded network education. You should always go over your career choices with an IT-training expert prior to deciding on your options - it will not only help you save time and expense, but it will make sure that you are on the ideal track from the beginning.

The 2 exams are 640/802, and they are broken down like this - The CCENT ('Cisco Certified Entry Networking Technician') examination - also referred to as the 'ICND1' (Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices Part 1 - 640/822) exam, and the 'ICND2' (640-816) examination. This can seem highly confusing, yet in essence the certification is best tackled as a blended examination - the 'CCNA' 640/802. Cisco students will find it very useful to start their training course with the 'CompTIA' qualifications A+ and 'Network+' . That will provide them with extremely good vendor neutral preparation before entering into the Cisco field itself. A bundled training-package like this should take around a year to do if training part time. As with just about all specialist training programs, 24/7 direct access student support needs to be accessible to help you to study & ask about any queries anytime the need occurs. The appropriate studying materials are vital - look for inter-active multi-media disc-based programs, and an approved & highly effective exam practice system.

The question of exactly how to reproduce a 'Cisco' 'environment' to practise for exams is frequently overlooked. Microsoft trainees who are preparing to take their MSCE for instance can 'network' a handful of old PC's at home to practice on. Not so with 'Cisco' - to formulate any kind of useful environment you'd have to have complex routers & data switches, as well as many computers & other really high priced technology. Cisco-authorised 'visualisers' & network simulation programs are really the one and only acceptable way to do it. Enabling you to practice on-screen, these types of software systems give you the facility to construct & test virtual networks. You practice with specific routers and data-switches, and may even 'interrogate' information as it travels through the network. Any self-paced home-based Cisco training program needs to incorporate one of these incredible items of software. We've incorporated 'RouterSim's' CCNA Network Visualiser in our CCNA career tracks - it's a very highly respected simulator and unquestionably among the highest quality products we tested.

Following your 'CCNA', qualification paths are diverse and could very well incorporate a specialisation in Security or Wireless fields, alternatively you could take a look at moving to the 'CCNP' ('Cisco Certified Networking Professional'.) The step from CCNA to CCNP is fairly significant, so it's recommended to concentrate on finishing your 'CCNA' first. Gain your CCNA and work with Cisco networks for a year or two prior to progressing onto a 'CCNP' training program. However if you have already been in IT for quite a while, & have already achieved a certification of equivalent standing to the 'CCNA' (for example during military service) you might possibly move straight to 'CCNP'. Essentially recruiters will demand that anybody with quite senior certifications has had a suitable amount of practical experience to match.

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