Comptia Network Certification Exam Tutorial Dhcp And Dhcp Relay Agents

Writen by Chris Bryant

As a CompTIA Network+ exam candidate, you're probably familiar with DHCP – but just in case, we're going to review DHCP basics here and then go into a discussion of DHCP Relay Agents.

When it comes to assigning an IP address to all the PCs on our network, along with their network mask, DNS server location, and more, we've got two choices on how to do it:

• Go to every workstation and configure the workstation statically

• Go to every workstation and configure them all to use DHCP

What we have here is the classic "static vs. dynamic" argument. I don't want you to think I'm lazy, but I'll take the dynamic way of doing things almost every single time.

You may wonder why it matters, since both methods involve visiting each workstation. You're right about that, and even though it's a lot quicker to configure a workstation to get its IP address and mask from a DHCP server than it is to configure the entire IP address and mask statically, the real benefits come in when the network changes.

And take it from me - your network will change. You'll remove hosts, you'll add hosts, and if the previous network manager didn't plan for future growth, the day may come when you've got to change the IP numbering scheme for your network. The choice that was made originally between static configuration and DHCP will then determine how easy the change will be.

• If the network was statically configured, you will now have to go to every single workstation and change their IP addressing to the new scheme.

• If the network is using DHCP, you simply change the networking scheme on the DHCP server and allow the workstations to get their new addresses dynamically.

Believe me, I've performed IP address changes in both fashions, and I'll take DHCP every time! Avoiding static IP address assignments also cuts down on the chances of two hosts in your network being assigned the same IP address.

When hosts receive an IP address from DHCP, it does not belong to that host permanently. The address is actually leased from a DHCP server. Let's walk through the DHCP process from the host's point of view.

First, the DHCP Client boots up, and sends a DHCP Discover packet onto the network. The host does this in order to "Discover" a DHCP server or servers. This Discover packet is a Level 3 broadcast, which has a destination IP address of 255.255.255.255.

Every DHCP Server that hears this broadcast will respond with a DHCP Offer, and it's an IP address and mask that is being offered. The DHCP Offer also includes a subnet mask, the IP address of the DHCP Server sending the response, and how long the host can keep this address (the DHCP lease duration).

If multiple DHCP Servers happen to hear this broadcast, they will each offer an IP address.

The DHCP Client will accept the first offer it receives. It does so by sending another broadcast, a DHCP Request packet.

The DHCP Server that made the offer that's being accepted will now send a DHCP Acknowledgement, which contains the rest of the information the host needs to function, including the location of a DNS server. The DHCP Server that made the offer that was not accepted will return the offered IP address to its range of assignable addresses, its address pool.

I made several mentions in this section about these DHCP packets being broadcasts. Do you remember which network connectivity device does not forward broadcasts? That's right, it's our old friend, the router!

If a PC is on one side of the router and the DHCP Server is on another side, we've got a problem. The initial DHCP Discover packet is a broadcast, and the router will not forward that broadcast to the DHCP Server. Luckily, this doesn't mean that we need a DHCP server on every single subnet on the network, because we can configure the router as a DHCP Relay Agent.

A DHCP Relay Agent will forward DHCP Requests to the DHCP Server. You can also configure a Windows server as a DHCP Relay Agent. Naturally, the Relay Agent must be on the same physical segment as the hosts that cannot reach the DHCP Server - never put it on the same segment as the DHCP Server itself.

Configuring a router as a DHCP Relay Agent is a lot different than configuring a Windows server, and your Network+ exam will not require you to configure either. You should know why the need for a Relay Agent exists, though, and should you need to configure one on your network, always check the vendor's documentation.

Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage, home of over 100 free certification exam tutorials, including CCNA and CCNP tutorials. CompTIA Network+, Security+, and A+ certification tutorials are available, also! Visit his blog and sign up for Certification Central, a daily newsletter packed with CCNA, Network+, Security+, A+, and CCNP certification exam practice questions! A free 7-part course, "How To Pass The CCNA", is also available. Coming in 2007 -- Microsoft Vista certification with The Bryant Advantage!

Mcse Certifications

Writen by Eric Morris

Operating systems used in most of the computers and information technology systems in the world use Microsoft programs and products. From government agencies to the academe, to corporations and households, Microsoft makes computers and networks run and function. Most likely, you have met with an IT professional who set up your computer system or who troubleshoot some glitches in the programming or who upgraded your system.

The next time you require the services of an IT person, ask for someone with a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MSCE) certification. An information technology specialist with an MSCE certification is an expert in the design and implementation of solutions infrastructures for large enterprises and home-based systems.

Microsoft treats its MSCEs as an elite group. Support is given to them in various degrees and forms. An MSCE certified IT practitioner gets a welcome kit along with his certificate. The kit includes basic tips and information that helps the MSCE professional, as well as items like the Microsoft Knowledge software. MSCEs also get a 50 percent discount for one year on the subscription fees to the Microsoft TechNet or TechNet Plus. The TechNet is a portable survival kit for MSCEs and it is updated monthly. MSCEs are also automatic members of the circle of Microsoft Certified Professionals and they are given free access pass to the member site where they get technical and product information.

To encourage continuous learning and improvement, MSCEs get invitations to Microsoft conferences, technical trainings, programs and sessions, and other events. They also get free subscription to the official newsletter, the Microsoft Certified Professional Magazine Online. The online magazine features discussions and live chats with fellow MSCEs, which many techs find useful.

MSCEs also have the right to wear the lapel pin indicating and identifying him as an MSCE. All his communication tools — memos, letters, promotional ads, and the like — may also carry the MSCE logo.

Certification provides detailed information on Certification, MCSE Certifications, Microsoft Certifications, CISSP Certification and more. Certification is affiliated with Computer Training Schools.

An Overview Of A Certification

Writen by Natalie Aranda

The IT industry is one of the few that requires A+ training to demonstrate computer-training skills acquired outside the frame of a normal job experience. This requisite is achieved by passing industry standard A+ certification tests, the most basic qualification that any IT professional should earn.

A+ training is the proof that you have received the adequate knowledge in computer systems and A+ certification confirms that you have computer training and you are capable to do common tasks, such as assemble a computer, install different operating systems and applications, and troubleshooting when needed.

Both A+ training and A+ certification do not require a determined scholarship to apply or a qualified job in the IT industry, only the willingness to get the knowledge to later qualify as a technician in the field, regardless of your background. This approach is also considered getting certification from Cisco, Novell, Oracle or Microsoft, although some prerequisites may apply depending on the chosen certification.

If you are considering computer training, take in mind that several companies require A+ Certification when hiring new personal, and many of them will consider that you stand out from the competition having a former A+ training. However, you do not need to become an IT technician to apply for these certifications.

Anyone who is enrolled in computer training may benefit from the knowledge acquired with A+ training or getting an A+ certification even just for personal use or to aid an developer. As an example, if you are a programmer who needs to wait long hours for a technician every time your computer does not respond, the you are not as productive as someone with the knowledge of "do-it-by-yourself" that appropriates training knowledge.

Some people believe that A+ training and A+ certifications are useless certifications in the middle of a universe where many other certifications rule. Most of those detractors believe they do not need a certification because they already have a job. If you are smart enough, you can undergo computer training to increase your potentiality in the job market, in a business or to change careers.

A+ training and A+ certification offer the opportunity to people who do not meet the prerequisites of other certifications. People too young or those who have a limited budget or limited time to attend a college may benefit of A+ certifications. Whether you need a full-time or part-time job, or just get some computer training, this opportunity is for you and the certification is available either through land-based or online courses.

Natalie Aranda writes about computer training and IT certifications. If you are considering computer training, take in mind that several companies require A+ Certification when hiring new personal, and many of them will consider that you stand out from the competition having a former A+ training. However, you do not need to become an IT technician to apply for these certifications.

Cisco Certification The Quotsecretquot Key To Getting Your Ccna And Ccnp

Writen by Chris Bryant

Whether you're working on your CCNA or CCNP, Cisco certification exams are the most demanding computer certification exams in the IT field. Cisco exams are not a test of memorization, they're a test of your analytical skills. You'll need to look at configurations and console output and analyze them to identify problems and answer detailed questions. To pass these demanding exams, you've got to truly understand how Cisco routers and switches operate - and the key to doing so is right in front of you.

The debug command.

Of course, there is no single "debug" command. Using IOS Help, you can quickly see that there are hundreds of these debugs, and I want to mention immediately that you should never practice these commands on a production router. This is one major reason you need to get some hands-on experience with Cisco products in a home lab or rack rental. No software program or "simulator" is going to give you the debug practice you need.

Now, why am I so insistent that you use debugs? Because that's how you actually see what's going on. It's not enough to type a frame relay LMI command, you have to be able to see the LMIs being exchanged with "debug frame lmi". You don't want to just type a few network numbers in after enabling RIP, you want to see the routes being advertised along with their metrics with "debug ip rip". The list goes on and on.

By using debugs as part of your CCNA and CCNP studies, you're going beyond just memorizing commands and thinking you understand everything that's happening when you enter a command or two. You move to a higher level of understanding how routers, switches, and protocols work -- and that is the true goal of earning your CCNA and CCNP.

Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage, home of free CCNA and CCNP tutorials, The Ultimate CCNA Study Package, and Ultimate CCNP Study Packages. For a FREE copy of his latest e-books, "How To Pass The CCNA" and "How To Pass The CCNP", visit the website and download your free copies. You can also get FREE CCNA and CCNP exam questions every day! Pass the CCNA exam with The Bryant Advantage!

Cisco Ccna Certification Exam Case Study Frame Relay Pings And Routing Protocols

Writen by Chris Bryant

Cisco CCNA certification training includes troubleshooting your own work and that of others. The best CCNA certification training you can do is indeed troubleshooting your own Cisco router and switch configurations - as I'm always telling my students, "I can guarantee that any error you make has been made before, and you'll probably see it again one day." One such common error involves two very important CCNA certification topics - Frame Relay and routing protocols.

A student was working on his CCNA exam home lab and came up with an interesting problem. He set Frame Relay up in a hub-and-spoke configuration with R1 as the hub and R2 and R3 as the spokes. He wrote the following frame map statements:

frame-relay map ip 172.12.123.2 122

frame-relay map ip 172.12.123.3 123

He was able to ping both spokes from the hub, so he assumed everything was working correctly. Then he configured RIP version 2 on the router and got the following result after running "debug ip rip" and clearing the routing table with "clear ip route *":

03:33:01: IP: s=172.12.123.1 (local), d=224.0.0.9 (Serial0), len 72, sending broad/multicast

03:33:01: IP: s=172.12.123.1 (local), d=224.0.0.9 (Serial0), len 72, encapsulation failed

You may have already spotted the problem, and if you did, your CCNA certification exam studies are going well! The problem is that the "broadcast" option was left off the frame map statements. "broadcast" must be configured on frame map statements in order to send broadcasts and multicasts across the frame link. As you know from your CCNA certification exam studies, RIP version 1 broadcasts updates and RIP version 2 multicasts them, so the "broadcast" option must be present for either version to send updates by using those frame mappings.

He then rewrote the frame map statements as shown below....

R1(config-if)#frame map ip 172.12.123.2 122 broadcast

R1(config-if)#frame map ip 172.12.123.3 123 broadcast

... and the RIP updates went out as expected.

R1#debug ip rip

RIP protocol debugging is on

R1#clear ip route *

06:22:13: RIP: sending general request on Loopback0 to 224.0.0.9

06:22:13: RIP: sending general request on Serial0 to 224.0.0.9

06:22:13: RIP: ignored v2 packet from 1.1.1.1 (sourced from one of our addresses)

06:22:14: RIP: received v2 update from 172.12.123.3 on Serial0

06:22:14: 1.1.1.1/32 -> 0.0.0.0 in 3 hops

06:22:14: 2.2.2.2/32 -> 0.0.0.0 in 2 hops

06:22:14: 3.3.3.3/32 -> 0.0.0.0 in 1 hops

06:22:14: 172.12.23.0/24 -> 0.0.0.0 in 1 hops

06:22:14: 172.12.123.0/24 -> 0.0.0.0 in 1 hops

06:22:14: RIP: sending v2 update to 224.0.0.9 via Loopback0 (1.1.1.1)

06:22:14: 2.2.2.2/32 -> 0.0.0.0, metric 3, tag 0

06:22:14: 3.3.3.3/32 -> 0.0.0.0, metric 2, tag 0

06:22:14: 172.12.23.0/24 -> 0.0.0.0, metric 2, tag 0

06:22:14: 172.12.123.0/24 -> 0.0.0.0, metric 1, tag 0

06:22:14: RIP: sending v2 update to 224.0.0.9 via Serial0 (172.12.123.1)

Cisco CCNA certification depends on noticing details like these, and there's no better way to learn these details than by working on real Cisco routers and switches. Whether you're renting rack time online or buying used Cisco routers and switches, real-time debugs and configurations are the way to CCNA certification exam success!

Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage, home of over 100 free certification exam tutorials, including Cisco CCNA certification test prep articles. His exclusive Cisco CCNA study guide and Cisco CCNA training is also available! Visit his blog and sign up for Cisco Certification Central, a daily newsletter packed with CCNA, Network+, Security+, A+, and CCNP certification exam practice questions! A free 7-part course, "How To Pass The CCNA", is also available, and you can attend an in-person or online CCNA boot camp with The Bryant Advantage!

Network Exam Tutorial Ports Port Numbers And Sockets

Writen by Chris Bryant

If there's one thing that can be a bit confusing to many Network+ certification exam candidates, it's the concept of ports and sockets. Well, it was confusing to me when I got started with computer certifications! Let's take a look at ports and sockets, and why we need them in the first place.

Past Network+ exam tutorials have focused on how two PCs start communicating, but what we've got to keep in mind is that host PCs may and probably will have several different kinds of communications going on at the same time. A single PC may be sending email, receiving a Telnet request, and accessing the Internet at the same time. These conversations have to kept separate.. but how?

Through the use of ports, that's how. Each potential type of conversation a host can have is preassigned a port number, and these port numbers allow different types of communications to take place over the same physical cable by keeping them logically separated.

Let's go back to that PC we were talking about. If the PC is using SMTP for email communications, it will use port 25. At the same time, the host will be using port 23 for Telnet and port 80 to access the web via HTTP. The same physical cable is in use, but the communications are kept logically separate by use of port numbers.

A socket is simply the host's IP address followed by a colon and the port number in use. If the previously mentioned host had an IP address of 10.1.1.1, the socket number for SMTP would be 10.1.1.1:25, 10.1.1.1:23 for Telnet, and 10.1.1.1:80 for HTTP.

The range of port numbers is quite large - 0 through 65,535 - and the 0 - 1023 range is known as the well-known port numbers. Don't worry, you don't have to memorize all of them! As you gain more and more experience with networks, you'll be surprised how many of these you remember without even thinking about it. In the meantime, for both your Network+ and CCNA exams as well as working with real-world networks, it's a good idea to know this list of often-used ports.

File Transfer Protocol uses both ports 20 and 21.

Telnet uses port 23.

Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) uses port 25.

Domain Name Service (DNS) uses port 53.

HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) uses port 80, while the secure version of HTTP, HTTPS, uses port 443.

Believe me, this is just a very short beginning list of port numbers you'll need to know to pass the Network+ exam. If you're familiar with these protocols, that's great - and if you're not, just look for upcoming Network+ exam tutorials!

Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage, home of over 100 free CCNA and CCNP tutorials, The Ultimate CCNA Study Package, Ultimate Network+ Study Package, and Ultimate CCNP Study Packages. You can also join his RSS feed and visit his blog, which is updated several times daily with new Cisco certification articles, free tutorials, and twice-daily CCNA, Network+, and CCNP certification exam practice questions! Details are on the website. For a FREE copy of his latest e-books, "How To Pass The CCNA" and "How To Pass The CCNP", visit the website and download your free copies. You can also get FREE CCNA and CCNP exam questions every day! And now, you can earn your Network+ certification from The Bryant Advantage!

The History Of Microsoft Certifications Now And Then

Writen by Natalie Aranda

When Microsoft announced recently that the new generation of Microsoft Certifications had just arrived, they inevitably made one stop for a moment remembering how all started and evolved throughout history with over 10 years of certifications to date.

Ten seems to be a determined number in the new generation of certification provided by the leading Internet company than the last year, also announced the new MCA, the Microsoft training practical exam, which is graded by a board of examiners.

As no written exam, the Microsoft Certified Architect (MCA) requires at least 10 years experience in IT, and 3 years of practical experience as a network architect to apply. With this panorama, only a very few IT professionals are ready to apply for a MCA certification.

Although, Microsoft is constantly reviewing all Microsoft Certifications available since the early days when those certifications were designed to respond to the needs of companies and hiring managers for customer support in the workplace.

Among the old certifications under review, we can name some Microsoft training, such as the Microsoft Certified Database Administrator (MCDBA) on Microsoft SQL Server 2000, which candidates are required to pass 3 core exams and 1 elective exam to get the certification.

Other certifications, like the acclaimed MCSE Certification and MCSE training that everybody loves, is about to become a thing of the past, when a series of specialization exams and IP Professional certification tracks take its place with a new approach to qualify as a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer.

Most of the new Microsoft Certifications consist of 3 series and 4 credentials, providing a simpler Microsoft training, and more targeted framework for IT managers in order to validate core technical skills, architectural skills and professional skills, as true professionals in the IT industry.

Microsoft's new certification structure will be able to guarantee a more flexible, relevant, and cost-effective way to showcase IT professionals skills and, according them, such structure will be fully implemented with the next Windows server/client version.

In the past, Microsoft certifications and Microsoft training were not as specific and targeted like they are going to be now, and either reflected the detail of what a IT certified professional could do. Certifications were part of a learning process but not originally intended to prove expertise to those who needed to measure your technical proficiency

Contrary to the past, Microsoft has planned extensive support for those IT professional holding old certifications, making easier the transition to the new generation of certifications.

Whether MCSE training, MCSE Certification or any of the mew Microsoft certifications that may impact your career, you must be aware of these changes in Microsoft training, because update your credentials is a must in the competitive and challenging world of IT.

Natalie Aranda writes about computer and technology. Most of the new Microsoft Certifications consist of 3 series and 4 credentials, providing a simpler Microsoft training, and more targeted framework for IT managers in order to validate core technical skills, architectural skills and professional skills, as true professionals in the IT industry. Other certifications, like the acclaimed MCSE Certification and MCSE training that everybody loves, is about to become a thing of the past. CBT Direct is the skillsoft learning partner offering Cisco, Microsoft CIW, Oracle and APlus certification computer based training solutions for the IT industry and corporate enterprises.

Mcse Certification A Leg Up On Your Coworkers

Writen by Michael Russell

Most people in this world would not be able to tell you what an MCSE certification is. Making it longer may confuse people even more; it stands for Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer. Just studying to take the test is a trial and the test itself can be difficult, not to mention expensive. It can give you a benefit that a lot of computer techs in the world don't have: a certification from Microsoft and spiffy initials to put after your name. The test is comprehensive and challenging. It has four networking tests, one client operating system test, a design test and a test over an elective.

According to the Microsoft website, there are benefits that go along with an MCSE certification. These include: recognition by your peers in the computing industry of your knowledge and ability to function well with Microsoft products and technologies. You also receive access to information regarding products directly from Microsoft through a website created especially for those who pass the MCSE exam, the Microsoft Certified Professional member site. Just to show the world what you know, you also will receive a certificate, transcript and lapel pin to wear.

Those who successfully pass this rigorous test have been acknowledged by Microsoft as having the ability and know-how to analyze, design and implement business solutions using Microsoft Windows 2000 and the Microsoft Windows Server System. Implementation includes installing, setting up and troubleshooting networks.

Those who would benefit the most from this certification include: system engineers, technical support, systems and network analysts and technical consultants. Before you even begin thinking about the exam, Microsoft suggests that you have a few items under your belt. You should have at least one year's experience creating and supporting a network operating system for environments that include: 200 to 26,000 users; 5 to 150 different physical locations; services and applications that are typically found in network environments, including web hosting, databases, messaging, firewalls, a dial-in server and desktop management; supporting connections to the network from individual offices or users from other locations and connecting these networks together.

As with any exam or test, there are ways to find help preparing to take it. If you do a search for MCSE Certification on the internet, you will find many courses that may help you prepare for the test. I am sure you can find all sorts of other information, from cheat sheets to condensed information, like Cliff Notes. Of course, all these places want money for their help and information, since they are trying to maintain a business. There are even boot camps out there that give you one on one attention and some of them even guarantee that you'll be certified by the time it is all over.

Even though the MCSE Certification carries prestige with it, you will also have to have some experience to go along with it. Not many companies will hire a computer tech that only has a paper MCSE Certification and no prior experience. As with anything, it is a balancing act of experience vs. formal training.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to MCSE Certification

Ccnp Certification Bcmsn Exam Tutorial Getting Started With Hsrp

Writen by Chris Bryant

Defined in RFC 2281, HSRP is a Cisco-proprietary protocol in which routers are put into an HSRP router group. Along with dynamic routing protocols and STP, HSRP is considered a high-availability network service, since all three have an almost immediate cutover to a secondary path when the primary path is unavailable.

One of the routers will be selected as the primary ("Active", in HSRP terminology), and that primary will handle the routing while the other routers are in standby, ready to handle the load if the primary router becomes unavailable. In this fashion, HSRP ensures a high network uptime, since it routes IP traffic without relying on a single router.

The hosts using HSRP as a gateway don't know the actual IP or MAC addresses of the routers in the group. They're communicating with a pseudorouter, a "virtual router" created by the HSRP configuration. This virtual router will have a virtual MAC and IP adddress as well.

The standby routers aren't just going to be sitting there, though! By configuring multiple HSRP groups on a single interface, HSRP load balancing can be achieved.

Before we get to the more advanced HSRP configuration, we better get a basic one started! We'll be using a two-router topology here, and keep in mind that one or both of these routers could be multilayer switches as well. For ease of reading, I'm going to refer to them only as routers.

R2 and R3 will both be configured to be in standby group 5. The virtual router will have an IP address of 172.12.23.10 /24. All hosts in VLAN 100 should use this address as their default gateway.

R2(config)#interface ethernet0

R2(config-if)#standby 5 ip 172.12.23.10

R3(config)#interface ethernet0

R3(config-if)#standby 5 ip 172.12.23.10

The show command for HSRP is show standby, and it's the first command you should run while configuring and troubleshooting HSRP. Let's run it on both routers and compare results.

R2#show standby

Ethernet0 - Group 5

Local state is Standby, priority 100

Hellotime 3 sec, holdtime 10 sec

Next hello sent in 0.776

Virtual IP address is 172.12.23.10 configured

Active router is 172.12.23.3, priority 100 expires in 9.568

Standby router is local

1 state changes, last state change 00:00:22

R3#show standby

Ethernet0 - Group 5

Local state is Active, priority 100

Hellotime 3 sec, holdtime 10 sec

Next hello sent in 2.592

Virtual IP address is 172.12.23.10 configured

Active router is local

Standby router is 172.12.23.2 expires in 8.020

Virtual mac address is 0000.0c07.ac05

2 state changes, last state change 00:02:08

We can see that R3 has been selected as the Active router ("local state is Active"), the virtual router's IP is 172.12.23.10, and R2 is the standby router.

There are some HSRP values that you'll need to change from time to time. What if we want R2 to be the Active router instead? Can we change the MAC address of the virtual router? I'll answer those questions in the next part of this HSRP tutorial!

Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage, home of free CCNP and CCNA tutorials, The Ultimate CCNA Study Package, and Ultimate CCNP Study Packages.

You can also join his RSS feed and visit his blog, which is updated several times daily with new Cisco certification articles, free tutorials, and daily CCNA / CCNP exam questions! Details are on the website.

For a FREE copy of his latest e-books, "How To Pass The CCNA" and "How To Pass The CCNP", just visit the website! You can also get FREE CCNA and CCNP exam questions every day! Get your CCNP certification with The Bryant Advantage!

Cisco Ccna Certification Exam Five Frame Relay Details You Must Know

Writen by Chris Bryant

When you're studying for your CCNA exam on the way to earning this coveted Cisco certification, the details can seem overwhelming! In this article, I'll point out five Frame Relay details that you must keep in mind when you're on your way to the CCNA exam!

Inverse ARP starts working as soon as you open the serial interface. This protocol performs dynamic Frame Relay mapping, but you don't have to enable it - it's already enabled as soon as you enter the command "encapsulation frame-relay".

When you're configuring Frame Relay map statements manually, remember that you're mapping the local DLCI to the remote IP address.

When you run "show frame map", the word "dynamic" indicates mappings created by Inverse ARP, and "static" indicates it was manually created.

To spot possible LMI type mismatches, run "show frame lmi". A large number of Status Timeouts indicates that there may be an LMI problem between your router and the frame relay switch.

This last one is for the many of you building CCNA home labs. A frame relay switch is a great addition to your lab! While you're busy putting the configuration together, don't forget the global command "frame-relay switching" - it's this command that allows a Cisco router to act as a frame relay switch!

Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage, home of free CCNA and CCNP tutorials, The Ultimate CCNA Study Package, and Ultimate CCNP Study Packages. For a FREE copy of his latest e-books, "How To Pass The CCNA" and "How To Pass The CCNP", visit the website and download your free copies. You can also get FREE CCNA and CCNP exam questions every day! Pass the CCNA exam with The Bryant Advantage!

Computer Information Systems Schools Impart Expert Knowledge

Writen by Michael Bustamante

Computer Information Systems Schools prepare students for positions in businesses that seek expertise in computer information technology. Courses of study in Computer Information Systems focus on the design, implementation, and management of computer network systems; on hardware peripherals; and on computer languages and software uses and development. Computer Information Systems Schools offer associate, bachelor, master, and doctorate degrees, as well as concentrated study for certificates in specialized areas of Computer Information Systems.

Courses of study in Computer Information Systems Schools will prepare graduates for maximizing efficiency and productivity, and for functioning as specialists and managers at all levels of networking systems. Courses in operating systems and applications; systems design and analysis; networking theory and solutions; types of networks; network management and control; network and flow optimization; security; configuring; and troubleshooting are available. Additionally, Computer Information Systems curriculums usually provide comprehensive education and training in software applications, programming languages, and other pertinent business applications.

Computer Information Systems Schools provide for professions in Computer Information Systems technology in programming, network systems administration, information systems management, software applications support; and web system development.

If you are interested in learning more about Computer Information Systems Schools, please search our site for more in-depth information and resources.

DISCLAIMER: Above is a GENERAL OVERVIEW and may or may not reflect specific practices, courses and/or services associated with ANY ONE particular school(s) that is or is not advertised on SchoolsGalore.com.

Copyright 2006 - All Rights Reserved Michael Bustamante, in association with Media Positive Communications, Inc. for SchoolsGalore.com

Notice to Publishers: Please feel free to use this article in your Ezine or on your Website; however, ALL links must remain intact and active.

Michael Bustamante is a staff writer for Media Positive Communications, Inc. in association with SchoolsGalore.com. Find Schools, Colleges, Universities, Vocational Schools and Online Courses at SchoolsGalore.com; meeting your needs as your educational resource to locate schools.

Hurricane Study Strategies To Stacking Up Computer Certifications

Writen by Lance Winslow

In many parts of the country we find that people with computer certifications are more plentiful than in other parts of the country. Recently when I was doing a study of this demographic and looking at the data from a computer magazine I noticed that many people who lived in Florida and along the Gulf Coast had more computer certifications per individual than in other parts of the country.

In many parts the country there are severe shortages of people with computer certifications, while in other parts the country this is not as big a problem for large corporations. When studying this issue I determined that one of the problems was that in big cities like Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, the Bay area, Maryland, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Atlanta, and the D.C. area that shortages of people with computer certifications was a huge issue. While in Florida and along the Gulf Coast there were more people who had more certifications, than expected.

Perhaps this is because during hurricanes there is not a lot that people can do so they study for their computer certifications and this is a very good way to stack up computer certifications for someone wishing to have more of them. The more certifications you have the better chances you'll have been getting the perfect job that you desire in the computer industry.

There is currently a shortage of IT people and a larger shortage is expected in the coming years. Please consider this in 2006 and study your butt off next time there is a hurricane that you are waiting to pass you.

Lance Winslow

Cisco Certification Building Your Own Home Lab Part I

Writen by Chris Bryant

CCNAs and CCNA candidates hear it all the time: 'Get some hands-on experience'. From my personal experience climbing the Cisco certification ladder, I can tell you firsthand that there is no learning like hands-on learning. No simulator in the world is going to give you the experience you will get cabling and configuring your own routers.

Whenever I mention this to one of my students, they always say it costs too much. The truth is, it is cheaper now to build your own CCNA and CCNP lab than it has ever been. The secret? Used routers.

The word 'used' turns off a lot of people; not many of us buy used computers or used servers. Cisco routers, though, are robust; I personally own a Cisco 4000 router that I use as a Frame Relay switch in my lab that I've had for about four years, and I've never had a problem with it.

The good news for current CCNA and CCNP candidates interested in building their own labs is that used Cisco equipment has never been more plentiful or cheaper. eBay is a good way to get an idea of what's out there and what the prices are, but you don't have to assemble your lab one piece at a time. Many eBay vendors who sell used Cisco equipment sell ready-made CCNA and CCNP labs for one price, including cables.

I asked one major vendor of CCNA and CCNP labs, www.ciscokits.com, what the most common questions are regarding building your own home lab. Here's what they had to say:

Why do I need real routers instead of a simulator?

You need a physical router as the simulators just don't have the ability to give you the 'hands on' you need to see what happens when you disconnect a cable or put a cable in the wrong location. You will come to find quite quickly that mistakes you make on Router 1 are affecting Router 5 all because you did not screw in a cable properly. No simulator can simulate that.

How many routers do I need?

Two routers really are required to see if anything works. If you have a very limited budget, you can receive value from only purchasing a single router over working with a simulator. However, you will not be able to see the main thing we are trying to accomplish. The propagation of route tables! The only way you can see if your configurations work, is to have at least two routers. Therefore, I strongly recommend that you purchase a dual router kit that comes with all the accessories you need. Otherwise you can spend days trying to find all the little extra pieces you need to get your lab up and running.

Do I need a switch?

Well, it is nice to have. However, with only about 2 questions on the test dedicated to 'hands on' switch knowledge, if you have to skimp on something, skimp on the switch.

What routers and switches should I buy?

Choices, choices, choices! Which 2500/2600 router do I pick? I will list some pros and cons of each router below, along with current prices (note that prices are generally lower if you buy a dual router kit instead of a single router):

1) Cisco 2501 Router with 16 MB Flash/16MB DRAM $94.99. The cheapest introduction router, and it can support a vast majority of the commands that you will need to learn for your CCNA test. All 2500 routers that we will discuss come with a minimum of two serial ports and an Ethernet port. You will need to add a transceiver to this unit to convert the Ethernet AUI port to an RJ-45 style Ethernet port.

2) Cisco 2503 Router with 16 MB Flash/16MB DRAM $119.99. This is the same as a Cisco 2501, except it adds an ISDN port so you can complete all your ISDN commands for the CCNA test. You will need to add a transceiver to convert the Ethernet AUI port to an RJ-45 style Ethernet port.

3) Cisco 2505/2507 with 16 MB Flash/16MB DRAM $109.99. The same as a Cisco 2501 except it has a built-in 8 or 16 port hub so you do not have to purchase a transceiver.

4) Cisco 2514 Router with 16 MB Flash/16MB DRAM $149.99. This router is the same as a Cisco 2501 except instead of one Ethernet port you have two. You may ask, what is the big deal? Well, you can use this as your Cable Modem/DSL Modem router. Now you can test your ability to setup a firewall and router in a live environment on the Internet. Lots of fun! You will need to add two transceivers to convert the Ethernet AUI ports to an RJ-45 style Ethernet ports.

5) Cisco 2520 Router with 16 MB Flash/16MB DRAM $119.99. This is the same as a 2503 but it also adds two more serial ports so you can use this as a frame relay switch later in your CCNA studies. It costs the same as a 2503, so this is a great money saving tip.

6) Cisco 2612 Router with 32 DRAM and 8 MB Flash $199.99. This is a modular router unlike any of the 2500 series routers. So the big benefit of this is you can buy extra modules to add functionality such as more serial ports, ISDN ports, Ethernet ports, WICs and such. However, due to the flexibility you will pay a bit more. One day it is a frame relay switch, the next it is your ISDN router. In the long run it will be cheaper than purchasing a bunch of dedicated routers for each discipline you want to learn.

7) Cisco 1912 or 1924 Switch with Enterprise Software $109.99. This is a good low cost switch.. The only draw back is it is a 10 MB switch except for the two 100 MB uplink ports. Not a big deal since you have 10 MB routers.

8) Cisco 2912 or 2924 Switch with Enterprise Software $249.99. This switch will run all the current commands needed for the test and is a full 100 MB switch.

And should you desire to sell your lab after you complete your certification, you can either negotiate a price with the vendor who sold it to you, or you can sell it yourself on ebay. It's my experience that 95% of candidates who earn their CCNA go on to pursue their CCNP within one year, though, so don't sell it too quickly.

In the end, you spend only a few hundred dollars, and you gain invaluable experience and knowledge that will help you both in your certification quest and your job performance. Having been there, I can tell you that you will learn much more from actually configuring and cabling your own equipment than you ever will from any simulation of the real thing.

To your success,

Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage, home of free CCNA and CCNP tutorials, The Ultimate CCNA Study Package, and Ultimate CCNP Study Packages. For a FREE copy of his latest e-books, "How To Pass The CCNA" and "How To Pass The CCNP", visit the website and download your free copies. You can also get FREE CCNA and CCNP exam questions every day! Pass the CCNA exam with The Bryant Advantage!

Mcse Certification A Lifetime Of Educating

Writen by Michael Russell

In this article we're going to focus on the downside of getting an MCSE certification as far as what it will mean to the lifetime of your career.

Let's be honest, Microsoft is the king of computer everything, from software to networking. Once upon a time Novell was the only real networking super power. Now Microsoft dominates the industry, though it is debatable as to whether or not they actually have the better product.

As a result, just about every company has a Microsoft network. Just the fact that this makes it easier to run your online applications, since most software is Windows based, makes it almost suicidal to go with anything else but Microsoft. Therefore, if you want to get a job at one of these companies, and believe me the competition is off the charts, you have to get MCSE certified.

Therein lies the rub.

See, the Microsoft network itself is far from stable. The truth is, every few years or so there are major changes in the operating system and everyone has to, literally, go back to school. Simply as a matter of being able to keep your network running, unless of course you stay with the old network, you have to get educated. If you choose not to, well, the problem you then face is that eventually the old network is no longer supported and you're out of luck should anything go wrong. So upgrading is almost a must.

But what about the people who have to get certified? Most of them probably just did a few years back and some maybe even within the past few months. And now here they are with a brand new certification and suddenly it is going to be worthless in a very short time. So what happens is they have to go back to school again and get recertified.

What about the ones who just say, "The heck with it. I know enough to do my job. I can learn the new changes on my own." Well, maybe they can. But what if they can't? If they can't and don't get recertified here comes the next problem. Many companies just look for excuses to lay people off. What better excuse to get rid of an older employee who is making more money than a new kid who just recently got certified? In most cases the company will fire the old guy, telling him simply that it is because he didn't get recertified, and hire this new kid right out of school, even though he may, in no way, be as capable of doing the job.

The point of all this is simply that if you want to be an MCSE then be prepared to go to school every few years for the rest of your life. Otherwise, at the very first opportunity you may very well find yourself losing your job to some new kid right out of school. Its just something to consider before you trek off into that land of no return called MCSE certification.

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Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to MCSE Certification
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Mcse Training

Writen by Ken Marlborough

MCSE training is very intensive. To wade through the extensive coursework and comprehend its applications on your own is time consuming and you may not be able to appear for exams in the stipulated time. For many aspirants, the best way to do this is at a local training center. These centers will help candidates go through coursework and practical sessions professionally and help them in exam and career oriented study. The important thing is to get a thorough knowledge and understanding of the coursework, write the exams on time and be aware of the practical applications of the Microsoft products and services.

But if you find a lack of good training centers or boot camps in your neighborhood, you can also go to the Internet and get trained using the thousands of tutorials and study guides available on the web. There are many people who like to study that way, or use CD-ROMS and books for their preparation for MCSE. Microsoft itself has come out with an MCSE training kit that intends to help candidates learn the skills needed on the job as well as acquire the knowledge needed for the exams.

MCSE training classes are usually conducted at the convenience of the candidates, but most centers are open for quite a number of hours every day. The advantage of such training centers is that each group will have a restricted number of participants, with each member getting individual guidance from MCSE experts. But for people who want to do an intensive course in MCSE training and pass the exams, there are many centers that conduct boot camps, running through the entire coursework for an exam in a matter of two to three weeks. This helps working men and women who may not find time to attend classes on a regular basis, but still be able to take the exam on time.

MCSE provides detailed information on MCSE, MCSE Certification, MCSE Term Papers, MCSE Training and more. MCSE is affiliated with Online MCSE Certification.

Cisco Ccna Ccnp Home Lab Setup How To Configure Reverse Telnet

Writen by Chris Bryant

Occasionally, during your CCNA and CCNP studies, you'll run into a term that just doesn't quite make sense to you. (Okay, more than occasionally!) One such term is "reverse telnet". As a Cisco certification candidate, you know that telnet is simply a protocol that allows you to remotely connect to a networking device such as a router or switch. But what is "reverse telnet", and why is it so important to a Cisco CCNA / CCNP home lab setup?

Where a telnet session is started by a remote user who wants to remotely control a router or switch, a reverse telnet session is started when the host device itself imitates the telnet session.

In a CCNA / CCNP home lab, reverse telnet is configured and used on the access server. The access server isn't a white box server like most of us are used to; an access server is a Cisco router that allows you to connect to multiple routers and switches with one session without having to move a rollover cable from device to device.

Your access server will use an octal cable to connect to the other routers and switches in your home lab. The octal cable has one large serial connector that will connect to the access server, and eight rj-45 connectors that will connect to your other home lab devices. Your access server then needs an IP Host table in order to perform reverse telnet.

An IP Host table is easy to put together (and you better know how to write one to pass the CCNA!). The IP Host table is used for local name resolution, taking the place of a DNS server. A typical access server IP Host table looks like this:

ip host FRS 2007 100.1.1.1

ip host R3 2003 100.1.1.1

ip host R1 2001 100.1.1.1

ip host R2 2002 100.1.1.1

ip host R4 2004 100.1.1.1

ip host R5 2005 100.1.1.1

ip host SW1 2006 100.1.1.1

interface Loopback0

ip address 100.1.1.1 255.255.255.255

no ip directed-broadcast

This configuration will allow you to use your access server to connect to five routers, a frame relay switch, and a switch without ever moving a cable. When you type "R1" at the console line, for example, you'll be connected to R1 via reverse telnet. If you have a smaller lab, an access server is still a real timesaver and an excellent investment. And by getting a static IP address to put on your access server, you can even connect to your home lab from remote locations!

Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage, home of free CCNA and CCNP tutorials, The Ultimate CCNA Study Package, and Ultimate CCNP Study Packages. For a FREE copy of his latest e-books, "How To Pass The CCNA" and "How To Pass The CCNP", visit the website and download your free copies. You can also get FREE CCNA and CCNP exam questions every day! Pass the CCNA exam with The Bryant Advantage!

Cisco Ccna Certification Static Routing Tutorial

Writen by Chris Bryant

In studying for your CCNA exam and preparing to earn this valuable certification, you may be tempted to spend little time studying static routing and head right for the more exciting dynamic routing protocols like RIP, EIGRP, and OSPF. This is an understandable mistake, but still a mistake. Static routing is not complicated, but it's an important topic on the CCNA exam and a valuable skill for real-world networking.

To create static routes on a Cisco router, you use the ip route command followed by the destination network, network mask, and either the next-hop IP address or the local exit interface. It's vital to keep that last part in mind - you're either configuring the IP address of the downstream router, or the interface on the local router that will serve as the exit interface.

Let's say your local router has a serial0 interface with an IP address of 200.1.1.1/30, and the downstream router that will be the next hop will receive packets on its serial1 interface with an IP address of 200.1.1.2/30. The static route will be for packets destined for the 172.10.1.0 network. Either of the following ip route statements would be correct.

R1(config)#ip route 172.10.1.0 255.255.255.0 200.1.1.2 (next-hop IP address)

OR

R1(config)#ip route 172.10.1.0 255.255.255.0 serial0 ( local exit interface)

You can also write a static route that matches only one destination. This is a host route, and has 255.255.255.255 for a mask. If the above static routes should only be used to send packets to 172.10.1.1., the following commands would do the job.

R1(config)#ip route 172.10.1.1 255.255.255.255 200.1.1.2 (next-hop IP address)

OR

R1(config)#ip route 172.10.1.1 255.255.255.255 serial0 ( local exit interface)

Finally, a default static route serves as a gateway of last resort. If there are no matches for a destination in the routing table, the default route will be used. Default routes use all zeroes for both the destination and mask, and again a next-hop IP address or local exit interface can be used.

R1(config)#ip route 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 200.1.1.2 (next-hop IP address)

OR

R1(config)#ip route 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 serial0 ( local exit interface)

IP route statements seem simple enough, but the details regarding the next-hop IP address, the local exit interface, default static routes, and the syntax of the command are vital for success on CCNA exam day and in the real world.

Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage, home of free CCNP and CCNA tutorials, The Ultimate CCNA Study Package, and Ultimate CCNP Study Packages. For a FREE copy of his latest e-books, "How To Pass The CCNA" and "How To Pass The CCNP", just visit the website! You can also get FREE CCNA and CCNP exam questions every day! Pass the CCNP exam with The Bryant Advantage!

Cisco Ccnp Bcmsn Exam Tutorial Configuring Portfast And Bpdu Guard

Writen by Chris Bryant

In your CCNA studies, you learned about PortFast and the trouble it can cause if configured on the wrong port! Suitable only for switch ports connected directly to a single host, PortFast allows a port running STP to go directly from blocking to forwarding mode.

A Cisco router will give you a warning when you configure PortFast:

SW1(config)#int fast 0/5

SW1(config-if)#spanning-tree portfast

%Warning: portfast should only be enabled on ports connected to a single host. Connecting hubs, concentrators, switches, bridges, etc... to this interface when portfast is enabled, can cause temporary bridging loops. Use with CAUTION

%Portfast has been configured on FastEthernet0/5 but will only

have effect when the interface is in a non-trunking mode.

SW1(config-if)#

Not only will the switch warn you about the proper usage of PortFast, but you must put the port into access mode before PortFast will take effect.

Now, you'd think that would be enough of a warning, right? But there is a chance - just a chance - that someone is going to manage to connect a switch to a port running Portfast. That could lead to two major problems, the first being the formation of a switching loop. Remember, the reason we have listening and learning modes is to help prevent switching loops. The next problem is that there could be a new root bridge elected - and it could be a switch that isn't even in your network!

BPDU Guard protects against this disastrous possibility. If any BPDU comes in on a port that's running BPDU Guard, the port will be shut down and placed into error disabled state, shown on the switch as err-disabled. A port placed in err-disabled state must be reopened manually.

BPDU Guard is off on all ports by default, and is enabled as shown here:

SW1(config)#int fast 0/5

SW1(config-if)#spanning-tree bpduguard enable

It's a good idea to enable BPDU Guard on any port you're running PortFast on. There's no cost in overhead, and it does prevent the possibility of a switch sending BPDUs into a port configured with PortFast - not to mention the possibility of a switch not under your control becoming a root switch to your network!

Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage, home of free CCNP and CCNA tutorials, The Ultimate CCNA Study Package, and Ultimate CCNP Study Packages.

You can also join his RSS feed and visit his blog, which is updated several times daily with new Cisco certification articles, free tutorials, and daily CCNA / CCNP exam questions! Details are on the website.

For a FREE copy of his latest e-books, "How To Pass The CCNA" and "How To Pass The CCNP", just visit the website! You can also get FREE CCNA and CCNP exam questions every day! Pass the CCNP exam with The Bryant Advantage!

Cisco Ccna Ccnp Certification Exam Troubleshooting Direct Serial Connections

Writen by Chris Bryant

Connecting Cisco routers directly via their Serial interfaces works really well once you get it running - and getting such a connection up and running is easy enough. You can use show controller serial x to find out which endpoint is acting as the DCE, and it's the DCE that must be configured with the clockrate command.

R3#show controller serial 1

HD unit 1, idb = 0x11B4DC, driver structure at 0x121868

buffer size 1524 HD unit 1, V.35 DCE cable

R3(config)#int serial1

R3(config-if)#ip address 172.12.13.3 255.255.255.0

R3(config-if)#clockrate 56000

R3(config-if)#no shut

Failure to configure the clockrate has some interesting effects regarding the physical and logical state of the interfaces. Let's remove the clockrate from R3 and see what happens.

R3(config)#int s1

R3(config-if)#no clockrate 56000

R3(config-if)#

18:02:19: %LINEPROTO-5-UPDOWN: Line protocol on Interface Serial1, changed state to down

The line protocol doesn't drop immediately, but it does drop. Let's run show interface serial1 to compare the physical and logical interface states.

R3#show int serial1

Serial1 is up, line protocol is down

Physically, the interface is fine, so the physical interface is up. It's only the logical part of the interface - the line protocol - that is down. It's the same situation on R1.

R1#show inter serial1

Serial1 is up, line protocol is down

While a router misconfiguration is the most likely cause of a serial connection issue, that's not the only reason for clocking issues. Cisco's website documentation mentions CSU/DSU misconfiguration, out-of-spec cables, bad patch panel connections, and connecting too many cables together as other reasons for clocking problems. Still, the number one reason for clocking problems in my experience is simply forgetting to configure the clockrate command!

Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage, home of free CCNA and CCNP tutorials, The Ultimate CCNA Study Package, and Ultimate CCNP Study Packages.

You can also join his RSS feed and visit his blog, which is updated several times daily with new Cisco certification articles, free tutorials, and daily CCNA / CCNP exam questions! Details are on the website.

For a FREE copy of his latest e-books, "How To Pass The CCNA" and "How To Pass The CCNP", visit the website and download your free copies. You can also get FREE CCNA and CCNP exam questions every day! And coming in 2007 -- Microsoft Vista certification from The Bryant Advantage!

The World Of Technology Prefers A Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer Mcse

Writen by James Croydon

In the world of technology people prefer being a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer or MCSE. It is opted as a better option than Ph.D. itself. MCSE enhances the position in an organization along with quick rise in the salary.

MCSE is a certification which increases one's confidence and knowledge and of course dedication to the information technology field. MCSE certification makes a tremendous difference in how a person is viewed in an organization. MCSE certification provides many benefits like access to technical and product information can be received directly from Microsoft along with invitation to conferences, technical training sessions and participation in special events for the individuals who earn MCSE certification from Microsoft. These individuals also have free access to Microsoft certified professional magazine, which is a career and professional development magazine.

MCSE enables to learn various skills a person would require to have. To name a few an MCSE certification teaches how to install Windows XP professional, implement and administer its resources. It also helps to monitor and troubleshoot hardware devices and driver to optimize system's performance. It gives an extended help to configure and troubleshoot desktop environment, implement, manage and troubleshoot network protocols and services as well as configure, manage and troubleshoot security.

MCSE certification also includes how to manage and maintain physical and logical devices, user's computers and groups, a server environment and access to resources as well as managing and implementing disaster recovery. It also gives an overview to implement and maintain IP addressing, name resolution, network security, routing and remote access and network infrastructure. MCSE professionals are also able to implement, manage and troubleshoot security policies. Thus MCSE certification provides and an added advantage to the professionals.

MCSE professionals also come to know about patch management, infrastructure, and security for network communications, authentications and authorization. They are also able to plan, implement and maintain server roles along with server security network infrastructure, routing and remote access and server availability.

To be an MCSE professional one should have at least one year of experience in implementing and administering a network operating system in an environment with 200 to 25000 users and five to two hundred physical locations. The environment should also provide for typical network services and applications such as messaging, database, and dial-in server, desktop management. It should have facility for web hosting and firewall or proxy server along with a connection of corporate networks to the Internet and individual offices. It should also have remote location users to the corporate office network.

In a nutshell it is for those who install, configure or troubleshoot network systems in medium to large organizations. Mainly system engineers, technical support engineers, system and network analysts prefer to have MCSE certification. This certification is one of the most coveted degrees amongst the IT professionals.

James Croydon, Microsoft Certified Professional and Boot Camp MCSE advisor - focusing on MCSE Training and MCSE Study

Cisco Ccna Ccnp Home Labs Developing Troubleshooting Skills

Writen by Chris Bryant

CCNA / CCNP candidates are going to be drilled by Cisco when it comes to troubleshooting questions. You're going to have to be able to analyze configurations to see what the problem is (and if there is a problem in the first place), determine the meaning of different debug outputs, and show the ability not just to configure a router or switch, but troubleshoot one.

That's just as it should be, because CCNAs and CCNPs will find themselves doing a lot of troubleshooting in their careers. Troubleshooting isn't something that can just be learned from a book; you've got to have some experience working with routers and switches. The only real way to learn how to troubleshoot is to develop that ability while working on live equipment.

Of course, your company or client is going to take a very dim view of you developing this skill on their live network. So what can you do?

Assemble a Cisco home lab. When you start working with real Cisco equipment, you're doing yourself a lot of favors. First, you're going to be amazed at how well you retain information that will become second nature to you before exam day. But more importantly, both for the exam room and your career, you're developing invaluable troubleshooting skills.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying knowing the theory of how routers and switches work is unimportant. Quite the opposite - if you don't know networking theory, you're not going to become a CCNA or CCNP. But the ability to apply that knowledge is vital - and the only way you can get that is to work on real Cisco routers and switches. As for these "router simulators" on the market today, ask yourself this simple question: "When I walk into a server room, how many router simulators do I see?"

I often tell students that they'll do their best learning when they screw something up. I've had many a student tell me later that I was right - when they misconfigured frame relay, ISDN, or another CCNA / CCNP technology and then had to fix it themselves, it not only gave them the opportunity to apply their knowledge, but it gave them the confidence to know they could do it.

And you can't put a price on confidence - in the exam room or in the network center!

Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage, home of free CCNA and CCNP tutorials, The Ultimate CCNA Study Package, and Ultimate CCNP Study Packages. For a FREE copy of his latest e-books, "How To Pass The CCNA" and "How To Pass The CCNP", visit the website and download your free copies. You can also get FREE CCNA and CCNP exam questions every day! Pass the CCNA exam with The Bryant Advantage!

Cisco Ccna Certification Exam Tutorial Variance And Unequal Cost Load Balancing

Writen by Chris Bryant

To pass the CCNA exam, you've got to know how to work with IGRP and EIGRP unequal-cost load balancing. You may not see much IGRP in production networks anymore, but you'll see a lot of EIGRP, and part of fine-tuning your EIGRP network is making sure that all paths are in use while allowing for varying bandwidth rates.

Using the variance command is the easy part - it's getting the metric that's the hard part with IGRP. With EIGRP, you just look in the topology table and that's it. With IGRP, you've got to run a debug to get the right metric.

The variance command is a multiplier when the value supplied with the variance command is multiplied by the lowest-cost metric, it must exceed the higher-cost metric in order for the higher-cost route to be added.

If that sounds complicated, it's not. It's one of those things that sounds difficult, but isn't. Trust me!

In this example, R1 has two paths to 172.23.0.0, but is currently using only one. By looking in the IP routing table, we've seen that the lowest-cost metric for network 172.23.0.0 on R1 is 8576. This path goes through the 172.12.123.0 network. There is another valid path that uses the 172.12.13.0 network, but is not currently in use.

I 172.23.0.0/16 [100/8576] via 172.12.123.2, 00:00:53, Serial0

IGRP does not have a "show" command that displays all valid routes to a destination, as does EIGRP. The command debug ip igrp transactions will show the current metric of the routes using the 512 KBPS route.

R1#debug ip igrp transactions

IGRP protocol debugging is on

19:17:51: IGRP: broadcasting request on Loopback0

19:17:51: IGRP: broadcasting request on Serial0

19:17:51: IGRP: broadcasting request on Serial1

19:17:51: IGRP: received update from 172.12.13.3 on Serial1

19:17:51: subnet 172.12.13.0, metric 23531 (neighbor 21531)

19:17:51: subnet 172.12.123.0, metric 23531 (neighbor 8476)

19:17:51: network 1.0.0.0, metric 24031 (neighbor 8976)

19:17:51: network 2.0.0.0, metric 22131 (neighbor 1600)

19:17:51: network 3.0.0.0, metric 22031 (neighbor 501)

19:17:51: network 172.23.0.0, metric 21631 (neighbor 1100)

R1(config)#router igrp 1
R1(config-router)#variance 3
R1#show ip route 172.23.0.0
Routing entry for 172.23.0.0/16
Known via "igrp 1", distance 100, metric 8576
Redistributing via igrp 1
Advertised by igrp 1 (self originated)
Last update from 172.12.123.2 on Serial0, 00:00:01 ago
Routing Descriptor Blocks:
* 172.12.13.3, from 172.12.13.3, 00:00:20 ago, via Serial1
Route metric is 21631, traffic share count is 1
Total delay is 21000 microseconds, minimum bandwidth is 512 Kbit
Reliability 255/255, minimum MTU 1500 bytes
Loading 1/255, Hops 0
172.12.123.3, from 172.12.123.3, 00:00:20 ago, via Serial0
Route metric is 8576, traffic share count is 3
Total delay is 21000 microseconds, minimum bandwidth is 1544 Kbit
Reliability 255/255, minimum MTU 1500 bytes
Loading 1/255, Hops 0
172.12.123.2, from 172.12.123.2, 00:00:01 ago, via Serial0
Route metric is 8576, traffic share count is 3
Total delay is 21000 microseconds, minimum bandwidth is 1544 Kbit
Reliability 255/255, minimum MTU 1500 bytes
Loading 1/255, Hops 0

The metric for 172.23.0.0 through the direct connection is 21631. A variance of 3 means that any route with a metric less than the best metric multiplied by the variance (in this case, 8576 x 3 = 25728) will be entered into the routing table. R1 now has three unequal-cost paths to 172.23.0.0 in its routing table, and load balancing will take place.

IGRP unequal-cost load balancing takes some practice, but as you can see, once you get the metric it's easy to work with. Just make sure you know how to get that metric!

Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage, home of free CCNA and CCNP tutorials, The Ultimate CCNA Study Package, and Ultimate CCNP Study Packages.

You can also join his RSS feed and visit his blog, which is updated several times daily with new Cisco certification articles, free tutorials, and daily CCNA / CCNP exam questions! Details are on the website.

For a FREE copy of his latest e-books, "How To Pass The CCNA" and "How To Pass The CCNP", visit the website and download your free copies. You can also get FREE CCNA and CCNP exam questions every day! Get your CCNA study guide from The Bryant Advantage!

Cisco Ccna Exam Tutorial Igrp And Equal Cost Load Balancing

Writen by Chris Bryant

To pass the CCNA exam, you've got to know the role of the bandwidth command with IGRP and EIGRP and when to use it. In this tutorial, we'll configure IGRP over a frame relay hub-and-spoke network using the following networks:

R1 (the hub), R2, and R3 are running IGRP over the 172.12.123.0 /24 network. This is a T1 line.

R1 and R3 are also connected on a different subnet, 172.12.13.0 /24. The bandwidth of this connection is 512 KBPS.

R2 and R3 are also connected by an Ethernet segment, 172.23.0.0 /16.

We'll configure IGRP on R1, R2, and R3 with the router igrp 1 command. IGRP will run on all interfaces in the 172.12.0.0 and 172.23.0.0 network.

R1#conf t

R1(config)#router igrp 1

R1(config-router)#network 172.12.0.0

The "1" in the router igrp command refers to the Autonomous System (AS). IGRP is a classful routing protocol, so wildcard masks are not used in the network statements.

R2#conf t

R2(config-if)#router igrp 1

R2(config-router)#network 172.12.0.0

R2(config-router)#network 172.23.0.0

R3#conf t

R3(config-if)#router igrp 1

R3(config-router)#network 172.12.0.0

R3(config-router)#network 172.23.0.0

Run show ip route on R1. R1 will see three equal-cost paths to the Ethernet network. IGRP supports load-sharing over up to four equal-cost paths by default, so all three paths appear in the routing table. R1 will also see a route to the loopback address on R2 and two routes to the loopback address on R3. (You can also run show ip route igrp in order to see only the IGRP routes.)

R1#show ip route igrp

I 172.23.0.0/16 [100/8576] via 172.12.123.2, 00:00:02, Serial0

[100/8576] via 172.12.13.3, 00:00:02, Serial1

[100/8576] via 172.12.123.3, 00:00:01, Serial0

Remember that the numbers in the brackets following the network number in the routes are the Administrative Distance and the IGRP metric, in that order.

Note that classful masks are in use. IGRP does not support variable-length subnet masks (VLSM).

There are two serial connections between R1 and R3. IGRP is assuming that both lines are T1 lines, running at 1544 KBPS. The 172.12.13.0 network is participating in equal-cost load sharing because of IGRP's bandwidth assumption - that all serial interfaces are connected to T1 lines.

To give IGRP a more accurate picture of the network's bandwidth, configure bandwidth 512 on R1 and R3's Serial1 interface (the interfaces on the 172.12.13.0 network).

R1#conf t

R1(config)#interface serial1

R1(config-if)#bandwidth 512

R3#conf t

R3(config)#interface serial 1

R3(config-if)#bandwidth 512

IGRP's assumption that all serial lines run at 1544 KBPS is overridden by the bandwidth 512 command. IGRP now believes this line runs at 512 KBPS.

To see the effect of this command, clear your routing table on R1.

R1#clear ip route *

R1#show ip route igrp

I 172.23.0.0/16 [100/8576] via 172.12.123.3, 00:00:24, Serial0/0

[100/8576] via 172.12.123.2, 00:00:17, Serial0/0

The routing table is cleared with clear ip route *. To see only the routes received in IGRP updates instead of the entire table, run show ip route igrp.

One of the paths to 172.23.0.0 is now gone - the route that went through the 172.12.13.0 network. Now that IGRP sees that link as slower than the others, equal-cost load balancing will not occur over the 172.12.13.0 network.

It's important to understand that the bandwidth command does not actually change the bandwidth of the connection; it changes IGRP's assumption of what the bandwidth is.

In the next part of this IGRP load-balancing tutorial, we'll take a look at how to configure unequal-cost load balancing.

Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage, home of free CCNA and CCNP tutorials, The Ultimate CCNA Study Package, and Ultimate CCNP Study Packages.

You can also join his RSS feed and visit his blog, which is updated several times daily with new Cisco certification articles, free tutorials, and daily CCNA / CCNP exam questions! Details are on the website.

For a FREE copy of his latest e-books, "How To Pass The CCNA" and "How To Pass The CCNP", visit the website and download your free copies. You can also get FREE CCNA and CCNP exam questions every day! Get your CCNA study guide from The Bryant Advantage!

Cisco Ccnp Bcsi Exam Tutorial Broadcasts And The Ip Helperaddress Command

Writen by Chris Bryant

While routers accept and generate broadcasts, they do not forward them. This can be quite a problem when a broadcast needs to get to a device such as a DHCP or TFTP server that's on one side of a router with other subnets on the other side.

If a PC attempts to locate a DNS server with a broadcast, the broadcast will be stopped by the router and will never get to the DNS server. By configuring the ip helper-address command on the router, UDP broadcasts such as this will be translated into a unicast by the router, making the communication possible. The command should be configured on the interface that will be receiving the broadcasts.

R1(config)#int e0

R1(config-if)#ip helper-address ?

A.B.C.D IP destination address

R1(config-if)#ip helper-address 100.1.1.2

Now, you may be wondering if this command covers all UDP services. Sorry, you're not getting off that easy! The command does forward eight common UDP service broadcasts, though.

TIME, port 37

TACACS, port 49

DNS, port 53

BOOTP/DHCP Server, port 67

BOOTP/DHCP Client, port 68

TFTP, port 69

NetBIOS name service, port 137

NetBIOS datagram service, port 138

That's going to cover most scenarios where the ip helper-address command will be useful, but what about those situations where the broadcast you need forwarded is not on this list? You can use the ip forward-protocol command to add any UDP port number to the list.

Additionally, to remove protocols from the default list, use the no ip forward-protocol command. In the following example, we'll add the Network Time Protocol port to the forwarding list while removing the NetBIOS ports. Remember, you can use IOS Help to get a list of commonly filtered ports!

R1(config)#ip forward-protocol udp ?

<0-65535> Port number

biff Biff (mail notification, comsat, 512)

bootpc Bootstrap Protocol (BOOTP) client (68)

bootps Bootstrap Protocol (BOOTP) server (67)

discard Discard (9)

dnsix DNSIX security protocol auditing (195)

domain Domain Name Service (DNS, 53)

echo Echo (7)

isakmp Internet Security Association and Key Management Protocol (500)

mobile-ip Mobile IP registration (434)

nameserver IEN116 name service (obsolete, 42)

netbios-dgm NetBios datagram service (138)

netbios-ns NetBios name service (137)

netbios-ss NetBios session service (139)

ntp Network Time Protocol (123)

pim-auto-rp PIM Auto-RP (496)

rip Routing Information Protocol (router, in.routed, 520)

snmp Simple Network Management Protocol (161)

snmptrap SNMP Traps (162)

sunrpc Sun Remote Procedure Call (111)

syslog System Logger (514)

tacacs TAC Access Control System (49)

talk Talk (517)

tftp Trivial File Transfer Protocol (69)

time Time (37)

who Who service (rwho, 513)

xdmcp X Display Manager Control Protocol (177)

R1(config)#ip forward-protocol udp 123

R1(config)#no ip forward-protocol udp 137

R1(config)#no ip forward-protocol udp 138 As you can see, the ip helper-address command helps work around the fact that broadcasts aren't forwarded by routers by default, and if you just need to send one or two broadcast types, the other types can be turned off easily.

Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage, home of free CCNP and CCNA tutorials, The Ultimate CCNA Study Package, and Ultimate CCNP Study Packages.

You can also join his RSS feed and visit his blog, which is updated several times daily with new Cisco certification articles, free tutorials, and daily CCNA / CCNP exam questions! Details are on the website.

For a FREE copy of his latest e-books, "How To Pass The CCNA" and "How To Pass The CCNP", just visit the website! You can also get FREE CCNA and CCNP exam questions every day! Pass the CCNP exam with The Bryant Advantage!

The Brief History Of Cisco Certifications

Writen by Natalie Aranda

Even young people can remember the old days when network administrators were more often associated for being the person sitting next to a computer system rather than for specific abilities of proficiency. In those early days, CCNA Certification or CCNA training were concepts totally ignored by most small-to-medium businesses, and they never asked a network administrator to apply for a CCNA course.

In fact during long time, many office managers just learned a few computer tricks to qualify as network administrator because a Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) was only known as inter networking became more complex. The increasingly sophistication in design and equipment requiring IT professionals.

CCNA training begin to be considered essential when the business world found that only the labor of a pool consisting of qualified technicians could handle common problems and new challenges resulting from the evolving of new technologies. A CCNA course was synonym of the knowledge and skills accrediting IT personal.

As the time went by, all major vendors of computer software and hardware started to develop their own certification programs with the customers in mind. CCNA Certification become necessary to ensure providing them with people up to date with the technology, to help customers implement their products.

This way, Cisco certifications began with the offer of the Cisco Certified Inter networking Engineer (CCIE), which was a extremely difficult level of certification, as the only CCNA course available during that time. Such CCNA Certification usually required several years of experience and thousands of dollars.

CCNA training consisted of torturous lab practical, needing multiple attempts at the exam, in order to pass. CCIE Certification still require the same level of experience, practice and the rigorous nature of the exam that only a few candidates actually pass, but Cisco has developed intermediate levels of certification nowadays.

CCNA Certification can be acquired applying for a CCNA course designed for those who want to be identified as Cisco-knowledgeable technicians to improve their opportunities to develop an IT career or integrate themselves to the growing demand for computer-related jobs.

It is a well known fact that a college degree in any field cannot guarantee employment, if the person holding a college diploma is not capable of doing properly the job, regardless any advanced degree. In networking, a traditional college four-year degree in Computer Science may be obsolete by graduation day due the constantly shifting nature of technology.

Cisco has worked very hard through its history to make sure any CCNA Certification, CCNA training or CCNA course retain its real worth and prestige in the marketplace.

Natalie Aranda writes about CBT and IT certifications. CCNA Certification can be acquired applying for a CCNA course designed for those who want to be identified as Cisco-knowledgeable technicians to improve their opportunities to develop an IT career or integrate themselves to the growing demand for computer-related jobs. Learnkey offers expert on-demand training solutions, bringing software to educate you at home, school or office via PC. This vendor has helped thousands of people achieve their certification goals, through the use of critical software and related technology, including MCSE, MCSA, Cisco, MCDBA, MOS and Wireless.

Cisco Ccnp Bsci Exam Tutorial Isis Router Types

Writen by Chris Bryant

To pass the BSCI exam and earn your CCNP, you've got to know ISIS inside and out. There are many similarities between ISIS and OSPF, but one major difference is that ISIS has three different types of routers - Level 1 (L1), Level 2 (L2), and L1/L2.

L1 routers are contained in a single area, and are connected to other areas by an L1/L2 router. The L1 uses the L1/L2 router as a default gateway to reach destinations contained in other areas, much like an OSPF stub router uses the ABR as a default gateway.

L1 routers have no specific routing table entries regarding any destination outside their own area; they will use an L1/L2 router as a default gateway to reach any external networks. ISIS L1 routers in the same area must synchronize their databases with each other.

Just as we have L1 routers, we also have L2 routers. Anytime we're routing between areas (inter-area routing), an L2 or L1/L2 router must be involved. All L2 routers will have synchronized databases as well.

Both L1 and L2 routers send out their own hellos. As with OSPF, hello packets allow ISIS routers to form adjacencies. The key difference here is that L1 routers send out L1 hellos, and L2 routers send out L2 hellos. If you have an L1 router and an L2 router on the same link, they will not form an adjacency.

An ISIS router can act as an L1 and an L2 router at the same time; these routers are L1/L2 routers. An L1/L2 router can have neighbors in separate ISIS areas. The L1/L2 router will have two separate databases, though - one for L1 routes and another for L2 routes. L1/L2 is the default setting for Cisco routers running ISIS. The L1/L2 router is the router that makes it possible for an L1 router to send data to another area.

In the next part of my ISIS tutorial, we'll take a more detailed look at those ISIS hellos!

Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage, home of free CCNA and CCNP tutorials, The Ultimate CCNA Study Package, and Ultimate CCNP Study Packages.

You can also join his RSS feed and visit his blog, which is updated several times daily with new Cisco certification articles, free tutorials, and daily CCNA / CCNP exam questions! Details are on the website.

For a FREE copy of his latest e-books, "How To Pass The CCNA" and "How To Pass The CCNP", visit the website and download your free copies. You can also get FREE CCNA and CCNP exam questions every day! Get your CCNA study guide from The Bryant Advantage!

Cisco Ccnp Bcmsn Exam Tutorial Dynamic Trunking Protocol Dtp

Writen by Chris Bryant

When you're studying to pass the BCMSN exam on the way to earning your CCNP certification, you're going to add to your CCNA knowledgebase every step of the way. Nowhere is that more than configuring a trunk between two switches.

You know that IEEE 802.1Q ("dot1q") and ISL are your two choices of trunking protocols, and you know the main differences between the two. What you might not have known is that there's a third trunking protocol that's running between your Cisco switches, and while it's a transparent process to many, you had better know about it for your BCMSN and other CCNP exams!

The Cisco-proprietary Dynamic Trunking Protocol (DTP) actively attempts to negotiate a trunk link with the remote switch. This sounds great, but there is a cost in overhead - DTP frames are transmitted every 30 seconds. If you decide to configure a port as a non-negotiable trunk port, there's no need for the port to send DTP frames.

DTP can be turned off at the interface level with the switchport nonegotiate command, but as you see below, you cannot turn DTP off until the port is no longer in dynamic desirable trunking mode. (Dynamic desirable is the default mode for most Cisco switch ports.)

SW2(config)#int fast 0/8

SW2(config-if)#switchport nonegotiate

Command rejected: Conflict between 'nonegotiate' and 'dynamic' status.

SW2(config-if)#switchport mode ?

access Set trunking mode to ACCESS unconditionally

dynamic Set trunking mode to dynamically negotiate access or trunk mode

trunk Set trunking mode to TRUNK unconditionally

SW2(config-if)#switchport mode trunk

SW2(config-if)#switchport nonegotiate

When you're working with Cisco switches in a home lab or rack rental environment, run IOS Help regularly to see what options are available for the commands you're practicing with. Cisco switch ports have quite a few options, and the best way to find them is with one simple symbol - the question mark!

Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage, home of free CCNP and CCNA tutorials, The Ultimate CCNA Study Package, and Ultimate CCNP Study Packages. For a FREE copy of his latest e-books, "How To Pass The CCNA" and "How To Pass The CCNP", just visit the website! You can also get FREE CCNA and CCNP exam questions every day! Pass the CCNP exam with The Bryant Advantage!

The Advantages Of Official Microsoft And Cisco Certification Training Courses

Writen by Groshan Fabiola

Lots of aspirants in design and network management channel all their efforts in order to obtain highly recognized certifications such as MCSE (Microsoft Certified System Engineer) and MCSA (Microsoft Certified System Administrator). These world-recognized certifications are much desired, as they can easily make the difference between a prosperous, lucrative career in designand an average, low-rewarding job as a programmer. Most people would do anything to obtain such world-recognized certifications and they invest lots of money and time in the process, with little or no prospect of ever achieving their goals.

There are thousands of scammers on the Internet who commonly lure people into buying various second-hand tutorials and self-study oriented training programs, promising great results with minimal effort. However, there are also many solid, reliable websites on the World Wide Web that provide students with elaborate, well-structured and comprehensive materials, facilitating the process of learning and guaranteeing success. Considering this fact, it is very important to distinguish between average speculants and professional websites that actually provide effective MCSE and MCSA training programs.

If your time allows it, consider attending to a short classroom training course instead of using self-study oriented programs. There are websites that offer advanced MCSE and MCSA accelerated training courses, laboratories and seminaries, taught by well-trained, experienced professionals. Such classes are far superior to self-training programs, as they involve active participation, better comprehension and learning, stimulating students' thinking and enhancing their overall skills. By participating to a 14-day official MCSE and MCSA training course, one is able to rapidly assimilate vital information regarding solution design and network management with the help of well-trained professionals. In addition, such training programs allow students to acquire a complete set of practical abilities that will help them in their future careers. Official MCSE and MCSA training programs guarantee graduates acceptance in the best companies of the w orld!

Similar to MCSE and MCSA, CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate) and CCIE (Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert) certifications are also highly requested in present. There are various professional training centers that offer people the opportunity to participate to elaborate CCNA and CCIE training programs in exchange for a reasonable sum of money. By attending a five or six-day CCNA and CCIE training course, students can quickly familiarize themselves with latest Cisco technologies and hardware. During CCNA and CCIE training sessions , attending students receive constant support and feed-back from well-trained professionals. Such training courses are not only focused on theory; they are also aimed at forming and enhancing students' practical skills regarding various aspects of Cisco technologies and hardware. Thousands of graduates recommend professional CCNA and CCIE training courses to people who wish to build a solid, successful c areer in the field.

So if you want to find out valuable information about MCSE training or CCNA training, or even CCIE training, please follow these links, they will direct you to the safest way to take your courses.

Boost Your Career And Benefit From A Microsoft Certification Or Two Or Three

Writen by James Croydon

You went to college and thought you were prepared for the job market. If you are going for entry-level work, yeah, you are prepared. However, to really get ahead, you need Microsoft certification, whether it is an MCP, MCSA, MCSE or any other string of letters. Quite a few people will go for multiple certifications to broaden their experience and scope of possible job opportunities.

Some of the Microsoft certifications require you have to have at least one year of practical experience in order to pursue a certification, namely an MCSE or Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer. It is important to have that experience that these certain certifications require because the training, like the MCSE training and the MCSE exams that follow, are very intense. In fact, some people will not only partake of the standard MCSE training, but also MCSE boot camps for more in-depth studies into their certification.

One standard benefit to having a Microsoft certification is that it is a great basic means of analyzing the aptitude of an employee. If you are a manager or owner in a business, you want some way to evaluate that employee's skills. And if you are the employee, you know that your boss recognizes your abilities.

If you are on the hunt for a new job, then potential hiring managers and employers have a basis in which to assess your qualifications. Without that Microsoft certification on your resume, these employers would have no idea about your skills and most likely would consider someone else, someone with a certification, for the position you were aiming for.

If you do not have much hands-on experience in your field, but you do have the Microsoft certification to prove that you know the material, you would also have a leg up on anyone else applying for the same position that may have more hands-on experience, but no certification. For some reason, that certification, those little string of letters like MCP or MCSE, hold a lot of power.

Yet another benefit to holding a Microsoft certification or two is the money aspect of it all. Sure, you shelled out some major bucks to fund your education in those MCP courses or that MCSE training, but consider it an investment in yourself. With certification, you can bargain a higher salary and even reimbursement for your training!

Many professionals in the IT field or in a company in which you work in an IT department could benefit from Microsoft certification. Do you work as an Administrator for a network, mail or web server? Are you involved in the security of networks and the internet? Any of those positions and much more benefit with additional training and certification. Just think money! It is the biggest motivator. The more you know and can bring to a position, the more money you stand to make.

So think about going for your MCSE or MCP certification or any number of others available. More training; more knowledge; more money ... sounds like a no-brainer! Go nuts and get certified today!

James Croydon, Microsoft Certified Professional and MCSE Certification Courses advisor - focusing on MCSE Certification and MCSE Online