Microsoft Certification The New Mcts Tracks And Exams

Writen by Chris Bryant

Microsoft is revamping its certification tracks, and will eventually retire the familiar MCSE certificatons. The new certification setup is much like Cisco's, where there are specialist certifications to go along with the more general CCNA, then mid-level certifications such as the CCNP, and then a more-advanced practical exam modeled somewhat after the coveted CCIE certification.

Microsoft's new specialist exams are the Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) exams. As of March 2006, there were five separate MCTS Tracks. Three of them deal with .NET Framework 2.0; these are the Web Application, Windows Applications, and Distributed Applications certifications. Each of these separate certifications requires the candidate to pass two exams. There is also a one-exam SQL Server 2005 certification, as well as a BizTalk Server 2006 single-exam certification.

The initial question is "Why is Microsoft doing this?" According to their website, MS feels that IT hiring managers today have a tough time deciding which computer certifications best identify job candidates who best meet their needs. I know it's easy to take verbal shots at Microsoft (it'll be an Olympic sport one day), but this new series of certs does have appeal for hiring managers, which can only help qualified candidates. Instead of the more-general MCSE, which does still suffer from the overcertification of NT 4.0 MCSEs back in the day, these more-specific certifications will make it easier for the job candidate to prove that they can do the job - and easier for the hiring manager to make an informed decision.

Microsoft hasn't announced the track that will eventually replace the MCSE, but this track will be revealed with the next client-server Windows release. It's up to you to stay informed of these changes, so I recommend you visit Microsoft's certification website often. "I didn't know" isn't much help once a certification expires!

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!

Hospital in Tennessee Thailand Hotels

Cisco Ccna Ccnp Certification Exam Frame Relay Encapsulation Types

Writen by Chris Bryant

When you're studying to pass the Cisco CCNA and CCNP certification exams, you quickly learn that there's always something else to learn. (You'll really pick up on this in your CCIE studies, trust me!) Today we'll take a look at an often-overlooked topic in Frame Relay, the encapsulation type. You don't exactly change this on a daily basis in production networks (not if you want to stay employed, anyway!), but it's an important exam topic that you must be familiar with.

The DCE and DTE must agree on the LMI type, but there's another value that must be agreed upon by the two DTEs serving as the endpoints of the VC. The Frame encapsulation can be left at the default of Cisco (which is Cisco-proprietary), or it can be changed to the industry-standard IETF, as shown below. If a non-Cisco router is the remote endpoint, IETF encapsulation must be used. Note that the default of Cisco isn't listed as an option by IOS Help, so you better know that one by heart!

R1(config)#int s0

R1(config-if)#encap frame ?

ietf Use RFC1490/RFC2427 encapsulation

R1(config-if)#encap frame ietf

What if a physical interface is in use and some remote hosts require Cisco encapsulation and others require IETF? The encapsulation type can be configured on a per-PVC basis as well. One encap type can be used on the interface, and any map statements that require a different encap type can have that specified in the appropriate map statement. In the following example, all PVCs will use the default Cisco encapsulation type except for PVC 115. The frame map statement using that PVC has ietf specified.

R1(config)#int s0/0

R1(config-if)#encap frame

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

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

show frame map shows us that the mapping to DLCI 123 is using Cisco encapsulation, and DLCI 122 is using IETF.

R1#show frame map

Serial0 (up): ip 172.12.123.3 dlci 123(0x7B,0x1CB0), static

broadcast, CISCO, status defined, active

Serial0 (up): ip 172.12.123.2 dlci 122(0x7B,0x1CB0), static

broadcast, ietf, status defined, active

Just remember that Cisco is the default, and all PVCs will use Cisco unless you specify IETF in the frame map statement itself. You could also change the entire interface to use IETF for all mappings with the frame-relay encapsulation IETF command. For Cisco exams, as well as work on production networks, it's always a good idea to know more than one way to do something!

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

Hospital in Tennessee Thailand Hotels

Cisco Ccnp Bcmsn Exam Tutorial Switches Qos And Ciscos Networking Model

Writen by Chris Bryant

QoS is a big topic on your BCMSN and CCNP exams, and for good reason. As more and more traffic flows through today's networks, accurately applying QoS to both your routers and switches becomes more important.

Note the phrase "accurately applying". You must have a plan in place before you start configuring QoS on your switches, and to create such a plan you should use Cisco's Three-layer Hierarchical Model.

This model breaks switches down into three main groups - Access, Distribution, and Core. You're familiar with these groups from your CCNA studies, and now you've got to apply this knowledge.

The QoS workload should be borne by the Access and Distribution layers, because the Core layer switches need to be left alone as much as possible to their primary purpose - switching!

Traffic should generally be classified and marked at the Access layer. This allows traffic to be assigned the desired QoS values and carry that value throughout the network.

If you choose to change CoS-DSCP mappings, this will generally be done at the Distribution layer. Since distribution layer switches will be receiving frames and packets with QoS values from the access layer switches, the appropriate "trust" and "no trust" statements should be configured on the appropriate distribution layer switches.

Any traffic received by core switches should already be classified and marked as needed. The key with core switches is to use a simple queuing setup to keep the switching process fast. Fast, fast, fast!

Real-world note - Low Latency Queuing (LLQ) is an excellent choice for core switches. The name says it all - low latency! The configuration of LLQ is not a BCMSN topic, but a quick search on the term low latency queuing will quickly bring up several Cisco LLQ configuration documents.

Knowing the three layers of Cisco's networking model and the basic QoS operation and commands is vital to passing the CCNP exams, but even more importantly, you've got to apply this knowledge carefully and accurately to make QoS work for you in today's production networks.

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!

Hospital in Tennessee Thailand Hotels

Cisco Ccnp Bsci Exam Tutorial Ospf Route Redistribution Review

Writen by Chris Bryant

OSPF route redistribution is an important topic on the BSCI exam, and it's a topic full of details and defaults that you need to know for the exam room and the job. To help you pass the BSCI exam, here's a quick review of some of the OSPF route redistribution basics.

To see if a router is an ABR or ASBR, run show ip ospf. This also displays any routes being redistributed into OSPF on this router.

R1#show ip ospf

Routing Process "ospf 1" with ID 1.1.1.1

Supports only single TOS(TOS0) routes

Supports opaque LSA

It is an area border and autonomous system boundary router

Redistributing External Routes from,

connected, includes subnets in redistribution

rip, includes subnets in redistribution

When redistributing RIP into OSPF, the "subnets" option is needed to include subnets in redistribution. When redistributing OSPF into RIP, a seed metric must be specified. (OSPF gives redistributed routes a default metric of 20 – this can be changed, but a seed metric does not have to be set.)

R1(config)#router ospf 1

R1(config-router)#redistribute connected

% Only classful networks will be redistributed

R1(config-router)#redistribute connected subnets

R1(config-router)#redistribute rip subnets

R1(config-router)#router rip

R1(config-router)#redistribute connected metric 1

R1(config-router)#redistribute ospf 1 metric 1

By default, routes redistributed into OSPF are marked as E2 routes. The metric for these routes reflects only the cost of the path from the ASBR to the destination network and does not include the cost of the path from the local router to the ASBR. By contrast, E1 routes include the cost of the entire path from the local router to the destination network.

O E2 5.1.1.1 [110/20] via 172.34.34.3, 00:33:21, Ethernet0

6.0.0.0/32 is subnetted, 1 subnets

O E2 6.1.1.1 [110/20] via 172.34.34.3, 00:33:21, Ethernet0

172.12.0.0/16 is variably subnetted, 2 subnets, 2 masks

O E2 172.12.21.0/30 [110/20] via 172.34.34.3, 00:33:32, Ethernet0

O E2 7.1.1.1 [110/20] via 172.34.34.3, 00:33:21, Ethernet0

15.0.0.0/24 is subnetted, 1 subnets

O E2 15.1.1.0 [110/20] via 172.34.34.3, 00:33:32, Ethernet0

To redistribute routes into OSPF and mark them as E1 upon redistribution, use the metric-type option with the redistribution command.

R1(config)#router ospf 1

R1(config-router)#redistribute rip subnets metric-type ?

1 Set OSPF External Type 1 metrics

2 Set OSPF External Type 2 metrics

R1(config-router)#redistribute rip subnets metric-type 1

Look at the same two routes in R4's routing table, which are now displayed as E1 routes:

O E1 5.1.1.1 [110/94] via 172.34.34.3, 00:04:13, Ethernet0

6.0.0.0/32 is subnetted, 1 subnets

O E1 6.1.1.1 [110/94] via 172.34.34.3, 00:04:14, Ethernet0

BSCI exam success and earning your CCNP certification depends on knowing the details, and there are plenty of details involved in OSPF route redistribution! Keep studying, practice different scenarios in your CCNA / CCNP home lab or rack rental, and you'll master these details and pass the exam!

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!

Hospital in Tennessee Thailand Hotels

Four Important Commands For Your Ccna Ccnp Home Lab

Writen by Chris Bryant

More CCNA and CCNP candidates than ever before are putting together their own home practice labs. It's more affordable than it ever has been, and I receive emails daily from new CCNAs and CCNPs who say it's the best thing they could have done to improve their studies.

There are some commands you can configure on your lab routers that won't necessarily be on your CCNA or CCNP exams, but they will make life a lot easier for you. Let's take a look at just a few of these.

The command "no exec" is short, yet powerful. Occasionally you'll have what is referred to as a "rogue EXEC" process tie up a line, and you end up having to continually clear lines, which disrupts your practice. If you have an access server, I highly recommend you configure this command on your lines, as shown here:

ACCESS_SERVER(con)#line 1 8

ACCESS_SERVER(con)#no exec

From your CCNA studies, you know that the command "no ip domain-lookup" prevents a Cisco router from sending a broadcast to find a DNS server anytime you enter something that is not an IOS command - and that includes mistyped commands, which happens to all of us sooner or later. Make sure to run that command in global configuration mode on all your practice routers.

There are two commands I like to configure on the console line on all my practice routers and switches. The first is "exec-timeout 0 0", which prevents you from being kicked out of enable mode and back into user exec after a few minutes of inactivity. (This doesn't sound like much, but you'll get pretty tired of typing "enable" after a while.) The first zero refers to minutes, the second zero to seconds. Setting them both to zero disables the exec-timeout function.

The second command prevents the router from interrupting the command you're typing with a console message. If you've ever been in the middle of typing a router command and suddenly you're interrupted with a logging message, you know that can be pretty annoying. We don't want the router to not display the message, but we do want the router to wait until we're done entering data. The command to perform this is "logging synchronous".

R1(config)#line console 0

R1(config-line)#exec-timeout 0 0

R1(config-line)#logging synchronous

You won't see many of these commands on your exams, but after you configure them on your home lab devices, you'll wonder how you did without them!

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!

Hospital in Alabama Thailand Hotels Booking

Cisco Ccnp Bsci Tutorial The Bgp Attribute Next Hop

Writen by Chris Bryant

When you're studying for the BSCI exam on the way to earning your CCNP certification, you've got to master the use of BGP attributes. These attributes allow you to manipulate the path or paths that BGP will use to reach a given destination when multiple paths to that destination exist.

In this free BGP tutorial, we're going to take a look at the NEXT_HOP attribute. You may be thinking "hey, how complicated can this attribute be?" It's not very complicated at all, but this being Cisco, there's got to be at least one unusual detail about it, right?

The NEXT_HOP attribute is simple enough - this attribute indicates the next-hop IP address that should be taken to reach a destination. In the following example, R1 is a hub router and R2 and R3 are spokes. All three routers are in BGP AS 100, with R1 having a peer relationship with both R2 and R3. There is no BGP peering between R2 and R3.

R3 is advertising the network 33.3.0.0 /24 via BGP, and the value of the next-hop attribute on R1 is the IP address on R3 that is used in the peer relationship, 172.12.123.3.

The issue with the next-hop attribute comes in when the route is advertised to BGP peers. If R3 were in a separate AS from R1 and R2, R1 would then advertise the route to R2 with the next-hop attribute set to 172.12.123.3. When a BGP speaker advertises a route to iBGP peers that was originally learned from an eBGP peer, the next-hop value is retained.

Here, all three routers are in AS 100. What will the next-hop attribute be set to when R1 advertises the route to its iBGP neighbor R2?

R2#show ip bgp

< no output >

There will be no next-hop attribute for the route on R2, because the route will not appear on R2. By default, a BGP speaker will not advertise a route to iBGP neighbors if the route was first learned from another iBGP neighbor.

Luckily for us, there are several ways around this rule. The most common is the use of route reflectors, and we'll look at RRs in a future free BGP tutorial.

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!

Hospital in Alabama Thailand Hotels Booking

Cisco Ccnp Bsci Exam Tutorial Configuring And Troubleshooting Ospf Virtual Links

Writen by Chris Bryant

Knowing when and how to create an OSPF virtual link is an essential skill for BSCI and CCNP exam success, not to mention how important it can be on your job! As a CCNA and CCNP candidate, you know the theory of virtual links, so let's take a look at how to configure a virtual link, as well as some real-world tips that many CCNA and CCNP study guides leave out!

In this configuration, no router with an interface in Area 4 has a physical interface in Area 0. This means a logical connection to Area 0, a virtual link, must be built.

In the following example, R1 and R3 are adjacent and both have interfaces in Area 0. R4 has an adjacency with R3 via Area 34, but R4 has no physical interface in Area 0 and is advertising its loopback 4.4.4.4 into OSPF. R1 doesn't have the route to that loopback.

R1#show ip route ospf

6.0.0.0/32 is subnetted, 1 subnets

O 6.6.6.6 [110/11] via 10.1.1.5, 01:05:45, Ethernet0

172.23.0.0/27 is subnetted, 1 subnets

O IA 172.23.23.0 [110/74] via 172.12.123.3, 00:04:14, Serial0

7.0.0.0/32 is subnetted, 1 subnets

O 7.7.7.7 [110/11] via 10.1.1.5, 01:05:45, Ethernet0

To resolve this, a virtual link will be built between R3 and R4 through Area 34. The area through which the virtual link is built, the transit area, cannot be a stub area of any kind.

R4(config)#router ospf 1

R4(config-router)#area 34 virtual-link 3.3.3.3

R3(config)#router ospf 1

2d07h: %OSPF-4-ERRRCV: Received invalid packet: mismatch area ID, from backbone area must be virtual-link but not found from 172.23.23.4, Ethernet0

R3(config)#router ospf 1

R3(config-router)#area 34 virtual-link 4.4.4.4

R3(config-router)#^Z

2d07h: %OSPF-5-ADJCHG: Process 1, Nbr 4.4.4.4 on OSPF_VL0 from LOADING to FULL, Loading Done

A few details worth noting... the virtual link command uses the remote device's RID, not necessarily the IP address on the interface that's in the transit area. Also, don't worry about that error message you see in the output from R3 that is normal and you'll see it until you finish building the virtual link.

Always confirm the virtual link with show ip ospf virtual-link. If you've configured it correctly, the VL should come up in a matter of seconds.

R3#show ip ospf virtual-link

Virtual Link OSPF_VL0 to router 4.4.4.4 is up

Run as demand circuit

DoNotAge LSA allowed.

Transit area 34, via interface Ethernet0, Cost of using 10

Transmit Delay is 1 sec, State POINT_TO_POINT,

Timer intervals configured, Hello 10, Dead 40, Wait 40, Retransmit 5

Hello due in 00:00:00

Adjacency State FULL (Hello suppressed)

Index 2/4, retransmission queue length 1, number of retransmission 1

First 0x2C8F8E(15)/0x0(0) Next 0x2C8F8E(15)/0x0(0)

Last retransmission scan length is 1, maximum is 1

Last retransmission scan time is 0 msec, maximum is 0 msec

Link State retransmission due in 3044 msec

Virtual links are actually simple to configure, but for some reason they seem to intimidate people. It's my experience that the error message highlighted in R3's output above causes a lot of panic, but the only thing that message means is that you're not finished configuring the virtual link yet.

There are three main misconfigurations that cause 99% of virtual link configuration issues:

Using the wrong OSPF RID value

Trying to use a stub area as the transit area

Failure to configure link authentication on the virtual link when Area 0 is running authentication

That last one is the one that gets forgotten! A virtual link is really an extension of Area 0, and if Area 0 is running link authentication, the virtual link must be configured for it as well. Pay attention to the details. don't panic when you see the error message on the second router you configure with the virtual link, and you'll be ready for any virtual link situation on the job or in the CCNA / CCNP exam room!

Hospital in Alabama Thailand Hotels Booking

Cisco Ccna Certification Exam Tutorial The Config Register And Password Recovery

Writen by Chris Bryant

Whether you're preparing for the CCNA certification exam or not, you must be prepared for the following question:

"Hey, I reloaded this router and it wants an enable password. Do you know it?"

Because if you don't, and there's no one available who does, you need to perform a password recovery technique on the router - without erasing the current configuration. This involves manipulating the config register, and a misstep here can be fatal to the router's chances of recovery!

Obviously, that can make you pretty nervous about changing the config register, CCNA or not. Different Cisco routers and switches have different techniques for password recovery, so the following discussion is limited to the 2500 series. If you need to do this for another model, do a quick search engine check for "password recovery cisco" and you should quickly find a document for the Cisco router you're working with.

For the 2500 series, you start by reloading the router and sending a BREAK signal during the first 60 seconds of the reload. Depending on the terminal program you're using, this can be the hardest part of the entire process! For most, just press CTRL-BREAK during this one-minute period. If this doesn't work, you may need to check Help in your terminal program to find out how to send this break signal.

As a result of the break sequence, the router will go into ROM Monitor mode. The commands here are totally different than the ones you're used to working with in the router's IOS. Use the command o/r 0x2142 to change the config register setting, and reload the router by entering the letter "i".

This config register setting doesn't erase anything, but it does make the router ignore the contents of NVRAM. This means that you'll be prompted to go into the dreaded Setup Mode, which you do NOT want to do. Simply press "N" and type "enable" when you're at the router prompt. (If you do go into Setup Mode, you can always get out with CTRL-C, a handy command to know for the CCNA exam and for real life, as you can see!)

Be very careful with the next step. You want to enter the command "configure memory" or "copy start run" at this point - don't enter "write memory" or "copy run start". Success on the CCNA exam and in working with real-world networks is all about the details, and this is a very important detail.

At this point, you can look at the running configuration and see the passwords, and change them if you wish. However, we're not done. The config register needs to be set back to its default of 0x2102, and you do so with the global command "config-register 0x2102". Now you want to save your config with "write memory" or "copy run start", and reload the router. The router will now boot as it normally would.

Knowing how to recover from a lost password is a vital skill for both the Cisco CCNA certification exam and for success in real-world networks. It's not something we have to do every day, but when the time calls for it, we have to do it correctly and completely - and that includes that final config-register change!

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!

Hospital in Alabama Thailand Hotels Booking

Securing Your Future And Your Network With Ciscos Ccsp Certification

Writen by Chris Bryant

You don't need me to tell you that security is the #1 concern in today's networks. With that in mind, your career path must include some security certifications, or you will be left behind.

Cisco's Cisco Certified Security Professional (CCSP) certification demands a candidate be well-rounded and well-versed in Cisco security measures. Besides the difficultly we've all come to expect from a Cisco exam, this five-exam path covers every major aspect of network security (from Cisco's viewpoint, anyway!)

You must hold a valid CCNA certification to earn your CCSP. Typically, the first exam CCSP candidates take is Securing Networks With Cisco Routers An Switches (SNRS), followed by Securing Cisco Network Devices (SND). After you've nailed these two exams, which obviously focus on devices more familiar to CCNAs and CCNPs, you'll be faced with three exams that are more specific to Cisco security devices.

Your PIX knowledge will be tested with the Securing Networks With PIX and ASA (SNPA) exam, followed by the Implementing Cisco Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) exam.

In October 2005, the final exam is scheduled to change from a VPN exam (CSVPN, Cisco Secure Virtual Private Networks) to Securing Hosts Using Cisco Security Agent (HIPS). If you're just getting started on the CCSP track, you'll be taking the HIPS exam. (Insert your own joke here.)

The CCSP is valid for three years; to recertify, you'll need to pass the 642-541 CSI exam or any CCIE written exam. As always, this is subject to change, and you should bookmark Cisco's Learning page (found off the main Cisco webpage) to make sure you're aware of the latest changes to Cisco certification and recertification requirements.

Not only must you know how to secure your network, you also need to secure your current job and the possibilities for your future. By pursuing and obtaining the CCSP, you will do all three at once.

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!

medical health hospital

Cisco Certification Building Your Home Lab Part Ii

Writen by Chris Bryant

In the first part of this home lab tutorial, CCNA and CCNP candidates can see that there are a LOT of choices when it comes to what to buy to build your own Cisco practice lab.

Having been there myself, I know it's confusing to decide how many routers or switches to buy, and what I need at the minimum to run labs and get some great hands-on practice. Let's take a look at some lab configurations and some other lab equipment you may need.

A starter practice lab will consist of two Cisco routers and one switch, hopefully a 2950. This is a good way to get started. You will need to make sure that the routers you purchase have Ethernet ports, and at least one serial port. If possible, get routers with BRI ports, so even if you're not configuring ISDN now, you'll be able to in the future. (You will need one additional device to make ISDN work in your lab, and we'll talk about that later in this article.)

You can practice setting IP addresses and testing IP connectivity over the Ethernet interfaces, and you can configure a point-to-point connection between the two serial interfaces. (You must know how to do that before you think of taking the CCNA exams!) Depending on the switch, you can also get some practice putting the Ethernet ports in different VLANs and working with the switch IOS.

This setup does have some limitations. You can't practice trunking or Etherchannels with one switch, and you can't set up a Frame Relay cloud with this configuration. It's a good start, but you should consider getting a few more routers, including one to serve as your Frame Relay switch.

What's a Frame Relay switch? Good question.

The Frame Relay Switch

As you know from your studies, Cisco routers are DTEs by default. The Frame Relay cloud is made up of DCEs.

In a lab environment, you need a device to serve as the Frame Relay cloud. This device will have DCE interfaces, and will actually be performing frame relay switching. But this isn't a switch in our lab - it's a Cisco router.

There are plenty of Cisco routers that make great frame relay switches. Get one of those and a couple of DCE/DTE cables, and you can configure the router as a frame relay switch and have your own working frame relay cloud in your lab!

The Cisco router you choose as your frame relay switch should have at least four serial ports, and if you can get more, great. It's always good to have spare ports.

If you get four Cisco routers, with one as your frame relay switch, you can set up a frame relay cloud and practice your hub-and-spoke frame configurations. Even better, as my labs do in my CCNA Study Guide, you can set up a frame relay cloud and a point-to-point Serial connection. This will help you get real hands-on practice with such features as EIGRP variance.

With that four-router configuration and one switch, you can get some great hands-on experience with many CCNA features that many candidates just read about. If you can add a second 2950 switch, you can practice different spanning-tree configurations, such as changing the root bridge of a given VLAN, working with VLAN Trunking Protocol (VTP), and configuring your own Etherchannel! (You will need some crossover cables to connect your two switches.)

Let's take a look at one more important piece of lab equipment: the ISDN simulator. You can't just take a straight-through cable and connect your BRI interfaces directly. You need a device called an ISDN simulator to act as the phone company in your home network. The newer simulators let you set your own phone numbers and SPIDs; most older ones have a preset phone number and SPID that you must use. Either way, you get truly valuable experience getting hands-on work with ISDN, especially watching PAP and CHAP debugs and understanding the authentication process.

ISDN simulators can set you back a few bucks. I recommend you visit www.ebay.com and search for ISDN simulator. There are generally 20 - 30 used ones on there at any given time. Be careful to purchase one with at least a 30-day guarantee. They are robust devices for the most part, as there is one in my home lab that I've had for three years (when they were really expensive!), and it's never given me a bit of trouble.

There are many online vendors that will sell you a new one, but obviously the price is going to be higher. One company I've had good experiences with is www.vconsole.com. Make sure to shop around, as there are plenty of ISDN simulator manufacturers out there on the web. Vconsole is the only one I've purchased a new unit from, and the 10-port simulator I use in my classes has worked beautifully.

There is another piece of lab equipment that isn't necessary for your lab, but you'll find life is a lot easier with it. And just as the frame relay switch is really a router, so is this device: the access server.

Access servers are devices with an asynchronous port that an octal cable can connect to. What you do is connect your blue console cable (officially referred to as a -rollover cable-) to the console port of your access server. You then take an octal cable, and connect one end of the cable to your Async port. The other end of the cable, as you'd expect from the name, consists of eight smaller RJ-45 connectors. Each one of those goes into the console port of one of your other lab devices, and you configure the access server to allow one-key access to each of the other devices in your practice lab.

The configuration of the access server is a simple one, and I'll have an example of configuring your access server and frame relay switch up later today.

Not everyone can start with a lab this size, so be careful when you buy your first routers. Make sure that they're not just giving you good practice now, but that they allow for future growth of your lab. As you add a frame relay switch, an ISDN simulator, and an access server, you'll get the hands-on experience you need to be successful on the job, acquire the self-confidence and troubleshooting skills needed in the testing room and on the job, and to solve any simulator question on your CCNA and CCNP exams with ease.

Have fun!

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!

medical health hospital

Cisco Ccna Exam Tutorial Route Summarization

Writen by Chris Bryant

Preparing to pass the CCNA exam and earn this important Cisco certification? Route summarization is just one of the many skills you'll have to master in order to earn your CCNA. Whether it's RIP version 2, OSPF, or EIGRP, the CCNA exam will demand that you can flawlessly configure route summarization.

Route summarization isn't just important for the CCNA exam. It's a valuable skill to have in the real world as well. Correctly summarizing routes can lead to smaller routing tables that are still able to route packets accurately - what I like to call "concise and complete" routing tables.

The first skill you've got to have in order to work with route summarization is binary math; more specifically, you must be able to take multiple routes and come up with both a summary route and mask to advertise to downstream routers. Given the networks 100.16.0.0 /16, 100.17.0.0 /16, 100.18.0.0 /16, and 100.19.0.0 /16, could you quickly come up with both the summary address and mask? All you need to do is break the four network numbers down into binary strings. We know the last two octets will all convert to the binary string 00000000, so in this article we'll only illustrate how to convert the first and second octet from decimal to binary.

100 16 = 01100100 00010000

100 17 = 01100100 00010001

100 18 = 01100100 00010010

100 19 = 01100100 00010011

To come up with the summary route, just work from left to right and draw a line where the four networks no longer have a bit in common. For these four networks, that point comes between the 14th and 15th bits. This leaves us with this string: 01100100 000100xx. All you need to do is convert that string back to decimal, which gives us 100 for the first octet and 16 for the second. (The two x values are bits on the right side of the line, which aren't used in calculating the summary route.) Since we know that zero is the value for the last two octets, the resulting summary network number is 100.16.0.0.

But we're not done! We now have to come up with the summary mask to advertise along with the summary route. To arrive at the summary route, write out a mask in binary with a "1" for every bit to the left of the line we drew previously, and a "0" for every bit to the right. That gives us the following string:

11111111 11111100 00000000 00000000

Converting that to dotted decimal, we arrive at the summary mask 255.252.0.0. The correct summary network and mask to advertise are 100.16.0.0 252.0.0.0.

For the CCNA exam, emphasis is put on knowing how to advertise these summary routes in RIPv2 and EIGRP. For both of these protocols, route summarization happens at the interface level - it's not configured under the protocol. On the interface that should advertise the summary route, use the command "ip summary-address". Here are examples of how the above summary route would be configured on ethernet0 in both RIPv2 and EIGRP.

R1(config-if)#ip summary-address rip 100.16.0.0 255.252.0.0

R1(config-if)#ip summary-address eigrp 100 100.16.0.0 255.252.0.0

The main difference between the two is that the EIGRP command must specify the AS number - that's what the "100" is in the middle of the EIGRP command. Since RIPv2 does not use AS numbers, there's no additional value needed in the configuration.

For OSPF, the commands differ. If you're configuring inter-area route summarization, use the "area range" command; if you are summarizing routes that are being redistributed into OSPF, use the summary-address command under the OSPF routing process on the ASBR. Neither of these are interface-level commands.

I speak from experience when I tell you that practice makes perfect on the CCNA exam, especially with binary and summarization questions. The great thing about these questions is that there are no grey areas with these questions - you either know how to do it or you don't. And with practice and an eye for detail, you can master these skills, pass the exam, and become a CCNA. Here's 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!

medical health hospital

Its 2006 Do You Know Where Your It Career Is

Writen by Chris Bryant

Whether you're thinking of starting a career with computers and information technology, or thinking about earning a professional certification such as the CCNA or MCSE to accelerate your career, there is no better time to start than today. Silicon Valley is hiring again, and while we all can't work for Google, IT hiring is at its highest level in years and the opportunities for driven, motivated individuals are unlimited.

I also know that for many of us, the holiday season is a good excuse to put off those studies! "I'll study for the CCNA after Thanksgiving..." "I'll start working on my CCNP after the New Year..." Well, guess what - the new year is here.

It's 2006. Where is your IT career? Are you actively studying to earn a certification, or are you still thinking about it? Are you attending a school to break into the IT field, or are you still thinking about it?

Newton's First Law Of Motion states that an object at rest tends to stay at rest, and an object at motion tends to stay in motion. This is true of careers as well, including yours. Where do you want your career to be in one year? Do you want to have earned several certifications in that time, therefore advancing your career, or do you want to be in the exact same place you are today?

The only person who can make this decision is you. And I can speak from experience that when you begin putting your career into motion - the possibilities are unlimited. But you have to get started - today!

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!

medical health hospital

Cisco Certification The Osi Model Isnt Just For Exams Anymore

Writen by Chris Bryant

There's nothing I enjoy more than teaching Cisco technologies, especially CCNA candidates. Whether it's in-person or online, everyone's excited to be there. There's a sense of anticipation in the air, and everyone is ready to work hard, get their hands on the racks of Cisco routers and switches I have available...

... and then I break out the OSI model chart. Chins slump. People sigh, or at least wish they hadn't ordered decaf that morning.

Okay, it's not that bad. But it does temper the excitement a little. I always get a sense of "why can't we just hurry up and get on the routers and switches? Why do we have to learn this dry stuff?"

One reason is that Cisco demands you know the OSI model inside and out for both the Intro and ICND exams. You have to admit that's a pretty good reason, but still, students find the OSI model information to be very dry. I understand that, because I've been there. My first exposure to the OSI model was actually in a Novell "Networking Technologies" class, and man, was that chart ever dry. They crammed every known protocol (and some unknown ones, I think) into the OSI model. It looked like a giant jigsaw puzzle, and the real problem is that I didn't know what the heck most of that stuff was.

So I dutifully attempted to memorize this massive chart. I managed to pass the exam, but I wondered what all that effort had really been for. It's not like you sit around in a server room or wiring closet and discuss the OSI model.

As a CCNA candidate, you don't have to worry about all the protocols I memorized way back when, but you do have to know what happens at each layer. Which leads to this question:

"If I work with routers and switches, why do I have to know about all the other layers? Don't routers and switches just work at layer 2 and 3?" Yes, switches work at Layer 2 and routers at Layer 3. But to truly understand networking, you've got to understand what happens at the other layers. Why?

Most network administrators and engineers are going to spend a lot more time troubleshooting than installing. That's just the way it is. And to troubleshoot effectively, you've got to know what's going on at all layers of the OSI model, not just layers 2 and 3.

As someone who's done a lot of hiring and conducted a great many job interviews, I can tell you that the ability to troubleshoot is the number one quality I look for. That's why I tell CCNA and CCNP candidates that they've got to get all the hands-on practice they can; while I understand the importance of theory, the only way to develop troubleshooting ability is to work on the real deal. No simulator program is going to teach you how to troubleshoot.

Additionally, the only way to truly develop your troubleshooting abilities is to know what's going on over the entire network, not just the routers and switches. Troubleshooting always starts at Layer 1; if you don't find a problem at the Physical layer, and everything's fine with your routers and switches, how are you going to continue troubleshooting if you don't know what the next steps are as data moves closer to the end user?

So when it comes to the OSI model, don't just give it a quick once-over and move on to the fun stuff in your CCNA studies. The tangible benefit of passing your exams is great, but it's the hidden benefit of developing your own troubleshooting methodology that makes mastering the OSI model worthwhile.

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!

medical health hospital

Your Information Technology Career Certification Vs Experience

Writen by Chris Bryant

Whether you're just starting your Information Technology career, or wanting to get further ahead in your current IT career, you have probably thought about earning one of the many popular computer certifications such as the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) certification, or the MCSE (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer) cert.

A major point of frustration for individuals pursuing one of these certifications is a possible lack of experience with these technologies. Many future CCNAs or MCSEs simply stop trying to earn their certification, feeling that their lack of experience will hold them back.

Adding to this are those in IT who will stop everything they're doing at the drop of a hat to stomp on the dreams of others. I recently saw a post by an IT newcomer on a popular website where he declared his intention of earning his CCNA. Within minutes, several naysayers popped up and told him that he shouldn't bother, it wouldn't do any good due to his lack of experience, etc. (Did you ever notice that people who bash certifications generally don't have any themselves?)

I am in no way discounting the importance of experience. What I am saying is that every single one of us was a beginner at one point, and a lot of IT professionals forget this. None of us was born knowing everything we know today, and we shouldn't spend any time dismissing the goals of others in the IT field, or those just breaking in.

I am speaking from experience on this point. I had a tough time breaking into the IT field, and made a lot of calls and knocked on a lot of doors before I got in. I found out later that the reason I got that entry-level job is that I had a professional certification where the other candidates did not.

The pursuit of certification is the pursuit of knowledge, and in our field, you can never have too much knowledge. If your work is strictly on the Local Area Network side, don't let that stop you from pursuing a CCNA. If you work exclusively on the WAN side, don't let that stop you from going after your MCSE. If you're just breaking into Information Technology, don't let a lack of experience prevent you from studying for your A+, Network+, or even your MCSE or CCNA.

Because one day, opportunity is going to knock - and the more you know, the readier you'll be to answer that knock! Use your long-range vision to envision the day when you will have both experience and certification - an unbeatable combination.

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!

medical health hospital

Iso 9000 Certification And Consulting

Writen by Peter Emerson

The process of becoming ISO 9000 certified can be intimidating. The manuals regarding standards and certification are written in such a way that most of us can barely comprehend what they are saying. Fortunately, several specialists are available to assist in the process. These specialists are experts in providing ISO 9000 consulting.

ISO 9000 consultants can help you to understand and effectively manage new and existing standards. By enlisting the help of a qualified professional, you can be assured that you are correctly implementing the processes. Consultants can also help you to utilize your ISO 9000 software program to document and implement your new program.

Even if you have been ISO 9000 certified for many years, a consultant can help keep you abreast the new issues and standards. An ISO 9000 consultant can help your company to achieve maximum performance and benefits from your quality control standards.

Many ISO 9000 consulting firms offer individual and comprehensive packages. The comprehensive packages include training for the implementation of ISO 9000 standards, training for internal auditors, training for documentation and training for lead auditors. When implementing these standards it is important to know that your management team is on board with the changes and fully understand the importance and implications.

Other ISO 9000 consultants offer training for individual areas. Your company can choose between on-site training or attending an overview class. For those considering taking the ISO 9000 plunge, an overview class on standards, regulations and certifications is an excellent place to start. You can gain a vast amount of knowledge by attending the courses and get a good idea of what the process entails.

When choosing a consulting firm you should begin by identifying your company's particular needs. Some firms specialize in creating individual training programs specific to your company. They can get an idea of what you need and develop a comprehensive plan to meet those goals. Other firms only offer generic or pre-packaged training and advice. For some industries, pre-packaged training programs may be suitable and for others it may not. Perhaps a company should begin by asking for references from the consultants and find out exactly what they can do to help your company in the ISO 9000 process.

ISO 9000 Info provides detailed information about ISO 9000 standards, software, consulting, help, and solutions. ISO 9000 Info is affiliated with Business Plans by Growthink.

medical health hospital

Cisco Ccna Exam Tutorial Defining Collision Domains

Writen by Chris Bryant

CCNA exam success depends on mastering the fundamentals, and two important fundamentals are knowing exactly what the terms "collision domain" and "broadcast domain" mean. In this free Cisco tutorial, we'll take a look at the term "collision domain" and how a collision domain is defined.

A collision domain is an area in which a collision can occur. Fair enough, but what "collision" are we talking about here? We're talking about collisions that occur on CSMA/CD segments, or Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection. If two hosts on an Ethernet segment transmit data at exactly the same time, the data from the two hosts will collide on the shared segment. CSMA/CD exists to lessen the chances of this happening, but collisions can still occur. To lessen the chances of collisions occurring, we may decide to create multiple, smaller collision domains.

Let's say we have four hosts on a single Ethernet segment. The entire segment is a collision domain; any data sent by one of the hosts can collide with data sent by any of the other hosts. We have one collision domain containing four devices.

To create smaller collision domains, we'll need to introduce some type of networking device into this example. Hubs and repeaters have their place as far as extending the reach of a network segment and cutting down on attenuation, but these OSI Layer One devices do nothing to define collision domains. We could connect each host into a separate port on a hub (a hub is basically a multiport repeater) and we'd still have one single collision domain with four hosts in it.

The most common and most effective way to create multiple collision domains is to use a switch. If we connect each of these four hosts to their own separate switch port, we would now have four separate collision domains, each with one host; each switch port actually acts as a single collision domain, making collisions between these four hosts impossible.

Passing the CCNA is all about knowing the details of how things work, and knowing CSMA/CD theory and how to define collision domains is one of the many details you've got to master. In the next part of this CCNA tutorial, we'll take a look at broadcast domains, and how defining broadcast domains in the right places can dramatically cut down on unnecessary traffic on your network.

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! Get your CCNA study guide with The Bryant Advantage!

medical health hospital

The Value Of Microsoft Mcse Certification And Career Path

Writen by Natalie Aranda

Developing a professional career in the IT industry requires knowledge, computer training and dedication. Earning a MCSE Certification (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer) is a valuable reference proving your expertise in designing and implementing the infrastructure for business solutions based on the Microsoft Windows Server System and Microsoft Windows 2000 platform.

Since January 2000, Microsoft Certification made effective a number of benefits for those individuals applying for a MCSE Certification, starting with the industry recognition of the knowledge achieved and proficiency handling Microsoft products and technologies.

This computer training offers a 50 percent discount or rebate on yearly subscriptions to Microsoft TechNet or TechNet Plus during your first year of certification exclusively, although fulfillment details may vary according your present location, in which case further details will be available in your welcome kit.

In fact, the TechNet subscription provides MCSE Certification with a portable IT survival kit, updated monthly, containing the complete Microsoft Knowledge Base that Microsoft Support uses, as well as service packs and other kits of great value to Microsoft Certification.

Computer training opens the access to Microsoft technical and product direct information through the MCP Member Site, with exclusive discounts on products and services, not only from Microsoft but also from many selected companies.

Another great advantage to consider is that individual who is currently certified in other fields can learn more about exclusive discounts on MCSE Certification and few more Microsoft Certification by visiting the MCP Member Site.

This site is also the turnkey to free access to Microsoft Certified Professional Magazine Online, the acclaimed career and professional development magazine, as well as invitations to Microsoft conferences, technical training sessions, general computer training and most special events.

A side note on comments; security-enhanced content available on the Microsoft Certified Professional Magazine Online site includes the current issue for those enrolled on MCSE Certification courses and additional online-only featured columns and content, besides the MCP-only database, and regular chats with Microsoft and other technical experts.

Like with any Microsoft Certification, students obtain their certificate, MCSE logo, wallet card, transcript, and lapel pin to identify them as a MCP (Microsoft Certified Professional) to colleagues or clients. Some of this material is downloadable through the exclusive MCP Member Site upon certification.

MCSE Certification values by itself, as a part of your career path. They offer you computer training required, and specializations in messaging, security, MCSE on Microsoft Windows 2000, MCSE on Windows Server 2003, and special deals on subscriptions to Windows & .NET Magazine, considered the leading source of independent, how-to information for Microsoft Certification and IT professionals working on a Microsoft Windows platform.

Natalie Aranda writes about computer and information technology. Developing a professional career in the IT industry requires knowledge, computer training and dedication. Earning a MCSE Certification (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer) is a valuable reference proving your expertise in designing and implementing the infrastructure for business solutions based on the Microsoft Windows Server System and Microsoft Windows 2000 platform. Besides MCSE certification, other Microsoft certifications are value to IT professionals as well.

medical health hospital

Network Certification Exam Tutorial Dhcp And Rarp

Writen by Chris Bryant

Part of passing the Network+ exam is mastering the many different protocols and services you're introduced to in your studies, and that's especially hard when two protocols do much the same thing! That's the case with RARP and DHCP, so let's take a close look at these two protocols and why we use them in the first place.

Whether you've been around networks for a while or are just getting started with your IT career, you'll quickly notice that many basic tasks in networking can be handled either statically or dynamically. By "statically", I mean configuring each device in question manually; by "dynamically", I mean having it done (almost) automatically. Generally, you're going to choose the dynamic method, and not because it's easier or quicker - it's because dynamic methods are much more adaptable to change, and today's networks are always changing.

For example, let's take the task of assigning IP addresses. Let's say you've got 100 PCs that need an IP address. You could go to each workstation and assign the address, subnet mask, and default gateway personally, or you could go to each workstation and enable each workstation to use DHCP to get its IP address from a DHCP server.

You may wonder why you'd choose DHCP instead of static addressing - after all, each choice involves going to the workstation personally, right? At first, yes. But what if the addressing scheme changes? What if six months from now you need these same PCs to be assigned addresses using a totally different addressing scheme? If you configured the PCs manually, you've got to go around to the PCs again and change them manually, but if you are using DHCP, you only need to change the information on the DHCP server itself to be just about done!

Now that we've discussed why you'd use DHCP, let's talk about what it is. DHCP is the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol, and this protocol allows us to configure a DHCP Server that will contain the range of addresses to be assigned, as well as the subnet mask, default gateway, DNS servers, and other information that we want our PCs to learn when they are booted up.

When a PC configured to get its IP address dynamically comes onto the network, it will send a DHCP broadcast packet. This packet will be answered by every DHCP server that receives it, and the PC will use the IP address assigned to it by the first DHCP server that responds to the original request. The PC acknowledges the receipt of this address to all DHCP servers via another broadcast, so addresses sent to the PC by other DHCP servers are returned to the pool of available addresses.

This IP address does not belong to the PC forever. When the DHCP server is configured, the length of the DHCP Lease is set. This value is the amount of time the host devices will retain a DHCP address assigned to them by this DHCP server. When the lease expires, a renegotiation must take place between the DHCP client (the host device) and the server.

Earlier in this Network+ exam tutorial, I mentioned that there may come a time when you need to change IP assignments on your DHCP Server. But what about the IP addresses that the hosts already have? You can force the host to release its current DHCP-assigned IP address by going to the command prompt and entering "ipconfig /release" (without the quotation marks). To then have the PC request a new IP address, enter "ipconfig /renew".

Notice that we've talked a great deal about DHCP and not much about RARP (Reverse Address Resolution Protocol)? DHCP is much more popular today than RARP, and certification exams tend to reflect that fact. Know both of these methods of dynamic IP address assignment, and you're on your way to passing the Network+ exam!

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!

medical health hospital

Cisco Ccnp Bsci Exam Tutorial Rip Update Packet Authentication

Writen by Chris Bryant

When you earned your CCNA, you thought you learned everything there is to know about RIP. Close, but not quite! There are some additional details you need to know to pass the BSCI exam and get one step closer to the CCNP exam, and one of those involves RIP update packet authentication.

You're familiar with some advantages of using RIPv2 over RIPv1, support for VLSM chief among them. But one advantage that you're not introduced to in your CCNA studies is the ability to configure routing update packet authentication.

You have two options, clear text and MD5. Clear text is just that - a clear text password that is visible by anyone who can pick a packet off the wire. If you're going to go to the trouble of configuring update authentication, you should use MD5. The MD stands for "Message Digest", and this is the algorithm that produces the hash value for the password that will be contained in the update packets.

Not only must the routers agree on the password, they must agree on the authentication method. If one router sends an MD5-hashed password to another router that is configured for clear-text authentication, the update will not be accepted. debug ip rip is a great command for troubleshooting authenticated updates.

R1, R2, and R3 are running RIP over a frame relay cloud. Here is how RIP authentication would be configured on these three routers.

R1#conf t

R1(config)#key chain RIP

< The key chain can have any name. >

R1(config-keychain)#key 1

< Key chains can have multiple keys. Number them carefully when using multiples. >

R1(config-keychain-key)#key-string CISCO

< This is the text string the key will use for authentication. >

R1(config)#int s0

R1(config-if)#ip rip authentication mode text

< The interface will use clear-text mode. >

R1(config-if)#ip rip authentication key-chain RIP

< The interface is using key chain RIP, configured earlier. >

R2#conf t

R2(config)#key chain RIP

R2(config-keychain)#key 1

R2(config-keychain-key)#key-string CISCO

R2(config)#int s0.123

R2(config-subif)#ip rip authentication mode text

R2(config-subif)#ip rip authentication key-chain RIP

R3#conf t

R3(config)#key chain RIP

R3(config-keychain)#key 1

R3(config-keychain-key)#key-string CISCO

R3(config)#int s0.31

R3(config-subif)#ip rip authentication mode text

R3(config-subif)#ip rip authentication key-chain RIP

To use MD5 authentication rather than clear-text, simply replace the word "text" in the ip rip authentication mode command with md5.

Here's what a successfully authentication RIPv2 packet looks like, courtesy of debug ip rip. Clear-text authentication is in effect and the password is "cisco".

3d04h: RIP: received packet with text authentication cisco

3d04h: RIP: received v2 update from 150.1.1.3 on Ethernet0

3d04h: 100.0.0.0/8 via 0.0.0.0 in 1 hops

3d04h: 150.1.2.0/24 via 0.0.0.0 in 1 hops

Here's what it looks like when the remote device is set for MD5 authentication and the local router is set for clear-text. You'll also see this message if the password itself is incorrect.

3d04h: RIP: ignored v2 packet from 150.1.1.3 (invalid authentication)

"Debug ip rip" may be a simple command as compared to the debugs for other protocols. but it's also a very powerful debug. Start using debugs as early as possible in your Cisco studies to learn how router commands really work!

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!

medical health hospital

Why Computer Certifications Really Dont Matter

Writen by Richard Schwendiman

I am currently a Network Administrator that supports about 100 Servers and 2000 Clients that has 8 years experience in Network Engineering. This article explains why certifications really dont matter.When I was in school all that my classmates talked about was how you need this certification and that certification. Now that I am responsible for interviewing technicians I learned that they really dont matter.

How many times did your Interviewer ask you to see your actual certification. NEVER or almost NEVER. As long as you know the material you can say you have any certification you want. Since 95% of employers will never really check does it make it right to lie about what certifications you really have. I would have to say YES and NO. It is not right to lie about what certifications you really have but on the other hand most companies have a non technical person interview you so all he wants to hear is what are you CERTIFIED in.

My suggestion would be to just know the information that the job is for and now about saying you have all the certs. I still personally go and get all the certifications but that is because I am required to show proof at my current position.

Thanks,

arsbargains

Check out our website WWW.ARSBARGAINS.COM

medical health hospital

Cisco Ccnp Certification Bsci Exam Tutorial Floating Static Routes

Writen by Chris Bryant

Passing the BSCI exam and earning your CCNP certification demands that you add greatly to the networking skills foundation you created when you studied for your CCNA certification. You learned quite a bit about static routing and default static routing when you passed the CCNA test, and it does seem like that should be all you need to know about static routing, right?

One thing you'll learn as you continue to earn Cisco certifications is that there's always something else to learn! You may have heard the term "floating static route", which does suggest some interesting mental pictures. "Floating"? Floating on what?

In a way, a floating static route is "floating" in your routing table. A floating static route is a route that will be used only if routes for the same destination but with a lower administrative distance are removed from the table. For example, you could be using an OSPF-discovered route as your primary route to a given destination, and the floating static route would serve as a backup route that would be used only if the OSPF route leaves the routing table.

Now, how can that happen? After all, OSPF has an administrative distance of 110 and static routes have ADs of one or zero, depending on whether it's configured with a next-hop IP address or a local exit interface. One way or the other, 1 and 0 are still less than 110!

When you want to configure a floating static route, you must assign the route an AD higher than that of the primary route. In this case, we've got to create a static route with an AD higher than 110. We do this by using the "distance" option at the end of the "ip route" command.

R1(config)#ip route 110.1.1.0 255.255.255.0 172.12.123.1 ?

<1-255> Distance metric for this route

name Specify name of the next hop

permanent permanent route

tag Set tag for this route

R1(config)#ip route 110.1.1.0 255.255.255.0 172.12.123.1 111

The number entered at the very end of the "ip route" command is the AD of that route. If there is an OSPF route for 110.1.1.0 /24, that will be the primary route, and the floating static route will not be used unless the OSPF route is taken out of the routing table.

Floating static routes aren't just a good thing to know for the BSCI exam and your CCNP certification pursuit - they're very practical in the real world as well.

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!

medical health hospital

Microsoft Certifications

Writen by Eric Morris

Microsoft software runs most of the programs and systems used by businesses, government agencies, the academe, and just about any individual. You may have already secured the services of information technology professionals to prep up your IT system or troubleshoot for you. One, if not all of them, is probably Microsoft Certified.

Information technology professionals need to have certifications. This would attest to their expertise in their fields. These certifications supplement their list of credentials, apart from their college degrees related to information technology. And one of these certifications is the Microsoft Certification.

The Microsoft Certification is for IT professionals who implement and administer the wide range of Microsoft products and Microsoft-based programs. A comprehensive exam is administered to candidates to test their knowledge and skills relating to the general and specific applications of the different Microsoft products and solutions. This is important as clients often look to their troubleshooters and administrators as experts in the field.

The process of applying for a certification prepares the IT professional for any situation that he may encounter at work. For them to pass, they must show expertise on the following areas: desktop support with a corresponding MCDST, systems administration with a corresponding MCSA, systems engineering with a corresponding MCSE, database administration with a corresponding MCDBA, training with a corresponding MCT, application development with a corresponding MCAD, and solution development MS Office specialist certifications. Candidates who pass the exams gain the title of a Microsoft Certified Professional or MCP.

Review classes and training programs are available for candidates around the globe. Online programs for distance learners are also offered in a number of Web sites. Application for the certification and processing is available online as well.

Microsoft Certification helps information technology professionals land good jobs and assures their clients of quality and standard services and products. This also protects the name of Microsoft.

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

Cisco Ccna Certification Becoming A Truly Valuable Ccna

Writen by Chris Bryant

I've been active in the Cisco Certification track for four years, working my way from the CCNA to the coveted Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert title, and during that time I've conducted job interviews and casual conversations with hundreds of CCNAs and CCNA candidates.

The CCNA is an exciting beginning to your Cisco career, but just having the certification simply isn't enough. A recruiter or interviewer isn't going to be impressed just with the cert; you've got to have some real-world knowledge to back it up.

I've been down that road myself, and sat on both sides of the CCNA job interview table. With that in mind, I'd like to offer to you some tips on becoming a truly valuable and employable CCNA.

Get some hands-on experience. I know the trap well; you can't get experience until you get a CCNA, and you can't get a CCNA without real experience. Well, actually, you can, but do you want to? Working on simulators is fine to a certain extent, but don't make the classic mistake of depending on them. I've seen plenty of CCNAs who were put in front of a set of routers and really didn't know what to do or how to put together a simple configuration, and had NO idea how to begin troubleshooting.

There are CCNA classes that offer you the chance to work with industry experts on real Cisco equipment. Beyond that, you can put together your own CCNA rack for less than $1000 by buying used routers. Some people think that's a lot of money, but this is the foundation of your career. Treat it that way. The work you do now is the most important work you'll ever do. Do it on real Cisco equipment. The skills I learned as a CCNA helped me all the way up to the CCIE.

Besides, after you get your CCNA (and after that, hopefully you'll choose to pursue the CCNP), you can always get some of your money back by selling the equipment. The hands-on experience you gain this way is invaluable.

Know binary math. Do NOT go the easy route of memorizing a subnet mask chart for the CCNA exam. I know some people brag about being able to pass the CCNA exam without really understanding binary math. I've seen those people on the other side of the interview table, and they're not laughing when I ask them to do a subnetting question. They're not laughing when they can't explain or create a VLSM scheme. That chart does nothing to help you understand what's going on.

If you can add and know the difference between a one and a zero, you can do binary math. Don't let the name intimidate you. Become a REAL CCNA -- learn binary math !

Run "show" and "debug" commands. No commands help you truly understand how things work in a Cisco network than show and debug commands. As you progress through the Cisco certification ranks, you'll be glad you started using these at the CCNA level.

Do you need to know these commands for the exam? Probably not. Do you need them to be successul in the real world? Absolutely.

The Cisco certification track has been great to me, and it can boost your career as well, whether you stop at the CCNA, CCNP, or go all the way to the CCIE. It's the skills you develop today that will truly make you a networking engineer. Don't take shortcuts or get the attitude of "just passing the exam".

It's what you achieve after the exam that counts, and it's the work you put in before passing the exam that makes those achievements possible.

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 Frame Relay Dlcis And Mappings

Writen by Chris Bryant

Passing the CCNA is tough, and one of the toughest parts is keeping all the acronyms straight! Frame Relay has plenty of those, and today we're going to examine what DLCIs do and how they're mapped on a Cisco router.

Frame Relay VCs use Data-Link Connection Identifiers (DLCI - pronounced "del-see") as their addresses. Unlike other Cisco technologies, VCs have only a single DLCI in their header. They do not have a source and destination.

DLCIs have local significance only. DLCI numbers are not advertised to other routers, and other routers can use the same DLCI numbers without causing connectivity issues.

Cisco uses the term global addressing to describe a technique by which a router in a frame relay network is reached via the same DLCI number from each router in the network. For example, in a 25-router network, the same DLCI number would be used to reach "Router A" by each router.

Global Addressing is an organizational tool that does not affect the fact that DLCIs have local significance only.

The locally significant DLCI must be mapped to the destination router's IP address. There are two options for this, Inverse ARP and static mapping.

In both of the following examples, the single physical Serial interface on Router 1 is configured with two logical connections through the frame relay cloud, one to Router 2 and one to Router 3.

Inverse ARP runs by default once Frame Relay is enabled, and starts working as soon as you open the interface. By running show frame-relay map after enabling Frame Relay, two dynamic mappings are shown on this router. If a dynamic mapping is shown, Inverse ARP performed it.

R1#show frame map

Serial0 (up): ip 200.1.1.2 dlci 122(0x7A,0x1CA0), dynamic,

broadcast,, status defined, active

Serial0 (up): ip 200.1.1.3 dlci 123(0x7B,0x1CB0), dynamic,

broadcast,, status defined, active

Static mappings require the use of a frame map statement. To use static mappings, turn Inverse ARP off with the no frame-relay inverse-arp statement, and configure a frame map statement for each remote destination that maps the local DLCI to the remote IP address. Frame Relay requires the broadcast keyword to send broadcasts to the remote device.

R1#conf t

R1(config)#interface serial0

R1(config-if)#no frame-relay inverse-arp

R1(config-if)#frame map ip 200.1.1.2 122 broadcast

R1(config-if)#frame map ip 200.1.1.3 123 broadcast

The syntax of the frame map statement maps the remote IP address to the local DLCI. Broadcasts will not be transmitted by default; the broadcast option must be configured.

R1#show frame map

Serial0 (up): ip 200.1.1.2 dlci 122(0x7A,0x1CA0), static,

broadcast,

CISCO, status defined, active

Serial0 (up): ip 200.1.1.3 dlci 123(0x7B,0x1CB0), static,

broadcast,

CISCO, status defined, active

Hands-on practice is the best way to prepare for CCNA exam success. Working with Frame Relay in a lab environment practically guarantees that you'll truly master the concepts shown here - and then you're on your way to the CCNA and becoming a master network engineer.

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 Certification Introduction To Isdn Part Iii

Writen by Chris Bryant

Configuring PPP PAP Authentication

Now we know how the ISDN link comes up (interesting traffic), and some scenarios that might cause the link to stay up, we need to look at ISDN authentication schemes. The two methods Cisco certification candidates must be familiar with are PAP and CHAP.

Password Authentication Protocol (PAP) sends the username and password over the ISDN link in clear-text. Sending any passwords over any WAN link in clear-text is generally a bad idea, but it's important to know you have this option.

Regarding both PAP and CHAP, it's a common misunderstanding that each side must authenticate the other. PAP and CHAP both support bidirectional and unidirectional authentication that is, R1 can authenticate R2 without R2 necessarily authenticating R1. It's more common to use unidirectional authentication in a lab environment than a production network, but keep in mind that bidirectional authentication is an option, not a requirement.

The configurations of PAP and CHAP do have their similarities. For both, you'll configure a username/password combination in global configuration mode. Newcomers to ISDN sometimes put the local router name in for the username remember that the remote router name is the username.

The only real advantage of PAP over CHAP comes in the password configuration. Since PAP actually sends the password as a whole over the link, the two routers can send different passwords during authentication. The operation of CHAP requires that both routers use the same password, and we'll see why in tomorrow's article.

Under the BRI interface, you'll enter encapsulation ppp and ppp authentication pap. So far, your authentication scheme looks like this:

username R2 password CCNA

Int bri0

encapsulation ppp

ppp authentication pap

PAP requires an extra command at this point. The ppp pap sent-username command is required under the interface, indicating the username and password this router will be sending to the remote router.

Int bri0

encapsulation ppp

ppp authentication pap

ppp pap sent-username R1 password CISCO

I always encourage CCNA and CCNP candidates to use as many debugs as possible when working in their lab, since these commands show us how things work. For any PPP authentication, always run debug ppp negotiation before sending interesting traffic to trigger the call. Watching exactly how PAP and CHAP work give you a much better understanding of what's going on 'behind the command', and makes you a stronger candidate and a stronger networking engineer.

Tomorrow, we'll take a look at CHAP, and why routers cannot use the same password on both ends of the link.

Keep studying!

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 Training Or Quotwould You Like Fries With Thatquot

Writen by Albert Medinas

Without question, computers were more trouble than they were worth for a good many years. Room-sized computers couldn't even keep up with a cheap pocket calculator for the first 15 years of their existence! And the prices…is it any wonder that most of us thought the computer was just some fancy toy? If you really think about it, Pong lured more of us into the world of computers than anything practical. Ahh, but everything has changed, hasn't it? And done so before our very eyes.

From the cashier ringing up our lunch to the meter reader making the rounds in the neighborhood every month for the gas company, computers have invaded everywhere! Computer training was once perceived as a way to open up some pretty impressive doors. Now? Some degree of computer training is needed just to get in any door these days, and it's only going to get worse.

Hey look, I'm a welder - why would I ever need computer training?

I've got just one word for you - China. You know, that crazy place where wages are a mere fraction of what they are in the United States or Western Europe. One out of every six manufacturing jobs has been lost in the United States since 2000. Global competition has changed computer training from "nice resume builder" to "essential reading". But while China has millions and millions of people who can afford to work for a fraction of what workers bring home in the West, the country is still very behind with respect to technology and basic computer training. It is more than possible that some in-depth computer training may be what makes you vital to a company, and a person who can only weld - well, easier to replace.

I don't sleep enough as it is - where am I going to find time for computer training?

Well, you can always find time for computer training after you get laid-off and don't have to worry about that irritating job thing for awhile - after all, it does eat up 40 hours a week (or more). However, if you want to stay ahead of the game and not play catch-up, online computer training schools may be your best option.

Are you nuts? Those online places are a joke, right? I mean, what employer is going to give me a job because of some certificate from a school that doesn't exist - except on my computer?

Are there some shady online computer training schools? Well, of course there are - but the same is true of those "real" schools with cool things like buildings and stuff. They operate without accreditation, making their certificates and degrees useless. However, just as with online computer training schools, there are a lot of great places to get the additional training and skills you need to succeed in this brave new world of ours. As with traditional computer training schools, you will have to do your homework in order to get the best training for your buck. Plus—and this is key—you are only going to benefit by actually trying to learn. Many employers test computer skills prior to employment anyway, so cheating the system or attending online computer training schools with poor requirements will only hurt you in the long run.

Like it or not, the computer is not going anywhere. For better or worse, we must live in this new electronic universe, and computer training is vital to your success. In order to stay a step ahead of the competition while leading a hectic lifestyle, consider online computer training schools as an option for getting the skills you need in this global market. Ignore this fact, and you may be saying "Would You Like Fries With That?"

Albert Medinas has developed and maintains the website Just Computer Training, which answers the most common questions people have about Computer Training. Please visit us at http://www.justcomputertraining.net today.

Information Technology Schools

Writen by Michael Bustamante

Information Technology Schools prepare students for computer-related professions with the knowledge, skills, and experience needed for a professional career.

Programs in Information Technology (IT) make it possible to earn Bachelor of Science (BS), Master of Science (MS), and Doctorate in Computer Science (DCS) degrees. Degree programs offer concentrations in various areas of IT to meet demands of the industry and to impart qualifications that contribute to organizational productivity and success.

Students are provided with good basic understanding of business fundamentals, rudiments of Information Technology, and applications of IT to modern business that promote success and build careers in the IT industry. Information Technology Schools offer degrees with concentrations designed to prepare students with high levels of knowledge for careers in IT as computer information systems managers, operations research analysts, and management and data analysts.

Students in Information Technology programs can expect courses in project management theory, information systems, database systems, computer programming, network systems, systems security, and e-business. Some Information Technology Schools offer the benefit of adding professional certifications as the student progresses through IT programs of study. Certificates in these programs build student resumes by enhancing skills in management, accounting, finance, global business, human resources, and project planning, among others.

Some Information Technology Schools offer dual degree programs that enrich career options with minimal additions to coursework. Students can upgrade their IT degrees with concentrations in software systems engineering, security, network management, and others. A business administration degree can be markedly enhanced with concentrations in areas of Information Technology.

If you would like to learn more about Information Technology Schools or Online Information Technology Schools, you can find more in-depth information and resources on our website.

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. Visit our Traditional School Directory and find Colleges, Universities, Vocational Schools, and Online Schools at SchoolsGalore.com, your educational resource to locate schools.

Preparing Microsoft Certification Tests Step By Step

Writen by Bruce Zhang

Microsoft Certifications are one of the most widely pursued and acclaimed professional certifications in the IT industry. Preparing MS certification tests, however, is a significant undertaking whether you're just out of college or have been in IT field for years. IT professionals are continuously demanded to acquire new knowledge in order to perform well on their jobs as new technology in the IT industry emerged at a pace that has never been seen before. Regardless what certifications (Microsoft Certified Professional or MCP, Microsoft Certified System Administrator or MCSA, Microsoft Certified System Engineer or MCSE ) you are pursuing, a thorough planning will increase the chance of success.

1. Pick the Right Certification

There're two questions to answer while pursuing a MS certification:

a) Whether a particular MS certification helps the long-term and short-term goals of your career path. If your passion is in IT consulting, MCSE certification is likely more valuable than a MCSA certification, which may help you land a system administrator job at companies which are MS shop.

b) Whether you have both sufficient knowledge and hands-on experience to pass a series of tests for the certification. You may want to talk to your friends who have taken the tests before, or examine the questions from previous certification tests to identify the gap between what you've known and what you need to know. Braindumps or actual test questions from past exams will help learn the format and the scope of the tests.

2. Gain Hands-on Experience

Besides the official certification guide and reading materials published by vendors or authorized organizations, there're numerous other helpful learning materials available online or in print. A few years ago, we've heard the stories that employees with MS certifications who couldn't do their job. They passed MS certifications with little hands-on experience but a lot of knowledge on paper gained from purely studying practice test questions and braindumps. As certification vendors improved the test questions and introduced new test formats, it's almost impossible to pass those tests without years of hands-on experience. The real value of hands-on experience is to prepare you for the job, not just to gain a certification.

3. Consolidate Knowledge with Training

The value of hands-on experience can not be replaced with studying sample certification tests, and systematical knowledge of a particular subject can't be replaced by hands-on experience either.

Use of Computer Based Training software is a very effective way to speed up your Microsoft certification preparation. For instance, many companies offer vendor-co developed CBT or Computer Based Training for IT professionals to have a comprehensive understanding of Microsoft products and practice.

4. Take Sample Exams

Once you have both systematical knowledge and hands-on experience of Microsoft software products, you'll still need to know the format and style of certification test questions to perform well in the exams. Use of sample tests and braindumps will often further improve your test score.

5. IT certification exams.

Microsoft certification exams, like other major IT certifications - Cisco, Oracle etc, are administered by independent testing organizations at major cities worldwide. Registration can be done online or via phone. More important than anything else is to relax and have a good night of sleep before the actual test date.

Copyright @2005, Bruce Zhang

You have permission to publish this article electronically free of charge, as long as the bylines and links in the body of the article and the bylines are included.

Bruce Zhang has over 10 years of experience in architecting and developing large-scale Web-based applications, and designing enterprise strength databases. Computer Based Training has been a valuable tool for gaining new IT knowledge in his career. Braindumps can be useful if it's used properly.