Networks Articles

Computers » Networks | By Chris Bryant @

You have to master the details on BGP to pass the BSCI exam and to earn your CCNP, but BGP is an entirely new world from the protocols you studied to earn your CCNA. BGP paths contain attributes, while no protocol you studied for the CCNA carried. BGP Attributes are used to choose the best path when multiple loop-free paths exist, as well as give you other specific information about the paths. This additional information includes the autonomous systems that are along the path to a given desti... more...

Computers » Networks | By Chris Bryant @

CCNA and CCNP candidates are well-versed in Spanning-Tree Protocol, and one of the great things about STP is that it works well with little or no additional configuration. There is one situation where STP works against us just a bit while it prevents switching loops, and that is the situation where two switches have multiple physical connections. You would think that if you have two separate physical connections between two switches, twice as much data could be sent from one switch to the... more...

Computers » Networks | By Chris Bryant @

Part of your CCNA / CCNP education is deciding what network topology to use when you're putting together your home lab. Some of you are starting with one or two routers or switches, while others are starting with more. A customer recently sent me a list of his Cisco routers and switches that he has available for a home lab and asked for my help in coming up with the best way to use them. There is no "right" or "wrong" answer to this question; again, part of the lear... more...

Computers » Networks | By Chris Bryant @

There are plenty of articles out there about how to prepare for the CCNA exam. However, there are also things you can do to increase your chances of success on exam day during the most important part of the entire process -- the time that you're actually taking the test. I've taken many a certification exam over the years, and helped many others prep for theirs. Here are the five things you must do on exam day to maximize your efforts. 1. Show up on time. Yeah, I know eve... more...

Computers » Networks | By Chris Bryant @

A CCNA or CCNP candidate who wants to be totally prepared for their exams is going to put together a home lab to practice on. With used Cisco routers and switches more affordable and plentiful then ever before, there's really no excuse to not have one! With the many different models available, there is some understandable confusion among future CCNAs and CCNPs about which routers to buy and which ones to avoid. You can take almost any set of Cisco routers and put together a home la... more...

Computers » Networks | By Chris Bryant @

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

Computers » Networks | By Chris Bryant @

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

Computers » Networks | By Chris Bryant @

OSPF is a major topic on both the CCNA and CCNP exams, and it's also the topic that requires the most attention to detail. Where dynamic routing protocols such as RIP and IGRP have only one router type, a look at a Cisco routing table shows several different OSPF route types. R1#show ip route Codes: C - connected, S - static, I - IGRP, R - RIP, M - mobile, B - BGP D - EIGRP, EX - EIGRP external, O - OSPF, IA - OSPF inter area N1 - OSPF NSSA external type 1, N2 - O... more...

Computers » Networks | By Chris Bryant @

Okay, you did it! You earned your Cisco Certified Network Associate certification. Now what? People who pass the CCNA exam fall into one of three categories. You may be just entering the IT field you may be working on the LAN side and want to move to the WAN side (that's where I was when I passed the CCNA), or you may already work on the WAN side of the network, and you want to move up the ladder. One way or the other, you're going to have to face the dreaded job ... more...

Computers » Networks | By Chris Bryant @

Once you've got your CCNA, you're ready to move on to the next level, the Professional certifications. For years, Cisco had one Professional certification, the Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) certification. Over time, Cisco has expanded this level of certifications to include the Cisco Certified Security Professional (CCSP) and Cisco Certified Voice Professional (CCVP). With security and voice being the two most rapidly expanding areas of today's networks, some ... more...

Computers » Networks | By James Hunt @

A Virtual Private Network, or VPN, is a way of using the Internet to provide remote users with secure access to their network. Data is scrambled as it’s sent through the Internet ensuring privacy. In other words a business which may be located in New York can use the company’s network to send encrypted information to different branches of the business located in other parts of the country. Information doesn’t have to be sent office to office either. An individual choosing to work at home... more...