Your entry to networking: CCENT & CCNA

By Sarah Morgan

If you are intending to become a networking professional, this article is for you, as it will present you CCENT and CCNA, the two essential certifications for a successful networking career.  

Cisco Certified Entry Networking Technician (CCENT)

This certification is your ideal starting point as an entry-level network technician. The CCENT proves you have foundational knowledge for a small- to medium-sized network. Passing this exam is the very first step of entering into a network engineering job using Cisco routers and switches.

On the CCENT course you’ll learn about:

• Networking fundamentals
• WAN technologies
• Basic security and wireless concepts
• Routing and switching fundamentals
• Configuring simple networks

The ICND exam required to pass is very challenging, therefore you must be very confident in your knowledge, because time is a critical factor. Once you have passed Exam 100-101 - (Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices Part 1 (ICND1 v2.0) you’ll be CCENT certified. What next?

You should strongly consider taking the ICND2 course and exam 200-101 as well. By passing this exam, you’ll get the CCNA certification.

Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)

The CCNA credentials show your abilities to install, configure, operate, and troubleshoot medium-sized routed and switched networks.

You’ll learn about the following:

• Redundant topologies
• Troubleshooting common network issues
• Configuring EIGRP
• Multi-area OSPF in both IPv4 and IPv6
• Wide Area Network technologies
• Device management
• Cisco licensing
• Using Cisco Catalyst switches
• Cisco routers connected in LANs and WANs

In the ICND2 exam you can expect the same type of questions using simulators, drag and drop, as well as multiple-choice. To learn more about these certifications, visit our CCENT and CCNA course pages.

About the Author:        

Sarah writes for Firebrand Training on a number of IT related topics. This includes exams, training, certification trends, project management, certification, careers advice and the industry itself. Sarah has 11 years of experience in the IT industry.