JNTCP - Juniper Networks Technical Certification Program

So many abbreviations! Hah. Google to the rescue!

I think a lot of what you are talking about is far in the future. I've still got another 18 odd months that I'm likely to be serving in the Army, so in all honesty, I'm only likely to be able to complete some of the more basic qualifications, ideally helping me to get a low(ish) level Network Engineering job. Once I'm out I can work on getting my other qualifications once I'm actually in the field.
Shame the Army doesn't actually support these courses. We use Cisco hardware, but get pretty much no training on it what so ever. Several of the technicians at my unit, including myself, teach ourselves to be able to do our work, the rest simply don't care enough and don't bother. It's pretty pathetic, hence me looking to get out.
 
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Well start by getting the first ICND Cisco Press book and read through that. Do you have access to a laptop or PC you can install Packet Tracer on if you can get it? Won't the Army help with training costs etc?

- GP
 
Well, I've got my main PC which has packet tracer on, as well as a VM running XP that I've got packet tracer on as well, as my laptop is a MacBook. Also got GNS3 installed on both PC and Mac.

Army won't pay for anything. We're entitled to learning credits, so I'll be using them, but that won't be till next year, and it'll come out of my own allocation. They won't pay for anything themselves, not Cisco or Microsoft courses or anything like that anyway, which I find frankly ridiculous. I've done the deployment of about 15 physical servers on exercise, each with several virtual servers on. Each of the sites had several Catalyst 3750 switches and a 2811 Router. We had to pretty much learn cisco from scratch, as our training was far below par (i.e. I was shown how to do RIP on a 1750 series router).
The Army doesn't seem to see the benefit of investing money in these things for some reason, hence me trying to learn off my own back, and go back to the civilian sector!
 
Yeah well that doesn't surprise me. TBH all you need to pass the CCNA is Packet Tracer and the two ICND books. GNS3 is excellent and opens up a lot of features, however it doesn't properly support switching and can be a pickle to set up and get smooth the first time (plus the .net files have tendencies to be fickle with file paths). The fact you have hands on is good too. I'd work through the books and have a look for some labs to do online.

Drop me an e-mail in trust if you need help with anything etc.

- GP
 
That's good to know. I've only just started using packet tracer, and already learnt a lot, especially about the OSI model.
Yeah, it's a real shame about the switching part of GNS3. If that worked better, it would be an even more excellent tool.
My next step is to get some labs sorted, I've got an account on the cisco learning portal, so when I know I've got some free time to sit down, I'll be purchasing some lab time for sure.

And cheers dude, that's very much appreciated. Thanks for all your advice though this thread.
 
No problem, glad to help.

As a side note GNS3 can "emulate" switches using the 3600 routers but I've found it to be sketchy at best. It can't do them properly as switches use ASICs to process the traffic, which is hardware that GNS3 doesn't have, so unless they find some way to virtualise the ASICs I guess were stuck without it - that's where PT or a real switch or two will help

- GP
 
Ghosteh said:
So many abbreviations! Hah. Google to the rescue!
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Welcome to networking. Heck, welcome to Cisco where every department name is abbreviated..TAC, IPNGN, FTS, ECATS (I still don't know what this is :p)...

Good luck and you too Ghostly on your CCIE. Passed my ICND2 a couple of weeks ago and now working on my CCNP - switch first, 4th December.

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GNS3 is still worth using when playing around with routers, I prefer it over packet tracer. I don't think there's much switching in icnd1 anyway, though I can't remember...port security is all I can think of.
Though packet tracer is still a great bit of kit.

I've just sold my lab (got 3 1760 routers and my Skeletek rack to sell) - now using 3 1841 routers and 3 3650s, also a 1841 as a terminal server :) Got myself some money back for my stuff and don't have to listen to the roar of the equipment once it's turned on in my room. It's left on 24/7 in one of the labs at work, much better.
 
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If you have already deployed switches and routers then you probably won't need a lab for ccna anyway. From what I remember it is only the very basics that you will most likely already know. The bulk of the exams is based on theory rather than config. The ccna and particularly icnd1 are the driest exams I have done. It's a bit disheartening but I promise further up the track is a lot better
 
While they might be based on theory mainly there can be questions which you still need to know the syntax for. The order of how to do things, the modes you can do those commands in etc.

I know someone who works in a lab all day working with very advanced hardware. There's things in the ccna though he has no idea about or has just forgotten as he never does them.

For ICND1 the word IS SUBNETTING anyway!
 
oli356 said:
Good luck and you too Ghostly on your CCIE. Passed my ICND2 a couple of weeks ago and now working on my CCNP - switch first, 4th December.
Click to expand...

Thanks - Don't expect it to come too quickly :p

Edit - Along with sub-netting, KNOW YOUR SPANNING TREE, I think I had about a third of my questions around it O.o

- GP
 
For those of you with some experience in networking, any advice on what sort of certifications to try and pick up to broaden my knowledge and help me get an entry level job? So far I have an ICT degree, a CCNA (gained a couple months ago), and have done 1 of the 3 exams for MCITP server admin 2008 (not specifically networking, but it should help me get a job). Anything else anyone can suggest that is worth looking into? I know experience far outweighs certs, but if I can't get a job to get experience I'm looking for anything that can get my foot in the door.
 
the network engineering i do is purely networks no server work so i'm not sure if this would apply to the kind of job you are after but anything with the name firewall in it will get you far!
 
GhostlyPea said:
Thanks - Don't expect it to come too quickly :p

Edit - Along with sub-netting, KNOW YOUR SPANNING TREE, I think I had about a third of my questions around it O.o

- GP
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Not meant to be easy. Know about half a dozen CCNP's going towards the CCIE. One of them has 2 full size racks full of equipment in the office as his CCIE lab :o

STP is in ICND2, I had a bit of it. Nothing is mentioned as much as subnetting in ICND1 though. Best to know everything anyway :)
 
Dist said:
For those of you with some experience in networking, any advice on what sort of certifications to try and pick up to broaden my knowledge and help me get an entry level job? So far I have an ICT degree, a CCNA (gained a couple months ago), and have done 1 of the 3 exams for MCITP server admin 2008 (not specifically networking, but it should help me get a job). Anything else anyone can suggest that is worth looking into? I know experience far outweighs certs, but if I can't get a job to get experience I'm looking for anything that can get my foot in the door.
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If you have those you should be fine to go for an entry level Outsource job - it sounds terrible (and it is - I did it) but in the right company you will have just a gargantuan (I love that word :p )exposure to many technologies it will really do you wonders. Although you have the exams, with no experience it's a bitof a dead end - don't expectto go strraight into a tier 2/3 position Working internally for a company you're limited in what you're exposed to as usually they do something one way (and not always the right way). We're recruiting now, PM where you're based and if near by I might be able to put you in touch with somebody

- GP
 
oli356 said:
Not meant to be easy. Know about half a dozen CCNP's going towards the CCIE. One of them has 2 full size racks full of equipment in the office as his CCIE lab :o

STP is in ICND2, I had a bit of it. Nothing is mentioned as much as subnetting in ICND1 though. Best to know everything anyway :)
Click to expand...

Yeah it's going to be hard and I don't expect to pass any of it first try - if it was easy it would have no value ;) I have a 20u rack at home with equipment in and I do it day-in day-out at work so if that's not enough exposure I don't know what is :P

I honestly can't remember what's in each exam - I did the single exam for the entire course, I didn't split it in two. Either way if you can do subnetting easily, you will not only get right answers but also save so so so much time in the exam

- GP
 
Now I'm back from living in the field for 3 nights, being cold and wet and exhausted, I know for certain I'll be wanting out the Army and back into an office lol.

Sub-netting is something I'm already pretty experienced with. I've ended up teaching VLSM to many people so far, just so they can get their heads around it, as it's very rare that we use a simple /24 network with our kit. But thanks for the link to that website blueseidboy, good to keep up knowledge!

Spanning Tree however is something I really need to pick up more, as I've not really done much with it before, except for enabling and disabling on specific ports lol.
 
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