Since I moved from Catonsville, MD to Maricopa County, AZ this past November, I have been working on online computer networking courses available over at Cisco Networking Academy.
So far, I have been taking courses for the Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) certification in Networking.
There are four online courses for the CCST in Networking:
- Networking Basics
- Networking Devices and Initial Configuration
- Network Addressing and Basic Troubleshooting
- Network Support and Security
Thus far, I have completed the courses for "Networking Basics" and "Networking Devices and Initial Configuration".
My current goal is to complete the courses for "Network Addressing and Basic Troubleshooting" and "Network Support and Security", so that I can then take the certification exam for CCST in Networking.
This sounds good and all (on paper), but there is a problem.
Prior to taking these online courses, I was attempting to study for Cisco's much in-demand CCNA certification.
I emphasize "attempting" because I was working the 12:30 PM to 9:00 PM shift for my Tier 1 IT help desk position at the Social Security Administration in Woodlawn, MD.
That job was like being on a runaway freight train. Every day was just crisis after crisis after crisis.
Plus, real life also tended to happen.
As a result, my progress with studying for CCNA was slow and meandering. It was quite frustrating.
On the plus side, the Pearson Vue Network Simulator tool was a joy to work with. I learned a lot on how to use Cisco's command line interface to configure switches.
Getting back to the CCST in Networking...
The online courses at the Cisco Networking Academy involve a lot of time and effort to complete.
I am taking exhaustive notes on all of the information presented in each module for each course.
However, I can honestly say that I know more about subjects like Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) and TCP/UDP than I did when I studied for CCNA.
Due to the two online courses that I have completed, I can also say that I am much better at using Packet Tracer than I was when I studied for CCNA.
Here is my main criticism about Cisco Networking Academy: In the time I spent on the "Networking Basics" and "Networking Devices and Initial Configuration" courses, I could have used that time to study for CCNA.
On the other hand, what intrigued me about getting the CCST in Networking certification was that I was looking for a way to get my foot in the door of networking.
Should I continue on and complete the final two courses for the CCST in Networking or should I just re-start studying for CCNA?
That is the question.
Unfortunately, there don't seem to be any easy answers.
It would be interesting to read other people's experiences.
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