Presignify

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!

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.

About The Author

Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage. The Bryant Advantage sells the world’s most comprehensive CCNA Study Guide in the world, and is the ONLY company specializing in CCNA and CCNP rack rentals, allowing candidates for these certifications to gain vital hands-on experience with full racks of Cisco routers and switches with labs and prices designed just for them. There are also plenty of FREE CCNA and CCNP tutorials! Visit his site at www.thebryantadvantage.com today!

chris@thebryantadvantage.com

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Congratulations! You are the proud owner of n iPod; maybe more than one, if it’s just after holiday season and you were the beneficiary of such nice presents!

Now, we’re noted earlier that Apple has done a very good job of making things as simple as possible. However, there are limits to how simple things can get; and there are elements of iPod ownership that can be a little bit complicated.

If you’re intimidated by technology, or if like a lot of people you’re worried about doing some damage, then this section is for you!

–> The Remote

The iPods are small, delicate things; particularly the iPod nano. While they are somewhat designed for real-life usage, they are vulnerable to the elements and to scratching. For this reason, many people gladly reach for their iPod remote instead of fiddling with their precious little device by hand.

Fiddling with your iPod while driving is risky business, but if you absolutely must do so, think about using a remote control, a valuable device even if your iPod is within reach. Apple makes one and it retails for about $40.00-$45.00.

–> Car iPod?

Yup, in case you aren’t aware, you can mount your iPod in your car and enjoy it as you motor to work (or anywhere else for that matter). In June of 2004, MacWorld magazine conducted a survey of mounting options available for iPods, and discovered about a dozen products available, ranging in price from $15.00 to $50.00. Some devices hook into vents, some are for dockable iPods only, some tilt and swivel, and still others attach to car dashboards.

If you do decide to mount your iPod to your car (thus making it a much cooler car!), you probably want to know how to fine tune your iPod once it’s mounted. This is a little easier said than done! It takes a bit of tweaking the mounting installation so that you can get the sound quality and direction that you want.

A man named Franklin Tessler, who allegedly and in his own words spent more money than he should have installing an iPod in his Infinity G35, wrote:

“if you hear a humming or whining sound when the iPod is playing, install a ground loop isolator between the iPod and the head unit.”

He adds that Radio Shack sells one for less than $20.00 (part number 270-054).

If you browse through any computer or electronic magazines, the iPod-related advertisements alone should clue you into the many ways you can use your iPod: many iPod users like to listen to their iPods in the car - probably the one single place where most listening is done.

Griffin (www.griffintechnology.com) is marketing the iTrip which attaches your iPod to the built-in FM stereo of any car.

Mia LaCron is the founder of IpodFunctions.com -
http://www.ipodfunctions.com/ - devoted to helping individuals get the most
out of their Ipod.

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