[vathira]

how good are *spam* exam preps for Microsoft and cisco exams ? . anyone have any info about this , then plz let me know . iam trying to shift from auto field to IT field and need some solid guidance

[dsherw00d]

Check EBay and pick up 1 - preferrabley 2 of the low end Cisco routers. EBay has a ton of them. For the CCNA exam, it is mostly basic TCPIP and routing stuff - IP subnetting, basic routing, acces lists, etc. I think Cisco still preaches the OSI model, so know this. There are online sites that will let you access thier routers, but the cost is usually more than picking up a couple of older Cisco routers. If your going to try not to buy the routers, the best thing to do it to get the latest study guide with exam prep questions (Cisco Press Books) and then take the test. If you fail, think of it as another study guide - remember what you struggled with and hit the books again (don't wait to long before taking the test again). It really helps to use Word or something to make a 1-2 page cheat sheet to look at just before the exam.

Check out your local Borders, Barnes and Noble, etc. They will have a bunch of Cisco books on the shelves. Also don't forget about your local library - I live in a small town and even I can find Cisco books at them - can save $100+ if they have them.

As for the company you mention, I've never used them or heard of them. Thousands of these companies exist and they basically compile test qeusions by polling test takers. The questions may or may not be on the actual exam. If you take this route, make sure you understand the underlying reasons for the correct answers. If you memorize the quesiton/answer, you will most likely be frustrated when you take the real test.

I have an old CCNA book from 1999 you can have if you want it?

Sorry for the long post. This is an area where I've spent the last 25 years.

-Dan

[Steptoe]

I would not recommend anyone to move into IT...
The chances are with all the exams passed u will still enf up selling machines in a dept store...
The biggest thing an employer is looking for is hands on experiance.
Disher above gives good advice, the best way is set up your own lab and put theory into practice...Go the MS/Cisco route to start...lynix can pick up later
Cisco 827 router is a good router to start on..there are 2 models with and without VoIP...try to get the one with VoIP.

[CFunK]

Originally Posted by Steptoe

I would not recommend anyone to move into IT...

I am gonna give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you are jesting.

That whole post of yours is so full of contradictions it isn't even funny.

[Steptoe]

No m8 Im not..I have been in IT for about 15 yrs now as a contractor...from the hey day to now.
I know and have quite a few freinds with qualifactions way beyond me, the lack experiance, companies want experianced guys..they are sick of screw ups.

[Al]

Spammer. They tried this same trick a couple of days ago.

link removed, troll banned.

[DougP]

Steptoe -- I agree with you to a point. The certification glut has de-emphasized the importance of having those types of credentials on your resume. In some cases all it proves is that you are good at test taking. And yes, the bigger companies, for that matter, most companies put a higher premium on experience. I hire people that have experience in dealing with a broad range of technical and business support skills rather than ones with a list of certifications after their name.

However, I've been in IT for 29 years and have found it to be a rewarding and lucrative career and would not steer someone away from it as a career path as there will continue to be opportunites in the technology field far into the future.

[HwyStarJoe]

I like PrepLogics stuff.... http://www.preplogic.com/default.asp...FUxuGgodhAcMSQ

And Transcender: http://www.transcender.com/products/...FQVvHgodQQjyZQ

[Steptoe]

However, I've been in IT for 29 years and have found it to be a rewarding and lucrative career

Yeah so have I and still do...thu rewarding (non finacial part) IT is not all glamour as may may think...a lot is just routine 'wash dishes ' stuff...
And as a contractor, on call 24/7, late nights, some weeks/months I may only have 5 hrs work/week, other weeks its just hard out 16 to 20 hrs/day...like the last 2 weeks and for the next 2 at least....my work habit is a job comes in, I am head down a55e up, non stop, coffee food while I work till the job is finished...been like that for nearly 40 yrs now lol.
I have neen thinking lately about moving on again...

Im an industrial chemist by trade, managed multi national factories, worked as a machinist in a machine shop, run my own fiberglass manufacting factory/company, contracted landscaping design, worked in unions, dabble a bit in parrot breeding and property devalopement (both current with IT).
Fortunatly Im sort of semi retired, and dont NEED the money...retired to me is being in the position to choose what one would like.

Oh other than having experiance in IT, another aptitude to be good at it is a photographic memory...AND finishing a job down to the last fine detail, no short cuts....Finding a person, qualified, no experiance, but with these talents, they are well worth employing, they learn fast and their work is reliable.

[dsherw00d]

vathira, If you want to move into something that is not quite mature yet and provides plenty of opportunity, try getting more into the VoIP side. I don't mean hooking up a router and a SIP phone and making a call, but actually uderstanding VoIP. You will find plenty of work if you can decode SIP call flows and the associated signalling protocols. Vonage, Verizon, ATT, BellSouth, Microsoft, Cisco, IBM, HP, and other giants are all focusing billions of dollars in this area. Best thing to do would be to setup an Asterix server which can use a analog line for PSTN connectivity. Download some free SIP phones for your PC, and start making calls. Download Ethereal and learn the call flow and all the acronyms and protocols used in those call flows. All this is free stuff - no $$ needed. Learn the router/IP stuff to, because it all ties together, but this is a very hot area and will be for a 3-5 more years. You'll have to start out at the bottom, but the growth potential is much larger than if you only know Cisco, MS, Novell, etc. Cisco CCNAs are everywhere - I forget how many are certified, but it's 10s of thousands. You almost have to get one of the higher ceritifications to distinguish yourself.

-Dan

[thedugan]

Al, What was the scam?

[Al]

They sign up and post a link to some cheesy site which then gets extra traffic.

If they do this on enough forums it adds up to a better response than sending a ton of spam emails. Either way, it was spam. Vathira was just on a fishing expedition. It was clever compared to just posting a bunch of links and moving on, this one developed a life.