Hi Andrew, Thank you. I'll look into the certification groups you suggested. However, I was really looking for a discussion group that was more like what this one is, a group of industry professionals who discuss real-world issues, not how to pass the exam.
I know what you mean about certifications. Personally, I think of certifications primarily as a tool to get past HR departments. Phil On Mon, Dec 21, 2009 at 10:53 AM, Andrew Levicki <[email protected]>wrote: > Hi Philip, > > I can help you with your online Cisco discussion group: > https://learningnetwork.cisco.com/community/certifications > > Certainly helped me when I was studying for the CCNA. > > As regards how far to go with Microsoft or Cisco certification, it's up to > you, your mileage may vary etc. I know some great people who have never > taken a vendor exam and I know some people who studied very hard for exams > but have no real knowledge or skills to speak of. > > Not sure that helps. I know others will have plenty to say about that and > your other questions... > > Regards, > > Andrew > > 2009/12/21 Philip Brothwell <[email protected]> > >> Hi, >> >> Sorry for the off topic (if it is) post. I am getting back into IT full >> time after doing it as a secondary job for a decade or so and I have a >> number of questions. My goal is to get the skills necessary to become a >> modern Systems Admin and/or Network Admin in the SMB market. >> >> I currently have both the MCSA and MCSE for Windows 2000 and a Cisco >> CCENT. I plan on updating the Microsoft certifications to their modern >> counter parts and to take the Cisco certificate to at least to CCNA. Now >> the questions. >> >> >> - Any recommendations for a good online Cisco discussion group? >> - For my target job, how high should I go in the Microsoft and Cisco >> certification tracks? >> - Other certifications? >> - Recommendations for training sources? >> - Recommendations for lab equipment? I'm thinking a virtual server >> farm but real Cisco equipment. Question is, which Cisco equipment. I >> already have a 871W that I got for the CCENT but it hurt as much as it >> helped -- integrated routers have command sets that are similar, but >> different, from their non-integrated counterparts -- so I'm looking for >> other equipment to train with. Any suggestions? >> - Is TechNet still the best way to Microsoft lab software on the >> cheap? >> >> >> >> I think that covers it, at least for now. :-) >> >> Any help you be greatly appreciated! >> >> Phil Brothwell >> >> >> >> >> >> > > > -- > Kind regards, > > Andrew Levicki MCITP MCSE CCNA > [email protected] > www.andrewlevicki.eu > > > > > > ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~
