It happens about every three years or so; Cisco updates its flagship certification, the CCNA in Routing and Switching. Today (May 17, 2016) is such a day, and current and future certification candidates are clamoring to learn, “What’s different?” That’s what we’ll uncover in this blog posting.

What Is The CCNA R/S?

First, let’s quickly review what the Cisco Certified Network Associate in Routing and Switching (CCNA R/S) is all about. Cisco tells us that if you have the CCNA R/S certification, you should be able to install, configure, operate, and troubleshoot a medium-size routed and switched network.

There are two paths that can get you to your CCNA R/S:

1. “One and Done”: You can earn your CCNA R/S certification by passing a single exam. I recommend this option for certification candidates with two or more years of real-world experience.
2. “The Two Step”: You can pass two exams (ICND1 and ICND2) to earn your CCNA...

Are you preparing for your CCNA, CCNP, or CCIE in Collaboration? If so, check out this video that gives you a step-by-step demonstration of a Cisco Unity Express (CUE) module configuration. And here’s the twist… It’s all done from the command line (no GUI!), which is what I recommend you prepare to do on your actual CCIE Collaboration lab day. Enjoy!

Kevin Wallace, CCIEx2 (R/S and Collaboration) #7945, CCSI 20061

If you enjoyed this article, you might also want to subscribe to my podcast:

iTunes: http://kwtrain.com/podcast

RSS: http://kwtrain.com/rss

When I was around 20 years old, I used to go into bookstores and look for a book (something on a technical topic, a business biography, or on personal development) that I could afford. However, I recently went into a book store, and it occurred to me that I’m never going to be able to read all the books I’d like to read in my lifetime. So, now my book selection is less about getting a bargain and more about which books will have the biggest impact in my life.

In this blog post, I want to give you my recommendation for five books that have been significant to me and that I think will help you in your career as a Cisco networking professional. Interestingly, only one of the recommended books is a Cisco Press book. That’s because the specific Cisco Press books best suited to you greatly depend on your particular technology focus. So, the assumption is, you’ll have your own personalized collection of Cisco Press books in addition my five book recommendations....

In this video we’re covering the fundamental concepts surrounding the IP, ICMP, UDP, and TCP networking protocols. Having a solid understanding of these protocols is critical to just about everything else we do in networking. So, I thought it would make a great review for you.

Enjoy the video!

Kevin Wallace, CCIEx2 (R/S and Collaboration) #7945, CCSI 20061

If you enjoyed this article, you might also want to subscribe to my podcast:

iTunes: http://kwtrain.com/podcast

RSS: http://kwtrain.com/rss

You might have seen some of my recent Cisco Collaboration videos. Interestingly, the big difference between Cisco’s new Collaboration track than its prior Voice track is the addition of video technologies.

But before you dive into studying super cool things like Cisco’s Telepresence suite, you really need a solid foundation in video fundamentals. That’s what this video is all about.

Topics in this video include:

• Sample Uses of Video
• Frames Per Second (fps)
• Refresh Rate
• Interlaced Video
• Progressive Video
• Pixel
• Aspect Ratio
• Compression Standards (MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, H.264 (MPEG-4AVC)

Enjoy the video!

Kevin Wallace, CCIEx2 (R/S and Collaboration) #7945, CCSI 20061

If you enjoyed this article, you might also want to subscribe to my podcast:

iTunes: http://kwtrain.com/podcast

RSS: http://kwtrain.com/rss

In this new video, you’ll get a simplified, yet comprehensive, look at multicast routing on Cisco routers. This video is appropriate if you work with multicasting in the real world or if you’re studying for your CCNA, CCNP, or CCIE Routing and Switching.

Some of the topics include:

• The Benefit of Multicasting
• IPv4 Multicast Addressing
• IPv6 Multicast Addressing
• Exercises: Constructing Multicast MAC Addresses
• IGMP (versions 1, 2, and 3)
• Reverse Path Forwarding (RPF) Check
• PIM Dense Mode
• PIM Sparse Mode
• Live Demos (PIM-DM, PIM-SM, & Auto RP)

Enjoy the video!

Kevin Wallace, CCIEx2 (R/S and Collaboration) #7945, CCSI 20061

If you enjoyed this article, you might also want to subscribe to my podcast:

iTunes: http://kwtrain.com/podcast

RSS: http://kwtrain.com/rss

In this new video, you’ll learn the theory behind T1 and E1 circuits and how to configure them on your Cisco routers. This is a key technology to master for Cisco CCNA Collaboration, CCNP Collaboration, or CCIE Collaboration candidates.

 Topics in the video include:

• T1 and E1 Speeds
• Time-Division Multiplexing (TDM)
• Common Channel Signaling (CCS) vs. Channel Associated Signaling (CAS)
• Framing (SF, ESF, Multiframe)
• Line Coding (AMI, B8ZS, HDB3)
• LIVE DEMO of T1 and E1 Configuration and Verification

Enjoy the video!

Kevin Wallace, CCIEx2 (R/S and Collaboration) #7945, CCSI 20061

If you enjoyed this article, you might also want to subscribe to my podcast:

iTunes: http://kwtrain.com/podcast

RSS: http://kwtrain.com/rss

For the past few months, I’ve been immersed in Cisco collaboration technologies, and I created a video for you to introduce you to the 6 core systems that make up a Cisco collaboration network. 

These are the systems you’ll need to know if you’re interested in pursuing your CCNA Collaboration or CCNP Collaboration certification.

Enjoy the video!

Having the appropriate Cisco initials after your name (e.g. CCNA, CCNP, or CCIE) is a shortcut way of letting someone know your relative skill level. Even if you’ve got the skills and are at the top of your game, you still might be passed over when you’re looking for a new job, because that new job explicitly requires a specific certification. For many Cisco professionals (including me), earning certifications is less about impressing others and more about pushing yourself, to see how good you really are and what you’re capable of. I always get a rush when attaining a new certification and start thinking about what’s next. Also, if you’re a consultant, having a nice collection of Cisco certifications is an instant way to establish credibility with potential clients. You could even use your hard-earned credentials in your marketing materials.

The Spectrum of Cisco Certifications

Hopefully, you’re convinced that earning certifications is a worthy...

Have you ever used some sort of virtualization software (e.g. vmware) to get multiple virtualized servers running on a single physical server? It’s a great way to save resources, by eliminating the need for extra physical servers. Well, similar to how we can virtualize multiple servers on a single physical server, we can virtualize multiple routers on a single physical router.

Each of these virtual routers can have their own independent IP routing table and are logically isolated from the other virtual routers residing in the same physical router. This can offer a solution to service providers wanting to keep their customers’ network traffic (including the IP routing tables of customers’ routers) isolated from one another. Or, in a large enterprise, perhaps you have a design requirement to segregate different applications (e.g. voice, video, and data).

One solution Cisco offers to make this router virtualization possible is called VRF-Lite. Some literature...