Like 'Microsoft', Cisco leads the way as one of the globe's largest engineering technology corporations. First launched in the mid 1980's, at the beginning of the Silicon Valley IT revolution, 'Cisco' has become the global frontrunner within networking-hardware, investing around 5 Billion dollars a year on research & development. Technology from Cisco underpins the whole internet. The Cisco brand is understood to be accountable for above 70 per cent of all networking-hardware. This automatically puts Cisco at the front of the list for students aiming to make a career in IT and Telecommunications hardware networking. Cisco also has various trading arms that necessarily penetrate the 'Security', Voice Over IP (VOIP) Communications and Wireless Data (or Wi-Fi) fields - as they gain more commercial importance.

It is not a revelation then that Cisco offers an array of certification routes, covering all of its technologies and patents. Trainees tend to be recommended to begin with exactly the same certification program, and then progress into specialist sectors as they advance. Presently there are two examinations for the Cisco Certified Network Associate, or CCNA for short. These will prepare trainees of the right calibre with the required technical-expertise to control mid-level networks with 'routers' and switches.

The 'CCNA' examination (640/802) can be broken down into its 2 constituent parts: Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices Part-1 & Part-2, or ICND1 (640/822) & 'ICND2' (640/816). Another name for Part 1 is Cisco Certified Entry Networking Technician or 'CCENT' for short. While all of this may appear to be a mouthful (as can be the truth with I.T. acronyms,) the simplest way to take this certification is as the blended CCNA (640/802) exam. Cisco students should find it very beneficial to start their training course with the CompTIA certifications A+ & Network+ . That will give them outstanding vendor-neutral preparation before entering into the 'Cisco' area itself. It's best to allow yourself about 400 - 500 hours of study time for a combined track like this. Much like all specialist study programs, 24-hour direct access student-support ought to be available to allow you to study & ask about any queries whenever it suits you. Look also for the most up-to-date multi-media learning solutions, and the right examination practice software.

One area which is often over-looked with preparing for 'Cisco' exams is how to simulate the 'Cisco' environment. When you're studying a MS 'MSCE' or 'MCSA' as an example, a handful of old PC's can be 'networked' together to allow inexpensive 'dummy-runs' in your own home with genuine devices. This isn't feasible in a 'Cisco' environment, since you'd require enterprise-class routers & data-switches, to say nothing of a large bunch of PC's and various other very costly technologies. The solution then is to utilise Cisco-approved network simulators & visualisers. These provide an on-screen software system, that lets you essentially construct large-scale virtual-networks & test them, all the way down to precise router and data switch designs, as well as having the ability to interrogate the packets of data as they move through the network. A software package such as this is what splits training-programs apart - it's unwise to consider any 'Cisco' package which doesn't include it. The hugely reputed RouterSim's 'CCNA' Network Visualiser is without doubt among the finest we've tried, and we combine this in all of our CCNA programs.

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