.: Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933 Profile and Articles
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1). Cisco CCNP / BSCI Exam Tutorial: OSPF Route Redistribution ReviewOSPF route redistribution is an important topic on the BSCI exam, and it's a topic full of details and defaults that you need to know for the exam room and the job. To help you pass the BSCI exam, here's a quick review of some of the OSPF route redistribution basics.
To see if a router is an ABR or ASBR, run show ip ospf. This also displays any routes being redistributed into OSPF on this router.
2). Cisco CCNA / CCNP Home Lab Setup: How To Configure Reverse Telnet
Occasionally, during your CCNA and CCNP studies, you'll run into a term that just doesn't quite make sense to you. (Okay, more than occasionally!) One such term is "reverse telnet". As a Cisco certification candidate, you know that telnet is simply a protocol that allows you to remotely connect to a networking device such as a router or switch. But.
3). Cisco CCNA Certification Exam Tutorial: Variance And Unequal Cost Load Balancing
To pass the CCNA exam, you've got to know how to work with IGRP and EIGRP unequal-cost load balancing. You may not see much IGRP in production networks anymore, but you'll see a lot of EIGRP, and part of fine-tuning your EIGRP network is making sure that all paths are in use while allowing for varying bandwidth rates.
Using the variance command is the easy part - it's getting the metric that's the hard part with IGRP.
4). Cisco CCNA Exam Tutorial: Route Summarization
Preparing to pass the CCNA exam and earn this important Cisco certification? Route summarization is just one of the many skills you'll have to master in order to earn your CCNA. Whether it's RIP version 2, OSPF, or EIGRP, the CCNA exam will demand that you can flawlessly configure route summarization.
Route summarization isn't just important for the CCNA exam.
5). Cisco CCNA / CCNP Home Lab Tutorial: Configuring An Access Server
As your CCNA / CCNP home lab expands, an access server such as the Cisco 2509 or 2511 is one of the best investments you can make. In this article, we'll look at the basic configuration for an access server and discuss how to connect to the other routers and switches in your pod through the AS.
Here's part of a configuration from one of my access servers:
ip host FRS 2006 100.
6). Cisco CCNA Certification: Defining Broadcast Domains
When you're studying to pass the CCNA exam and earn your certification, you're introduced to a great many terms that are either totally new to you or seem familiar, but you're not quite sure what they are. The term "broadcast domain" falls into the latter category for many CCNA candidates.
A broadcast domain is simply the group of end hosts that will receive a broadcast sent out by a given host.
7). Passing Your CCNA and CCNP: Configuring And Troubleshooting Router-On-A-Stick
For CCNA and CCNP candidates, it's hard not to laugh the first time you hear the phrase "router on a stick". Let's face it, that's a pretty silly term. But as those who have passed the CCNA and CCNP exams know, this is a vital exam topic that you must know how to configure and troubleshoot.
Basic Cisco theory states that for hosts in different VLANs to communicate, a Layer 3 device must be involved to handle the routing between the VLANs.
8). Cisco CCNP / BCMSN Exam Tutorial: Changing Root Bridge Election Results
Your BCMSN and CCNP studies will include mastering the details of Spanning Tree Protocol (STP). While you learned some of these details in your CCNA studies, quite a bit of it may be new to you. Before going on to the intermediate and advanced STP features, let's review the root bridge election process and learn how to change these results.
Each switch will have a Bridge ID Priority value, more commonly referred to as a BID.
9). Cisco CCNA Exam Tutorial: Loopback Interfaces
As a CCNA candidate, you most likely have some background in PC hardware and workstation support. If so, you're already familiar with loopback interfaces, particularly 127.0.0.1, the loopback address assigned to a PC.
When you're learning all about the different physical interfaces for your CCNA exam - serial, ethernet, and BRI, among others - there's one logical interface you need to know about, and that is - you guessed it! - the loopback interface.
10). Passing Cisco's CCNA And CCNP Exams: Ping And Extended Ping
Passing Cisco's CCNA And CCNP Exams: Ping And Extended Ping
11). Cisco CCNA Certification Exam Tutorial: Configuring Dialer Profiles
The most common method of configuring ISDN is with dialer maps, but dial information can also be configured on a logical interface. To pass the CCNA exam, you must know how to configure and troubleshoot both dialer maps and dialer profiles.
Dialer Profiles allow different dialing information to be configured onto logical interfaces. The logical interfaces may have different dialing destinations, different remote router names, etc.
12). Cisco CCNA Exam Tutorial: Configuring Standard Access Lists
Access Control Lists (ACLs) allow a router to permit or deny packets based on a variety of criteria. The ACL is configured in global mode, but is applied at the interface level. An ACL does not take effect until it is expressly applied to an interface with the ip access-group command. Packets can be filtered as they enter or exit an interface.
If a packet enters or exits an interface with an ACL applied, the packet is compared against the criteria of the ACL.
13). Cisco CCNP / BSCI Exam Tutorial: Using The OSPF Command “Area Range”
Your BSCI and CCNP exam success depends on knowing the details, and one such detail is knowing the proper way to summarize routes in OSPF. Route summarization is not just a test of your binary conversion abilities, but knowing where and when to summarize routes. It will not surprise any CCNA or CCNP certification candidate that OSPF gives us the most options for route summarization, and therefore more details to know!
OSPF offers us two options for route summarization configurations.
14). Cisco CCNA / CCNP Home Lab Tutorial: A Guide To Cable Types
When you're putting your CCNA and/or CCNP home lab together, you're not just buying routers and switches you're creating a blueprint for success. There is no better way to learn about how real Cisco routers and switches work than to work with the real thing!
Of course, it's not enough to just get the routers and switches you've got to have the right cables and other devices to allow them to communicate.
15). Cisco CCNA Certification: How And Why Switches Trunk
Your CCNA studies are going to include quite a bit of information about switches, and for good reason. if you don't understand basic switching theory, you can't configure and troubleshoot Cisco switches, either on the CCNA exam or in the real world. That goes double for trunking!
Trunking is simply enabling two or more switches to communicate and send frames to each other for transmission to remote hosts.
16). Cisco CCNA Certification Exam Tutorial: The OSI Model’s Physical Layer
To pass your CCNA exam and earn this coveted certification, you've got to master the seven layers of the OSI model and what each layer does. For those of you taking the two-exam path, you can expect quite a few OSI model questions on the Intro exam. In this seven-part series, we'll spend some time taking a look at each of the OSI model layers, starting with the Physical layer.
17). Cisco CCNA / CCNP Home Labs: Developing Troubleshooting Skills
CCNA / CCNP candidates are going to be drilled by Cisco when it comes to troubleshooting questions. You're going to have to be able to analyze configurations to see what the problem is (and if there is a problem in the first place), determine the meaning of different debug outputs, and show the ability not just to configure a router or switch, but troubleshoot one.
18). Cisco CCNA Exam Tutorial: Directly Connected Serial Interfaces
To pass the CCNA exam, you've got to master quite a few services and routing protocols that may be new to you. Between RIP, IGRP, EIGRP, OSPF, and switching, there are hundreds of details you've got to absorb! It's easy to spend all your time on those topics and not pay proper attention to "easier" technologies, and then all of a sudden on exam day you can't quite remember the details of those particular services.
19). Cisco CCNA / CCNP Tutorial: Home Lab Assembly Case Study
Part of your CCNA / CCNP education is deciding what network topology to use when you're putting together your home lab. Some of you are starting with one or two routers or switches, while others are starting with more. A customer recently sent me a list of his Cisco routers and switches that he has available for a home lab and asked for my help in coming up with the best way to use them.
20). Passing Cisco's CCNA and CCNP Exams: Five Tips For Exam Day Success
As you get ready to pass the CCNA or CCNP exams, you can feel quite a bit of stress as you enter your last week of study. Let's take a look at a few ways to reduce that stress.
1. Do not stay up late cramming. The CCNA and CCNP are not exams you're going to pass by cramming. "Cramming" is a study technique best left behind in junior high school. The CCNA can't be passed by memorization - you've got to know how Cisco technologies work.
21). Cisco CCNA / CCNP Certification: OSPF E2 vs. E1 Routes
OSPF is a major topic on both the CCNA and CCNP exams, and it's also the topic that requires the most attention to detail. Where dynamic routing protocols such as RIP and IGRP have only one router type, a look at a Cisco routing table shows several different OSPF route types.
R1#show ip route
Codes: C - connected, S - static, I - IGRP, R - RIP, M -.
22). Cisco CCNP / BSCI Exam Tutorial: Using OSPF's "Summary-Address" Command
BSCI exam success, not to mention earning your CCNP, can come down to your OSPF route summarization skills. There are a few different commands and situations you need to be ready for, and one of these situations is the proper use of the "summary-address" command.
The summary-address command should be used on an ASBR in order to summarize routes that are being injected into the OSPF domain via redistribution.
23). How To Earn Cisco’s Firewall Specialist Certification
Security is a hot topic in today's networks, and will continue to be for a long time to come. With that in mind, you must consider adding a Cisco security certification to your resume and firewall skills to your skill set.
It's quite a jump from the CCNA to the CCSP (Cisco Certified Security Professional), and Cisco has made that leap more manageable by adding Specialist certifications.
24). Cisco CCNP / BSCI Certification: The Local Preference BGP Attribute
When studying for your BSCI exam for the CCNP, you get your first taste of BGP. One of the major differences between BGP and the other protocols you've studied to date is that BGP uses attributes to describe paths, and to influence the selection of one path over the other.
In this free tutorial, we're going to take a look at the Local Preference attribute and compare it to the Cisco-proprietary BGP attribute "weight".
25). Cisco CCNA Certification Exam Tutorial: Configuring And Troubleshooting VTP
Not only is your CCNA exam going to have questions on VLAN trunking protocol, almost any network that has more than one VLAN is going to have VTP running. Whether you're planning on passing the CCNA exam or just brushing up on your networking skills, this VTP tutorial will help you learn the basics of this important protocol.
VTP allows switches to advertise VLAN information between other members of the same VTP domain.
26). Cisco CCNP / BSCI Exam Tutorial: The Passive Interface Command And OSPF
To pass the BSCI exam and become a CCNP, you have to be aware of the proper use of passive interfaces. You learned about passive interfaces in your CCNA studies, but here we’ll review the basic concept and clear up one misconception regarding passive interfaces and OSPF.
Configuring an interface as passive will still allow the interface to receive routing updates, but the interface will no longer transmit them.
27). Cisco CCNP / BSCI Exam Tutorial: EIGRP Route Summarization
Summarizing routes is a vital skill to learn to pass the BSCI exam and get one step closer to earning your CCNP. The actual binary conversions are only part of the test, though! You've got to know how to correctly apply the summary routes, and that differs from one protocol to the next. In the last few CCNP / BSCI tutorials, we've looked at using the "area range" and "summary-address" commands to perform OSPF route summarization.
28). Cisco CCNA Exam Tutorial: Troubleshooting Directly Connected Serial Interfaces
CCNA exam success depends largely on noticing the details, and this is especially true of configurations involving directly connected serial interfaces. And of course, it's not enough to notice these details - you've got to know what to do about them!
A Cisco router is a DTE by default, but directly connecting two DTEs with a DCE/DTE cable is not enough.
29). Cisco Home Lab Tutorial: Buying And Building A Frame Relay Switch
One of the major topics on your CCNA and CCNP exams is Frame Relay. Additionally, Frame Relay is one of the most popular WAN technolgies in today's networks. Getting hands-on experience with Frame Relay in Cisco networks isn't just a good idea, it's a necessity. Let's face it, your employer is going to get a little touchy if you start experimenting with your network's Frame Relay setup.
30). Cisco Routing: "ip default-network" vs. Default Static Routes
One point of confusion for some CCNA and CCNP candidates is the difference between configuring a static default route and using the Cisco routing command ip default-network.
At first glance, they appear to do the same thing. Both configure a destination to which packets should be routed if there is no more specific route in the routing table.
The.
31). Tips On Buying A Cisco CCNA / CCNP Home Lab Kit
Buying a CCNA / CCNP home lab is the best way to be totally prepared for your Cisco exams. Most home labs are put together one router or switch at a time, but many CCNA / CCNP candidates prefer to buy kits where you get multiple routers and switches, along with all the cables and other connection devices you'll need.
While this is a good idea, keep a few things in mind when purchasing Cisco home lab kits.
32). Cisco CCNA / CCNP Exam Tutorial: Five Debugs You Must Know
To pass the BSCI exam and move one step closer to CCNP certification success, you've got to know how and when to use debug commands to troubleshoot and verify network operations. While you should never practice debug commands on a production network, it's important to get some hands-on experience with them and not rely on "router simulators" and books to learn about them.
33). Cisco CCNP / BSCI Exam Tutorial: Not All Static Routes Are Created Equal
As a CCNP candidate, as a CCNA, and in getting ready to pass the BSCI exam, you may be tempted to breeze through your static route studies, or even skip them! That's because static routes are easy enough to configure, and as long as you remember the syntax of the ip route command, you're in good shape.
But there's one vital detail regarding static routes that many exam candidates miss.
34). Cisco CCNP / BSCI Certification: Route Redistribution And The Seed Metric
In the first part of this free CCNP / BSCI tutorial, we looked at how leaving one simple word out of our route redistribution configuration - "subnets" - resulted in an incomplete routing table when redistributing routes from RIP to OSPF. (If you missed that part of the tutorial, visit my website's "Free Tutorials" section.) Today, we'll look at redistributing OSPF routes into RIP and identify another common redistribution error.
35). Cisco CCNA Certification: Error Detection vs. Error Recovery
Passing the CCNA, Intro, and ICND exam is all about knowing and noticing the details. (Which makes perfect sense, since becoming a master networking administrator or engineer is also about noticing the details!) One such detail knows the difference between error detection and error recovery. While the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, they are not the same thing.
36). Cisco CCNA / CCNP Home Lab: Why You Need An ISDN Simulator
ISDN is a vital topic for today's CCNA and CCNP candidates, especially for the ICND and Intro exams - you've got to know ISDN inside and out to pass those exams. Naturally you want to include it in your home lab. What many candidates don't realize is that you can't connect two Cisco routers directly via their Basic Rate Interface (BRI) interfaces you've got to have another device between them called an ISDN simulator.
37). Cisco CCNP Certification / BSCI Exam Tutorial: Comparing IRDP And HSRP
To pass the BSCI exam, you need to know the difference between IRDP and HSRP. While they have the same basic function, the operation and configuration of each are totally different.
The aim of both is to allow hosts to quickly discover a standby router when the primary router fails. IRDP is commonly used by Windows DHCP clients and several Unix variations, but you do see it in Cisco routers as well.
38). Cisco CCNA Certification: The Importance Of The OSI Model
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.
39). Cisco Certification: A Survival Guide To The Cisco Cable Jungle
One of the most confusing parts of beginning your Cisco studies is keeping all the cable types separate in your mind, and then remembering what they’re used for. This often occurs when a CCNA or CCNP candidate starts putting together their own home practice lab, and they suddenly realize that they have the equipment to run labs, but not the cables.
With this in mind, here are some common Cisco cable types and their primary use.
40). Cisco CCNP / BSCI Exam Tutorial: Using Distribute Lists
To be successful on the BSCI exam and in earning your CCNP, you've got to master route redistribution. This isn't as easy as it sounds, because configuring route redistribution is only half the battle. Whether it's on an exam or in a real-world production network, you've got to identify possible points of trouble before you configure route redistribution - and you need to be able to control redistribution as well.
41). Cisco CCNA Certification: Five Key Combinations You Should Know
When you start studying for your CCNA and CCNP exams, many books will present you with a huge list of keystroke shortcuts for use on Cisco routers. While the 640-801, 811, and 821 exams may ask you about one or two of these, you really have to get hands-on experience with these commands to master them. Even better, there are some key combinations that Cisco routers mention, but then don't tell you what they are! Let's take a look at a few of the more helpful key combinations, and conclude with the "secret" way to stop a ping or traceroute.
42). CCNP / BSCI Exam Tutorial: Route Summarization And The OSPF Null Interface
CCNP exam success, particularly on the BSCI exam, demands you understand the details of route summarization. This skill not only requires that you have a comfort level with binary conversions, but you have to know how and where to apply route summarization with each individual protocol.
You also have to know the "side effects" of route summarization.
43). Cisco CCNA Exam Tutorial: Five OSPF Hub-And-Spoke Details You Must Know!
CCNA exam success depends greatly on knowing the details, and if there's one protocol that has a lot of details, it's OSPF! This is true particularly of hub-and-spoke networks, so in this CCNA OSPF tutorial we'll take a look at some of the more important hub-and-spoke OSPF details. This will help you in working with real-world networks as well, since this OSPF network type is one of the more typical network topologies.
44). CCNA / CCNP Home Lab Tutorial: Assembling Your Cisco Home Lab
A CCNA or CCNP candidate who wants to be totally prepared for their exams is going to put together a home lab to practice on. With used Cisco routers and switches more affordable and plentiful then ever before, there's really no excuse to not have one!
With the many different models available, there is some understandable confusion among future CCNAs and CCNPs about which routers to buy and which ones to avoid.
45). Cisco CCNA Exam Tutorial: How To Spend Your Study Time
To pass the CCNA exam, you've got to create a study plan. Part of that plan is scheduling your study time, and making that study time count.
You’ve scheduled your exam you’ve created a document to track your study time you’ve planned exactly when you’re going to study. Now the plan must be carried out, without exception.
What exceptions do I mean? Cell phones.
46). Cisco CCNA Certification Exam Tutorial: ISDN Details You Must Know
CCNA exam success depends partially on knowing the details of ISDN, and there are plenty of them! To help you review for your CCNA exam, here are a few ISDN details that you must know on exam day. (They help in the real world, too – and there are still plenty of ISDN networks out there!
The Cisco-proprietary version of HDLC is the default encapsulation type for serial and ISDN interfaces.
47). Cisco CCNP / BCMSN Exam Tutorial: Switches, QoS, And Cisco's Networking Model
QoS is a big topic on your BCMSN and CCNP exams, and for good reason. As more and more traffic flows through today's networks, accurately applying QoS to both your routers and switches becomes more important.
Note the phrase "accurately applying". You must have a plan in place before you start configuring QoS on your switches, and to create such a plan you should use Cisco's Three-layer Hierarchical Model.
48). Cisco CCNA Certification Exam Tutorial: Access List Details You Must Know!
To pass the CCNA exam, you have to be able to write and troubleshoot access lists. As you climb the ladder toward the CCNP and CCIE, you'll see more and more uses for ACLs. Therefore, you had better know the basics!
The use of "host" and "any" confuses some newcomers to ACLs, so let's take a look at that first.
It is acceptable to configure a wildcard mask of all ones or all zeroes.
49). Cisco CCNA Exam Tutorial: IGRP And Equal Cost Load Balancing
To pass the CCNA exam, you've got to know the role of the bandwidth command with IGRP and EIGRP and when to use it. In this tutorial, we'll configure IGRP over a frame relay hub-and-spoke network using the following networks:
R1 (the hub), R2, and R3 are running IGRP over the 172.12.123.0 /24 network. This is a T1 line.
R1 and R3 are also connected on a different subnet, 172.
50). Cisco CCNP / BCMSN Exam Tutorial: BPDU Skew Detection
You may look at that feature's name and think, "What is a BPDU Skew, and why do I want to detect it?" What we're actually attempting to detect are BPDUs that aren't being relayed as quickly as they should be.
After the root bridge election, the root bridge transmits BPDUs, and the non-root switches relay that BPDU down the STP tree. This should happen.