In Need of Some Guidance

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Hello! I plan on beginning to study the networking area side of IT. I have a foundation to good knowledge of general IT and would like to now specialise. Which certifications do you guys think are the most useful / employer approvable for me to undertake to begin with in networking? How do they match up against each other, based on your opinions?
Also, how does the process of booking a cert exam work? Do you call your local college / university and apply to sit the paper? I am so naive . Thanks!

 

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you may be naive, but the dumbest question is the one that is never asked.

Have a look around the place and I'm sure that you'll find your answers.

welcome to cf.

 

Id do network+ to get you into the fundamentals, then the CCENT, as this will get you to a level where you can run a small network.

 

You can register for CompTIA exams at Prometric or Vue's Web sites. The Network+ is definitely the place to start for networking.

 

Thanks guys! I was wondering what the whole deal is with some CISCO certs expiring after 3 years. Can anyone shed some light on this? Is there a way of keeping it solid in stone without having to resit? Thanks muchly.

 

Network+ is a good start, like everyone said. However, if you are not too terribly familiar with a computer in general, I'd start with the A+. If you already feel you have more than enough knowledge and experience to skip that, then Network+ would be the next logical step.

 

No. If you want to hold on to a Cisco cert, you have to recertify it within 3 years.

 

It also gets refreshed if you pass a higher level exam in that time (ie for CCENT refresh- pass CCNA - for CCNA refresh PASS CCNP and so on)

 

Thanks! So, say if you have a CCENT, CCNA and CCNP. If all of your certs have expired, you could take just the CCNP to get back all of them? Will the exams be much different after 3 years, or does it basically cover the same things, i.e there wont be stuff added to the syllabus over the 3 years.

 

And for CCNP refresh, pass any 642-level exam (which are all CCNP/CCDP/CCIP/CCVP/CCSP-level exams)