Two years ago we did the first interview on our site with Rick Mur. Today it’s time to speak with Rick one more time. We are going to speak about his new achievements and his method of learning, but mainly about building a networking career from the ground up.

Rick Mur has 4 CCIE certifications (RS, SP, Storage and DC) and JNCIE. He works with the biggest projects in Europe (more you can read on his LinkedIN page or his personal website).

In this interview you will find:

• What is the easiest way to maintain your knowledge?
• What to do if you don’t have any experience and want to start a career in the networking world?
• How to move to the SP world without hands-on experience?

Mirek Burnejko: Hi Rick. Your first interview on this website was very popular. My readers love your story and your motivation. What has changed in the last two years?

Rick Mur: Wow it’s been 2 years ago already? Well I’m still that super motivated person that tries to do my absolute best when customers ask me to work on an implementation or design for their network. In my work I’m still doing the same job and I absolutely love it!

MB: Congratulations about passing CCIE Data Center. As far as I know you are the only non-Cisco employee with this certification. Tell us about your preparation process.

RM: I think this CCIE title (besides R&S) is the one I’m most proud of! This one was really scared not to pass it, because only so few people passed it. Indeed as far as I know I’m also the first and still only non-Cisco employee that passed!

My preparation progress hasn’t been a lot different from the other CCIE’s, except that I was writing the material to study with. Like anybody else I just worked on every aspect of the blueprint. I drew a lot of different topologies that were possible and that were required to test all the features. The most difficult part was getting access to equipment, because there is such a high cost involved for this DC track.

My experience with the exam was that it’s definitely a do-able exam, but you have to really pay attention to the tasks and how they are worded. Again this should be part of your preparation and I will try to simulate that level of difficulty in the IPexpert CCIE Data Center workbook.

MB: You’ve also created some training materials for CCIE Data Center with IPExpert. Was it helpful during your preparation? Are you going to teach DC bootcamps for IPExpert?

RM: I certainly wrote the CCIE Data Center Workbook for IPexpert. I’m still working on finishing the last chapter of the workbook. It was definitely helpful, but still most of the preparation that I did was by actually making my own labs. When I’m working on a chapter I’m so deep into a specific topic that I loose the overall sight, so I found it very helpful to re-do my own tasks which were again challenging.

Currently my schedule is too busy to teach all the bootcamps and videos that are on the schedule. I will try to work on them, but for now I can’t give a fixed schedule, because I have a lot of very large projects to be finished this year and I’m also moving in to my new house which eats up a lot of time as well!

MB: I would love to speak with you about two things. First maintaining your knowledge, second about your advices for my readers. You have CCIE RS, SP, Storage, DC and also a JNCIE certfication. Do you use all knowledge you’ve earned in your work?

RM: I definitely use all of the knowledge! About 60% of my work lies in the SP field, where both the R&S knowledge about the routing protocols and the MPLS knowledge is mostly used. All of my customers have a combined Cisco/Juniper network so I use the knowledge of those tracks. Then the rest of my work consists of Data Center projects with Nexus and UCS deployments or sometimes Juniper routing and switching combined with UCS. So yes I can definitely say I combine all knowledge about all the tracks I did in my work. That’s also the reason why I never touched any of the other tracks like Security or Voice, because it’s something that I will barely see in my work and what I’m also not pursuing to do. I will stick in the SP and DC field as I have challenging and great projects to do!

MB: What methods do you use to extend your knowledge about new technologies and additionaly to rember everything you learned during a certification process?

RM: Of course there is knowledge lost after passing a lab exam, because you don’t use everything required for a lab. I don’t try to keep up with everything, because that’s not necessary, but because I have so much challenging projects I get to use most of it a couple times a year. For example deep Fibre Channel knowledge might go lost when I didn’t use it for let’s say 8-12 months, but when I start on a project it all comes back very quickly and it only takes me a couple hours to recall a lot of the required knowledge.

MB: What is your recommendation for people who don’t have any experience and want to start their career in the networking career? Should they start with a helpdesk or earn CCNA as soon as possible and find a job with the “real” networking?

RM: I passed my CCNA by just hard studying and had no networking experience when I started. After I passed it, I was lucky enough to get a role as Junior Test Engineer working for a Mobile Operator. My luck there was that there was a lot of freedom where I got to use tons of equipment and building new topologies over and over again. That got me a huge advantage making it very easy for me to see a lot of different technologies very early in my career. I also had the time to try them out, so I can say I was lucky, but when you see such a role definitely take it right away!

I never had a full-time role on a helpdesk, but I did do a lot of troubleshooting on the production network when I was getting to know it. So I cannot tell from an experience on a full-time helpdesk role if that’s good for your career, but I would say get as much hands-on as you can get!

Try to show your manager how much you want to move on and prove to him that you absolutely love your job. You need to be extremely motivated and in love with what you do, and then you will be successful! Managers love motivated people, show them your enthusiasm, which was what helped me get more senior roles!

MB: What do you recommend for people who work for an enterprise and they would love to work for a Cisco partner or service provider? How to move to the SP world without hands-on experience?

RM: Working for a Cisco partner requires 2 things. Partners love certified people, there are tons and tons of different programs within Cisco and Juniper that the partner will get extra discount when there are a number of certified people on x and y (not even CCIE, but also a lot of the Specialist certifications and CCxP). The other thing is motivation. Customers hiring engineers from Cisco partners expect to get the best engineers on their project, so act like one, even when you are not 100% sure. Have confidence that you will figure it out.
Working for a Service Provider is different, they are mostly like Enterprises except that there are a lot of people with a lot of networking knowledge. Still there are enough roles that you can apply for that won’t require tons of experience. For example provisioning engineer, creating new circuits or installing and configuring CPE routers. Those are perfect roles for new networking engineers. There are a lot of opportunities to grow within a Service Provider as the more knowledge you have, the more worth you will be for them. In (smaller) enterprise environments you might need to make a switch earlier, because you have seen their entire network, where for a Service Provider you are never done with expanding the network.

MB: What is your opinion about the job market in 2013? Is CCNP RS, CCIE RS enough? What additional (technical and non-technical) skills should be useful next year?

RM: I think the job market in IT is not so bad. When you have the right motivation and confidence you will get a good role. I see loads of opportunities on sites like Linkedin.com, which require CCNA or CCNP level. For the higher roles like designers/consultants the requirement for CCIE becomes pretty solid. It’s also a major advantage when you show your logo on your business card as it immediately takes the conversation to the next level. Of course now you need to demonstrate that you know your stuff, some people that spot the logo might start to challenge you

I think that’s the fun part of being a consultant with CCIE, people will test you on what you know and when you deliver you are in and they have faith in you!

MB: If you could start your career again what would you change?

RM: I wouldn’t change so much. When I started my career I didn’t know I liked networking so much. So I would love to start much earlier in the networking world! That’s the only thing that I would want to change. For the rest I think I gave everything I could and I have an awesome job!

MB: The most important question. What are your goals for the future?

RM: My immediate plans for the future are finishing my new house, that’s my number one priority for this year. Next I will dive deep into the world of SDN, Programmability and more. I might try to pursue the CCDE or another JNCIE, but currently those plans are not firm yet. I have so many ideas and things that I want to do, it’s making the time for it. I would say there will be enough material for an interview in 2 years again.

Thank you so much for the opportunity of having me again!

If you like this interview, please answer in the comment section below: What other things would you do if you had to start your career from scratch?

How to Effectively Build a Networking Career From The Ground Up – with Rick Mur (4xCCIE, JNCIE) is a post from: IT Certification Master

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Before I ask you about your favorite YouTube channels, I want to share with you my opinion about this type of free learning method.

I love social media. Thanks to platforms like LinkedIN or Twitter I have access to news about new technologies or certifications. For IT professionals like you or me, there is something else – YouTube. Yes, YouTube. Some people use it for watching “60 Minutes with My Cats” or “The Best of Harlem Shake”. Our goal is to move our skills to another level, so we’re using YouTube to learn, learn and learn.

Today, it is simpler than ever. I would love to present you 5 the best YouTube channels that you must know and subscribe to them. These channels are fantastic way to give you amazing knowledge and help you with certification exams. Everything is for free.

On this list you can find channels that are updated on regular basis and provide high quality materials.

5 YouTube Channels Each IT Expert Must Know

I’m sure you will find something useful in these videos. A good idea is to subscribe to these channels and once a day/week check the subscribtion tab to update your skills and knowledge.

1. Labminutes

This is one of the most interesting YouTube channels I know. If you work with Cisco technology and want to gain some practical knowledge, the labminutes channel is for you. In this channel you will find video lessons divided into 3 categories: Wireless (1 video) Routing and Switching (27 videos), Security (63 videos). If you want to learn more about instalation of Nexus 1000V, Cisco ISA, DMVPNs or IPSEC tunnels, this channel is for you.

2. Keith Barker

Keith Barker is one of the most skillful and funny instrucotrs on the planet. Today he works with CBTNuggets, but still creates short videos on YouTube about different technologies, mainly security, IPv6 and networking. Highly recommended.

3. CBTNuggets

CBTNuggets is a company I trully love. Keith Barker, Jeremy Cioara and several other amazing instructors. Their YouTube channels is updated weekly. You will find here videos about networking, Backtrack, certifications, virtualization, Microsoft Windows, etc.

4. INE Training

This channel is dedicated to network engineers who think about becoming an expert (CCIE). INE few times a month uploads a new video from their list of great trainings.

5. TrainSignal

TrainSignal is also a training company. TrainSignals uses YouTube to promote their training and gives a lot of value uploading new videos few times a week. You will find here short video trainings about networking, system management, virtualization, etc.

[Extra] 6. Eli the Computer Guy (thanks Rahul)

This one was recommended by Rahul. Eli has amazing talent for sharing his knowledge. You can find here a lot of great video trainings about computers, servers, networking and more, more and more.

[Extra] 7. Chris Bryant (thanks Bart Van Den Bremt)

Another great channel recommended by Bart Van Den Bremt. This channel is targeted mainly to Cisco engineers (CCNA, CCNP level). Updated regulary with nice labs.

[Extra] 8. Kevin Wallace (thanks Luis Mediavilla)

It is another great channel for Cisco engineers. Kevin Wallace is CCIE RS/Voice and has amazing teaching experience.

[Extra] 9. Professor Messer (thanks Syed Saleem)

Another great channel recommended by our reader. Professor Messer is dedicaed to people who start with the IT industry and help with the preparion process to CompTIA certifications. Great quality and great teacher. Highly recommended.

[Extra] 10. DansCourses (thanks Bart Van Den Bremt)

Wow. This channel is great. Dan teaches about many technologies: Networking, Security, Linux, Windows, Flash. You must subscribe to this channel. Great quality.

What Is your Favorite YouTube Channel?

Plese feel free to share information about your favorite YouTube channels in the comment section below, because free knowledge is the best knowledge. I cannot wait to add channels you recommend to this list.

Use the comment section to share your favorite YouTube channels for IT Pros.

5 YouTube Channels Each IT Expert Must Know (+5 Extra) is a post from: IT Certification Master

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This is an interview with Himawan Nugroho. Himawan is a legend in the networking field. Thousands of people , including myself, began their careers reading Himawan’s blog – Inevitable.

Himawan has many IT certifications including: CCIE RS, CCIE SP, CCIE Security, CISSP. Additionally he’s a part of Cisco Advanced Services team and a founder of several organizations, like CCIE93, Jawdat Teknologi Indonesia and GEM Foundation. What is the most important, he is an inspiration for network engineers who struggle with their networking career.

In this interview you will find:

• How a guy without a computer background became a networking rockstart?
• What is the best way to start a networking career?
• How to become a part of companies like Cisco?

Mirek Burnejko: Himawan, it is a big pleasure to have you here. I read each word on your blog probably 5 times, but probably there are people who doesn’t know you. What was you first IT job and where do you work right now?

Himawan Nugroho: Hi Miroslaw, thank you for your questions. As you may already be aware, I didn’t have computer background at school. I graduated from Mechanical Engineering. Didn’t really like the subject, couldn’t get a job in that field, I ended up learning Microsoft, Oracle, until finally I met Cisco in CCNA course on year 2000. It felt like love at the first sight, and I got my first job in IT for a global Oil Company thanks to my CCNA. After that I just studied and studied and studied computer networking through Cisco certification program, even without taking any training course, until I passed CCIE R&S lab exam in September 2001. Fast forward to 2013, now I have CCIE in 3 different tracks, and I’ve been working for Cisco Advanced Services since 2006.

MB: What was your first professional certification?

HN: For someone who didn’t have any computer background, everything about IT was so fascinating to me. Before I met Cisco, I studied windows NT and tried to complete the MCSE program. I managed to pass 4 MCP exams, so those are my first IT professional certifications, until I took the CCNA course and from that day I devoted myself to computer networking instead.

MB: Which certification gave you the biggest advantage for your career?

HN: Obviously it’s CCIE. It all started with CCIE R&S. After I passed the CCIE R&S qualification exam in early 2001, IBM Global Services offered me to join them with dramatic increase to my previous salary. I hadn’t pass CCIE lab yet, and it had already given me competitive advantage. Six months after I passed the R&S lab exam in Japan I got offer to move to Dubai to join one Cisco Gold partner company. Then I passed bunch of certifications from Unix OS (Sun Certified Network/System/Security Administrator), Wireless Network (Planet3 CWNP/CWSP), Security (Checkpoint security expert, Certified Ethical Hacker, SANS GIAC Firewall Gold) as well as Cisco CCSP and CCIP. Those certifications are good to make me learn other aspects beyond computer networking. Remember, I don’t have computer background at all so any IT skills I possess I learned them from professional certifications. But then I passed CCIE Security lab in early 2006, and CCIE has proved once again to give another advantage since several months later I got an offer to join Cisco Advanced Services in Singapore. Later in 2007 I passed CCIE SP lab exam and having those 3 CCIEs was one of the reasons I could move to Cisco AS NGN team based in Dubai to cover Europe, Middle East and Africa.

MB: Many people dream to work for Cisco (especially Advanced Services). What is the most effective way to find a job in AS team?

HN: I summarize it as “who you know, what you know, what you have done”. It takes network, skills and experience. Network or connection can take you to the first interview. But then you need the real skills, both technical and soft skills, to continue. For technical skill, you can prove it by having CCIE certificate. Obviously you don’t need to have multiple CCIEs to join Cisco, like my case in 2006, but it will help to give the good impression. But remember, CCIE number only is not enough. It takes more than CCIE. It takes the real technical skill. It takes the soft skill, communication skill, customer skill, project skill, the ability to adapt, the ability to manage the pressure, and so on. And extensive experiences is one key factor to get both the hard and soft skills.

And if suppose you have them all: connection, real skills and extensive experience, you don’t even need to have professional certification like CCIE. As long as you can show how much you’re worth to the right person.

MB: People say: “Certifications without experience have no sense”. What is the best way to start a networking career? Is it a good idea to learn networking and pass CCNA without experience?

HN: Yes, certification without experience have no sense. Experience is worth much more than certification. I’ve interviewed many candidates who wanted to join Cisco and I’d usually let someone who comes through my trusted connection, has good experience, and can answer technical interviews, to pass to the next hiring process (where he/she will be challenged to show the soft skills) even if he/she has no CCIE or professional certifications. Having certificate like CCIE can pass the first screening process from recruiter, especially if you don’t have connection at all. But connection can be more useful because it can act as ‘validation’ from the person who provide the recommendation.

The best way to start a networking career, IMO is to ask yourself a question “is this something that I really want to do for the next few decades?” Only do it because you love it. It will make your journey much easier. Then you can use professional certification as guidance to study. So to pass CCNA without experience is actually not a bad idea. But it should not make you proud. Neither you should stop there.

Once you have CCNA-level skill you must try to get experience in real world. Then take the next certification. Until you pass at least CCIE R&S lab exam. To me, CCIE R&S these days is the ‘minimum requirement’ to be able to work on more fascinating stuff like NGN, hardware architecture to M2M and SDN.

MB: When is a good time to pass the CCNP certification?

HN: After you pass CCNA and get real world experience. It doesn’t make sense to have CCNA, CCNP, but no experience. It just shows you are an academic-type of person, who likes to read books and take the exam, without ever trying to apply the knowledge in real world.

MB: You have the CCDP certification and work on the CCDE title. Do design certifications give any value for you and employers?

HN: I believe you can only learn design through experience. You can’t be a good designer by passing one or even several certification exams. You should be challenged by real requirements, should be able to explain the reason behind your design, and should be able to defend your design from colleagues and customers. There are just too many factors that can’t be simulated in any design exam, from any vendor. But I’d still try to pass CCDE exam because I work for Cisco But if you ask me what would be a good path to become a ‘design expert’, my answer is: pass CCIE exam, move to position that can force you to create/question design, involve in project from design phase until implementation. The design skill then will emerge and become second nature to you, without you even realize it.

MB: If you could start your career again what would you change?

HN: Nothing. This is the best path for me. To pursue what I love, everyday. Frankly speaking, I actually started with financial target in mind. Then to work on something I love, and to have work profile I’ve always dreamed of: like Jason Bourne, move from one project to another in multiple countries. But now it’s time to do more, to contribute to community. This is exactly what Tony Hsieh, Zappos CEO, mentioned in Delivering Happiness: most of us start with profit, then passion, finally to achieve the higher purpose in life. Profit, Passion, Purpose.

MB: What are your certification goals for 2013? Are you going to achieve CCDE or CCAr?

HN: Well, I will still try to pass CCDE, even thought I can’t dedicate any time at all to study. I won’t go further than that, let’s say to CCAr, probably because of 2 reasons: first because CCAr seems try to simulate real world design discussion with customer, which is basically what I do in daily basis and second because I’m already busy with my MBA and several ventures as a social entrepreneur.

MB: You are also a co-founder of several organizations: GEM Foundation, Jawdat Teknologi Indonesia and CCIE93. Can you describe us these new ventures?

HN: This is my problem: there are 250 million people in Indonesia, and there are only less than 200 CCIEs. I’m planning to solve that problem. And it doesn’t mean I will make everyone from my country as CCIE. Nor I will teach CCIE class. I want to do more. I want to help Indonesian students and young professionals to become globally competitive professionals. So they can compete in global market like me, or stay in Indonesia to work on challenging project currently being done by professionals from outside the country (expats). And the solution must be scalable. That’s why I founded a not-for-profit organization GEM Foundation (GEMFo) early last year with several other Indonesian professionals who work outside the country. I spent my personal time to visit schools and universities to share global view from my own experience working abroad for more than 10 years. Six months ago I founded Jawdat Teknologi Indonesia as the engine to generate revenue to support GEMFo activities. We want to create cafe incubator, scholarship program, community lab and library, and so much more.

I created CCIE93 to help CCIE candidates to prepare and pass CCIE lab (currently only for R&S track) in 93 days. Using mobile learning platform that my team developed, candidates can learn “anytime, anywhere”, “learn at your own pace”, “video oriented”, “learn one thing a day” with group of CCIEs as mentors. Basically there are 93 modules to learn in 93 days, and if the candidate can finish the tasks on that module/day then he can move on to the next module/day.

Currently it’s only for Indonesian, but I’m thinking to release it for international audience soon. The objective is to generate more fund so I can build IOS XR and Nexus lab in Indonesia for the community. Watch this space.

MB: Thank you so much Himawan.

HN: You’re welcome.

[This is part of the Interviews with IT Pros Series]

Question to you: Do you think network, skills and experience are the most important? You can leave a comment in the comment section below.

Why Network, Skill, Experience Matters Most – with Himawan Nugroho is a post from: IT Certification Master

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Here you can find a list of new certifications that you can achieve to move your career to the next level. You can also find here some certifications that were not added to the list of IT certifications (1915 certifications from 160 vendors). I still receive information from you about new certifications I haven’t heard about. Thanks for that !!!

I will be talking about:

• F5
• Riverbed
• Cloud Institute
• Tenable
• Ruijie Networks
• Websense
• Asterisk
• SIP School
• D-Link

F5

New F5 certifications are available or will be available soon.

At this moment you can pass exams required for the Certified BIG-IP Administrator Title. This year we should see:

• BIG-IP LTM Technology Specialist
• BIG-IP GTM Technology Specialist
• BIG-IP ASM Technology Specialist
• BIG-IP APM Technology Specialist

Estimated “live” dates can be found here.

Lastly, we are actively working on new benefit programs for candidates who achieve certification. We are investigating launching a candidate store, access to live virtual lab environments, access to advance training/information and a couple career development programs. We are also actively working on integrating F5 Certified! into the DevCentral community and organizing a quarterly newsletter to candidates (which we hope to have digitally published in interactive format). We hope to have some of these ready to go live by our FY14 (which starts in October). – Ken Salchow F5

Riverbed

Riverbed starts with two new certifications:

• Riverbed Certified Solutions Associate – Application Delivery (RCSA-AD)
• Riverbed Certified Solutions Professional – Application Delivery (RCSP-AD)

Now Riverbed offers six certifications. The new ones are focused on the Riverbed Stingray product solutions.

Cloud Institute

The Cloud-Institute is an independent provider of vendor-neutral and certification programs for Cloud Specialists. At this moment you can find 2 programs:

• Certified Cloud Architect (CCA)
• Certified Cloud Professional (CCP)

Before passing on of these exams, you can pass first Cloud Open Exam (COE). It’s a free self-assessment of Cloud Computing knowledge and can be either used as a learning tool or preparing yourself for any other Cloud Computing exam.

Each of the exams costs $95. Unfortunately I don’t have any info about the company and their competence.

Tenable

Tenable is a great company. Nessus is one of the best vulnerability scanners on the market. Tenable offers also some certifications for people who work with their products:

• Tenable Certified Nessus Auditor
• Tenable Certified Security Engineer
• Tenable Certified Log Manager

Ruijie Networks

Ruijie Networks is a Chinese network solutions provider. They offer routers, switches, wireless and security products.

If you work with they products you can also start thinking about professional certifications:

• Ruijie Certified Network Associate (RCNA)
• Ruijie Certified Network Professional (RCNP)
• Ruijie Certified Internetwork Expert (RCIE)
• Ruijie Authorized Instructor on RCNA (RAI-RCNA)
• Ruijie Authorized Instructor on RCNP (RAI-RCNP)

As I see using Cisco terminology for everything is a standard. (CCIE, JNCIE, HCIE, RCIE)

Websense

Websense offers web security, email security, mobile security and data loss prevention (DLP) products. Websense offers several certifications for customers and partners:

• Web Security Gateway Anywhere Professional
• Email Security Gateway Anywhere Professional
• Data Security Suite Professional
• Certified TRITON Web Olympian
• Certified TRITON Email Olympian
• Certified TRITON DLP Olympian

Asterisk

Digium is the inventor, sponsor, and maintainer of Asterisk. Digium offers two certifications for people who have experience with installation and administration of Asterisk systems.

• Digium Certified Asterisk Administrator
• Digium Certified Asterisk Professional

You can read more about these certifications here and here.

SIP School

Certifications from SIP School was recommended to me by Fred Bovy. SIP School offers two certifications:

• SIP School Certified Associate (SSCA)
• SIP School VVoIP Professional (SSVP)

D-Link

Last, but not least is D-Link. I haven’t heard about D-Link certification, but as you can see, D-Link offers several certifications:

• D-Link Sales Specialist (DSS)
• D-Link Network Associate (DNA)
• D-Link Certified Specialist – Switching (DCS)
• D-Link Certified Specialist – Security (DCS)
• D-Link Certified Specialist – WLAN (DCS)
• D-Link Certified Specialist – IP Surveillance (DCS)
• D-Link Certified Specialist – Network Storage (DCS)
• D-Link Certified Professional – Switching (DCP)
• D-Link Certified Professional – Security (DCP)

Other certifications on the professional level will be available soon.

Something Else?

If you think this list isn’t complete, please let me know – mirek@itcertificationmaster.com or leave a comment below.

New Interesting Certifications is a post from: IT Certification Master

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There is nothing better like free trainings. And when we talk about free trainings about hacking wireless networks, what can be better.

Today I want to present another training from Vivek Ramachandran – SecurityTube Wi-Fi Security Expert (SWSE).

There are three reasons this training is so special:
1. Vivek is a real expert on this field. He discovered the Caffe Latte attack, broke WEP Cloaking, a WEP protection schema in 2007 publicly at Defcon and conceptualized enterprise Wi-Fi Backdoors. He is also the author of the book “Backtrack 5 Wireless Penetration Testing“.
2. This training is 100% FREE. No login’s required.
3. You can also buy additional access to other resources (including a certification exam).

Here are words from the creator of this course – Vivek Ramachandran:

Our course material consists of 12+ hours of video lectures with practical demonstrations. We follow a step by step pedantic approach to teaching our students. This allows them to learn at their own pace. As part of our effort to make educational material freely available to everyone, we have released the core course material videos free of charge online. You can also download these videos as part of our SWSE Community Edition DVD using the link below.

Download SWSE Community Edition – 4.2 GB

Here’s the scope of the course:

• Wireless Lan Security Megaprimer Part 1: Getting Started
• Wireless Lan Security Megaprimer Part 2: Bands, Channels And Sniffing
• Wireless Lan Security Megaprimer Part 3: Pwning Beacon Frames
• Wireless Lan Security Megaprimer Part 4: Dissecting Ap-Client Connections
• Wireless Lan Security Megaprimer Part 5:Dissecting Wlan Headers
• Wireless Lan Security Megaprimer Part 6: Pwning Hidden Ssids
• Wireless Lan Security Megaprimer Part 7: Laughing Off Mac Filters
• Wireless Lan Security Megaprimer Part 8: Hacking Wlan Authentication
• Wireless Lan Security Megaprimer Part 9: Hotspot Attacks
• Wireless Lan Security Megaprimer Part 10: Hacking Isolated Clients
• Wireless Lan Security Megaprimer Part 11:Alfa Card Kung-Fu
• Wireless Lan Security Megaprimer Part 12: Man-In-The-Middle Attack
• Ssl Mitm Attack Over Wireless
• Ssl Mitm Attack Over Wireless Demo
• Wireless Lan Security Megaprimer Part 13 : Ssl Man-In-The-Middle Attacks
• Custom Wireless Regulation Database
• Wireless Lan Security Megaprimer Part 14: Wep In-Depth
• Wireless Lan Security Megaprimer Part 15: Wep Cracking
• Wireless Lan Security Megaprimer Part 16: Caffe Latte Attack Basics
• Wireless Lan Security Megaprimer Part 17: Caffe Latte Attack Demo
• Caffe Latte Attack On The Iphone
• Wireless Lan Security Megaprimer Part 18: Korek’s Chopchop Attack
• Wireless Lan Security Megaprimer Part 19: Fragmentation And Hirte Attack
• Wireless Lan Security Megaprimer Part 20: Understanding Wpa/Wpa2
• Wi-Fi Challenge 1 (Level Easy) : There Is No Patch For Stupidity!
• Wi-Fi Challenge 1 Solution : There Is No Patch For Stupidity!
• Wi-Fi Challenge 2 (Level – Intermediate) : Know Thy Packets
• Wi-Fi Challenge 2 Solution : Know Thy Packets
• Wi-Fi Challenge 3 (Level Advanced): Never Underestimate Your Enemy!
• Wireless Lan Security Megaprimer Part 22: Wpa-Psk
• Wireless Lan Security Megaprimer Part 22: Wpa-Psk Cracking
• Wireless Lan Security Megaprimer Part 23: Wpa2-Psk Cracking
• Wireless Lan Security Megaprimer Part 24: Speeding Up Wpa/Wpa2 Psk Cracking
• Wi-Fi Challenge 3 Solution: Never Underestimate Your Enemy!
• Wlan Security Megaprimer Part 25: Mood Swings Of A Wandering Client
• Wlan Security Megaprimer Part 26: Cracking Wpa/Wpa2-Psk With Just The Client
• Wlan Security Megaprimer: Questions And Answers
• Wireless Lan Security Megaprimer Part 28: Wpa_Supplicant
• Wireless Lan Security Megaprimer Challenge 4: Crack Wpa-Personal With Only Ap
• Wireless Lan Security Megaprimer 29: Setting Up Freeradius-Wpe On Backtrack
• Wireless Lan Security Megaprimer 30: Eap-Md5 Basics And Demo
• Wireless Lan Security Megaprimer 31: Cracking Eap-Md5 With Eapmd5pass And Eapmd5crack
• Wireless Lan Security Megaprimer 32: Eap Types And Peap Demo
• Wireless Lan Security Megaprimer 33: Cracking Peap
• Wireless Lan Security Megaprimer 34: Cracking Peap In A Windows Network
• Wireless Lan Security Megaprimer 35: Cracking Eap-Ttls
• Wireless Lan Security Megaprimer 36: Insecurity In 3rd Party Wi-Fi Utilities
• Wireless Lan Security Megaprimer : Conclusion And The Road Ahead
• Windows Wireless Kung-Fu
• Creating Wireless Backdoors
• Malware, Metasploit And The Hosted Network
• Securitytube Certified Wi-Fi Security Expert (Swse) Student Portal Launch

More information on the official website.

How To Become a WiFi Security Expert for FREE is a post from: IT Certification Master

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It is an April Fools’ Day Prank!

It is probably the best moment for the CCNA ONE certification. Cisco and other companies are going towards the unified architecture and software defined network (SDN).

The CCNA ONE certification is based on Cisco One Platform Kit (onePK) for Developers and Cisco ONE Controller framework.

Open Network Environment (Cisco ONE) is a portfolio of Cisco technologies and open standards that brings programmatic control and application awareness to the network, combining the benefits of hardware and software across physical and virtual.

Let’s find out, what you must do, to become a CCNA ONE certified.

What Exams You Must Pass to Become a Completely Uncertified Network Technician

To become a CCNA ONE certified you must pass two exams: OPK1 (200-130) and OCF (200-131).

CCNA RS is required. An official training is recommended (but not required).

Format of the Exam

OPK1 (200-130) and OCF (200-131) are computer-based tests. You have 90 minutes (you will receive additional minutes if you are a native English speaker) to answer about 50 questions for each of the exams.

Where You Can Pass the Completely Uncertified Network Technician Exam

You can pass the exam in the nearest Pearson VUE examination center. Just go to the website and follow the instructions.

How Much Do The CCNA ONE Exams Cost

OPK1 (200-130) and OCF (200-131) cost $190 each.

How To Renew your CCNA ONE Certification

This certification is valid for three years. To renew it, you must pass one of these exams/certifications:

• Any current CCNA concentration exam (Wireless, Security, Voice, etc.)
• Any current 642-xxx professional-level exam (eg. FIREWALL 642-617)
• Cisco specialist exam
• Any CCIE, CCDE or CCAr exam
• more on the Cisco website

Scope of the CCNA ONE exams

The full scope of the exams you can find here.

How To Prepare to the Exam

• Books that helps you with preparation
  • CCNA ONE – True Story for $23
  • How To Pass the Cisco CCNA ONE Exam in 30 Days for $49
• External Resources
  • CCNA ONE Video Training from FirstCiscoThenDisco for $397 Recommended (17 Hours)
  • Great set of resources from Michael Fraz
  • Set of materials from John Dorin – first CCNA ONE
• Official Trainings
  • You can choose from Classroom, Live Online or Onsite options. Just search a training through the links bellow.
  • Cisco CCNA ONE: Full Path
  • Cisco CCNA ONE: Fast Track

Success Story

“I was participating in the first beta of the CCNA ONE exam. You can’t find a shortcut to attain this certification, this is the first thing to understand, the road is long and you better be prepared to that before you start. For sure ONE architecture is something every engineer must know. I’m waiting for CCNP ONE and promotion to Senior Network ONE Forever Architect in my organization.”

Questions and Answers

Q: Will I receive a real certificate from Cisco after passing the exams?
A: Yes. After passing the both exams you must visit Cisco’s site and accept the agreements.

Q: Will we see CCNP ONE or CCIE ONE someday?
A: There are no official information, but we see the same trend for all certifications. IMO CCNP ONE and CCIE ONE should be available next year.

New Cisco Certification – CCNA ONE (Open Network Environment) – April Fools’ Day Prank is a post from: IT Certification Master

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This is a short QA session with Liz Burns. Liz is the Director of Education Services Certification and Marketing Programs in Juniper Networks. She is amazingly helpful for the Juniper community.

Today we talk about changes in the Juniper Networks certification program.

In this QA session you will find:

• What changes were introduced with the new JNCIP-SEC?
• Why Juniper decided to retire JNCIA-FW?
• Are we going to see changes in JNCIE and a new Design certification this year?

Mirek Burnejko: Hello Liz. It’s a pleasure to speak with for the second time. Please remind our readers what is your role in Juniper Networks.

Liz Burns: Hi Mirek. Thank you for inviting me back! I am responsible for the global Juniper Networks Certification program. My team manages exam development, exam delivery, operations, customer service and marketing. We are the “certification geeks” within Juniper!

MB: I would love to ask you a few questions about actual changes in your certification system. A few weeks ago you implemented a new version of the JNCIP-SEC exam (JN0-633). What changes were introduced to the exam?

LB: Actually we are continuously updating our exams. Sometimes you will see an exam number changes, like recently with the JNCIP-SEC and the JNCIS-FWV. This indicates we have made substantial changes to the exam blueprint/objectives – to the extent we want our audience to understand that the prep process for the new exam may be different then what was required for the previous exam. We will also do “silent” updates – where the exam content is updated but we do not change the exam number as the blueprint/objectives for the exam remain consistent, with no impact on the prep process for the candidate. We do these updates for several reasons, including:

1. Simple refresh of an exam that is two years old, so that people doing a re-certification do not have to take the same exam again.
2. Security update required because the exam content has become widely available in the market place.
3. Update required by changes in the features/functions of the represented technology.

We are now in a regular cadence of updating 3 to 4 exams a quarter. This is all part of our commitment to building the best IT certification program available.

MB: Should we expect some changes with JNCIS-SEC and JNCIE-SEC?

LB: You can expect updates to any of our exams as need arises. However, I do not see any significant changes in the content/tracks for the core Junos tracks – ENT, SEC, SP.

We will be adding additional forms to all the JNCIE exams this year as those exams have been out there for two years and it is time.

MB: Why you decided to retire JNCIA-FW?

LB: The FWV exams are our highest volume exams in the Product/Technology tracks and are part of our partner compliance requirements. So we are committed to keeping this track current. We did a much needed update on the JNCIS-FWV exam recently and decided at that time to collapse the two certs into one. You will see us doing that on most of the Product/Technology tracks moving forward. We felt there was significant overlap between the JNCIA and JNCIS FWV exams. So again – made it easier for our candidates by collapsing that content into one Specialist level certification.

MB: Can you describe the actual changes with JNCIS-FW?

LB: Structurally we took out the JNCIA-FWV as you noted above. Also combined the A and S level content into one exam. For details on the new exam blueprint/objectives candidates should to go to the exam description.

MB: I would love to talk about your two new exams JNCIS-SA and JNCIS-QF. Who should start thinking about these certifications?

LB: These two certifications are on our product/technology track – so more product focused in their content. So anyone responsible for implementing, administering or troubleshooting Junos Pulse Gateways and specifically the Junos Pulse Secure Access Service would benefit from the JNCIS-SA training and certification. Similarly, anyone working with QFabric systems in the data center would benefit from the JNCIS-QF training and certification.

MB: Do you provide any materials for JNCIS-SA or JNCIS-QF?

LB: We have detailed training for both – available as classroom based or on line instructor led. Both Juniper and our education partners provide this training. Interested individuals can go here to learn more. If candidates cannot get to an instructor lead class they can purchase the training materials – without labs – at our courseware store.

MB: The last question. Juniper still doesn’t have any design certification. Are you going too introduce this year something like Juniper Networks Certified Design Expert (JNCDE)?

LB: We are still considering our design strategy. We may develop a Data Center Design certification this year or early next year, but no firm plans are in place.

MB: Thank you so much Liz.

Thank you. I really appreciate this opportunity and all the good information you provide about IT certification programs. I also encourage your readers to keep up on the latest JNCP news by following us on Twitter – @JuniperCertify, by participating in the discussions in the certification forum on J-Net and by reading the great blog articles from JNCP certified individuals on the My Certification Journey blog.

[This is part of the Interviews with Vendors Series]

Juniper: Is It Time For A New Design Certification – with Liz Burns is a post from: IT Certification Master

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As you know desktop virtualization is a hot topic. Three main vendors (VMware, Microsoft and Citrix) offer great solutions. If you don’t know too much about them (like myself) I would recommend you something really smart.

This is a short free video training from TrainSignal. 8 videos (2 hours). The training is created by David Davis (CCIE, vExpert).

• Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)
• What is Desktop Virtualization and VDI?
• Desktop Virtualization vs. Terminal Services
• Remote Desktop Services (RDS) in Windows Server 2008
• Citrix XenDesktop
• VMware View 5
• Desktop Virtualization Certifications from VMware, Microsoft, and Citrix
• Installing Citrix VDI-in-a-Box

These materials are really amazing for build your basic knowledge about desktop virtualization. It is also a good start for great certifications like

Learn about Desktop Virtualization for FREE is a post from: IT Certification Master

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This is an interview with Jörg Buesink. Jörg is 3xCCIE, CCDE, 3xJNCIE, JNCIE proctor, JNCIE instructor and network consultant. Let’s find out how it’s possible.

In this interview you will find:

• Why Jörg decided to pass multiple CCIE and JNCIE certifications?
• Are Juniper certifications a good place to start?
• Is it possible to become an expert without certifications?

Mirek Burnejko: Hello Jörg. It’s a big pleasure to have you here. Please tell us something about you. Where do you work right now?

Jörg Buesink: Thank you for your invitation and having me here. I work for iNET ZERO a company that offers certification preparation materials for all JNCIE exam tracks. iNET ZERO is affiliated with Twine Networks, a Juniper Networks Authorized Education Partner that provides certified training and professional services. Together we are able to provide prescriptive learning solutions. Besides being very active in the IT training industry I also do a lot of professional services work for several service providers and enterprise customers in the Netherlands.

MB: Tell about your beginnings in the IT industry.

JB: One of my first jobs in the IT industry was for a telecom company called McCOMM International. A good friend of me who was also working for this company arranged this job for me. I did not know that much about the telecom world when I started, so there was lot of stuff to learn. I was responsible for the implementation and maintenance of several call platforms and gained a lot of experience with Unix system, databases and telecom switching (ISDN, E1/T1, etc). For this job I travelled a lot through Europe and visited several customers, each having different designs and requirements. It was a great job and I learned a lot.

MB: What was your first IT certification?

JB: The HP-UX certified IT professional. I worked with HP-UX systems, did a lot of system administration and followed several HP-UX courses. It was a good way to verify my knowledge.

MB: What was your first expert-level certification and why you decided to achieve it?

JB: My first expert level certification was the CCIE Routing and Switching. After many years of design and implementation experience and holding several Cisco certifications like CCNA and CCNP I thought it was time to challenge myself and take the CCIE exam. My primary reasons where to learn a lot more about networking and also to give my career a boost.

MB: Today you are a CCDE, 3xCCIE and 3xJNCIE. Why these certifications are important for you? Isn’t one CCIE or JNCIE enough?

JB: In 2005 I worked for several large service providers and enterprise customers in the role of network designer or network architect. I mainly did LAN and WAN designs and implementations. Most of these companies had multiple vendors in their networks like Cisco and Juniper. I was already CCIE certified, but did not knew Juniper that well. I felt it was necessary to also become an expert on Juniper Networks equipment and obtained the JNCIE M/T (JNCIE-SP) and JNCIE-ER (JNCIE-ENT) certifications. Doing more security projects it seemed a logical step for me to also obtain the CCIE SEC and the JNCIE-SEC. So perhaps not really needed, as one JNCIE or CCIE is usually more then enough, in my case it just turned out this way.

MB: The most interesting (for me) is your work as a JNCIE lab exam proctor for Juniper Networks. What is your main responsibility?

JB: My primary task is to ensure JNCIE candidates have a great and fair test experience. The JNCIE is a very prestigious and difficult certification to obtain. Most candidates study for months before attempting the 8-hour lab exam. It takes them a lot of time and effort to obtain this certification. I took the JNCIE lab exams myself so I understand the pressure and stress candidates might have. I take this experience with me while proctoring. On the exam day I ensure that all exam racks are initialized and welcome the candidates in and give them an introduction, tell them the dos and don’ts during the exam and try to make them feel comfortable. The rest of the day I am available to answer questions candidates might have and also grade the exams of previous candidates.

MB: What is your recommendation to people who work only with Cisco technologies? Is it a good idea to learn about Juniper without hands-on experience?

JB: It sure is possible to learn Juniper without hands-on experience. At least for the entry-level it is. Already holding a similar Cisco or other vendor certification will help you to go faster through the Juniper curriculum and vice versa. Personally I always recommend hands-on experience. As an example: it is great to read and learn “BGP Origin validation” from a book, but you might understand and grasp the concept better if you also have the opportunity to configure the technology and perform some show commands.

MB: Are Juniper certifications a good place to start?

JB: Given Juniper Networks market penetration these days it’s very likely you will run into devices running JUNOS™. Juniper Networks has a very mature and well-respected certification program. I definitely think being Juniper Networks certified is a good investment and a must have these days for all-round network designers and engineers.

MB: Is it possible (these days) to become an expert and a senior engineer without certifications?

JB: Of course this is possible. I know a lot of excellent engineers, designers and architects who did not obtain an expert level certification and still are experts in my opinion. It just might take them more time to be recognized as an “expert” within the industry or by (future) employers. IT certifications in general will definitely accelerate your career and is a way to show you are at a certain knowledge level.

In my opinion continuous training, certifications and extensive work experience is what makes the expert.

MB: What are your goals for the future? Another CCIE, CCAr or maybe other vendors (Brocade or Huawei)?

JB: In this industry it is a must to ensure your knowledge is up to date. Furthermore I am always excited to learn new things. So yes I am sure I will pursue another certification or study in the near future. Will it be another expert level exam? I do not know. I also have to recertify them all. What most people do not realize is that each couple of months I receive an email stating, “your certification is about to expire”.

Obtaining seven expert level certifications is one thing, but staying certified has also become a battle on it’s own.

[This is part of the Interviews with IT Pros Series]

Training, Certifications and Extensive Work Experience Is What Makes The Expert – with Jörg Buesink is a post from: IT Certification Master

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Hello guys. This is a short information about small changes on IT Certification Master. Nothing dramatic, but things that will help you with your professional goals.

1. More Interviews

I did 21 interviews with IT Professionals and 26 interviews with Program Managers. You like these interviews, I like them too. That’s why I decided to do more interviews and provide only fresh information and great advises from experts and program managers.

2. Trainings

I did a small experiment and I created a small website about IT trainings. This website is quite popular (only 6 posts), that’s why I decided to add more information about free trainings, promotions and news to IT Certification Master.

Here are two the most popular posts:
FREE CCNA and CCNA Voice Training from INE (no strings attached)
How To Become a Wi-Fi Security Expert for FREE

3. New Place for “How To Pass The XXX Certification”

I decided to stop writing “How To Pass The XXX Certification” series on IT Certification Master. Articles like this one: CCIE Data Center won’t be added on this site.

I decided to use CertRank for that. My developer did small changes. It’s still a beta, but I’m going to add information about certifications as soon as possible (I contact certified people and program managers to provide only the best information). There is a lot to do with CertRank, but I hope you can find it useful.

Here’s an example – How to pass the CCNA certification.

4. Thanks for Our Sponsor – Backup Academy

I would love to thank to our sponsor. Veeam, the creator of Backup Academy, is an amazing company. Why?

• The certification and training are 100% free
• Veeam creates amazing products which use I my lab (Veeam Backup Free Edition)
• Veeam presents every week new amazing webinars.
• They help me to build IT Certification Master, CertRank and TrainingRank.
• I’m a Certified Backup Academy Professional and I had a lot of fun during the certification process.

I would love to know your opinion about changes. Contact me at mirek@itcertificationmaster.com or leave a comment. Thanks !!!

Small Changes on IT Certification Master is a post from: IT Certification Master

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