Let's test your knowledge of the default-information originate command, Setup Mode, and VPNs with these Cisco certification exam practice questions!
CCNA Certification:
What's the main difference between the default-information originate command with and without the always option? Be specific.
Answer: Let's use IOS Help to look at our options for this command.
R1(config)#router ospf 1
R1(config-router)#default-information originate ?
always Always advertise default route
metric OSPF default metric
metric-type OSPF metric type for default routes
route-map Route-map reference
The always option allows the router to propagate a default route without actually having one in its routing table. Without that option, the router must have a default route in its table in order to advertise one.
CCENT Certification:
You're using Setup Mode to configure a Cisco router. You decide halfway through that you'd rather write the configuration at the CLI. How can you exit Setup Mode and not save the configuration you're in the process of writing?
Answer: Use the ctrl-c keystroke combination to exit Setup Mode without saving your configuration. You'll then be placed back at the command prompt.
CCNA Security Certification / CCNP ISCW Exam:
The SA state of your VPN is shown as QM_IDLE. Is this good? If not, what do we need to do to resolve the issue?
Answer: There is no issue - that's what we want the SA state to be!
CCNP Certification / BSCI Exam:
What command allows you to add protocols to those forwarded by the ip helper-address command? And just to review, what protocols are forwarded by the helper-address command?
Answer: Nine common UDP service broadcasts are "helped" by default:
TIME, port 37
TACACS, port 49
DNS, port 53
BOOTP/DHCP Server, port 67
BOOTP/DHCP Client, port 68
TFTP, port 69
NetBIOS name service, port 137
NetBIOS datagram service, port 138
IEN-116 name service, port 42
You can use the ip forward-protocol command to add any UDP port number to the list.
To remove protocols from the default list, use the no ip forward-protocol command.
R1(config)#ip forward-protocol udp 123
R1(config)#no ip forward-protocol udp 137
R1(config)#no ip forward-protocol udp 138
CCNP Certification / BCMSN Exam:
You've just enabled password encryption on a Cisco switch. When you attempt to view the VTP password, what will you see? And what command did you run to see the VTP password?
Answer: You'll see the password clear as day - the password encryption service has no effect on the VTP password. You can view the password with the "top-secret" show vtp password command.
CCNP / ONT Exam:
What's the major difference between RED and WRED? (The answer "one letter" is not acceptable.)
Answer: RED is a major improvement over Tail Drop, but it still doesn't give us a great deal of control over the entire queueing and dropping process. With one simple word, though, we do gain that control - when we use Weighted Random Early Detection (WRED).
Look for other Cisco practice exams and illustrated tutorials on my website!
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Cisco CCNA, CCNP, and Security Practice Exam - OSPF Neighbors, Fail Closed, SDM, and More!
Here's a free Cisco certification exam practice set for you! Answers are at the bottom of the article. No peeking!
CCNA Certification:
In an OSPF hub-and-spoke NBMA network, which router(s) require the neighbor command?
A. The DR
B. The DROthers
C. The BDR
D. All of these
E. None of these
CCNA Security Certification / CCNP ISCW Exam:
You're configuring IPS in SDM, and you just enabled the Fail Closed option. What's the net effect?
CCNP Certification / BSCI Exam:
Which of the following are Cisco recommendations for OSPF deployments?
A. No router in more than three areas.
B. No area should contain more than 50 routers.
C. No router should have more than 60 neighbors.
D. No ABR should run more than one OSPF process.
CCNP Certification / BCMSN Exam:
You're examining the lights on a Cisco Aironet card. The green light is blinking slowly, the amber light is off. What does this generally indicate?
CCNP / ONT Exam:
What is Global Synchronization? Is it a benefit or a detriment to network performance?
Here are the answers!
CCNA: Answer: A. The DR requires the neighbor command. It will not hurt anything to have it configured on the DROthers in real-world networks, but I wouldn't put it there on exam day. There are no BDRs in an OSPF hub-and-spoke network.
ISCW / CCNA Security: Answer: Here's the exact description of Fail Closed from SDM itself:
"By default, while IOS compiles a new signature for a particular engine, it allows packets to pass through without scanning for the corresponding engine. Enable this option to make IOS drop packets during the compilation process."
Fail Closed is disabled by default.
BSCI: Answer: A, B, C, D. Those are all Cisco best practices for OSPF.
BCMSN: Answer: Here's a quick review of what those lights are and what the different combinations indicate.
We have two lights on a Cisco Aironet card. The green light is the Status LED, and the amber light is the Activity LED. We've got quite a few combinations with those two lights, so let's take a look at what each of the following LED readouts indicates.
Status off, Activity off - Naturally, this means the card isn't getting power!
Status blinking slowly, Activity off - the adapter's in Power Save mode.
Status on, Activity off - adapter has come out of Power Save mode.
Both lights blinking in an alternating fashion - adapter is scanning for its network.
Both lights blinking slowly at the same time - adapter has successfully associated with an AP (or other client if you have an Ad Hoc network)
Both lights blinking quickly at the same time - adapter is associated and is sending or receiving data
ONT: Answer: Here's a review of tail drop and how it can cause Global Synchronization. Usually synchronization is good, but this kind isn't!
When the queue is full, packets that are trying to queue up for transmission literally have nowhere to be put! These packets are then subject to tail drop, which is a fancy way of saying "you're being dropped because we have no place to put you".
You know that TCP has a detection and recovery scheme when it comes to missing segments, so tail drop is no big deal, right? Quite the opposite, it's a huge deal.
The problem starts innocently enough, as the senders realize their TCP packets are being dropped. As we'd expect, the senders then throttle back on their transmission speed. After doing so, the senders will then gradually speed their transmission rates back up.
As multiple senders increase their transmission rates, the queue will fill up again, and the senders will again almost simultaneously slow their transmission rates, followed by another near-simultaneous increase.
As a result of this global synchronization, the links are perpetually in one of two states - congested or underused. Basically, the network ends up being either hammered or not being used to its full potential, and those are both circumstances we want to avoid.
One way to avoid global synchronization is though the use of Random Early Detection (RED).
Look for more Cisco practice exams on my website as well as this one!
CCNA Certification:
In an OSPF hub-and-spoke NBMA network, which router(s) require the neighbor command?
A. The DR
B. The DROthers
C. The BDR
D. All of these
E. None of these
CCNA Security Certification / CCNP ISCW Exam:
You're configuring IPS in SDM, and you just enabled the Fail Closed option. What's the net effect?
CCNP Certification / BSCI Exam:
Which of the following are Cisco recommendations for OSPF deployments?
A. No router in more than three areas.
B. No area should contain more than 50 routers.
C. No router should have more than 60 neighbors.
D. No ABR should run more than one OSPF process.
CCNP Certification / BCMSN Exam:
You're examining the lights on a Cisco Aironet card. The green light is blinking slowly, the amber light is off. What does this generally indicate?
CCNP / ONT Exam:
What is Global Synchronization? Is it a benefit or a detriment to network performance?
Here are the answers!
CCNA: Answer: A. The DR requires the neighbor command. It will not hurt anything to have it configured on the DROthers in real-world networks, but I wouldn't put it there on exam day. There are no BDRs in an OSPF hub-and-spoke network.
ISCW / CCNA Security: Answer: Here's the exact description of Fail Closed from SDM itself:
"By default, while IOS compiles a new signature for a particular engine, it allows packets to pass through without scanning for the corresponding engine. Enable this option to make IOS drop packets during the compilation process."
Fail Closed is disabled by default.
BSCI: Answer: A, B, C, D. Those are all Cisco best practices for OSPF.
BCMSN: Answer: Here's a quick review of what those lights are and what the different combinations indicate.
We have two lights on a Cisco Aironet card. The green light is the Status LED, and the amber light is the Activity LED. We've got quite a few combinations with those two lights, so let's take a look at what each of the following LED readouts indicates.
Status off, Activity off - Naturally, this means the card isn't getting power!
Status blinking slowly, Activity off - the adapter's in Power Save mode.
Status on, Activity off - adapter has come out of Power Save mode.
Both lights blinking in an alternating fashion - adapter is scanning for its network.
Both lights blinking slowly at the same time - adapter has successfully associated with an AP (or other client if you have an Ad Hoc network)
Both lights blinking quickly at the same time - adapter is associated and is sending or receiving data
ONT: Answer: Here's a review of tail drop and how it can cause Global Synchronization. Usually synchronization is good, but this kind isn't!
When the queue is full, packets that are trying to queue up for transmission literally have nowhere to be put! These packets are then subject to tail drop, which is a fancy way of saying "you're being dropped because we have no place to put you".
You know that TCP has a detection and recovery scheme when it comes to missing segments, so tail drop is no big deal, right? Quite the opposite, it's a huge deal.
The problem starts innocently enough, as the senders realize their TCP packets are being dropped. As we'd expect, the senders then throttle back on their transmission speed. After doing so, the senders will then gradually speed their transmission rates back up.
As multiple senders increase their transmission rates, the queue will fill up again, and the senders will again almost simultaneously slow their transmission rates, followed by another near-simultaneous increase.
As a result of this global synchronization, the links are perpetually in one of two states - congested or underused. Basically, the network ends up being either hammered or not being used to its full potential, and those are both circumstances we want to avoid.
One way to avoid global synchronization is though the use of Random Early Detection (RED).
Look for more Cisco practice exams on my website as well as this one!
What is the CompTIA Security+ Certification?
For many Information Technology professionals, moving on up the IT certification ladder includes some form of formal network and computer security training. Although this is often not a full fledged certification path, it is quite essential in today's Internet connected world. A few of these people decide to actually acquire certifications to formally prove to those who have a vested interest that they have passed difficult tests and earned respected credentials by doing so.
The Security+ exam is an excellent introduction into the world of computer and network security. It is a vendor neutral certification. This means it is not tied to one computer or network brand or platform. Once an individual has earned their A+ and Network+ certifications a next logical step is to explore the CompTIA Security+ certification.
If you have the Security+ credential on your resume, prospective employers will see that you are serious about your quest to be a knowledgeable and competent IT professional. The knowledge of computer and network security will benefit not only you, but your employer as well.
As a networking professional you will need to have wrapped your brain around some of the fairly complex topics such as a thorough understanding of how a Microsoft server domain infrastructure works, server authentication, server lock down concepts, TCP/IP protocols, DNS, DHCP, MAC addresses, and to some extent packet analysis.
These are all topics you will likely be somewhat familiar with if you already work in an IT security or administrative related position. Most companies are increasing their focus on protecting their business from black hat hackers, and knowing the basics about computer and network security could give you the edge you need in your career.
As far as knowledge goes, you should probably be at the Network+, or MCP on XP Pro level before you begin a Security+ certification training program. You should also have actually worked in a networking role, although this is not required.
There are many excellent technical schools and colleges which offer courses geared toward the CompTIA Security+ objectives. There is also a lot of self-study material available. The self study method will require a good deal of discipline, but it is very possible to accomplish this on your own, and earn the cert.
Once you as a candidate feel you are ready to sit for the exam you will need to schedule an appointment with either a Pearson VUE or Prometric testing facility.
The Security+ exam is an excellent introduction into the world of computer and network security. It is a vendor neutral certification. This means it is not tied to one computer or network brand or platform. Once an individual has earned their A+ and Network+ certifications a next logical step is to explore the CompTIA Security+ certification.
If you have the Security+ credential on your resume, prospective employers will see that you are serious about your quest to be a knowledgeable and competent IT professional. The knowledge of computer and network security will benefit not only you, but your employer as well.
As a networking professional you will need to have wrapped your brain around some of the fairly complex topics such as a thorough understanding of how a Microsoft server domain infrastructure works, server authentication, server lock down concepts, TCP/IP protocols, DNS, DHCP, MAC addresses, and to some extent packet analysis.
These are all topics you will likely be somewhat familiar with if you already work in an IT security or administrative related position. Most companies are increasing their focus on protecting their business from black hat hackers, and knowing the basics about computer and network security could give you the edge you need in your career.
As far as knowledge goes, you should probably be at the Network+, or MCP on XP Pro level before you begin a Security+ certification training program. You should also have actually worked in a networking role, although this is not required.
There are many excellent technical schools and colleges which offer courses geared toward the CompTIA Security+ objectives. There is also a lot of self-study material available. The self study method will require a good deal of discipline, but it is very possible to accomplish this on your own, and earn the cert.
Once you as a candidate feel you are ready to sit for the exam you will need to schedule an appointment with either a Pearson VUE or Prometric testing facility.
Cisco CCNA, CCNP, and CCENT Practice Questions - RIP, VLANs, HSRP, and More!
Let's test your knowledge of RIP, Easy VPN Server, VLANs, and other important Cisco certification exam topics! Answers can be found at the end of the article.
CCNA Certification:
What single command would double every RIP value show in the following command output?
R1#show ip protocols Routing Protocol is "rip" Sending updates every 30 seconds Invalid after 180 seconds, hold down 180, flushed after 240
CCENT Certification:
You're configuring a Cisco switch and attempt to place a port into a VLAN that has not yet been created. What will happen, and what message should you expect to see?
CCNA Security Certification / CCNP ISCW Exam:
You're working in SDM to configure an Easy VPN Server. You'll have three options for authenticating your Easy VPN Clients. What are they?
CCNP Certification / BSCI Exam:
What do the following IPv4 fields have in common as they relate to IPv6?
Header Length Identification Flags Fragment Offset Header Checksum
CCNP Certification / BCMSN Exam:
What single word allows an HSRP router to take over as the Active router even if the current Active route is online?
CCNP / ONT Exam:
What headers are compressed by RTP Header Compression?
Here are the answers!
CCNA: Answer: Use the timers basic command to change RIP values. To double each value, we'd use the following command:
R1(config-router)#timers basic 60 360 360 480
CCENT: Answer: The switch will dynamically create the VLAN and send you a message indicating just that. Here's the message I received when placing a port into VLAN 500, a VLAN that did not previously exist on this switch:
SW1(config)#int fast 0/1 SW1(config-if)#switchport mode access SW1(config-if)#switchport access vlan 500 % Access VLAN does not exist. Creating vlan 500
CCNA Security / ISCW Exam Answer: The choices are Pre-shared key, Digital Certificates, and Both.
CCNP BSCI Answer: None of them made the cut to IPv6 - they're IPv4-only fields.
CCNP BCMSN Answer: preempt. In the following example, R2 was not the Active router even though its priority was higher than the current Active router. After reconfiguring R2's priority statement with the preempt option, R2 becomes the Active router.
Note that may preempt now appears in the output of show standby on R2.
R2(config-if)#standby 5 priority 150 preempt
1d11h: %STANDBY-6-STATECHANGE: Ethernet0 Group 5 state Standby -> Active
R2#show standby Ethernet0 - Group 5 Local state is Active, priority 150, may preempt Hellotime 4 sec, holdtime 12 sec Next hello sent in 1.844 Virtual IP address is 172.12.23.10 configured Active router is local Standby router is 172.12.23.3 expires in 10.204 Virtual mac address is 0000.0c07.ac05 2 state changes, last state change 00:00:13
CCNP ONT Answer: RTP HC will compress RTP headers, certainly - but it will also compress IP and UDP headers.
RTP compression can result in quite a bit of overhead reduction. Consider those three headers and their size:
IP Header: 20 bytes UDP Header: 8 bytes RTP Header: 12 bytes
RTP HC will result in that overall header size being reduced to anywhere from 2 to 4 bytes, depending on whose documentation you're reading.
Look for more free Cisco certification exam practice questions on my website as well as this one!
CCNA Certification:
What single command would double every RIP value show in the following command output?
R1#show ip protocols Routing Protocol is "rip" Sending updates every 30 seconds Invalid after 180 seconds, hold down 180, flushed after 240
CCENT Certification:
You're configuring a Cisco switch and attempt to place a port into a VLAN that has not yet been created. What will happen, and what message should you expect to see?
CCNA Security Certification / CCNP ISCW Exam:
You're working in SDM to configure an Easy VPN Server. You'll have three options for authenticating your Easy VPN Clients. What are they?
CCNP Certification / BSCI Exam:
What do the following IPv4 fields have in common as they relate to IPv6?
Header Length Identification Flags Fragment Offset Header Checksum
CCNP Certification / BCMSN Exam:
What single word allows an HSRP router to take over as the Active router even if the current Active route is online?
CCNP / ONT Exam:
What headers are compressed by RTP Header Compression?
Here are the answers!
CCNA: Answer: Use the timers basic command to change RIP values. To double each value, we'd use the following command:
R1(config-router)#timers basic 60 360 360 480
CCENT: Answer: The switch will dynamically create the VLAN and send you a message indicating just that. Here's the message I received when placing a port into VLAN 500, a VLAN that did not previously exist on this switch:
SW1(config)#int fast 0/1 SW1(config-if)#switchport mode access SW1(config-if)#switchport access vlan 500 % Access VLAN does not exist. Creating vlan 500
CCNA Security / ISCW Exam Answer: The choices are Pre-shared key, Digital Certificates, and Both.
CCNP BSCI Answer: None of them made the cut to IPv6 - they're IPv4-only fields.
CCNP BCMSN Answer: preempt. In the following example, R2 was not the Active router even though its priority was higher than the current Active router. After reconfiguring R2's priority statement with the preempt option, R2 becomes the Active router.
Note that may preempt now appears in the output of show standby on R2.
R2(config-if)#standby 5 priority 150 preempt
1d11h: %STANDBY-6-STATECHANGE: Ethernet0 Group 5 state Standby -> Active
R2#show standby Ethernet0 - Group 5 Local state is Active, priority 150, may preempt Hellotime 4 sec, holdtime 12 sec Next hello sent in 1.844 Virtual IP address is 172.12.23.10 configured Active router is local Standby router is 172.12.23.3 expires in 10.204 Virtual mac address is 0000.0c07.ac05 2 state changes, last state change 00:00:13
CCNP ONT Answer: RTP HC will compress RTP headers, certainly - but it will also compress IP and UDP headers.
RTP compression can result in quite a bit of overhead reduction. Consider those three headers and their size:
IP Header: 20 bytes UDP Header: 8 bytes RTP Header: 12 bytes
RTP HC will result in that overall header size being reduced to anywhere from 2 to 4 bytes, depending on whose documentation you're reading.
Look for more free Cisco certification exam practice questions on my website as well as this one!
CCNA, CCENT, CCNP and Cisco Security Exam Questions - EIGRP, Honeypots, Proxy ARP and More!
To help you prepare for total success on your Cisco certification exams, here are some free practice exam questions on topics from Proxy ARP to honeypots. Answers are at the bottom of the page. Enjoy!
CCNA Certification:
What command disables Proxy ARP on a Cisco router interface?
CCENT Certification:
What single word describes a major advantage of using UDP over TCP?
CCNA Security Certification / CCNP ISCW Exam:
In terms of network security, what purpose does a honeypot serve?
CCNP Certification / BSCI Exam:
In the following output, describe....
1. The meaning of "EX"
2. The value replaced by the question mark
3. The default setting of the value replaced by the question mark
4. The meaning of "2195456"
D EX 14.14.14.14 [ ? /2195456] via 172.12.123.1, 00:11:41, Serial0
CCNP Certification / BCMSN Exam:
What command resulted in the following output?
SW1#
Vlan33 is up, line protocol is up Hardware is EtherSVI, address is 0012.7f02.4b42 (bia 0012.7f02.4b42) Internet address is 30.1.1.11/24
CCNP / ONT Exam:
What modules allow you to extend NBAR capabilities without having to reload the router or update the IOS?
Here are the answers!
CCNA: The interface-level command no ip proxy-arp.
CCENT: Overhead. There's much more overhead to using TCP as compared to UDP.
CCNA Security / ISCW: Answer: A honeypot is a network device that is purposely left open to attack. The attack methods are then analyzed in order to develop a defense against that attack type. (Obviously, this will not be a production server!)
CCNP / BSCI: Answer:
1. The "EX" indicates an external EIGRP route. External EIGRP routes are routes learned via the route redistribution process.
2 & 3. The value replaced by the "?" is 170, the default administrative distance of an external EIGRP route.
4. The second number in the brackets is the route metric.
CCNP / BCMSN: The command show interface vlan33.
CCNP / ONT: Answer: NBAR's capabilities are continually extended through the development of Packet Description Language Modules (PDLM). Not only do these PDLMs allow your NBAR deployment to identify more and more different types of traffic, but a router reload is not necessary, and you don't need a new IOS image.
Look for more Cisco practice exams on my website as well as the one you're visiting right now!
CCNA Certification:
What command disables Proxy ARP on a Cisco router interface?
CCENT Certification:
What single word describes a major advantage of using UDP over TCP?
CCNA Security Certification / CCNP ISCW Exam:
In terms of network security, what purpose does a honeypot serve?
CCNP Certification / BSCI Exam:
In the following output, describe....
1. The meaning of "EX"
2. The value replaced by the question mark
3. The default setting of the value replaced by the question mark
4. The meaning of "2195456"
D EX 14.14.14.14 [ ? /2195456] via 172.12.123.1, 00:11:41, Serial0
CCNP Certification / BCMSN Exam:
What command resulted in the following output?
SW1#
Vlan33 is up, line protocol is up Hardware is EtherSVI, address is 0012.7f02.4b42 (bia 0012.7f02.4b42) Internet address is 30.1.1.11/24
CCNP / ONT Exam:
What modules allow you to extend NBAR capabilities without having to reload the router or update the IOS?
Here are the answers!
CCNA: The interface-level command no ip proxy-arp.
CCENT: Overhead. There's much more overhead to using TCP as compared to UDP.
CCNA Security / ISCW: Answer: A honeypot is a network device that is purposely left open to attack. The attack methods are then analyzed in order to develop a defense against that attack type. (Obviously, this will not be a production server!)
CCNP / BSCI: Answer:
1. The "EX" indicates an external EIGRP route. External EIGRP routes are routes learned via the route redistribution process.
2 & 3. The value replaced by the "?" is 170, the default administrative distance of an external EIGRP route.
4. The second number in the brackets is the route metric.
CCNP / BCMSN: The command show interface vlan33.
CCNP / ONT: Answer: NBAR's capabilities are continually extended through the development of Packet Description Language Modules (PDLM). Not only do these PDLMs allow your NBAR deployment to identify more and more different types of traffic, but a router reload is not necessary, and you don't need a new IOS image.
Look for more Cisco practice exams on my website as well as the one you're visiting right now!
Comp TIA Certification - One Way to Get it Abilities Recognized
In the current day and age where IT job competition is greater than ever there is a bit of a universal recognition that can be used as added professional weight to give you a decided edge over the other IT "Joe Schmo's" looking to get hired in place of or before you. The IT world is one with keen notice toward those who have credentials. And if you lack credentials you lack the capability to put yourself ahead of the IT curve.
Credentials Are At the Heart of the IT Industry
This means you need training, certification and overall experience. Once this is had, you can move, excel and grow within the IT industry. For, as mentioned above, without credentials, you're just another face in the swarm of prospective IT workers, one that will easily get overlooked, if not completely ignored. This in mind, and specifically narrowing down toward one type of certification best known as the Comp TIA Certification, you can not only place yourself in front of the line of other hopeful prospective IT employees, but you can wave that certification in the air as evidence to what you've accomplished and what you're capable of offering as a professional.
Comp TIA Has Accrued Much Acclaim
The Computing Technology Industry Association ( or for short, Comp TIA) is an organization with an established voice of 24 years in the IT industry. And many, if not all, in the IT sphere listen and listen well to their messages. With a global presence reeling in more than 20,000 members from over 100 international locations it is a worldwide IT powerhouse with leading prominence in developing IT policy, expanding and bettering IT education as well as advancing profession opportunities for professionals both yet to be and longstanding.
All the above said, it's no wonder that possessing a Comp TIA certification would be to any IT individual's benefit. The organization's acclaim is there and deeply-rooted. It's just a matter of picking, of putting your shovel down and pounding it into the ground with your IT foot; then, you will be on board with Comp TIA membership.
Membership in Comp TIA - Career Perks
Consider again the position of the Comp TIA organization. Now, place yourself in the mix and add the situation all together - what you have is raw potential. Just with the networking tools that this organization offers it's members, you are instantly given an upper hand in a very matched and -at times- cutthroat industry. Access is granted in many areas, directly to you: advanced IT information, hot topics of the moment, policy changes, industry news and so on are all at your fingertips.
Also, consider your ability to affect the sphere in which you work; both on national and international scales you will be able to affect changes in IT policy overall. And since the voice you'd be working under has such a presence attention will be drawn from those who are most upstanding such as global governments, the media and commercialists, both of national and international designations.
The perks are obvious. The potential, booming. With a Comp TIA certification in your hands you will ensure a striking IT career ahead, one that requires constant breadth of knowledge and a great deal of professionalism.
Credentials Are At the Heart of the IT Industry
This means you need training, certification and overall experience. Once this is had, you can move, excel and grow within the IT industry. For, as mentioned above, without credentials, you're just another face in the swarm of prospective IT workers, one that will easily get overlooked, if not completely ignored. This in mind, and specifically narrowing down toward one type of certification best known as the Comp TIA Certification, you can not only place yourself in front of the line of other hopeful prospective IT employees, but you can wave that certification in the air as evidence to what you've accomplished and what you're capable of offering as a professional.
Comp TIA Has Accrued Much Acclaim
The Computing Technology Industry Association ( or for short, Comp TIA) is an organization with an established voice of 24 years in the IT industry. And many, if not all, in the IT sphere listen and listen well to their messages. With a global presence reeling in more than 20,000 members from over 100 international locations it is a worldwide IT powerhouse with leading prominence in developing IT policy, expanding and bettering IT education as well as advancing profession opportunities for professionals both yet to be and longstanding.
All the above said, it's no wonder that possessing a Comp TIA certification would be to any IT individual's benefit. The organization's acclaim is there and deeply-rooted. It's just a matter of picking, of putting your shovel down and pounding it into the ground with your IT foot; then, you will be on board with Comp TIA membership.
Membership in Comp TIA - Career Perks
Consider again the position of the Comp TIA organization. Now, place yourself in the mix and add the situation all together - what you have is raw potential. Just with the networking tools that this organization offers it's members, you are instantly given an upper hand in a very matched and -at times- cutthroat industry. Access is granted in many areas, directly to you: advanced IT information, hot topics of the moment, policy changes, industry news and so on are all at your fingertips.
Also, consider your ability to affect the sphere in which you work; both on national and international scales you will be able to affect changes in IT policy overall. And since the voice you'd be working under has such a presence attention will be drawn from those who are most upstanding such as global governments, the media and commercialists, both of national and international designations.
The perks are obvious. The potential, booming. With a Comp TIA certification in your hands you will ensure a striking IT career ahead, one that requires constant breadth of knowledge and a great deal of professionalism.
Cisco CCNA, CCNP, and Security Practice Exam Questions - Debugs, Advanced EIGRP Commands, and More!
CCNA Certification:
What command results in the following output?
R3# 00:11:37: RIP: received v2 update from 172.12.123.1 on Serial0 00:11:37: 172.12.123.0/24 via 0.0.0.0 in 1 hops
CCENT Certification:
What's the basic purpose of the logging synchronous command?
CCNA Security Certification / CCNP ISCW Exam:
When configuring a basic firewall in SDM, what are the three options for the preconfigured security levels? Can you create your own custom security levels?
CCNP Certification / BSCI Exam:
In the following output, describe....
1. Why we would use this command in the first place 2. The meaning of "100" 3. The meaning of "300" 4. The default setting for this particular value, and what we're changing it to.
R1(config-if)#ip bandwidth-percent eigrp 100 300
CCNP Certification / BCMSN Exam:
What router redundancy protocol is defined by RFC 2281?
CCNP / ONT Exam:
IntServ uses RSVP, but DiffServ does not. What does DiffServ use in place of RSVP?
Here are the answers!
CCNA: Answer: That's the output of debug ip rip.
CCENT: Answer: When the router wants you to know something, it wants you to know right now. If the router sends a message to the console while you're entering a command, by default the router will interrupt your work to show you this message.
In the following example, I opened a Serial interface, which will always result in at least two messages relating to the physical and logical state of the interface. I started typing a sentence immediately after I opened the interface to show you what happens. I've bolded the sentence I was entering.
R1(config)#int s0 R1(config-if)#no shut R1(config-if)#^Z R1#so here i am
4d04h: %SYS-5-CONFIG_I: Configured from console by consoletyp 4d04h: %LINK-3-UPDOWN: Interface Serial0, changed state to uping and 4d04h: %LINEPROTO-5-UPDOWN: Line protocol on Interface Serial0, changed state to upi've been interrupted quite badly! 4d04h: %LINEPROTO-5-UPDOWN: Line protocol on Interface Serial0, changed state to down
This may seen trivial, but when you have a long command entry interrupted by a console message, you'll wonder how to prevent that from happening. (After you stop yelling at the router, that is.)
By configuring the logging synchronous command on the console port, you're telling the router to hold such messages until it detects no input from the keyboard and no other output from the router, such as a show command's output.
R1(config)#line console 0 R1(config-line)#logging ? synchronous Synchronized message output
CCNA Security / CCNP ISCW Exam: Answer: The options are High, Medium, and Low. In the Basic Firewall Wizard, you cannot create your own custom security levels, but you can do so in the Advanced Wizard.
CCNP BSCI Answer: By default, EIGRP uses up to 50 percent of a given interface's bandwidth. If you wish to change this default, it can be done with the interface-level command ip bandwidth-percent eigrp.
R1(config)#int s0 R1(config-if)#ip bandwidth-percent eigrp ? <1-65535> Autonomous system number
R1(config-if)#ip bandwidth-percent eigrp 100 ? <1-999999> Maximum bandwidth percentage that EIGRP may use
R1(config-if)#ip bandwidth-percent eigrp 100 300
I am showing you this command's values with IOS Help to remind you that you should develop the habit of always taking a few extra seconds to check the values - because in this command, the values look really strange. How in the world can I set EIGRP 100 to use 300% of an interface's bandwidth? And why would I ever do that?
There is always the chance that the actual physical speed of the interface exceeds the logical setting. You could take an interface with a 512 kbps interface and give it a logical setting of 56 kbps.
If you then wanted the line to allow EIGRP to use 168 kbps of the physical bandwidth, you'd set the bandwidth-percent value to 300, which allocates 300% of 56kbps to EIGRP traffic - which is 3 x 56, or 168.
I know it sounds crazy, so here's the proof that you can actually do this:
R3(config)#interface serial0 R3(config-if)#bandwidth 56 R3(config-if)#ip bandwidth-percent eigrp ? <1-65535> Autonomous system number
R3(config-if)#ip bandwidth-percent eigrp 100 ? <1-999999> Maximum bandwidth percentage that EIGRP may use
R3(config-if)#ip bandwidth-percent eigrp 100 300
BCMSN: Answer: Our old friend HSRP - the Hot Standby Routing Protocol.
ONT: Answer: DiffServ uses PHB - Per-Hop Behavior.
Look for more Cisco certification exam practice question sets and fully-illustrated tutorials on my website as well as the one you're on right now!
What command results in the following output?
R3# 00:11:37: RIP: received v2 update from 172.12.123.1 on Serial0 00:11:37: 172.12.123.0/24 via 0.0.0.0 in 1 hops
CCENT Certification:
What's the basic purpose of the logging synchronous command?
CCNA Security Certification / CCNP ISCW Exam:
When configuring a basic firewall in SDM, what are the three options for the preconfigured security levels? Can you create your own custom security levels?
CCNP Certification / BSCI Exam:
In the following output, describe....
1. Why we would use this command in the first place 2. The meaning of "100" 3. The meaning of "300" 4. The default setting for this particular value, and what we're changing it to.
R1(config-if)#ip bandwidth-percent eigrp 100 300
CCNP Certification / BCMSN Exam:
What router redundancy protocol is defined by RFC 2281?
CCNP / ONT Exam:
IntServ uses RSVP, but DiffServ does not. What does DiffServ use in place of RSVP?
Here are the answers!
CCNA: Answer: That's the output of debug ip rip.
CCENT: Answer: When the router wants you to know something, it wants you to know right now. If the router sends a message to the console while you're entering a command, by default the router will interrupt your work to show you this message.
In the following example, I opened a Serial interface, which will always result in at least two messages relating to the physical and logical state of the interface. I started typing a sentence immediately after I opened the interface to show you what happens. I've bolded the sentence I was entering.
R1(config)#int s0 R1(config-if)#no shut R1(config-if)#^Z R1#so here i am
4d04h: %SYS-5-CONFIG_I: Configured from console by consoletyp 4d04h: %LINK-3-UPDOWN: Interface Serial0, changed state to uping and 4d04h: %LINEPROTO-5-UPDOWN: Line protocol on Interface Serial0, changed state to upi've been interrupted quite badly! 4d04h: %LINEPROTO-5-UPDOWN: Line protocol on Interface Serial0, changed state to down
This may seen trivial, but when you have a long command entry interrupted by a console message, you'll wonder how to prevent that from happening. (After you stop yelling at the router, that is.)
By configuring the logging synchronous command on the console port, you're telling the router to hold such messages until it detects no input from the keyboard and no other output from the router, such as a show command's output.
R1(config)#line console 0 R1(config-line)#logging ? synchronous Synchronized message output
CCNA Security / CCNP ISCW Exam: Answer: The options are High, Medium, and Low. In the Basic Firewall Wizard, you cannot create your own custom security levels, but you can do so in the Advanced Wizard.
CCNP BSCI Answer: By default, EIGRP uses up to 50 percent of a given interface's bandwidth. If you wish to change this default, it can be done with the interface-level command ip bandwidth-percent eigrp.
R1(config)#int s0 R1(config-if)#ip bandwidth-percent eigrp ? <1-65535> Autonomous system number
R1(config-if)#ip bandwidth-percent eigrp 100 ? <1-999999> Maximum bandwidth percentage that EIGRP may use
R1(config-if)#ip bandwidth-percent eigrp 100 300
I am showing you this command's values with IOS Help to remind you that you should develop the habit of always taking a few extra seconds to check the values - because in this command, the values look really strange. How in the world can I set EIGRP 100 to use 300% of an interface's bandwidth? And why would I ever do that?
There is always the chance that the actual physical speed of the interface exceeds the logical setting. You could take an interface with a 512 kbps interface and give it a logical setting of 56 kbps.
If you then wanted the line to allow EIGRP to use 168 kbps of the physical bandwidth, you'd set the bandwidth-percent value to 300, which allocates 300% of 56kbps to EIGRP traffic - which is 3 x 56, or 168.
I know it sounds crazy, so here's the proof that you can actually do this:
R3(config)#interface serial0 R3(config-if)#bandwidth 56 R3(config-if)#ip bandwidth-percent eigrp ? <1-65535> Autonomous system number
R3(config-if)#ip bandwidth-percent eigrp 100 ? <1-999999> Maximum bandwidth percentage that EIGRP may use
R3(config-if)#ip bandwidth-percent eigrp 100 300
BCMSN: Answer: Our old friend HSRP - the Hot Standby Routing Protocol.
ONT: Answer: DiffServ uses PHB - Per-Hop Behavior.
Look for more Cisco certification exam practice question sets and fully-illustrated tutorials on my website as well as the one you're on right now!
MySQL Certifications
If you are interested in becoming a MySQL professional, you should consider getting one or more MySQL Certifications. This means requires passing one or more exams containing about 70 multiple-choice questions. The present cost of each exam is $200 but is sometimes discounted. This exam is available through the Pearson VUE test centers located virtually across the globe.
What do you get for passing these tests? The first answer is professional recognition. While certification is no proof that you can really perform on the job, doing the hard, hard work of certifying can help you prepare for the real world. Let's be frank. If you only know your stuff on paper, you won't know what to do on the job. Before long you'll be pounding the pavement. In a community like certified professionals the word spreads fast.
In this article we look at your choices for MySQL Certifications. Companion articles will discuss each of these certifications in more detail. The CMA (Certified MySQL Associate) is an entry-level certification, designed for people who are relatively new to using the database server. This certification covers basic database management system concepts as well as basic SQL. While this certification is not a prerequisite to the other certifications many people new to MySQL start with CMA certification before going to the more advanced certifications. It's up to you.
The CMDEV (Certified MySQL Developer) is targeted at candidates who will be developing applications using MySQL as back-end storage. This certification is issued to those who pass both the Certified MySQL Developer-I and Certified MySQL Developer-II exams. You may pass either of these two exams first; they cover different but complementary material.
The CMDBA (Certified MySQL Database Administrator) is targeted at database administrators responsible for tuning, planning, and optimizing data layout for one or several servers and who do not write many applications. This certification is issued to those who pass both the Certified MySQL DBA-I and Certified MySQL DBA-II exams. You may pass either of these two exams first; they cover different but complementary material.
The CMCDBA (Certified MySQL Cluster Database Administrator) requires first obtaining the CMDBA certification and then passing a single exam associated with a very specific aspect of MySQL technology. You can be a professional MySQL database administrator and never deal with the material covered by this exam.
There are a wide variety of tracks to prepare for any and all of these certifications. For example, MySQL offers books and classes at every level. Take my advice, don't sign up for anything more expensive than a book until you download MySQL and spend some serious time trying it out. One thing is sure; if you want to pass the test you must run MySQL hour after hour, day after day. If you don't like that do something else.
Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet. He teaches Linux and Windows operating systems plus other computer courses at an Ontario French-language community college. His brand-new site http://www.mysql4windows.com shows you how to download (legally and for free) MySQL and work with this software. Visit his new website http://www.linux4windows.com which teaches you how to download and run Damn Small Linux on Windows computers, even if they are "obsolete."
What do you get for passing these tests? The first answer is professional recognition. While certification is no proof that you can really perform on the job, doing the hard, hard work of certifying can help you prepare for the real world. Let's be frank. If you only know your stuff on paper, you won't know what to do on the job. Before long you'll be pounding the pavement. In a community like certified professionals the word spreads fast.
In this article we look at your choices for MySQL Certifications. Companion articles will discuss each of these certifications in more detail. The CMA (Certified MySQL Associate) is an entry-level certification, designed for people who are relatively new to using the database server. This certification covers basic database management system concepts as well as basic SQL. While this certification is not a prerequisite to the other certifications many people new to MySQL start with CMA certification before going to the more advanced certifications. It's up to you.
The CMDEV (Certified MySQL Developer) is targeted at candidates who will be developing applications using MySQL as back-end storage. This certification is issued to those who pass both the Certified MySQL Developer-I and Certified MySQL Developer-II exams. You may pass either of these two exams first; they cover different but complementary material.
The CMDBA (Certified MySQL Database Administrator) is targeted at database administrators responsible for tuning, planning, and optimizing data layout for one or several servers and who do not write many applications. This certification is issued to those who pass both the Certified MySQL DBA-I and Certified MySQL DBA-II exams. You may pass either of these two exams first; they cover different but complementary material.
The CMCDBA (Certified MySQL Cluster Database Administrator) requires first obtaining the CMDBA certification and then passing a single exam associated with a very specific aspect of MySQL technology. You can be a professional MySQL database administrator and never deal with the material covered by this exam.
There are a wide variety of tracks to prepare for any and all of these certifications. For example, MySQL offers books and classes at every level. Take my advice, don't sign up for anything more expensive than a book until you download MySQL and spend some serious time trying it out. One thing is sure; if you want to pass the test you must run MySQL hour after hour, day after day. If you don't like that do something else.
Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet. He teaches Linux and Windows operating systems plus other computer courses at an Ontario French-language community college. His brand-new site http://www.mysql4windows.com shows you how to download (legally and for free) MySQL and work with this software. Visit his new website http://www.linux4windows.com which teaches you how to download and run Damn Small Linux on Windows computers, even if they are "obsolete."
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