# CCENT or CCNA?



## Sonia ferdous (Jun 5, 2012)

Hi all,

I am new to the IT world. And want to build my career in this sector. But i know it is must to have some IT certifications for this. So i want to take my first certification with CCNA. But a friend of mine suggested me to take CCENT first. So i am confused, whether i will go with CCNA or CCENT.
So please anybody suggest which one should i take first? CCNA or CCENT? Waiting for your earliest responses.

Any advice would be great. Thanks!


----------



## BosonMichael (Nov 1, 2011)

Neither. The CCENT and CCNA are not entry-level certifications.

I would recommend you pursue the A+, Network+, and Microsoft client certifications; these are entry-level certifications that you can use to help you start your IT career. Getting anything more advanced than these will make you overcertified for your experience level (which is NOT a good thing).


----------



## Link2057 (Aug 23, 2006)

Boson is right. After A+ and Network+ I would tackle the CCENT first and then the CCNA. CCENT = Cisco Certified Entry Level Technician.  I am just starting to tackle the CCENT and it is a lof of reading and terms and concepts they talk about seem to imply that you have been in the field for awhile.


----------



## BosonMichael (Nov 1, 2011)

Link2057 said:


> Boson is right. After A+ and Network+ I would tackle the CCENT first and then the CCNA. CCENT = Cisco Certified Entry Level Technician. I am just starting to tackle the CCENT and it is a lof of reading and terms and concepts they talk about seem to imply that you have been in the field for awhile.


If I am right, why would you recommend that the OP pursue the CCENT? As I said, I wouldn't recommend pursuing the CCENT, because it is NOT an entry-level certification. 

The CCENT is, in my opinion, inappropriately named. It mistakenly gives newbie techs the impression that network administration jobs are entry-level jobs... and they simply aren't. The CCENT is designed for people who are starting to work on Cisco gear (or are being asked by their employer to prepare to work on Cisco gear). To remove any doubt, take a look at what the CCENT entails on Cisco's site, and then ask yourself whether an entry-level tech would reasonably be asked to perform those tasks (in case you are wondering, the answer to that question is no).

With the exception of TRUE entry-level certifications (the A+, Network+, and Microsoft client certifications), you should have experience with a technology before certifying on it. After all, certification is designed to show employers what you can already do... not what you want to be doing.


----------



## Link2057 (Aug 23, 2006)

BosonMichael said:


> If I am right, why would you recommend that the OP pursue the CCENT? As I said, I wouldn't recommend pursuing the CCENT, because it is NOT an entry-level certification.
> 
> The CCENT is, in my opinion, inappropriately named. It mistakenly gives newbie techs the impression that network administration jobs are entry-level jobs... and they simply aren't. The CCENT is designed for people who are starting to work on Cisco gear (or are being asked by their employer to prepare to work on Cisco gear). To remove any doubt, take a look at what the CCENT entails on Cisco's site, and then ask yourself whether an entry-level tech would reasonably be asked to perform those tasks (in case you are wondering, the answer to that question is no).
> 
> With the exception of TRUE entry-level certifications (the A+, Network+, and Microsoft client certifications), you should have experience with a technology before certifying on it. After all, certification is designed to show employers what you can already do... not what you want to be doing.


Boson,
 That is why I wrote _after_ taking the A+ and Network+ and with some experience they could pursue a CCENT. I was agreeing with you that it shouldn't be taken first. I meant _first_ as in the CCENT out of the cisco side of things assuming that they want to go for a cisco network administration.


----------



## msiddiqui77 (May 30, 2012)

Hi all , 
I am also new in CCNA. I leart alot of thing when i join CCNA.I want to grab the real life Router and Switches.I know how they work and make the network for 400 users but i want to clear my main concept in how these router and switch are configured.Is anyone has good information please reply me soon ...


----------



## msiddiqui77 (May 30, 2012)

I have Class A 126.0.0.0 and subnet mask is 255.0.0.0 i need to make IP range for my network.Any one help me out


----------



## BosonMichael (Nov 1, 2011)

msiddiqui77 said:


> I have Class A 126.0.0.0 and subnet mask is 255.0.0.0 i need to make IP range for my network.Any one help me out


Unless you are Softbank Corp. of Japan, you don't have the 126.0.0.0 Class A network; you have a homework assignment. And you're posting in someone else's thread.

There are plenty of subnetting tutorials on the Internet. One is here.


----------

