COMPUTER CERTIFICATION

Passing the BCMSN exam and getting one step closer to the CCNP certification means learning and noticing details that you were not presented with in your CCNA studies. (Yes, I know – you had more than enough details then, right?)   One protocol you’ve got to learn more details about is VTP, which seemed simple enough in your CCNA studies!  Part of learning the details is mastering the fundamentals, so in this tutorial we’ll review the basics of VTP. In show vtp status readouts, the "VTP Operating Mode" is set to "Server" by default.  The more familiar term for VTP Operating Mode is simply VTP Mode, and Server is the default.  It's through the usage of VTP modes that we can place limits on which switches can delete and create VLANs. In Server mode, a VTP switch can be used to create, modify, and delete VLANs.  This means that a VTP deployment has to have at least one switch in Server mode, or VLAN creation will not be possible.  Again, this i...

A CCNA or CCNP candidate who wants to be totally prepared for their exams is going to put together a home lab to practice on.  With used Cisco routers and switches more affordable and plentiful then ever before, there's really no excuse to not have one! With the many different models available, there is some understandable confusion among future CCNAs and CCNPs about which routers to buy and which ones to avoid.  You can take almost any set of Cisco routers and put together a home lab; part of the learning process is taking what equipment you have available and putting together your own lab!  For those of you preparing to start your home lab or add to your existing one, this article will list the routers I use in my Cisco pods.  You certainly don't have to have all this equipment, but this will give you some good ideas on how to get started. The most versatile router you can get for your CCNA / CCNP home lab is a 2520.  These routers come with four seri...