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10 Hottest Certifications for 2003
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| by Becky Nagel |
12/11/2002 -- First things first: If there's one thing we learned from doing this article last year, it's that we need to state very clearly that this is not a list of the most popular titles (well, we did, but obviously not clearly enough). Not that such a list would be a bad thing, it's just not the point of this particular article. full story
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Data Protection 102: IPsec Implementation
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| by Eric Quinn |
12/10/2002 -- In the previous article (click here), we covered encryption, tunnels and how IPsec works. This time, we're going to get hands-on. Implementing IPSec on a Cisco device will vary in complexity, depending on what device you are configuring. This article will look at the IOS router, PIX firewall and VPN Concentrator. Each of these devices has a mechanism to configure IPSec via the command line or a GUI. Because training primarily concerns itself with the command line for the router and firewall and with the GUI for the Concentrator, that's what we'll focus on. full story
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Data Protection 101: Understanding Encryption & IPsec Tunnels
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| by Eric Quinn |
10/2/2002 -- Encryption is a topic that finds its way into every nook and cranny of the networking world. Everyone has their own ideas of how it should work and their own understanding of how it does work. The problem with encryption is that there are several different types, and these types work in several different ways. And while most companies want encryption, they don't necessarily know what type of encryption they want, or what the differences are between the types. full story
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Step-By-Step Guide to the CCNA Exam, Part I
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| by Emmett Dulaney |
9/18/2002 -- In this article we will look at the first four objectives through a series of tables that list the sub-objectives for each and the information (or location to the information) you should know to prepare for this objective area. Next month, we will work through the remaining four objective categories. full story
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Emerging Optical Technologies: Resilient Packet Ring and Passive Optical Networks
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| by Randy Bird |
7/17/2002 -- As the excess capacity in long distance fiber networks pulls more and more carriers into the swamp, development continues on improved means for high-speed local access to data networks. In theory at least, once more end users require higher speed connections the overcapacity in the backbones will be absorbed and growth can continue in that area as well. A couple of new network topologies now under development bear watching in the access and metropolitan area network space. full story
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Cranking It Up Again: 10 Gigabit Ethernet Arrives
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| by Randy Bird |
6/4/2002 -- Just when we all were starting to get comfortable with the idea of Ethernet links running at a billion bits per second, there they go again upping the ante. On June 13, the IEEE is expected to ratify the standard for 10 Gigabit Ethernet, known as IEEE 802.3ae. The standardization effort has been underway for several years, and a number of prestandard products began shipping in 2001. With ratification of the official document, mass production of the various elements will begin, and the technology will begin down the same volume/cost curve that 10, 100 and 1,000 Mbit Ethernet products have seen. This article will outline some of the details of the specification and how it is expected to be applied to both local and wide area networks in the near future. full story
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Cisco Speaks Out on New CCNA Exam
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| by Becky Nagel |
3/20/2002 -- Last week, Cisco surprised most everyone by announcing that it had immediately replaced the current version of its CCNA exam, 640-507, with a new version (640-607) featuring router simulations. On Friday, CertCities.com interviewed Don Field, Cisco's senior manager of certifications to ask about theses changes. Here's what they told us. full story
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Understanding WANs: A Technical Primer
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| by Randy Bird |
1/8/2002 -- You probably know that wide area networks (WANs) are more than that opaque cloud shown on user network diagrams -- a lot more. But do you know exactly what's going on under the surface -- how they're structured, how they work? full story
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10 Hottest Certifications for 2002
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| by Becky Nagel |
12/5/2001 -- So you want to know what the next big trends in IT certification will be? We don't blame you -- we here at CertCities.com did too. Since we're a plucky bunch (plus, there's all this research lying around our offices that we figured probably should be put to some use), we decided to take this stab at prediciting the 10 hottest certifications for 2002. full story
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Fiber Optics 102: Implementation Considerations
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| by Randy Bird |
9/19/2001 -- A few months ago, in my article "Fiber Optics 101," we discussed some of the theory and background of fiber optic communications systems. This article continues from there, taking that information and showing show it can be applied to solving real world networking problems. full story
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Clustering 101
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| by Hinne Hettema |
7/17/2001 -- Through clustering, companies can transform relatively cheap, commercial, off-the-shelf hardware into a high availability, high performance and expandable solution that can be easily maintained and managed. Clusters will no doubt become more and more ubiquitous in the not too distant future; therefore, the time to start learning about them is now. Following is a guide to what clustering is, its most common permutations, and tips for networking and managing these configurations. full story
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Fiber Optics 101: A Primer
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| by Randy Bird |
4/6/2001 -- While from a distance fiber optic communications may appear to be different from more familiar technologies, in reality the basics are pretty simple and easy to comprehend. This article is intended to shed some light on the principles and practices involved in fiber optics, so that you will have a working knowledge of what the elements of the systems are and how they work. full story
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