The Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) tests were created to assess network professionals with three to five years of experience in the information technology area. Acquiring this certification will assist you in demonstrating your value to current management and demonstrate to prospective employers that you possess the necessary skills for the position.
To earn the CCNP designation, you must first pass the CCNA test and then four additional written exams. I’ll discuss the information you’ll need to study to earn your CCNP in this article.
Cisco’s four CCNP exams are as follows:
- Routing 640-503
- Switching 640-504
- Remote Access 640-505
- Support 640-506
Additionally, you can take the Foundation R/S test, a single exam covering routing, switching, and remote access. This examination is designated as 640-509. This exam, however, is not recommended because failing only one section results in failure of the complete exam.
Routing
The CCNP Routing exam is a more advanced version of the CCNA Routing exam. You must be familiar with sophisticated routing protocols such as EIGRP, OSPF, and BGP to pass this test. Configure these protocols, particularly OSPF and BGP, on routers connected to major internetworks. Recognize how these protocols operate and are configured. On Cisco’s Web site, you may view the exam objectives for the Routing exam. These are the only objectives on all four examinations that were thought through before Cisco published them on the Web site.
You must be able to configure OSPF in both single- and multiple-area configurations. Recognize the link state advertisement (LSA) process and its use in many fields. Additionally, you should be able to configure Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) with variable length subnet mask (VLSM) and summarization in preparation for the exam.
Recognize the Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol’s (EIGRP) internal processes and how EIGRP identifies, picks, and maintains routes. Also, make sure you know how to configure EIGRP in a nonbroadcast multiaccess (NBMA) network and design and install a large VLSM EIGRP network utilizing summarization.
Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) is undoubtedly the most challenging section of the exam. You must be well familiar with BGP. You absolutely must understand how to configure BGP between different autonomous systems, how to configure BGP between external and internal networks, how to configure BGP policy control using prefix lists, and how to configure BGP to connect to multiple ISPs via BGP.
Switching
The Switching exam assesses your understanding of Catalyst 5000 and 1900 series switches. You must be familiar with VLANS, ISL, 802.1q, and STP timer configuration. Examine STP timers in detail and ensure that you understand how they are configured in large switched networks. Avoid the Cisco-listed Switching exam objectives, as they will provide little assistance in preparing for the actual exam.
It would help if you had a rudimentary understanding of the OSI reference model and how the various switching techniques function at each layer to prepare for the exam. Particular attention should be paid to the more challenging layers (Layer 2, Layer 3, and Layer 4). Additionally, you should be familiar with multilayer switching (MLS). Ascertain that you comprehend the Cisco three-layer model. Investigate how switched networks are constructed using switch blocks and core blocks.
Examine the various cable media and Ethernet networking options available, including the Fast Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet protocols. On the 5000 series of switches and the 1900 CLI, practice configuring fundamental IOS commands such as logging in and defining passwords.
It would be best if you had a firm grasp of the configuration of VLANs and trunking on Catalyst switches in the 5000 and 1900 series. Understand Layer 2 switching requirements, advanced STP topics, and how STP interacts with VLANs.
Additionally, you must be capable of designing and configuring routing between multiple VLANS, both internally and externally, using both internal and external route processors.
Recognize the theory and practice of multilayer switching, as well as how to configure Multicast on routers and switches.
Access via the Internet
You must understand frame relay, ISDN, PPP, and async connections to pass the Remote Access exam. Again, do not attempt to study the Cisco-provided objectives.
To pass the Remote Access exam, you must be familiar with Windows and Cisco router async connection types. Additionally, you must be able to connect to routers via the async port utilizing modems.
You will need to understand how to configure PPP with PAP and CHAP and how to configure authentication and multilink with direct and dial-up connections.
ISDN signaling techniques are extensively assessed, and passing this exam requires a thorough comprehension of ISDN. Configure ISDN and DDR utilizing ISDN and async to ensure that you have no issues answering the exam questions.
Additionally, you’ll want to ensure that you devote sufficient time to studying and configuring X.25.
Take this exam only if you are confident that you understand frame relay and how it is set up in various WAN networks. This exam requires extensive hands-on experience.
Support
Support is one of the most challenging exams in the CCNP series. Not only must you be familiar with complex protocol settings, but you must also be able to troubleshoot and pinpoint faults inside an internetwork. I’ve always believed that the exam objectives for the Cisco Support exam, as posted on the Cisco Web site, were intended to cause you to fail. When (and if) you review these, exercise caution.
This is arguably the final exam in the series, as it covers how to troubleshoot everything you learned in the prior three.
You must be intimately familiar with your LAN and WAN protocols, as well as the Cisco, commands required to check and troubleshoot setups.
Cisco has developed a step-by-step procedure for troubleshooting the various WAN and LAN protocols, and you must be familiar with these procedures.
Ascertain that you are capable of troubleshooting IP, IPX, AppleTalk (yep, AppleTalk), ISDN, frame relay, and PPP successfully.
Do not enter this exam with the attitude of “I’ve seen ISDN once; I can pass this.” You would be gravely mistaken. Study all protocols and Cisco troubleshooting techniques thoroughly and then some more.
Ensure that you have studied Sybex’s CCNP Support Study Guide and that you are familiar with Cisco’s troubleshooting procedures for each protocol.
Conclusion
Each CCNP test consists of approximately 70 questions that must be answered in about 90 minutes. Each test and its passing score varies, but passing scores often hover around 80%. With SPOTO CCNP exam dumps, you may be confident that you will pass the CCNP exam on the first attempt without needing to retake it!
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