CCNA Voice Concentration

Most of my blog entries this month dealt Cisco's professional-level voice certification (i.e. CCVP). However, one of the most requested topics (based on a poll conducted at the beginning of the month) was Cisco's associate-level voice certification, specifically, the CCNA Voice Concentration.

While the CCNA Voice Concentration is not currently a prerequisite for the CCVP certification, it will become a prerequisite beginning June 24, 2009. In order to earn this certification, you must be a CCNA, and you must pass exam 640-460.

Exam 640-460 is based on Cisco's Implementing Cisco IOS Unified Communications (IIUC) course. To be honest, when I first saw the content of the IIUC course, I was thought Cisco had made a mistake. The reason being, the IIUC concentrates heavily on Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express (UCME), which allows you to have an IOS router act as a call agent (as opposed to a cluster of Cisco Unified Communications Manager servers), and I didn't think the IIUC course did a great job in preparing students for the topics in the CCVP track.

However, I now understand. Cisco wanted people who possessed an entry level certification to be able to set up a complete solution based on IOS technologies. For example, if you pursue the CCNA Security Concentration, you'll focus on IOS-specific security solutions, rather than firewall, VPN, and IPS appliances. Similarly, for the CCNA Voice Concentration, you focus on IOS-based IP telephony, which leverages Cisco's UCME technology.

In this final blog, I thought we would spend some time giving you an idea of the topics you'll need to be familiar with to succeed on the 640-460 exam.

Introduction to Cisco's Unified Communications Solution

- You should be familiar with some of the components that comprise Cisco's Unified Communications System (e.g. Cisco Unified Communications Manager, various Cisco IP Phones, and Cisco TelePresence).

Fundamentals of Traditional Telephony

- You should understand basics concepts surrounding traditional telephony (e.g. PBX and key system operation).

- Identify the characteristics of various analog and digital voice ports.

VoIP Basics

- Explain the distinction between H.323, MGCP, and SIP as call control protocols.

- Be able to configure a Cisco Catalyst switch to support voice traffic (e.g. create a voice VLAN).

- Configure digit manipulation (e.g. prepending an area code and an office code to a dial string, if a call is redirected out to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN)).

- Understand the fundamentals of quality of service (QoS).

Configuring Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express

- Configure an ephone.

- Configure an ephone-dn (using various configuration options).

- Add voice features to a Cisco UCME solution (e.g. call forward and music on hold).

- Add voice mail to a Cisco UCME solution, with Cisco Unity Express.

Configuring Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series for Small Business Router

- Describe the basics of the Cisco Smart Business Communications System.

- Configure voice features, system features, and maintain a Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series for Small Business router, using a GUI interface.

If this CCNA Voice Concentration sounds intriguing to you, I would love for you to come join me in a live on-line IIUC class. I teach for SkillSoft Corp, and you can get more information about our Live Learning course offerings by visiting: www.skillsoft.com/livelearning. Also, Cisco Press offers a book on this certification: CCNA Voice Official Exam Certification Guide.

Well, it seems just a short time ago when I was introducing myself to you and explaining that I would be blogging during the month of December, and already my short stint as a blogger has come to an end. It was a great experience, and I've enjoyed hearing from you in the form of comments and poll question responses. I hope you've found value in our short time together, and I hope to run into you at some point, whether in one of my classes or perhaps at a Networkers convention. As I've noted many times, this is a relatively small community. So, I'm sure I'll cross paths with some of you.

Until then, take good care,

Kevin Wallace

• Cisco
• VoIP / Convergence
• CCNA Voice
• CCNP
• Cisco VoIP
• VoIP