Now that you have you’re A+ and Network + -what is next?

Remember that this is the MICROSOFT Subnet – this is where I talk about Microsoft certification, issues etc. So what I am going to recommend next might cause some to wonder if I have been at the catnip again…. “Class – last time we met you recommended that our erstwhile newbies get their A+ and Network+ certifications. They have done that and have some experience under their belts – so what should they work on next?” A voice from the back of the classroom asks “Does it have to be a Microsoft class?” I think about it for a minute and respond “no…not necessarily” Voice from the back of the classroom responds – “How about them getting their CCNA?” At first I was going to dismiss this suggestion – a Cisco certification for Microsoft IT Pros..then I thought about it some more and thought it indeed was a good idea “Good idea” I announced to the class and the disembodied voice in the back of the classroom. It really does make a lot of sense for IT Pros (even Microsoft IT Pros) to have their CCNA, for a variety of reasons. Many IT folks tend to look at several places as Boundaries-Not-to-be-Broached. One of these is the wiring and the other is the actual moving of packets. They conceptually understand about routing protocols vs. routable protocols –but how they and why they move from point A to point B is a mystery. One of the first things I was taught in the Signal Officer Basic Course was to learn the signal flow of your network. Knowing the signal flow will help in understanding both how it works, but also in troubleshooting.