Member Avatar for Netking27

Just a few doubts regarding networking..

have completed my ccna last year and now thinking of preparing for CCSP...

can any one help me on where to start or what type of basics should i have to read as i ama basically a system admin...


any help would be greatly appreciated

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— good direction. A quick clarification first: "CCSP" can mean different things (Cisco had a CCSP track in the past; ISC2 now uses the same acronym for a cloud-security cert). Confirm the exact program before buying materials. raised CCNP as an option — CCNP-level knowledge helps, but it is not always a strict prerequisite for vendor security tracks; what matters most is the set of skills below.

Focus your study on practical networking + security building blocks. Key topics to master: IP addressing/subnetting, routing basics (static/OSPF), VLANs and switching, ACLs and NAT, stateful vs stateless firewall behavior, IPsec/SSL VPN concepts (IKE phases, policies), AAA (RADIUS/TACACS+), basic PKI and certificate troubleshooting, and IDS/IPS fundamentals. Learn packet flow and end-to-end troubleshooting—those are the skills examiners and real jobs test.

Get hands-on early. Build a lab with emulators and virtual appliances, and capture traffic with Wireshark. Useful free tools: GNS3 for router/switch IOS emulation, pfSense for firewall/VPN practice, VirtualBox for VMs, and Wireshark for packet analysis. If budget allows, pick up a secondhand ASA/PIX or an older IOS router to practice real CLI and stateful firewall commands.

Study workflow: 1) 4–6 weeks to shore up routing/switching and packet capture skills, 2) 4–6 weeks focused on firewall/VPN/AAA labs, 3) finish with practice scenarios and timed practice exams. Consider a vendor-neutral baseline like CompTIA Security+ while you build hands-on skills (CompTIA Security+). Check the current exam blueprints from the cert owner before investing in specific books or courses.

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Member Avatar for disophisis

I believe it is actually called the ccnp... not exactly sure. You're ahead of me there, anyway. If you could find a little tech college somewhere you could get some nice coursework. Either that or go to cisco.com and look up the ccnp there. They've got everything you need, I'm sure.

Member Avatar for Netking27

Thanks for the reply...:)

my doubt is wether ccnp is required tom take up ccsp...as per CISCO site the require a ccna...so i thought might go for it.

And also been browsing for online course material but unable to find it.:(

Heard all 5 papers are really tough so still searching for where to start ....:'(

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