EH-Net

Hey all,

Did a quick search through the forum whilst on my phone and didn't see anything about the WCNA.  Has anyone here looked at this? Would it be worth it for someone with very little experience?

 :D
Well as you can guess by my username, the answer to your question is yes. I took the full course. I can't remember how many hours of videos it was but it was a bunch! If I remember correctly the All Access Pass had about 40+ hours of videos (I was thinking it was more like 70 hours but that could be way off).

It is a very good course for some people because you will learn the ins and outs of the protocols from the packet level. You could just read the book and pass the test....it was fairly easy for me (but then again I'd seen all those videos!). It covers a lot of other topics as well such as voice and troubleshooting. Check out some of the free videos on Laura's Lab Kit v10. She's a good teacher and she knows her stuff- http://www.chappellu.com/
The videos make it very easy to learn this stuff because she will repeat some things just enough that you will remember them.


Absolutely! Packets don't lie.

WCNA, I'm thinking about getting the All Access Pass, but as you said, there seem to be a lot of videos.  Do you have any advice on the order to view the videos in?  I have basic Wireshark knowledge, and want to learn a lot, but I don't want to feel overwhelmed.

Thanks

@WCNA: Would you say the videos are more than enough to pass the exam?

Looks like good knowledge (and a cert!) to me for $1000.

The videos might be cool, but I'm actually more interested in the book.

 The intro stuff (basics) then Core 1 then Core 2 then whatever specific topic you are interested in. You won't feel overwhelmed. She's a very good teacher and everything is explained clearly.


Way more than enough! If you watch all the videos and follow along with the labs, you will know Wireshark inside and out and know a TON of stuff about protocols. You will breeze through the exam.

I was so impressed with the course I chose it as my username. I learned a lot of stuff, way more in depth than I had previously known.

Heh, I go away for two days and interesting replies pop up.  :D

I will have a look at that site, and I'm strongly considering going after the WCNA.

Thanks!

The book's fantastic. I reviewed it here awhile back.

The Prep Guide (which I haven't had a chance to go through yet) is also available: http://wiresharkbook.com/epg/index.html That would be another excellent resource for the exam.

I have the WCNA study guide book and it's been sitting on my shelf for a few months now taunting me. I keep telling myself I will get to it after $CERT_X because it looks really amazing but I always have 2 or 3 courses queued up at any point in time. (Taking CCNA as soon as I get off my butt and get back to studying, have the voucher, and have CSTA and CSTP planned in Oct and Nov and then SANS 2012 in April so will have to squeeze it in when I can but OSCP has been taunting me as well.) There are too many darn certs and they are like Pokemon to me - "Gotta catch 'em all!" Is there a 12 step program for Certaholics?

don't know if there is a 12 step program.

But I know what you mean about several things cued up at once. I want to buy the book but I want to be able to read it when I do, and I have too many other books queued up first. A couple of projects too.

So I recently acquired the surprisingly-massive Wireshark Study Guide. Jeez, I could do some damage with this thing; literally, as it happens.

I will be doing an in-depth review from the POV of a n00b as I go through the book, for anyone interested. I am like 40 pages in and already love her semi-informal style of writing. It relaxes you, makes it not feel like a textbook, then tightens up when it needs to be serious. :)

Laura is an incredible writer, and her personality, if you ever meet her, is great!

Just to put in my two sense.

Just like you, I barely have any experience. So I did read the wireshark book from cover to cover but didnt take the test (Im currently writing a review for the book right now). I learned so much from this book. I thought I had a good grasp on tcp/ip and all that good stuff before this book, but I truly underestimated how much information is out there.

Not to mention how many cool things you can do with wireshark. I don't think you need to take the actual test but the book would definitely help most people out (you're going to take a lot of notes!).

I think the WCNA cert is just as impressive as having CCNA on your resume. Not everyone is a Cisco shop, and if you aren't going to work with Cisco devices as part of your weekly routine why not focus on something that is infrastructure agnostic?

Like they say- "packets don't lie". Troubleshooting network issues frequently comes down to looking at packet captures. Currently, I'm reading the "Deploying and Troubleshooting Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers" book and Wireshark shows up many times throughout the book. Having a cert that demonstrates you have an understanding of the underlying protocols can only help on a resume.

After the last two post, I kind of want to get the cert lol  and I wish it did hold as much value as the CCNA!

Looks like a great cert with loads of valuable knowledge to be learned!  I'm never sure which cert to go after since I'm always interested in several different ones at the same time.

Would you guys suggest the Wireshark cert before attempting the Cisco CCNA?  The CCNA looks very involved, especially for someone who doesn't work in networking (yet).

It depends on your level of retention and current understanding.  I can tell you, in general, the Wireshark cert will drill a LOT into you, and I'm not sure that I'd say CCNA is as 'involved' as the Wireshark cert.  CCNA is, in general, vendor-specific (while some topics, such as subnetting and general understanding of VLAN's, for instance, carryover to other vendors' stuff,) whereas, Wireshark will ALWAYS apply, regardless of your network provider or hardware, and goes deeper into understanding, at the packet level.

If it were me, and I had to spend my money, I'd do Wireshark.  But if you want / need both, and are learning, I'd do CCNA first, to make sure you understand at least the basics of such topics, as I'd listed, above, then go Wireshark.  (Unless you already solidly understand TCP/IP and how it works.)

Thanks hayabusa, thats kind of what I thought. If I had the money I would definitely get the video's from their website, I heard they are really good and not to boring. Which is always a plus.

The Wireshark University stuff is excellent.  While mine is a couple of years old, and I'm not sure how much it may have changed or been updated, I still refer back to it, now and then.

I never took the cert exam (maybe I should, someday,) but IMHO, it's not widely recognized, yet, by recruiters, so I don't know that just adding the letters to my name would be worth my time right now.

But again, it's an excellent resource.

Do you think the cert will ever get recognized?

1) CCNA first then Wireshark if you're just starting out.

2) It will eventually get recognized but that will take time. HR might not "get it" (yet) but the admins that make the final candidate selection will. If a job requirement mentions Wireshark it's a definite plus. My resume has the WCNA spelled out so HR programs that use 'wireshark' as a search term will find it.

That's definitely a good idea of spelling it out. Has any company asked about your WCNA before?

No, they are all asking about my Cisco experience as that seems to be what they are looking for in the jobs I'm applying for- WLAN admin/designer (that's why I'm busy relearning all that stuff).

I imagine once they see the WCNA cert they just check that off in their long list of requirements. I've turned down several jobs because they were contractual and they wouldn't guarantee me a long enough period. The wireless security jobs in this economy are few and far between so I've had to start looking at admin/design jobs.

I hope to one day get into wireless security, do you have an opinion on what the job outlook may look like for the future (will the industry grow a lot more?)

It is taking long time bu wireless is the future.

I had a thread on here a while ago, asking if wireless would take over ethernet..and a lot of people said wireless will never take over ethernet because its not as fast or secure. Do you think thats true?

I don't think it willl take over yet maybe in another 10 years or so.

I remember that conversation, we talk that with the technology that we have right now there is a security and speed problem. In the other hand you can see the mobile devices and how many people are developing application using web interface for mobile devices.

So eventualy and very slow we will move toward to wireless, not now

What I don't get..is that everyone knows the future is wireless but I don't hear a lot of people studying it or trying to get wireless certs.. If I knew something is the future, I would want to study now so when wireless takes over, I would have all the certs and knowledge.  ?!?

That's true, but remember many of us are studying to know how to make the job done very well or begin with a new field that will give you some oportunities right now, not in five years, who know how is going to be the future with wireless

That's what I thought and it makes sense. I just hope wireless picks up a little faster!

I think you don't get a lot of people doing wireless cert as not many companies have wireless they still stick to Ethernet. and the ones that do have wireless have it implemented that the only way to break it is brute force. I think if wireless get faster and new types of standards come out there be more chance of finding issue with it. I mean I have done OSWP and since doing it I don't think I have really used it once. Most companies have network tested and web apps I think my company may get 1 or 2 wireless tester every year if that.

I will add my two cents as well. When I have a new consultant shadowing me and he asks what he should learn I always list Wireshark as one of the first things to learn. There is no aspect of networking that does not benefit from knowing how to read the packets.  It is helpful in diagnostics, forensics, planning, learning, and so much more. It is a very good foundation for almost all other certs. Everything in a network travels on the cables and if you can understand it, you will be among the top. Of course, none of them ever seem to understand this so I guess I have a job security for a little more time.

JamieR and Solinus,

Thanks for insight both of you. I'm beginning to read CWNA material, after a month or so of studying it..I should probably have a better idea if I want to stay on the wireless route. I would really like to be a wireless and linux expert..