CCNP/CCDP: Remote Access (BCRAN) SUCKS!

[Buddhist]

I'm just reflecting on the BCRAN exam for CCNP/CCDP and damn i hated that exam. I personally felt it is very out dated in a lot of things. Of course once again i will concede that i don't have any networking work experience, but i do feel a lot of the legacy crap *cough, 700 set based routers, cough* suck so much. Thats not the half of it though...there are many other things i find disturbing as well. I wish they also agknowledged VPNs more in that exam as well... *sigh*

I personally really feel isdn is a pretty much dead technology as a backup (DDR implementation) well, except when absolutely needed (security.) (Any comments on this? Am i totally off my rocker in that opinion) Especially with VPNs and tunneling through the internet etc.

I'll take any comments. Even one's throwing me off my chair and putting me back in my place.

*edit*
I do concede that legacy support is required and that would be a good reason to learn ISDN backup DDR etc though. :Q
-M.T.O

 

[ScottMac]

Well..few places are equipped with the absoute latest, greatest stuff. Many have lots of REALLY old stuff, and as long as it works, they're keeping it. DDR ISDN is still a popular option for WAN backup / overflow links. Lots of places are using VPN for mobile / SOHO, but it's hardly pervasive.

The Y2K stuff drained a lot of budgets, for 2000, and in sme cases, 2001 and maybe 2002....people aren't buying the volume that they were in '99...ask any reseller.

I think you're stuck having to familiarize yourself with s'more of the old stuff.

FWIW /.02

Scott

 

[spidey07]

I thought BCRAN covered a lot of sound principles.

ISDN is everywhere, especially in WAN backup. repeat ESPECIALLY IN WAN BACKUP. it is the accepted way of backing up WAN connections. It can be very hard to troubleshoot and the things you are tested on show you can troubleshoot it without waiting for the 4000 dollar ISDN bill to hit. (happens very often)

VPNs are fine for very small shops, but most larger shops run frame-relay or ATM.

There are so many problems with VPN and tunneling through the internet that any large enterprise only uses it as a niche application. (I'm not biased, been doing VPNs for four years...they are a pain in da arse)

If you wanna know WAN you gotta nail the stuff on that test.

quick question? - do you consider IPX legacy? how about SNA?

 

[Buddhist]

"quick question? - do you consider IPX legacy? how about SNA?"

Ipx yes.
SNA no, only because its so dominant still in many larger networks.

once again, i am a neophyte and don't really know hands on stuff. :Q
Thats my weak point...which i will concede is a serious flaw...but hey, what can I say? I'm only 22.

-M.T.O

 

[CTR]

One thing about BRI that keeps it alive is that it is the 2nd cheapest point-to-point circuit you can get from a telco, albeit a switched circuit, with the cheapest being POTS. Also, BRI is available virtually anywhere there is phone service. Getting a small rural phone company to hook you up might be difficult, but the technology is there.

 

[Fuzzmuncher]

I'm your age buddhist. Work experience is awesome. It brings everything to gether so pretty

Where you at?

 

[Buddhist]

Bay area. (Right next to Palo Alto)
And i agree with the work experience part being awesome.

but what i did was i graduated college a year early to study all kinds of computing and personal stuff on my own...so thats where i am today.

I got a job offer, don't know if i'm going to take it, but its entry level networking... (problem is it has desktop support in it too...)

Might be a good place to start though since they said they would be more then glad to give me training etc (paid,) in linux and sun solaris as well as unix.

Someone wanna offer me a fun networking job in the bay area (Peninsula) which i could do die hard stuff and learn at the same time? (pref. with a guru who i can disciple under. )

-M.T.O