CCNA Courses: 8 Cisco Career Certifications to Pursue

So you are interested in earning your Cisco Certified Network Associate? Well the first thing you need to do is decide which specialty you want to pursue. Below is a breakdown of each CCNA specialty and why it may be relevant to your career goals. 

CCNA Cloud Course

This training is geared towards Network Engineers, Cloud Administrators and Engineers. The course and certification are job-role focused to provide students with the entry-level provisioning and support skills they need to help their employers meet business objectives through leveraging cloud technologies.

To achieve your CCNA Cloud credential you need to pass two exams. Listed below are the exams you will need to take and the training courses Cisco suggests:

Required Exam(s) and Recommended Training

210-451 CLDFND – Understanding Cisco Cloud Fundamentals (CLDFND)

This course prepares students to understand and accurately describe a cloud network’s basic characteristics and various deployment models. In addition, students will be able to identify decision factors that influence cloud deployment, important features of UCS and define server virtualization.

210-455 CLDADM – Introducing Cisco Cloud Administration (CLDADM)

This course examines two important Cisco products, the Cisco UCS Director (UCSD) and Cisco Intelligent Automation for Cloud (CIAC). Additionally, the courses examines the processes for provisioning, managing and monitoring cloud services; as well as the process for reporting, remediation and charge-back models.

CCNA Collaboration Course

The CCNA Collaboration course is designed primarily for engineers specializing in:

• Network video
• Collaboration
• IP telephony
• IP networks

This training will help employees in these areas to advance their video and collaboration skills in terms of the convergence of technologies to support video, voice, data and mobile applications.

Required Exam(s) and Recommended Training

210-060 CICD Implementing Cisco Collaboration Devices (CICD)

Students learn how to effectively work with Cisco Unified Communications (UC) solutions in this training course. They learn the various components and workings of Cisco UC systems, including:

• Administrative and end-user interface options
• Call and media stream flows
• Call signaling
• Endpoint and end-user administration tasks
• Telephony features
• User administration

210-065 CIVND Implementing Cisco Video Network Devices, Part 1 (CIVND1) & Implementing Cisco Video Network Devices, Part 2 (CIVND2)

Combined, these two courses focus on providing students the knowledge and skills necessary to describe the characteristics and assess requirements for video solutions while also implementing and troubleshooting Cisco UC. By the completion of both courses, students will be able to implement the necessary endpoints for converged Cisco infrastructures.

CCNA Data Center Course

The CCNA Data Center certification is designed to help data center network admins who need to save resources on the design, installation and maintenance of a data center.

Required Exam(s) and Recommended Training

640-911 DCICN – Introducing Cisco Data Center Networking (DCICN)

This first course in the CCNA Data Center series focuses on teaching students how to build a simple network, implement a switched network, IP addressing and Cisco Nexus Switch routing.

640-916 DCICT – Introducing Cisco Data Center Technologies (DCICT)

This portion dives deeper into the various technologies that may be leveraged as a data center is implemented as well as accurately describe and verify Cisco:

• Data Center Fundamentals
• Virtualization
• Data Center Storage Networking
• Data Center Unified Fabric
• Unified Computing Systems

CCNA Industrial Course

If you work in the manufacturing, oil, gas or process control industries as a plant administrator or network or control system engineer then this training course is ideal for you in terms of understanding the integration of IT and industrial networks. This course will focus on best practices for the implementation and troubleshooting of typical industry standard protocols.

Required Exam(s) and Recommended Training

200-601 IMINS2 –  Managing Industrial Networking for Manufacturing with Cisco Technologies (IMINS2)

This lab-intensive training focuses on deploying the latest in security and wireless technologies. The course is designed to teach professionals in industrial environments the proper steps for configuration, maintenance and troubleshooting standard network protocols in addition to other standard security and wireless technologies.

CCNA Routing and Switching

The CCNAX certification is popular among entry-level network engineers. This certification accredits an engineer’s ability to handle everything from installation and configuration to troubleshooting of medium-sized routed and switched networks.

Required Exam(s) and Recommended Training

Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices: Accelerated (CCNAX) — OR — Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices Part 1 (ICND1) &  Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices Part 2 (ICND2)

Aspiring CCNAX certificate holders can accelerate their learning with a CCNAX course or space it out in two parts with ICND 1 and 2. Either way, the students learns the neccessary content in its entirity including:

• Installation, operation, configuration and verification of IPv4/IPv6 networkss
• LAN switch configuration
• IP router  configuration
• Knowledge of redundant topologies
• Identification of basic security threats
• Connecting to and understanding WAN technologies
• Basic network troubleshooting
• Device management
• EIGRP and OSPF configuration in IPv4 and IPv6
• Cisco licensing

CCNA Security

The CCNA Security certification is designed to teach network professionals the proper techniques to securing Cisco networks.

Required Exam(s) and Recommended Training

Implementing Cisco Network Security (IINS)

This training will focus on imparting knowledge and developing a skill set in the following areas of Cisco network security:

• Common concepts of network security
• Deploying basic security techniques
• Maintaining the confidentiality, integrity and availability of Cisco devices and data throughout the process from installation to consistent monitoring
• Leveraging a variety of security appliances
• Deploy basic authentication, authorization and accounting services
• Deploy basic firewalling services

CCNA SP

This certification is designed to offer students knowledge and skills related to the latest technologies and trends utilized throughout the Service Provider industry. Certification in CCNA SP qualifies that individuals have the capacity to successfully deploy, maintain and offer improvement to carrier-grade network infrastructures.

Required Exam(s) and Recommended Training

Building Cisco Service Provider Next-Generation Networks, Part 1 (SPNGN1)

This course examines how a service provider’s network is supposed to function and identifies the major components of the network. This training will also examine IP next-Generation Network architecture; this component allows service provider network engineers the capability of develop more modern and salable networks with increased reliability.

Building Cisco Service Provider Next-Generation Networks, Part 2 (SPNGN2)

As the second part of the above course, this training takes all subjects touched on in Part 1 to the next level. Students will develop a thorough understanding of how the IP NGN architecture works within a service provider network, as well as the descriptions, configuration and/or verification processes for HSRHP, GLBP, VRRP, BGP, OSPF, IS-IS and MPLS LDP. Finally, students will walk away with practical skills on how to effectively deploy Cisco IOS/IOS XE and IOS XR in order to properly operate and support the network.

CCNA Wireless

This certification accredits a person’s ability to optimally configure Cisco Wireless networks in order to boost performance and support of new technologies.

Required Exam(s) and Recommended Training

Implementing Cisco Wireless Network Fundamentals (WIFUND)

This is for designed for those professionals tasked with the technical management of Cisco Wireless solutions. The class will enhance students’ capabilities in the installation, configuration, operation and troubleshooting of such platforms and solutions. Topics covered include:

• Basic characteristics and principles of RF
• Managing various client devices
• WLAN security methods
• WLAN architecture and supporting infrastructure
• Using AireOS and IOS-XE WLAN  controllers