CCENT Done

I realize I haven't posted for a bit. Ever notice that time flies when you are super busy and/or you try to take a quick 15 minute nap.

Anyways, LX-103 aka Linux+ test one was passed on my fourth attempt. I got a 500 with a passing score of 500. When I saw the score, I was in shock. I thought I had that test mastered by now and to find that I just barely passed was kind of depressing. Then I realized that I passed and got the hell out of the testing center.

Next, I jumped on part two which was LX-104. This was a lot less confusing. I do not know if it's because I had already suffered through Linux for this long and I understood it better or this is just easier. Anyway, after 3 weeks (I was trying to make up for lost time) I went in and failed with a score of 480 when 500 was passing. I was not all that sad about it because I'm used to being a failure, so I went back a week later and got a 630. I am now Linux+ and LPIC-1 certified.

What does that mean? Probably nothing. Actually, it meant I got to start working on something I really wanted to work on which was my first Cisco certification. This is part of why I got into WGU.

I took a while to complete prep. I started March 23rd and I did not take my exam until May 11th. I took multiple days off from prep due to trying to rest and I had a few things going on in April. Also, I probably over did it a bit. I bought a switch and router and set it up. I do not regret doing that because it was fun and I legit can take a Cisco switch and router out of a box and set them up. Still, it wasn't necessary and I could have been prepping for the test better. Also, I watch a bunch of CBT Nuggets videos but I never learn anything from videos. That's just me.

Anyway, I went in on May 11th and failed with a score of 788 with 832 as passing. As always, I'm a failure so I was cool with it. I went back on May 20th and passed, so now I have my CCENT. Resumes were updated immediately.

I have a few non certification classes for WGU, but CCNA Routing and Switching will be mine soon enough. Then I have the big one. CCNA Security. Scared to fail? Not me.

LX-103

Linux+ has been my hardest class at school so far even though it only feels hard when I get into the certification exam.

I have failed in 3 times. That can hurt. The worst part is, you have to wait 2 week to take the test again after the second attempt. My first attempt I got a 340 out of 500. Second attempt was 370, and 3rd attempt was a 480. No one has direct proof, but it is expected that each question is worth 10 points so I may have failed by 2 questions.

In the world of IT, you cannot get frustrated by failure. I know people that failed the test twice. I know people that failed their CCNA R & S 4 times before passing but passed both Linux exams on the first try. I really enjoy Linux and would like to do more with it one day. For now, I'll just be happy passing my exam on Friday. 4th time's a charm.

The Job Hunt

At this point I have my CompTIA A+, Network+ and Security+. What I do not have is a job?

Fear not, it is all temporary, but it can make me anxious as well. My prior job at a tech support representative was valuable work experience, but it can be difficult to explain that to a prospective employer.

At my last interview, I was asked if I handled switches, routers, and firewalls. The best answer that I could muster is that I'm very familiar with them, but never got to use them in a work environment. How can one get experience if one cannot get hired to gain this experience? Hopefully this position that I really want is willing to take a chance on me so that I can show that I can get up to speed quickly.

Otherwise, I am looking at other help desk jobs where I can at least get an opportunity to do some more advanced stuff. At least that way, if I am taking a job that might be "below me" at least I can use it to boost my resume. We shall see.

The Reboot

I'm going to try this again. Just for the record. I have the A+ that was the goal of this blog. I also have Network+ and Security+. Now I am aiming higher. Hopefully this isn't a one off and I don't post again for a year. We'll see tomorrow lol

Laptops and Laser Printers

I was learning about laptops and laser printers. I knew everything about laptops. The laser printer stuff did not hold my interest. A lot of this stuff I hope to never need to use. I am not particularly interested in computer hardware repair. I feel like the first part of the A+ is all about knowing the parts of a computer. I respect that, but I cannot wait until I get into the more fun stuff like operating systems and all that. For now, I am just paying my dues and building my foundation.

Applying My Studying

No posts this week, but I have still been plugging away. As I have said a billion times, my A+ certification probably will not help me a ton at my job. I have been successful there for years with just winging it and learning as I go. Sometimes, knowing too much is a detriment at my job because you try to do more work than required. I am not saying that working too hard at my job is bad, it's just that when you go "out of scope" it lessens your efficiency for doing the actual job that is requested of you.

I am also finding out that I feel like a lot of the stuff I am learning is more of a vocabulary test instead of a learning how to do things. I understand, that I am still in the beginning of my training and we may be setting the table for deeper learning later. I also understand that A+ certification is just an introduction, so this might be all that is required. I will follow up on that in a few weeks as I keep studying.

Wireless & Cisco Champions

Today's studying was mostly based on wireless. This is something I am strong at already. I know about all the encryption types, wireless standards, and most importantly, major wireless issues. It was kind of a confidence play because I know I can ace all this stuff on my A+ already.

On a lighter note, I became aware of the term, Cisco Champion via my twitter profile @Troytruperior. I googled it and came up with a website: http://www.cisco.com/web/about/facts_info/champions.html. I decided to write back even though I knew full well that I have zero qualifications so far. They were nice enough to write back and invited me to participate on the website for more data. Even though this is months/years away, I like the idea of being recognized as an expert in that field as I really do like Cisco a lot as a company and they are one of the top companies for what I am trying to accomplish.

Spotting the Fake IT Guy

It's kind of been a running joke at my job. A guy calls for tech support. He says he's an IT professional, and he doesn't know where to find the Ethernet cord on his modem. More and more of my studying has made me question some of the people I deal with on a day to day basis.

I am accepting of a certain amount of ignorance. No one knows everything. Many know nothing. I think arrogance and ignorance is a worse combination however. Besides the person that calls about certain things that they should know. This same person may call about certain things that they should know that I do not know.

I was learning about subnetting today. One of my coworkers who indirectly helped push me to certification was tried explaining to it me. I was confused. I still am very confused. I know what it does, but maybe the numbers make my brain turn off. Once you get past the introductory stuff, you have a chance of hitting a wall where you think that you do not have the ability to do this. You might think that this whole process it out of your league once you get to advanced learning. I will not fall into that trap.

I will master subnetting. Not today, not tomorrow, but one day.

Wiring

After a fun weekend, I am back to studying. The theme of today was wiring. I learned about fiber, coax and Ethernet. I knew about all of this stuff before but I found out how it worked. I learned why fiber is so expensive, how Ethernet is a bunch of wires inside a giant wire (like a sausage) and different types of coaxial. I can actually kind of use this when talking to our clients at work.

 As I noted, I know what I need to know for my job, but I want to be the master at my job. Another thing is that I would like to avoid clients talking about stuff that I do not have any expertise on even though it is not required.

As a last note, there was more information on different devices such as a mouse, keyboard, MIDI, and printers. Here's a helpful tip, most devices connect w USB. It's better that way. It's so much less confusing.

Short Studying

Today's session is a little shorter than most due to having to install a HDMI to DVI wire for my wife's computer. Why? Because I am using her old one for my computer. It takes 5 seconds, but you know how you get sidetracked and all. Today was all about more familiar stuff (I hope that becomes a trend.). I was reading about different wires. I am kind of a master of Rj45s and RJ11 due to working at an MSO that does phone and Internet. My weekend starts after tomorrow, and I spend all day with my 7 month old daughter on Friday's so I hope to stay dedicated on the weekends.