Hi guys,

I’ve just taken on some additional responsibility at work that requires some Network and Server training. ( We’ll be adding our equipment to existing customer networks). My company have Been great in saying that they will provide me with any training courses that I deem necessary etc but I’m struggling to find suitable ones.

Eventually I’ll need a working knowledge of the following:

Server 2008 configuring, managing and maintaining
SQL 2008 configuring, managing and maintaining
Network troubleshooting
Wireless surveys

Now I’m not an IT professional (I’m an engineer), most of the courses seem pretty intensive and probably way beyond what I’ll need. At uni I completed some programming modules and I’ve completed a week long Networking Fundamentals course. Something like the Cisco courses seem to suit my needs apart from to open Uni one runs for nine months and says it requires about 20 hours of study a week (something that I doubt work would support) they’d probably give me a day a week then extra for exam revision etc.

Sooooo, any ideas?

Cisco CNAA course is useful. You can do it in 4-5 days.

GNS3 is your friend for studying for a lot of the Cisco router certs

Basic skills – A+ ?

TBH, I’d tear their arm off and let them pay for for MCSA / MCITP.

what cougar said.
i wish my employer would pay for me to get a cert or two…
(although i want other stuff- Avaya, Verint and maybe MCITP!)

When they said they’d fund any courses I’m not sure whether they’d go the whole hog but they did say you get what you pay for! Any idea in how long something like a CCNA course would take as I’d imagine this could be the stumbling block,I couldn’t devote something like 20 odd hours a week for a few months or anything else like that….mores the pity!

Are they paying for courses or self-study? The former a week, the latter months.

Agree with Cougar most of the Cisco training courses will set you up to squeeze thru the cert exams if you take them soon after the course. However the requirement is to keep the networks running when you plug in your kit and for the kit to work correctly and securely afterwards. Plenty of hands on will reinforce the training or enable you to get more out of any such training course so self study guides with kit to practise on with no fear of killing a live network is invaluable.

Have to say I’ve done (paid for by work) week-long courses for specialised topics simply because it forces me to take a week out of normal life to focus on what I need to learn about. I’m quite capable of self-teaching (which accounts for my entire background prior to doign these courses), but trying to mix learning big new topics it with my routine work means I don’t get to spend the time on it that is required. Overall we (both myself and my employer) see this as a net +ve.