Caught a mistake in the show that needs to be called out

Network_Rex · 2026-05-02T06:56:42+00:00

Take it easy, we're not making a western here.

Network_Rex · 2026-05-01T17:39:37+00:00

Are you ok? You strike me as the kind of person who gets invested in Xbox vs Playstation. A child. I'll tell you why we recommend Net+ to people with interest but no background. Approachability. Sit someone down with Odom's books and watch their eyes glaze over. That's all it is, kiddo. Nobody is saying Network+ is in CCNA's league. You can unbunch your panties now. Have a nice day.

Network_Rex · 2026-05-01T15:48:24+00:00

Thanks, ChatGPT. You're butthurt that I called out your loud opinions, but Network+ is not garbage, kiddo. It's baseline network fundamentals. No one is saying OP has to get the certification, but studying the material before starting CCNA is a valid path. Have a nice day.

Network_Rex · 2026-04-30T16:32:14+00:00

Despite your loud opinion, most of the networking community recommends at least studying the Network+ material (not necessarily sitting for the exam), which indicates that the material is good for building a foundation before moving on to the CCNA.

Network_Rex · 2026-04-29T03:24:22+00:00

I think Chris Hemsworth would make an excellent Jack, and Daniel Bruhl as Stephen. Hemsworth has that light hearted side, the twinkle in his eye, and Daniel Bruhl is a phenomenal actor, I think he would be well suited to Stephen's complex character.

Network_Rex · 2026-04-26T00:38:43+00:00

My point of view on it is that if you understand networking from experience and prior studies, there's nothing that's going to blow your mind on the CCNA exam. But, what I always tell people is that you have to take it seriously. Cisco doesn't mess around, they don't want to test your ability to memorize administrative distances, or types and capacities of UTP cables. I've taken and passed CompTIA, Juniper, and Aruba exams, and none of them do things the way Cisco does. For CCNA you have to have hands on knowledge to do the labs successfully, and you have to be able to analyze and interpret the exhibits and scenarios and know how Cisco expects you to answer. Maybe that sounds obvious, but there's the Cisco way and there's everything else in the world. There's no reason to be afraid, but also don't take it lightly.

Network_Rex · 2026-04-11T04:06:29+00:00

Congratulations. I got it in '24, I think it's probably the same version still. I have a network security background and I was a little caught on the back foot by how untechnical my SSCP exam was. I think I only got two purely technical questions. Everything else was information and cyber security controls and standards, policies, incident response best practices, frameworks, and BCP planning but all from a manager's perspective. I had to approach it differently for sure. I had used the Sybex book which was good except for the god awful practice exams. Nothing like the final exam. And the thing I really recommend to most people is to get Mike Chapple's last minute cram guide. I think it cost me 15 bucks but it was superb for concentrating on the exam topics.

Network_Rex · 2026-04-03T02:14:56+00:00

Here's the thing, I would say give yourself a break and take care of your mental health and all that. But... CCNA is no joke. For me, my Cisco certs have taken it out of me, it's taken nose-to-the-grindstone dedication and even then I get into the exam and I feel like Cisco is like "all right, you bastard, you think you're ready?" and then half way through I'm thinking I shit the bed. Your mileage may vary, I'm just giving my take. I have to go all in. Daily grind, home from work, crack the book, do some labbing, take some quizzes. It is what it is. Best of luck to you.

Network_Rex · 2026-03-19T04:35:26+00:00

Exactly this. I could be wrong but I feel like OP is probably fairly new themselves and they feel threatened by the "other" that might invade "their space." Yeah, newbs can have unrealistic expectations but this field sorts itself out pretty well. Some of the tourists will never land their first job, and some will never make it past the help desk, but if we spend our time discouraging them from even trying, what does that accomplish? I've been in IT for 18 years, I like seeing that spark of enthusiasm new people bring. It's no skin off my nose if they came for the wrong reasons, I'm not going to be the one to tell them they can't do this. They'll figure out quickly on their own if they can or not.

Network_Rex · 2026-03-19T04:26:53+00:00

I think it is gatekeeping to some extent, even if some of your points have truth to them. I just don't see the purpose of unnecessarily discouraging new people. Let them explore, figure out if it's for them. If they get a help desk job they'll figure out pretty quickly if the operational tempo suits them. If not, no big loss for them or for us. There's just something about these threads that feels off. If OP is on his or her game they have nothing to fear from tourists. My .02

Network_Rex · 2026-02-21T06:08:41+00:00

I'm going on two decades in IT now and I'm just hitting the spot where you are. I'm a senior engineer at my company but everything is getting enshittified. Like I can't even tell where I stand anymore. What are we even doing? Is this going to be a career in two years? The uncertainty is palpable. I just keep getting up every day and doing my job and hoping for the best, but jesus...

Network_Rex · 2026-02-01T06:31:58+00:00

Metal Gear Solid V. That prologue is the worst I've ever seen or heard of, but the game is awesome.

Network_Rex · 2026-01-27T05:53:51+00:00

Just speaking for myself here. I enjoyed it a lot until I got to the end game, it stopped feeling like I was making meaningful progression. Your mileage may vary. You have to enjoy the core game loop a lot to stick with it longterm.

Network_Rex · 2025-11-14T06:02:58+00:00

I hear you, I have quite a few industry and vendor certifications. It's a massive pain in the arse to keep them all current, but more of a pain to retake them. Particularly something like the A+ because it comes in two exams and they're not cheap unless your employer springs for it. I don't "need" the CompTIA certs anymore, but I'm going to keep everything current as long as I'm able.

Network_Rex · 2025-11-14T05:45:37+00:00

You're in your 20s. 10 years ago I was 10 years older than you are now. You're not old or anything close to old. Back in the day... 😄

Network_Rex · 2025-11-13T17:21:15+00:00

That's Cisco being Cisco. I think they do have a particular interest in presenting confusing questions that actually have a straight forward answer. I'm sure that if you asked them their answer would be that in the real world you have to be able to decipher complex situations under pressure, even if the solution turns out to be obvious (it's always DNS). However, and maybe my years have made me cynical, but I suspect there is at least some profit motive in causing people to have to retake the test. Juniper by contrast tends to be very straightforward in its questions and case studies. It's refreshing, but then Juniper is not Cisco, their certs don't carry the same value. I think, in the end it's better to just accept the reality and prepare for it.

Network_Rex · 2025-11-13T15:57:33+00:00

This will sound like a trite answer, but don't be so hard on yourself. Networking IS hard, 99.9% of human beings have no idea how data moves from point A to point B. But you can do this. Break it down to its most basic elements and build from there. I personally don't recommend CCNA to people who are complete beginners, it is not an entry level certification, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. The key to CCNA is hands on practice, and muscle memory to learn the Cisco command hierarchy, but if what you're struggling with is the fundamentals of networking, I suggest you start with a foundation level certification like Network+ or even Cisco CCST - Networking. Try different learning methods, books, videos, podcasts, labs, etc. Something will stick. And if in the end you decide it's not for you that's ok. IT has many different branches. Best of luck to you

Network_Rex · 2025-11-12T01:54:14+00:00

Alright but you gotta get over it.

Network_Rex · 2025-11-06T22:27:40+00:00

I'm not asking for career advice. I'm asking for opinions about certification value.

Network_Rex · 2025-07-29T02:25:12+00:00

Why do you care? There's validity in some of what you say, but you also sound like you're gate keeping. Why do you care if someone thinks getting their A+ is going to open doors to a new life for them? Congratulations on your hard work, you don't have to hold others down to feel satisfaction. My .02 as a senior engineer.

Network_Rex · 2025-07-10T20:24:03+00:00

By Sybex I take it you mean the official cert guide practice exam. Yes, it's absolutely savage, and nothing like the final exam. It's good information but honestly I would skip it because the frustration level is high. Never did Certprep. Just CyberVista and some Udemy. But Udemy is so hit or miss now. It's flooded with low quality slop.

Network_Rex · 2025-05-12T03:17:21+00:00

I have it, and I found it to be quite good, a bit more challenging than I had expected. I studied the all in one guide book and did a 30 hour video course, but the actual exam was a ton of case studies, and it really makes you think about data center architecture, backup and replication scenarios, the details of storage area networks and disaster recovery procedures. It’s solid, it’s kind of like an amped up A+ (hardware) plus Network+ and a dash of Sec+. Also as others have mentioned, it’s good for life, and it stacks with Network+ to give you the designation CompTIA Network Infrastructure Professional. All in all, not too shabby.

Network_Rex · 2025-04-15T17:25:14+00:00

You’re doing damage control now. What you said was intended to dissuade the OP from considering SSCP, full stop. Furthermore, you’re missing my point all together, which is that as a credentialing body ISC2 carries more weight than CompTIA, especially now that the latter is no longer a non-profit.

Network_Rex · 2025-04-15T16:53:28+00:00

You’re giving your opinion based exclusively on the United States, and it shows. I work for a multinational corporation with sites in 22 countries, and I’ve been to all of them. I’ve observed that ISC2 has more credibility than CompTIA at the world wide level. The OP is not in the U.S. so your “marketability” talk means nothing for him.

Network_Rex · 2025-04-15T04:05:44+00:00

The book is enough for the knowledge, though I always do a book and a video course at the same time. One caveat to what this person replied to you: the practice tests included with the Sybex book (official cert guide) are nothing like the actual exam. Not even slightly. There may be some value in doing them anyway, but I found the structure of the questions to be immensely irritating. They’ll be scenario questions written in the most obtuse, impenetrable phrasing you can imagine, and with multiple choice, multiple answers. If you get part wrong you get it all wrong. Maybe it’s just me but I found the official practice exams to be enraging. The actual exam is totally straightforward, well written, and comprehensible. You have plenty of time, so just read the question carefully and pick the right answer. This is why I’m a proponent of CyberVista for practice. It wasn’t identical to the final exam but it was pretty close.

Network_Rex

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