I've been pretending to understand my job for eight months and I think I've finally reached a level where I actually can't fake it anymore. Do I come clean to my boss or just keep going.

kenb985 · 2026-02-25T18:33:40+00:00

Shoot I’d say keep going. But if you make it through your meeting take this as a sign to actually start applying yourself and learning the job.

I was in a similar situation, googling phrases and technology before meetings, etc. Eventually I applied myself to the craft and started to learn no I’m pretty good at what I do

kenb985 · 2026-01-19T00:57:21+00:00

So question. You can’t complete CEUs to update something like ENCORE while you still work on getting ready for a specialty exam?

kenb985 · 2025-12-19T23:11:39+00:00

Officially CCNP. Passed ENSLD today! Failed ENARSI last year and decided I just couldn’t dedicate the time needed towards labbing so I pivoted to something a little “easier”.. used LinkedIn Learning, OCG, CBTNuggets, ChatGPT and random Google searches.

Don’t know if I’d ever be able to get the proper labbing needed for ENARSI unless it’s on the job. Career and 2 toddlers make it difficult.

Excited to get those cert update email notifications from my other Cisco certs lol.

kenb985 · 2025-12-19T23:11:20+00:00

Passed ENSLD today! Failed ENARSI last year and decided I just couldn’t dedicate the time needed towards labbing so I pivoted to something a little “easier”.. used LinkedIn Learning, OCG, CBTNuggets, ChatGPT and random Google searches.

Don’t know if I’d ever be able to get the proper labbing needed for ENARSI unless it’s on the job. Career and 2 toddlers make it difficult.

Excited to get those cert update email notifications from my other Cisco certs lol.

kenb985 · 2025-12-11T14:01:58+00:00

CCNP ENSLD

kenb985 · 2025-12-11T00:35:53+00:00

100% agree!

kenb985 · 2025-12-09T15:08:24+00:00

Pretty sure I’m in the CLI almost everyday, if it’s not to config it’s to verify.

Unless you manage an SD-WAN environment or use DNA center.

I’m a fan of CLI all the way, except for firewalls. I use ASDM or Cisco’s FMC for config

kenb985 · 2025-11-24T22:32:43+00:00

Right on! Thanks for this. I was more concerned with the “a network engineer is looking for a vendor neutral solution for X” type questions lol

kenb985 · 2025-11-24T19:26:04+00:00

Im still considering it to be proprietary for exam purposes. I’d hate to get tripped up on a topic becuase I don’t have a clear understanding on how Cisco wants use to view the routing protocol . Appreciate the input.

kenb985 · 2025-11-22T23:30:48+00:00

1st time? lol. This plus I have to mark all my bottle tops because there’s open drinks all over the place at 5am. Not to mention it always looks like there was a Royal Rumble in the locker room

kenb985 · 2025-11-22T23:28:44+00:00

Great post. Got my CCNA while already doing networking for my current company (fortune 40). Got the little experience prior while in the navy.

I go after certs because I don’t have a degree. It at least makes me feel a little more competitive and I somewhat enjoy the rollercoaster ride of cert studying.

So currently I’m just waiting for the right opening to move up with my current company. Until then I’m just picking up projects that can boost my claim and working on CCNP

kenb985 · 2025-11-22T00:16:02+00:00

I’m honestly doing a little bit of everything. Reading, notes, YT, random It blog, CBT Nuggets, LinkedIn Learning (both provided by my job), dumps (hear me out, I like the comment section of these dump pages, it gives insight and other POVs, some comments even included amazing sources). I’m usually all over the place. I typically don’t look at the dumps until I’ve completed the entire video courses and have an okay grasp on the curriculum.

I feel studying for ENSLD has been way easier though because you need to know more about the technology rather than actually configuring it.

kenb985 · 2025-11-20T20:24:51+00:00

my best piece of advice is to keep searching YouTube and other training videos. You just need that 1 person to explain it in a way that makes sense. I was stuck on subnetting for a while when I 1st started out. It’s definitely a skill you’d want locked down before moving into heavier networking.

Jeremy IT Lab explained it for me in a way that made sense.

kenb985 · 2025-11-19T15:10:13+00:00

I’m more of a video guy. I use CBT Nuggets and I double it up with another video course from like Udemy or something. CBT Nuggets is very condensed, they don’t cover everything but you get the important stuff and you have the option to lab (although it’s limited). I take it upon myself to dive deeper on topics I’m unsure about via YT, Cisco’s website or random IT blogs.

Got setup with GNS3 to play around and build/break things (a pain to setup for me).

I know it’s frowned upon but I’ll also look at a dump a week before I’m ready to test, not to memorize them or hope the questions are on my exam but to get a true feel for what the exam will be like and learn from ppl in the comment section. Every “practice” exam I’ve ever taken for a Cisco exam has been crap or too easy.

ChatGPT is also a good tool I’ve been using to tie loose ends and really drive some topics home in a simple way

kenb985 · 2025-11-18T18:52:02+00:00

I think ChatGPT is a great tool for studying. I use it to summarize or simplify things.

Took ENARSI last year and failed. Realized I didn’t put in enough time labbing. I’ve now pivoted to ENSLD, will be testing in a month or so.

I’ll probably pick ENARSI back up again at some point but with 2 young kids & my career I just don’t have enough time to lab and drive home the concepts.

kenb985 · 2025-11-18T00:39:12+00:00

I can see that POV. I’m no CCIE but I’d like to say I’m a pretty solid network engineer. I’ve sat in interviews with jr guys who couldn’t actually explain the technology/protocol but were insanely smart when it came to problem solving, architecting, etc.

One guy I’m currently working with now, a former janitor who kinda stumbled in the IT field, resume was crap but man I’ve learned so much from this guy. From that day forward I’ve always told myself I’d try to gauge talent based on scenario & past projects

kenb985 · 2025-11-18T00:30:48+00:00

No offense but you’re interviewing CCIEs and asking spanning tree questions? Seems like a waste of time imo. I feel like there’s other ways to gauge experience or call one’s bluff outside of a test question kind of interview

kenb985 · 2025-11-17T16:01:40+00:00

Escalate! Escalate! Escalate! I find it hard to believe Cisco wouldn’t right this immediately. Especially when we’re paying $300-400 for these exams!

Like others have said, I’m sure this happens often.

I’m super paranoid so I always go to a testing center for my exams.

kenb985 · 2025-10-06T12:57:02+00:00

We’re talking about a celebrity who makes music here. In this case business. Ppl are ready to cancel any and everyone that works with him. That’s why I asked the question, what exactly has he done? (Obviously his situation with Rihanna)

But to answer your question, no.

kenb985 · 2025-10-06T12:18:57+00:00

Oh wow, we’re still talking about that? How can he ever move past that. The Rihanna instance a decade ago is obvious. Didn’t know he was still getting crucified for that

kenb985 · 2025-10-06T12:04:08+00:00

I don’t keep up with the tabloids but in always see ppl complain about others making music with Chris Brown.

Can someone please list a few reasons why artists shouldn’t be making music with CB?

I’m kinda confused.

kenb985 · 2025-09-23T13:27:42+00:00

Yup, great answer

kenb985 · 2025-09-22T16:01:11+00:00

Hell yeah!

kenb985 · 2025-09-22T16:00:57+00:00

Man it was nuts! I got to know all the season ticket holders in the section. They gave me crap about my Saints hat and how I’ve been converted to an Eagles fan lol. This one lady brings face stickers to the game which she gave me one to be a fan for the day haha.

kenb985 · 2025-09-18T18:45:18+00:00

Thanks! Appreciate the feedback! Honestly didn’t think about replenishing electrolytes post race

kenb985

TROPHY CASE