So now that I’ve figured out where I’m going from here, the next question becomes were to begin? Do I skip the easy stuff and just get right back to the meat of it? Or do I begin within my comfort zone and knock out an easy win like the CCNA? I’m leaning towards that, as I’m not going to be working exclusively in Cisco right now. Reviewing the CCNA and all that comes with it will be a great start and understanding the protocols (rather than just how to configure them in IOS) will be a great lead-in to a Juniper cert or two once I get there.
So whether or not I ever get around to taking the actual exam, I think I’m going to start with a solid review of that material. While there, I’ve put together a topology in GNS3 based on an older CCNP Security lab manual that I still have laying around. It’s modular so there’s already a block of devices for Juniper stuff, and a connection out to the physical network so I can tie in things already present in the lab where I just dont feel like recreating the wheel. I also just recently re-upped on O’Reilly Books, so book availibilty shouldn’t be an issue for the foreseeable future.