CertTutor.net Live! UPDATE—brought to you by the Windows & .NET Magazine Network and CertTutor.net
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CertTutor.net Live! UPDATE contains the best of CertTutor.net Live!, the Internet's number-one certification discussion board. CertTutor.net Live! UPDATE features interesting posts and shares valuable information about how to make the most of the forums. Enjoy!
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June 5, 2002—In this issue:
1. COMMENTARY
- Real-World Resources
2. FEATURED THREADS
- A Resource Kit Windfall
- Don't Let Failure Derail Your Progress
- Tips for the Beast
- Two Birds, One Stone
- Network+ Preparation Resources
- Reflections on the New CCNA Exam
- When Instructors Come Up Short
3. ANNOUNCEMENTS
- Get Valuable Info for Free with IT Consultant Newsletter
- Register for Our Latest Web Seminar and Get a Free Subscription to SQL Server Magazine!
4. FOLDERS EN EL FUEGO
- Interviews: What a Joke
- Call-Center Positions
- Linux in Schools? What Do You Think?
- Degree or Certification?
- How Do I Deny Internet Access but Retain Email?
- Alternate TCP/IP Configurations
5. TIP OF THE WEEK
- Windows XP Shortcuts
6. FEATURED MEMBER
- Sam Hillaire <DarkUnity>
7. CONTACT US
- See this section for a list of ways to contact us.
1. COMMENTARY
(contributed by Bob Muir, [email protected])
In my last commentary (http://www.certtutor.net/articles/index.cfm?articleid=25300), I presented an overview of study materials that you can use to prepare for certification exams. Such materials include study guides, cram guides, and practice exams. However, the typical certification exam covers a vast array of information, and no certification study guide—no matter how well written—can delve too deeply into the material. You must consult alternative sources to gain depth.
First, consider what I call the overview books, which address the areas that network administrators and end users deal with every day on the job. Examples include the "Windows 2000 System Administration Handbook" (Prentice Hall, 2000) and "Mastering Windows 2000 Server, 3rd edition" (Sybex, 2001). The scope of such books, as with the study guides, is often broad, but they provide real-world examples that can help drive home the relevance of a particular topic. I highly recommend that you buy at least one of these overview references.
Next, turn to books that are specific to a particular technology or concept. Examples include "DNS and BIND, 4th edition" (O'Reilly & Associates, 2001) and "Windows 2000 TCP/IP Black Book" (The Coriolis Group, 2000). If you really want to understand the systems you're working on, you must know the systems' key concepts inside and out. Study guides and the overview books might address the overall topics, but they can't offer the kind of depth and detail that a book that's dedicated to a subject can offer.
Microsoft's resource kits include not only utilities that you'll turn to repeatedly in the real world but also some of the most instructive in-depth study material available. The "Microsoft Windows 2000 Server Resource Kit" (Microsoft Press, 2000) is the single most useful source of information for preparing for the core MCSE exams. The resource kit is available for free on the Microsoft Web site.
Finally, consult white papers and online articles. Requests for Comments (RFC) might be dry, but these are the documents from which all Internet protocols are born. You can also access a seemingly infinite number of free white papers, articles, and tutorials on the Internet. Go to your favorite technology provider's Web site and perform a search for the terms "whitepaper" and "white paper" to access interesting and free information directly from the source. My search at the Microsoft Web site, for example, uncovered a great resource: the "Windows 2000 DNS White Paper".
These real-world resources are available for whatever exam you're preparing for. For Cisco Systems, Linux, 3Com, or any other technology, you can find overview books, in-depth books, and white papers that will contribute significantly to your knowledge. Don't rely on study materials alone to prepare for your career in IT.
2. FEATURED THREADS
<leok> provides a link to a trove of free resource kit information on the Web. Thousands of such pages are buried in Microsoft's Web site. If you find yourself stuck on a particular technology while preparing for an exam, make like a worm and burrow your way through the site.
http://certtutor.net/forums/messageview.cfm?catid=13&threadid=32816
<mrweb96> recently failed Exam 70-215: Installing, Configuring, and Administering Microsoft Windows 2000 Server and sounds discouraged. It's how you react to failure that's important. Pick yourself up, review your weaknesses, and attack the exam again.
http://certtutor.net/forums/messageview.cfm?catid=15&threadid=32889
<chamezzzz> overcame "the beast" (Exam 70-216: Implementing and Administering a Microsoft Windows 2000 Network Infrastructure) and had enough strength left to post some great information about this difficult exam.
http://certtutor.net/forums/messageview.cfm?catid=16&threadid=32824
Thinking of taking Exam 70-218: Managing a Microsoft Windows 2000 Network Environment? You might want to study for Exam 70-216: Implementing and Administering a Microsoft Windows 2000 Network Infrastructure at the same time. According to <bandys>, many objectives for the two exams overlap.
http://certtutor.net/forums/messageview.cfm?catid=89&threadid=32909
If you're thinking about pursuing the Computing Technology Industry Association's (CompTIA's) Network+ exam, see this thread for good information about available resources and recommendations for supplemental reading.
http://certtutor.net/forums/messageview.cfm?catid=73&threadid=32799
Cisco Systems tutor <darkestclown> recently evaluated the new interactive Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) exam. See what he has to say about the changes, and read the interesting discussion that ensues.
http://certtutor.net/forums/messageview.cfm?catid=76&threadid=32904
What should you do if you find that an instructor is skipping over vital information or not getting to all of an exam's objectives? See this thread for suggestions, and share your own experience and advice.
http://certtutor.net/forums/messageview.cfm?catid=37&threadid=32896
3. ANNOUNCEMENTS
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4. FOLDERS EN EL FUEGO
The following threads from the past 10 days are "on fire":
http://certtutor.net/forums/messageview.cfm?catid=2&threadid=32888
http://certtutor.net/forums/messageview.cfm?catid=2&threadid=32725
http://certtutor.net/forums/messageview.cfm?catid=7&threadid=32522
http://certtutor.net/forums/messageview.cfm?catid=37&threadid=32338
http://certtutor.net/forums/messageview.cfm?catid=39&threadid=32891
http://certtutor.net/forums/messageview.cfm?catid=11&threadid=32466
5. TIP OF THE WEEK
Some Windows XP shortcuts are more efficient than others, but all are interesting:
- Windows+D: Minimize or restore all windows
- Windows+E: Launch Windows Explorer
- Windows+F: Search for files
- Windows+Ctrl+F: Search for a computer
- Windows+F1: Access the Help and Support Center
- Windows+R: Launch the Run dialog box
- Windows+Break: See the system properties
- Windows+L: Lock your machine, unless you have enabled fast user switching
- Windows+U: Launch the Utility Manager
My favorite shortcut is a Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) time-saver. Type a domain name (e.g., Microsoft) in the Address field, then hit Ctrl+Enter to add "www" and ".com".
6. FEATURED MEMBER
Each week, we highlight the wonderful diversity of the community here at CertTutor.net Live! by selecting one of the board's members as our Featured Member. You might be next!
Username: DarkUnity Real Name: Sam Hillaire Date Registered: August 21, 2001 Status: Guru Total Posts: 72 Occupation: Oracle Database Administrator Certifications: OCA (Oracle9i, waiting for the last OCP exam to become available), MCSE (Win2K), MCDBA Location: Chico, CA Interests: Board gaming, computer gaming, jujitsu
7. CONTACT US
Here's how to reach us with your comments and questions:
- ABOUT THE COMMENTARY — [email protected]
- ABOUT THE NEWSLETTER IN GENERAL — [email protected]
(please mention the newsletter name in the subject line)
- TECHNICAL QUESTIONS — http://www.certtutor.net/forums
- QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR CertTutor.NET LIVE! SUBSCRIPTION?
Customer Support — [email protected]
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