[Jay Whale]

The CCENT (Cisco Certified Entry Networking Technician) is the entry level certification offered by Cisco. It is the starting point and the first course (ICND1) and certification (CCENT) that you would do if you wished to pursue a career in Cisco networking.

Cisco defines the certification as
"Cisco Certified Entry Networking Technician (CCENT) validates the ability to install, operate and troubleshoot a small enterprise branch network, including basic network security. With a CCENT, network professional demonstrates the skills required for entry-level network support positions - the starting point for many successful careers in networking. The curriculum covers networking fundamentals, WAN technologies, basic security and wireless concepts, routing and switching fundamentals, and configuring simple networks. CCENT is the first step toward achieving CCNA, which covers medium size enterprise branch networks with more complex connections"

There are currently no pre-requisites to attend the course or to do the exam (640-822 ICND1). Passing the exam 640-822 will certify you as a CCENT.

[hulk01]

Hi jay,
Im just starting out with my CCENT, could you tell me what is a good "set" of lap equipment.
What switches and routers would you recommend I get to start with?

[Jay Whale]

Hi jay,
Im just starting out with my CCENT, could you tell me what is a good "set" of lap equipment.
What switches and routers would you recommend I get to start with?

For CCENT there is not a huge amount that you actually need. In general since most of the questions around the CCENT are more around conceptial, the hardware platforms are less important (as apposed to something like CCIE where even the IOS version can make or break you).

If you have physical hardware available to you, I would recommend 3 routers and 2 switches. I'm still a huge fan of Dynamips (Cisco Emulation software) and use it for most testing and studying (even at CCIE level). This would allow you to go nuts on the amount of kit you want to use and how it's configured and best of all, you can take it with you since its all software based on doesnt require physical hardware (apart from you laptop/pc)

Good luck with your studies, and don't hesitate to post questions here on the forum