Introduction

Welcome to the exciting world of internetworking and your path towards Cisco certification. If you've picked up this book because you want to improve yourself and your life with a better, more satisfying, and secure job, you've chosen well!

Whether you're striving to enter the thriving, dynamic IT sector or seeking to enhance your skill set and advance your position within it, being Cisco certified can seriously stack the odds in your favor to help you attain your goals. This book is a great start.

Cisco certifications are powerful instruments of success that also markedly improve your grasp of all things internetworking. As you progress through this book, you'll gain a strong, foundational understanding of networking that reaches far beyond Cisco devices. And when you finish this book, you'll be ready to tackle the next step toward Cisco certification.

Essentially, by beginning your journey towards becoming Cisco certified, you're proudly announcing that you want to become an unrivaled networking expert, a goal that this book will help get you underway to achieving.

Congratulations in advance for taking the first step towards your brilliant future!

To find bonus material, including Todd Lammle videos and extra practice questions, please see www.lammle.com/ccst.

Cisco's CCST Certifications

It used to be that to secure the holy grail of Cisco certifications-the CCIE-you passed only one written test before being faced with a grueling, formidable hands-on lab. This intensely daunting, all-or-nothing approach made it nearly impossible to succeed and predictably didn't work out too well for most people.

Cisco responded to this issue by creating a series of new certifications, which not only created a sensible, stepping-stone-path to the highly coveted CCIE prize but also gave employers a way to accurately rate and measure the skill levels of prospective and current employees.

The CCNA and CCNP exams were born and are still the most popular certifications in the world. This exciting paradigm shift in Cisco's certification path truly opened doors that few were allowed through before!

Now Cisco has reached down and created a new introductory-level certification program, below the CCNA, called the Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST). There are two exams/certifications: Networking and Cybersecurity.

The Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) Networking certification validates an individual's skills and knowledge of entry-level networking concepts and topics. The certification demonstrates foundational knowledge and skills needed to show how networks operate, including the devices, media, and protocols that enable network communications. The Networking certification is also a first step toward working on achieving your CCNA Certification.

The Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) Cybersecurity certification validates a candidate's skills and knowledge of entry-level cybersecurity concepts and topics, including security principles, network security and endpoint security concepts, vulnerability assessment and risk management, and incident handling. The Cybersecurity certification is also a first step toward CyberOps Associate certification.

This book is a powerful tool to get you started in your Cisco certification studies, and it's vital to understand the material in it before you go on to conquer any other certifications!

Exam policies can change from time to time. We highly recommend that you check both Cisco and Certiport (www.certiport.com) sites for the most up-to-date information when you begin your preparing when you register, and then again a few days before your scheduled exam date.

Tips for Taking the CCST Network Exam

Here are some general tips for taking your exam successfully (assuming you are going in person, as online testing is available as well):

• This is not like the CCNA or other Cisco certification tests that are available on www.vue.com. You need to instead go to www.certiport.com/locator to both register and pay for your exam. You can take the exams in person at a center or in your home or office, under direct video and audio supervision. For exams at home information and to sign up, call (800) 589-6871.
• Bring two forms of ID with you. One must be a photo ID, such as a driver's license. The other can be a major credit card or a passport. Both forms must include a signature.
• Arrive early at the exam center so that you can relax and review your study materials, particularly tables and lists of exam-related information. After you are ready to enter the testing room, you will need to leave everything outside; you won't be able to bring any materials into the testing area.
• Read the questions carefully. Don't be tempted to jump to an early conclusion. Make sure you know exactly what each question is asking.
• Don't leave any questions unanswered. Unanswered questions are scored against you. There will be questions with multiple correct responses. When there is more than one correct answer, a message at the bottom of the screen will prompt you to either "choose two" or "choose all that apply." Be sure to read the messages displayed to know how many correct answers you must choose.
• When answering multiple-choice questions you're not sure about, use a process of elimination to get rid of the obviously incorrect answers first. Doing so will improve your odds if you need to make an educated guess.

Who Should Read This Book?

You-if want to pass the CCST Networking exam confidently! This book is chock-full of the exact information you need and directly maps to CCST Networking exam objectives, so if you use it to study for the exam, your odds of passing shoot way up.

In addition to including every bit of knowledge you need to learn to pass the exam, I've included some really great tips and solid wisdom to equip you even further to successfully work in the real IT world.

What's Included in the Book

I've included several study tools throughout the book:

• Assessment Test    At the end of this Introduction is an assessment test that you can use to check your readiness for the exam. Take this test before you start reading the book; it will help you determine the areas you might need to brush up on. The answers to the assessment test questions appear on a separate page after the last question of the test. Each answer includes an explanation and a note telling you the chapter in which the material appears.
• Objective Map and Opening List of Objectives    This Introduction includes a detailed exam objective map showing you where each of the exam objectives is covered in the book. In addition, each chapter opens with a list of the exam objectives it covers. Use these to see exactly where each exam topic is covered.
• Exam Essentials    Each chapter, just after the summary, includes a number of exam essentials. These are the key topics you should take from the chapter in terms of areas to focus on when preparing for the exam.
• Chapter Review Questions    To test your knowledge as you progress through the book, there are review questions at the end of each chapter. As you finish each chapter, answer the review questions and check your answers; the correct answers and explanations are in Appendix. You can go back to reread the section that deals with each question you got wrong to ensure that you correctly answer the next time you're tested on the material.

Interactive Online Learning Environment and Test Bank

The interactive online learning environment that accompanies this book provides a test bank with study tools to help you prepare for the certification exam and increase your chances of passing it the first time! The test bank includes the following tools:

• Sample Tests    All of the questions in this book are provided, including the assessment test, which you'll find at the end of this Introduction, and the chapter tests that include the review questions at the end of each chapter. In addition, there is an online practice exam. Use these questions to test your knowledge of the study guide material. The online test bank runs on multiple devices.
• Flashcards    Approximately 100 questions are provided in digital flashcard format (a question followed by a single correct answer). You can use the flashcards to reinforce your learning and provide last-minute test prep before the exam.
• Other Study Tools    A glossary of key terms from this book is available as a fully searchable PDF.

Go to www.wiley.com/go/sybextestprep to register and gain access to this interactive online learning environment and test bank.

How to Use This Book

If you want a solid foundation for the serious effort of preparing for the Cisco CCST Networking exam, then look no further, because I've spent countless hours putting together this book with the sole intention of helping you pass it!

This book is loaded with valuable information, and you will get the most out of your study time if you understand how I put the book together. Here's a list that describes how to approach studying:

1. Take...