I found the following interesting article about the advantages of getting a Cisco certification as an important step in your career advancement in networking. Another important reason that I would add for getting a Cisco certification is that you will force yourself to learn the theory behind network technology and not rely only on hands-on practical experience (which is also important of course). Learning the theory behind networking technology concepts will tremendously help you in troubleshooting (if you are a field engineer) or in properly designing networks (if you are a network designer and planner).

Article:

If you work in the information technology field, or if you are trying to break in to start your career, getting a certification is a crucial step. Companies often require at least one IT certification to qualify for a position. There are many choices for which certification to pursue, though. Here are four great reasons why you should consider a Cisco certification for career advancement:

1. Cisco is a trusted name in the industry. Cisco is one of the world’s leading providers of IT and networking solutions. That gives them a lot of credibility in the technology world. As a result, employers place a lot of trust in Cisco to certify knowledgeable workers. After all, who better to test your skill with technology than the people who created that technology? Adding a Cisco certification to your resume lets you benefit from their very reliable name.
2. There are a wide variety of Cisco certifications to choose from. Cisco may specialize in computer networking, but there are dozens of specializations to choose from in their catalog of certifications. Whatever your particular IT interest is, there is probably a Cisco certification that is right for you. Interested in network design? Try a CCNA, CCDA, or CCDP. Is network security your thing? Then look into getting a CCSP. You can even specialize in voice, wireless, or storage networking. Research the type of specialization that interests you, and then plan out the certification path that suits your goals.
3. Cisco certifications follow a distinct career path. Cisco makes it very easy to turn your certification pursuits into a career track. There are seven main paths for Cisco certification: Routing and Switching, Design, Network Security, Service Provider, Storage Networking, Voice, and Wireless. Each path contains a separate set of certifications that build on one another and prepare you for increasing levels of responsibility in your field of specialization. You can use these certification paths as a guide to building your career. Just find a position that requires the entry certification level, and then continue increasing your certification level and seek out new positions or internal promotions that match your current level of certification.
4. Getting a lower-level certification prepares you for certifications higher up the chain. Cisco structures their certification paths in a unique way, where lower level certifications qualify you for more specialized certifications further up in the hierarchy. Most IT pros start out with the basic CCENT certification, which is a prerequisite for most other Cisco certifications. The Associate level CCNA certification usually follows, since it qualifies you for more certifications at the Professional and Expert level. This makes those low-level certifications even more valuable. Not only do they give you a boost in your career, but they also open up certification doors for you should you choose to advance your education and continue to specialize.

If you are convinced, you can find out more about Cisco certifications, paths, and levels at http://www.cisco.com/web/learning/index.html. Once you decide on which path to take, consider enrolling at a qualified certification training school to help you prepare for your exam. With a little guidance and practice, you will be able to pass your Cisco certification exam the first time and start enjoying the benefits to your career right away.

Shawn Livengood works for TechSkills, a career training school with over 25 campuses nationwide. TechSkills offers career training programs for IT certifications, healthcare services, accounting, and project management.

Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shawn_Livengood

The Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express (CUCME) is the new brand name given by Cisco to the older Call Manager Express (CME) system. The concept is the same however: IP Telephony software running on Cisco routers. Therefore, the CUCME is a normal Cisco router (models supported are 1800, 2800, 2900, 3800, 3900 series) with a special IP Telephony software (call manager software) installed on the router’s flash memory. The CUCME system serves as the call control node to facilitate IP Telephony communications in a small to medium size Enterprise.

Usually there is a single CUCME system in each LAN network, with several IP phones connected on the LAN switches. An enterprise with several sites connected over a private IP WAN network can establish full IP voice communications between sites by configuring H323 communication between each CUCME router. A simple example with a two-node topology is shown below.

CME-A node has local IP phones with numbering 500x and a WAN IP address of 1.1.1.1. On the other site, CME-B has local IP phones with numbering 600x and a WAN IP address of 2.2.2.2. By establishing H323 voip communication over the WAN (between 1.1.1.1 and 2.2.2.2) we can have full IP telephony conversations between the IP phones of both sites.

CAUTION: Because the actual VoIP RTP traffic communication between site A and site B will be running from one IP phone to another IP phone, there must be full IP routing established between the IP phone subnets.
The CUCME configuration to establish H323 between the two sites is shown below:

CME-A

CME-A#show running-config
dial-peer voice 6000 voip
destination-pattern 60..
session target ipv4:2.2.2.2
dtmf-relay h245-alphanumeric
codec g729r8

CME-B

CME-B#show running-config
dial-peer voice 5000 voip
destination-pattern 50..
session target ipv4:1.1.1.1
dtmf-relay h245-alphanumeric
codec g729r8

The dial-peer configuration on CME-A tells the system that in order to reach the destination pattern 60xx the session will be established with IP address 2.2.2.2 (i.e CME-B). The inverse applies for CME-B.

Note: Make sure to select one of the high compression codecs ( such as g729, g723) in order to save bandwidth for voice calls over the WAN network. Each VoIP conversation using a high compression codec (g729, g723) will use significantly less bandwidth compared with the traditional G711 codec.

Continuing our series of posts on IP Telephony and VoIP, here is Part 3 of the tutorial:

Is IP Telephony Implemented Easily ?

Over time, most companies have acquired the expertise to implement IP Telephony solutions, either on existing corporate networks or from scratch. The main advantage to implementing VoIP applications is that they rely on network infrastructure which can be expanded gradually, depending on the needs of the business. Additionally, complimentary applications have been matured as well, such as call management software, so that the implementation of solutions and their use becomes more straightforward.

What happens in terms of voice quality ?

Traditionally the main problem of telephony on IP networks has been the quality of the voice. Since the same network carries different data packets (documents, other voice conversations etc.) we cannot always ensure that the packets carrying the voice conversation will all get together and on time at the other end in order to carry a real-time discussion. When you transfer a document, a web page, an email etc, we don’t care so much if one packet is delayed 1-2 seconds. In voice conversation however, delay works negatively on the quality of the voice. A solution to this problem would be the usage of high-capacity lines, combined with powerful routing equipment (eg routers and large enough switches). However they cost money. A better solution is the implementation of prioritization of voice packets with respect to other data. Gradually, as the cost of equipment and services drops, the quality of VoIP will be better and better. Finally, we must not forget that using certain technologies (e.g voice compression), we can increase the efficiency of communication lines and with appropriate settings in routers we can commit certain capacity from the network for voice communication. With that, voice transmission will be conducted as much as possible in real time, without delays and distortion.

Do we need special telephone handsets ?

There are special telephone handsets designed for VoIP communication that harness the potential of this technology. Such devices are available from most international manufacturers of telephony products as well as from third party manufacturers involved in related VoIP solutions. It is worth mentioning that using special equipment we can still use normal telephone devices. Alternatively, a company may consider the option of softphones. A softphone is essentially telephony software that is installed on a laptop or desktop computer and offer all the functionality of an IP telephone without the need for a hardware telephone device. Of course, the use of softphones depends upon the existence of a computer. Although the first softphones presented had poor voice quality and a great network load, now the technology is fairly mature and operational.

Continuing our series of posts on IP Telephony and VoIP, here is Part 2 of the tutorial:

Can an IP Telephony System be connected to the public telephone network

There are special voice gateways which can connect an IP Telephony system with the public switched telephone network (PSTN) or other telephone networks. Using the voice gateway, a VoIP phone can call a legacy telephone line phone on the public telephone network and vice versa with no problems. Basically the voice gateway translates the IP packets from the IP Telephone system into TDM voice to be transmitted over the legacy PSTN network. Generally, regardless of the infrastructure that the IP Telephony system uses to carry out the conversation, ultimately it is a private telephone network, such as those implemented in corporate call centers, which is transparent to the public telephone network.

What are the benefits of IP Telephony and VoIP

The main advantages of VoIP and IP Telephony in general include:

• Single network infrastructure for data and telephony. Since the same infrastructure (communication lines and equipment) serve voice traffic and data traffic, we have significant economies of scale. Also, we achieve better management of telecommunications infrastructure.
• Maximum use of telecommunications infrastructure. The packet switched networks (e.g IP Networks) make better use of their bandwidth capacity in comparison with traditional circuit switched telephone networks since the line is not fully occupied for each call conversation therefore it can carry various data packets in addition to voice.
• Improved communication for remote workers. The use of IP telephony does not require the user to have a physical presence in the enterprise environment. If the user has an IP connection, he/she can take advantage of the features and functions of the enterprise telephone system, regardless of where the user is located.
• New services are introduced. The usage of a single infrastructure for both data and voice allows for the development of a new generation of services such as unified messaging that can contribute significantly to productivity growth.

Why companies are interested for IP Telephony

Since almost all companies have access to the Internet, they have already implemented their corporate networks over the IP protocol. Thus, they are given a first class opportunity to utilize the IP network infrastructure, which includes, in addition to the communication lines, other equipment such as routers, switches, etc. This IP network infrastructure can be used for telephony as well. Even if the IP telephony system is confined within the enterprise, the benefits are significant. When a company uses leased circuits to connect remote branches, the use of these circuits for both IP telephony and data connectivity provides substantial benefits and cost savings to the company.

Is IP Telephony the most economical solution for voice communication

Like any technology infrastructure investment, usage of VoIP and IP Telephony should be treated as a medium to long term business. According to studies, the use of packet switched networks for voice telephony is more economical than the networks that occupy the whole communication line for each conversation. And when we can serve phone calls through our corporate IP network – which in some cases is extended to different parts of the city, other cities or other countries – we certainly save money by not using the public telephone network. When routing phone calls over our own private IP network from New York to Los Angeles and the destination call is a PSTN number in Los Angeles, the call will be charged as local in Los Angeles (it will be routed from our voice gateway in Los Angeles to the PSTN). This is an example of a toll bypass cost saving. Companies should however consider the costs for the implementation of the IP telephony infrastructure, occurring in the increased bandwidth capacity to accommodate also voice traffic, in the extra equipment (e.g IP telephones), the additional software needed, etc. Overall, however, in medium to long term, telephony over IP networks has proved to be much more economical than traditional telephony solutions.