Archive for the 'Computer Certification' Category

by Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
During your Cisco CCENT and CCNA studies, you’ll see that so many great TCP features - the three-way handshake, windowing, sequence numbering, error detection and recovery - are strictly TCP features. UDP doesn’t use any of them. Two questions come to mind:

• Why doesn’t UDP offer these features?
• Why in the world do we use UDP for anything?

UDP can’t perform any of those TCP features because UDP literally can’t offer them. The UDP header has no sequence number field, no ack number field, no ACK bit, no SYN bit, and no window field.

The TCP and UDP headers have only three values in common - the source port, the destination port, and the checksum. While the TCP header has a window field, sequence number, ack number, and quite a few other fields, the only other fields the UDP header has are the Length and Data fields. (There is an illustrated version of this article on my website.)

Now that we’ve answered the question about why UDP doesn’t offer the features that TCP does, let’s answer the second question regarding why UDP is used in the first place. That question can really be answered with one word… overhead.

The TCP header is much larger than the UDP header. That header is being applied to every segment, and that adds up! UDP’s advantage over TCP is that its header is much smaller than TCP’s.

We’ve done a lot of talking here about the differences between TCP and UDP, so let’s move to a similarity! Both TCP and UDP headers carry port numbers, and those port numbers are a very important part of network communications. There are also some well-known port numbers that you’ll need to know for your CCENT and CCNA exams - and these port numbers come up often in production network operations as well! We’ll take a look at how TCP and UDP use these port numbers in the next installment of this CCENT / CCNA tutorial series!

Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage, home of free CCNP exam and CCNA certification exam tutorials, The Ultimate CCNA Study Package, and Ultimate CCNP Study Packages. You can also visit his blog, which is updated several times daily with new Cisco certification articles, free tutorials, and daily CCNA / CCNP exam questions! For a FREE copy of his latest e-books, “How To Pass The CCNA” and “How To Pass The CCNP”, just visit the website! You can also get FREE CCNA and CCNP exam questions every day! Pass your Cisco CCENT and CCNA exam with The Bryant Advantage!

Article Directory: Article Dashboard

by MindGenies the e-magician
The importance of sub-domains cannot be undermined. If you have a website with sub domains and you are not using a Wild card certificate you are exposed to a big security risk! You can secure your website and its sub domains for just $135 with the Latest SSLGenie WildCard Certificates…

SSLGenie presents the most trusted, reliable and affordable SSL Certificates for websites with sub domains. They are called the SSLGenie WildCard. A subdomain is a separate website listed under a domain. Examples are clothes.shoppingmall.com or shoes.shoppingmall.com. Search engines register these as separate sites, even though the host name is the same. When there is a lot if information to be presented on one website or when the business representing the website has logically different categories/divisions - subdomains are the best way to organize the information on the website. Sub domains can work well if your site brances into different areas, for example topic.example.com or topic2.example.com in effect these sub domains are unique sites in their own right, but to the user, they appear to be an extension of one main site.

SSLGenie Wildcard Certificate is a unique product that gives the ability to secure multiple sub-domains within the company through a single certificate. A wild-carded certificate can be used to secure the certificate owner’s website sub-domains (eg shop.yourcompany.com, pay.yourcompany.com etc) with a single certificate. If there is a requirement of securing multiple sub-domains on a website, then a “Wild-carded” certificate is the ideal choice. A Wildcard SSL Certificate helps in achieving SSL encryption on multiple sub-domains with the help of a single certificate as long as the sub domains are on one same physical server, share the same second-level domain name and are under the control of a single organization. For example a Wildcard issued to a company XYZ using the domain www.xyz.com can be used to secure the following domains: login.xyz.com, support.xyz.com, and careers.xyz.com

http://www.sslgenie.com, SSLGenie (Global Certification Authority) is a leading Internet security expert and provides E-commerce Security Solutions.

Article Directory: Article Dashboard

by MindGenies the e-magician
It is very important to take the protection against online information larceny, because it’s getting very easy for people to share digital products. Information theft is a type of computer safety and security risk and it’s defined as thieving someone’s private or confidential information. It’s very dangerous to get the information stolen as this can cause as much damage, or possibly more then hardware or software theft.

Most of the systems on the way of your data can see what you send. A lot of companies try to stop information from being stolen by applying some user identification and authentication controls.
These constrictions are most promising for protecting computers along a company’s premise. However, to protect information on the Internet and on networks, companies use a handful of encryption methods like digital certificates and SSL security. SSL is an industry standard and is used by millions of websites in the protection of their online transactions with their customers. Encryption refers to the process of converting data into an unreadable form. Encrypted data is like any other data because you can send it through a lot of options, but to read it you must decrypt or decipher it into a more readable form with the help of public and private keys provided. Throughout the encryption process, the unencrypted data or input is known as plaintext and the encrypted data, or output is known as cipher text. To be able to create an SSL connection a web server requires an SSL Certificate. When you choose to activate SSL on your web server you will be prompted to complete a number of questions about the identity of your website and your company. Your web server then creates two cryptographic keys - a Private Key and a Public Key. To encrypt information, the programmer converts the plaintext into cipher text using some type of encryption key. An encryption key is the programmed formula that the person who receives the data uses to decrypt the cipher text. There are varieties of encryption or algorithm methods. However, with an encryption key formula, you will be using more then one of these techniques.

Most common example is a nasty individual stealing credit cards so they can make illegal purchases on another person’s account. If information is transmitted over a network then it has a very high chance for nasty users to capture the information.

A digital signature is a type of encrypted code that an individual, website, or company pastes to an electronic document to make sure that the individual is who they claim to be. The code will most likely consist of the user name and a hash of usually part of the message. The complexities of the SSL protocol remain invisible to your customers. Instead, their browsers provide them with a key indicator to let them know they are currently protected by an SSL encrypted session - the lock icon in the lower right-hand corner, clicking on the lock icon displays your SSL Certificate and the details about it. All SSL Certificates are issued to either companies or legally accountable individuals. The main purpose behind using digital signatures is to make sure that it’s not a swindler participating in the transaction. So, digital signatures help narrow down e-mail frauds. A digital signature can also make sure that contents of a message have not been changed.

Typically, an SSL Certificate will contain your domain name, your company name, your address, your city, your state and your country. It will also contain the expiration date of the Certificate and details of the Certification Authority responsible for the issuance of the Certificate. When a browser connects to a secure site it will retrieve the site’s SSL Certificate and check that it has not expired, it has been issued by a Certification Authority the browser trusts, and that it is being used by the website for which it has been issued.

Many ecommerce websites will usually have digital certificates. A certificate authority (CA) is an authorized company or individual for that matter that has the ability to issue and verify digital certificates. There are several of websites that offer a digital certificate. One of the popular Global Certification authorities is MindGenies (www.sslgenie.com

http://www.sslgenie.com, SSLGenie (Global SSL Certification Authority) is a leading Internet security expert and provides E-commerce Security Solutions. SSLGenie is the most affordable SSL available with 99.3 % browser compatibility.

Article Directory: Article Dashboard

by fryn
Bitstop Network Services have been congatulated by Mr. Michael Dellutri, ASC Product Manager at CompTIA for being listed as the only CompTIA A+ authorized Service Center in the Philippines.

The CompTIA A+ Listing is proof of Bitstop’s Inc’s technical quality in our service center. By employing A+ certified technicians, our customers will know that service and satisfaction are paramount to Bitstop Inc., and that Bitstop Network Services Inc. have quality technician personnel to service the client’s needs.

For more information, please visit http://www.bitstop.com.ph

Also visit the site http://www.bnshosting.net to know more about our services.

Article Directory: Article Dashboard

by Bill Naugle
There is a growing industry in the field of information technology Computer training for certification. The market is enormous with online certification training, textbooks, practice exam question and study guides. Products and services for certification training and preparation are many to choose from on the Internet. You can find many online instructors, textbooks, study guides and practice exam questions that will help you with gaining your information technology certification. The Internet has much to choose from. You may say that all you need to achieve a good start is to simply to use the search engines to find the best resources. Does any of us really know what to look for when it comes to the proper training and preparation for information technology certification?

Employers want qualified PC repair technicians, software troubleshooters, engineers and administrators. Employees want to advance their careers with a higher paying position. Computer Certification is the answer for both employees and employers. Certification proves that you are qualified and suited for the appropriate position pertaining to the area of information technology work field you are pursuing.

There are many Information Technology Certifications such as: Microsoft, Comp TIA, MCDST, MCP, MCSA, MCSE, A+, MCPD, Comp TIA Network, Comp TIA Security, CCNA, CNA, CISA and many others. Many people are seeking to be certified in one or more areas of information technology. We all want to improve our chances of receiving the job we desire. There are many places in which you can receive training in order to be prepared for your Computer certification exam. How much do you want to spend? Who can you trust in order to receive the appropriate information that is relevant to the actual exam?

Who can you turn to be completely prepared to take your final certification exam with paying the least amount out of your pocket? How you can pass your Information Technology Certification Exam on your first attempt? How hard is getting your certification? How much money will it cost me for Computer training, books and exam fees? Does test taking make you nervous? Is it possible to be calm during a certification exam? Are there many facts to memorize in order to be prepared for a certification exam?
Many seekers of information technology certification training will ask how much work and study is really involved in order to pass the final exam on there first try?

What you would the best place to start for those who are seeking to be certified in any area of information technology?
There seems to be a lot to think about concerning information technology certification exam preparation. Many people purchase textbooks, study guides and practice test questions or receive online tutoring hoping to pass their Information Technology exams only to find out that the material they bought only covered some of the actual exam.

You can have the confidence needed to pass your IT Certifications by knowing where to begin. Do you think that you could learn more from someone who has actually been there? Knowing someone’s successes and failures could help minimize the work and cost that you will put into being prepared for your Computer certification exam.

I have a suggestion. Do a Google search or start by viewing this Website: billnaugle.com I hope your success will be better than mine. Bill Naugle

Bill Naugle has been writing articles, press releases and ebooks to help Webmasters achieve success in with information technology certification, internet business and search engine rankings. He has written on many subjects. http://www.billnaugle.com

Article Directory: Article Dashboard

by Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
Earning your Cisco CCENT certification and passing the 640-822 exam demands that you master networking basics, and part of that is knowing how to work with both physical and virtual Local Area Networks (LANs).

A physical LAN is a collection of PCs, cables, network cards, and other network hardware — switches, routers, printers, and servers, for example. When we refer to the physical network, you’re rarely going to hear anyone actually say “physical LAN”. When someone mentions setting up a LAN, they’re referring to the physical devices themselves.

So…. what the heck is a “virtual LAN”? The name seems to suggest some kind of imaginary network, which isn’t quite true, since the physical LAN devices will also be part of the virtual LAN (“VLAN”). What we’re actually doing is logically dividing the physical network into smaller, logical networks — and these smaller, logical groups are called VLANs.

Let’s look at an example that will illustrate the concept and help explain why we would create VLANs in the first place. Let’s say we have ten PCs connected to the same switch. As I explained in an earlier Cisco CCENT exam tutorial, this can lead to the transmission of unnecessary broadcasts. If one PC sends a broadcast, by default the switch will forward a copy of that broadcast frame to all the other PCs.

Most likely, not all of the other PCs need a copy of that broadcast. We can logically group these PCs into VLANs, and when a member of one VLAN sends a broadcast, only the other members of the same VLAN will receive the broadcast.

For example, we could create three VLANs in this situation by placing PC1, PC2, and PC3 into VLAN 1; PC4, PC5, and PC6 would go into VLAN 2; finally, PCs 7, 8, 9, and 10 could be placed into VLAN 3. When PC1 sends a broadcast, the switch will send a copy of that broadcast frame only to PC2 and PC3 — the other members of that VLAN. The other six PCs will not get a copy of the frame!

As you’ll learn in networking, there’s always a catch. In this scenario, not only will PCs in VLANs 2 and 3 not receive broadcasts send by PCs in VLAN1, but they’ll be unable to receive any kind of traffic from those other hosts. By default, inter-VLAN traffic is not possible on a switch; an OSI model Layer 3 device must get involved. We’ll talk about how to enable inter-VLAN traffic in the next installment of my Cisco CCENT exam training series!

Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage, home of free Cisco CCENT Certification and CCNA Certification Exam tutorials, The Ultimate CCNA Study Package, and Ultimate CCNP Study Packages. You can also visit his blog, which is updated several times daily with new Cisco certification articles, free tutorials, and daily CCNA / CCNP exam questions! Visit his blog and sign up for Certification Central, a daily newsletter packed with CCNA, Network+, A+, and CCNP certification exam practice questions. A free 7-part course, “How To Pass The CCNA”, is also available. Pass your CCENT 640-822 Certification Exam with The Bryant Advantage!

Article Directory: Article Dashboard

by Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
In a previous Cisco CCENT certification exam tutorial, we talked about broadcasts and the potential of a broadcast storm. (If you missed that one, visit my website’s Tutorials section.) In today’s tutorial, we’ll discuss several different common network devices and how they help to limit broadcast propagation — or in some cases, how they do not help!

In the “do not help” department, we’ll find hubs and repeaters. These two devices operate at Layer 1 of the OSI model (the Physical layer), and their sole purpose is to strengthen the electrical signals sent over the cable. They don’t have anything to do with switching or routing, and they do not help to limit broadcasts. (A hub is basically just a repeater with more ports.)

On the other end of the spectrum, we have routers. Routers operate at Layer 3 of the OSI model (the Network layer), and by default routers do not forward broadcasts. They can be configured to “translate” certain broadcast types into unicasts, but you’ll learn more about that in your CCNA studies.

Since routers do not forward broadcasts, there’s a misconception that routers have nothing to do with broadcasts. Routers can indeed generate broadcasts, and they can accept broadcasts — but they will not forward broadcasts. That’s an important distinction.

Between these two extremes, we find switches. Switches operate at Layer 2 of the OSI model (the Data Link layer), and the default behavior of a switch is to accept a broadcast and forward it out every other single port on that switch except the port that first received the broadcast.

If that sounds like a lot of broadcast forwarding, it is! If we have an 80-port switch and one port receives a broadcast, by default a copy of that broadcast is going to be forwarded out the other 79 ports. Most likely, not all of those hosts connected to those switchports need to see that broadcast, and sending unnecessary broadcast results in an unnecessary use of network resources, particularly bandwidth.

Luckily for us, there is a way to configure a Cisco switch to limit which ports receive that broadcast, and we’ll take a look at that method in the next installment of my Cisco CCENT certification exam tutorial series!

Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage, home of free Cisco CCENT Certification and CCNA Certification Exam tutorials, The Ultimate CCNA Study Package, and Ultimate CCNP Study Packages. You can also visit his blog, which is updated several times daily with new Cisco certification articles, free tutorials, and daily CCNA / CCNP exam questions! Visit his blog and sign up for Certification Central, a daily newsletter packed with CCNA, Network+, A+, and CCNP certification exam practice questions. A free 7-part course, “How To Pass The CCNA”, is also available. Pass your CCENT Certification Exam with The Bryant Advantage!

Article Directory: Article Dashboard

by Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
The Cisco CCENT exam demands that you master the fundamentals of networking, and it doesn’t get much more fundamental than broadcasts! Every network has them, and every network administrator needs to be aware of what broadcasts are and their potential impact on network performance.

When a device on a network generates a message, it’s one of three types — a unicast, a multicast, or a broadcast. A unicast is a message intended for one other host; a multicast is intended for a group of hosts; a broadcast is intended for every host that can possibly receive it — and that’s where the trouble can begin.

Why? Because not every other host needs or wants to receive that message, and if “Host A” should not receive broadcasts sent by “Host B”, we should configure the network accordingly. Everything we do on a network has a cost in performance, and if a host is regularly processing messages that it doesn’t need, that will result in a decline in that host’s performance. That decline may be slight, but if the host in question is receiving many unnecessary broadcasts, the decline in performance may be significant. Worse, the impact to our network as a whole may be significant as well.

Broadcasts tend to result in more broadcasts, and if hosts on the network continue to answers broadcasts with broadcasts, we end up with a broadcast storm. Broadcast storms start small, but just like a snowball, they can end up being very big — so big that normal network operations are compromised and/or prevented!

Don’t let the threat of a broadcast storm make you nervous about broadcasts, though. Broadcasts are part of a network’s normal operation, and we’ve got quite a few methods available to prevent these storms. We’ll discuss those in a future Cisco CCENT exam tutorial!

Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage, home of free Cisco CCNP Certification and CCNA Certification Exam tutorials, The Ultimate CCNA Study Package, and Ultimate CCNP Study Packages. You can also visit his blog, which is updated several times daily with new Cisco certification articles, free tutorials, and daily CCNA / CCNP exam questions! Visit his blog and sign up for Certification Central, a daily newsletter packed with CCNA, Network+, A+, and CCNP certification exam practice questions. A free 7-part course, “How To Pass The CCNA”, is also available. Pass your CCENT Exam with The Bryant Advantage!

Article Directory: Article Dashboard

by Caitlina Fuller
As the title says, let us see what training options are available for Microsoft Office Accounting Professional 2007. However, before getting into the training options, let us first understand what Microsoft Office Accounting Professional 2007 is all about.

Microsoft Office Accounting Professional 2007 is an easy-to-use accounting tool, which is useful for small businesses to keep track of their accounts. It helps in maintaining the accounts efficiently and effectively. This software looks more like other Microsoft Office applications. Integration to websites like eBay, Paypal, Equifax is provided with this application.

Information from other Microsoft applications like Excel, Word, Money, and QuickBooks can be imported to this tool using the startup wizard. As all information is organized and available in one place, this tool helps in retrieving the required information at the time you require it. This helps in taking timely decisions. This can also be integrated with Microsoft Outlook 2007. This tool is very easy to learn that actually you do not require any training material. There is a step-by-step instructions wizard available for the benefit of the users.

Few usefulness of this tool is as follows:

a) Your expenses can be tracked
b) Online banking
c) Simplification of the payroll process and easy integration of the payroll services that are powered by Automatic Data Processing (ADP)
d) Payment of your bills
e) Tracking and managing employees’ billable time
f) Conversion of information from one format to the other within no time
g) Share and reuse the information between other Microsoft applications like Word and Excel
h) E-mail invoices can be sent using eBay, Paypal or Equifax integration

With the help of Microsoft Office Accounting Professional 2007 CDs, videos and tutorials, features mentioned above can be learned easily. Let us discuss the various training options available in detail in the coming paragraphs. Read along and make the best use of your Microsoft Office Accounting Professional 2007 application.

First, we can see about the Microsoft Office Accounting Professional 2007 CD. This is an interactive tool and provides you with high-quality content. Various animations, step-by-step instructions, videos are available in the Microsoft Office Accounting Professional 2007 CD. With the help of Microsoft Office Accounting Professional 2007 CD, you can learn the software right in your desktop or laptop without actually attending the training courses that are available. Learning through CDs is cost-effective and you can learn at your convenience. There is no hard and fast rule that says you will have to attend the classes these many hours. Sit comfortably and relax yourself while you learn the software though Microsoft Office Accounting Professional 2007 CD. You need not spend time for going to classes or courses in this busy world. Learn at your own pace and get benefited. Merely insert the CD into the drive and start learning your lessons. You can learn everything from how to manage cash flow to creating and viewing detailed reports at your own pace with the help of Microsoft Office Accounting Professional 2007 CD.

Now, let us see how you can learn Microsoft Office Accounting Professional 2007 through videos. Through Computer Based Training (CBT) videos, it is much easier to learn the tool effectively. You get access to various demonstrations and hands-on exercises when learnt through videos.

Both Microsoft Office Accounting Professional 2007 video and CD have snapshots of the screens available. This will help you in better understanding of the software. Make use of the training options available for Microsoft Office Accounting Professional 2007 and master the software.

Caitlina Fuller is a freelance writer. With the help of Microsoft Office Accounting Professional tutorial CDs, CDs, videos, features mentioned above can be learned easily. Both Microsoft Office Accounting Pro training video and CD have snapshots of the screens available.

Article Directory: Article Dashboard

by Caitlina Fuller
Microsoft SQL training is important to IT professionals interested in knowing how to work on the product. A history of Microsoft SQL server is also very important. Basically, the code for MS SQL came from the Sybase SQL Server, which was the first database Microsoft attempted. It competed against Sybase, IBM and Oracle. Then, Sybase, Microsoft, and Ashton-Tate worked together to create the first version of the SQL Server. It ended up being pretty much the same as the third edition of the Sybase SQL Server. Then, the Microsoft SQL Server 4.2 was available in 1992. When the 4.21 version was available it was at the same time as Windows NT 3.1. The first version of SQL that did not include any assistance from Sybase was the Microsoft SQL Server v6.0.

When Windows NT made an appearance Sybase and Microsoft moved on to pursue their own interests. This allowed Microsoft to negotiate exclusive rights to the versions of SQL that were written for Microsoft systems. The Sybase server actually changed its name to Adaptive Server Enterprise to keep it from being confused with the Microsoft version. Many revisions have been made without assistance from Sybase since the two parted ways. The first database server written on GUI was a complete change from the Sybase code.

Currently, Microsoft SQL Server 2005 is the most recent version. It was launched beside the Visual Studio 2005. Free download of the SQL Server 2005 Express Edition is available, which is a nice bonus for people who need it. Since the release of SQL Server 2000 there have been many advancement and changes to the product. Performance has been improved, complementary systems are now available with the system, and client IDE tools are included. Some of the new systems included are Analysis Services, ETL, and messaging technologies like notification services and service broker.

With all the changes going on with each edition it is important for IT techs to take SQL 2005 training classes. With SQL 2005 training IT techs are better able to provide support for users running SQL 2005 as well as other versions. There are quite a few classes available online for SQL training or else classes are offered in person in boot camps, night classes, or weekend classes. You just have to find the right class for you, take it, and then you will be prepared to work on all of the SQL servers.

Caitlina Fuller is a freelance writer. With SQL 2005 training IT techs are better able to provide support for users running SQL 2005 as well as other versions. There are quite a few classes available online for Microsoft SQL training or else classes are offered in person in boot camps, night classes, or weekend classes.

Article Directory: Article Dashboard