Cheating on certification exams is nothing new

The recent Network World article on cheating should remind us that certifications
and diplomas are really just claims of knowledge. This topic was covered more
than 2 years ago in this Network World article, so is nothing new, except to point
out that the problem has not gotten better.

What is the prospective employer to do? Take the certification and diplomas with
a grain of salt, and do your due diligence. Interviews should uncover whether the
candidate actually possesses the knowledge the diploma purports. If they claim
knowledge of Cisco IOS, ask the right questions, then sit them in front of a IOS
simulator such as MIMIC Virtual Lab Cloud and have them solve a simple problem,
such as the one in this contest.

MIMIC Virtual Lab Cloud is a SaaS-based CCNA practice lab powered by MIMIC
SNMP Simulator. Students can access their own Cisco IOS practice lab anytime
from anywhere, even from their Apple iPhone.

Internet runs out of addresses

The Number Resource Organization (NRO) just announced the depletion of IPv4 addresses.

If you think of IPv4 addresses as a land-grab, then the days of cheap real-estate are done, and
IPv4 addresses just became more valuable. Organizations will have to either pay more
for addresses, or find some new land in IPv6, as explained in this article. The transition to IPv6
will take a while, and will be fraught with pain.

Gambit's products will help organizations in this transition, by simulating IPv6 environments.
MIMIC SNMP Simulator can create large IPv6 networks to develop and test network management
applications and customizations. MIMIC IOS Simulator and Virtual Lab allow training on IPv6
IOS commands and policies.

Cash for academic achievement: contest on MIMIC Virtual Lab Cloud

There is a recent trend towards rewarding academic achievement with cash.
We are joining the bandwagon by applying the same principle for CCNA
certification:

We are announcing a new contest, free to all on our MIMIC Virtual Lab Cloud:

All correct answers will be entered in a drawing for a grand prize valued
at $70 ($50 cash transfer + 1 week rental CCNA practice pod), and four other
prizes for free rental of our Cisco CCNA lab. No need to fill out any forms.

To enter:

- connect to your free demo pod at

http://www.gambitcommunications.com/contest/

and win the contest by answering this question:

Log on to router1, and verify that you can ping 10.201.1.10 on switch1.

Using the "Connection" menu, disconnect the Ethernet link between router1
and switch1 (simulating a link failure).

Notice the console message.

Verify that you cannot ping 10.201.1.10 any more.

What commands do you need to execute to re-route traffic to reach
10.201.1.10? Your final command should be a successful ping.

Hint: you only need to execute commands on router1.

-------------------------------

Rules:

The contest is open until Friday February 18, 2011 at 12pm EDT.
Email your answer to us at contest-20110204@gambitcomm.com .
At that time we will conduct a random drawing of the correct entries.
The grand prize is USD $50 cash transfer via Paypal or USD $50 gift card
to Amazon (your choice) plus one free week of MIMIC Virtual Lab Cloud ($20
value), and 4 second prize winners will win a free week of MIMIC Virtual
Lab Cloud (USD $20 value) to practice their skills. We will announce
the winners as follow-up to this posting. Previous winners of our contests are
excluded.