300-430 study tips - Implementing Cisco Enterprise Wireless Networks (ENWLSI) 2023 Updated: 2024

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Earning specialized certifications is a surefire way to advance your career in the IT field, regardless of industry or current career level. The right certification validates your skills and knowledge, which makes you more desirable to future employers who want to attract and retain the best employees. Below, we’ll explore the top IT certifications and share how to examine your goals to choose the right path forward. 

Cisco’s Michelle Ragusa-McBain at XChange 2022 shares five tips for SMB-focused MSPs as they craft marketing strategies, build their company culture and implement sales outreach efforts amid the hybrid work demands of employees and brand-new buying behaviors from customers.

MSPs As ‘Essential Workers’

It’s fair to say that MSPs serving small to midsize businesses have had to do a fair amount of thinking on their feet over the past two years as their customers’ businesses pivoted—in some cases, quite literally overnight—to hybrid or remote working and they had to find brand-new ways to take care of their end customers.

The SMB ecosystem is made up of about 400 million companies and a total 65 percent of all global employment. The opportunity? A $610 billion IT spend, according to Michelle Ragusa-McBain, global community lead and channel evangelist for MSP and XaaS for Cisco Systems.

In front of an audience of MSPs at CRN parent The Channel Company’s XChange 2022 event, Ragusa-McBain shared five tips that MSPs targeting SMBs should keep in mind as they craft and carry out their marketing strategies, build their company culture and implement sales outreach efforts amid the hybrid work demands of their employees and new buying behaviors of their end customers.

Here’s what Ragusa-McBain had to say.

Finding ‘Blue Ocean’ Opportunities

The majority—75 percent—of SMBs are eager to embrace new technologies but often have no IT team to help them. That’s where MSPs, or “essential workers,” come into play, Ragusa-McBain said.

MSP business prior to 2021 was predicted to grow by about 10 percent. But 2021 ended with a prediction of 23 percent expected business growth year over year, with no signs of slowing down, she said.

McKinsey reported that executives spent more on digitization in 2020 than at any other time in history. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, 55 percent of businesses did not allow their employees to work from home, a statistic that quickly flipped as employees were sent home overnight. Seventy-six percent of global CEOs say that their business will be unrecognizable in the next five years.

“When I talk about the perfect storm, we all know that the pandemic disruption occurred. There is immense growth that is happening in our ecosystem, and we really want to figure out how we can seize those opportunities together,” she said.

Establish Your Professional Brand

It may sound like something every MSP has already done, but rather than focus on how they would like to be perceived, MSPs should be more concerned with what their customers actually think of them and what people say about them when they aren’t in the room, Ragusa-McBain said.

Establishing a brand starts on social media where, ironically, many MSPs lose their brand. Many companies are “lazy likers” or “voyeurs” on Twitter and LinkedIn, according to Ragusa-McBain. “They look around. They don’t touch anything. They don’t like anything. They don’t comment. Well, that’s not good for you and that’s not good for your customers. You’re not getting a benefit,” she said.

It’s critical that MSPs depict themselves in the ways they want to be seen to the audience they’re approaching. “If you want to be a visionary and a thought leader and a technology expert and a trusted adviser, you need to provide the people the content and the example that they’re looking for, that they’re hungry for,” Ragusa-McBain said, adding that MSPs should also be using LinkedIn to find the right demographics they’re trying to target and begin sharing.

The Future Of Work

MSPs can’t only look outward at their own customers or partners. They also have to look inward at their own employees and their work culture in 2022.

Via Technology, a solution provider focused on IoT, has seen business take off with customers in construction, federal, state and local governments, and educational institutions.

The company offers Office 365, hosted email, storage, help desk and tech support, and physical security solutions. On the IoT construction side, Via’s employees have been considered essential workers. Everyone else can work remotely, said Manuel Villa, president of Via Technology.

That’s one of the big shifts the company has made in the last two years, Villa said. “It’s a total hybrid situation now,” he added.

Eighty-three percent of employees said they don’t believe they need to be in an office to be productive. A vast majority—89 percent—of workers feel that their job should be flexible, and 54 percent said that they will move jobs just to gain what they’re looking for in flexibility.

“It turns out it’s not just about customer experience. It’s also about your employee experience,” Ragusa-McBain reminded attendees.

Double Down On Security

Cyberattacks happened once every 39 seconds during the pandemic and a whopping 94 percent of all malware was delivered by email, according to Ragusa-McBain.

“It was cybercriminal field day. They took their oldest tricks in the book, and they targeted those that were susceptible because it was a time of panic and insecurity,” she said.

That’s because prior to the pandemic, the majority of people didn’t work from home and thus were on secure devices. “I think now more than ever, we have this unique opportunity to look at what’s happening in the world around you and the cost. Each cyberattack can be valued at over $1 million approximately. And every 14 seconds a business falls victim to a ransomware attack,” she said. Only 50 percent of MSPs have cybersecurity insurance, she added.

MSPs need to nail down their incident response plan because an attack or breach isn’t a matter of “if” anymore, Ragusa-McBain said.

Cisco has always been a partner-first vendor and the pandemic and shifting market dynamics have only strengthened the company’s commitment to the channel and MSPs in particular, Ragusa-McBain said.

Cisco wants to create an inclusive community that brings partners together to share experiences and feedback. The company is holding virtual and in-person meet-ups to talk about the Topics that are top of mind for MSPs, such as pricing, marketing, M&A and taking business to the next level, she said.

“What did we miss the most during the pandemic? Getting together in a room, seeing your friends, taking off your industry hats and being one with the people who are living it with you in the trenches,” she said.

Ethernet switch

That's according to Canalys, which on Wednesday reported overall Q1 revenue for the Ethernet switch market as down 8.8 percent compared to the year-ago quarter.

Canalys attributed the revenue decline to aggressive port-pricing competition and the weakened public sector demand in both North America and Europe. Despite a 2.5 percent annual increase in ports, Canalys said, total end-user revenue also decreased 12.3 percent from the fourth quarter of 2010.

Matthew Ball, Canalys director of enterprise services, warned that increasing pressure on the switch market could have a ripple effect for the channel.

"If current trends continue, vendors and channel partners will have to sell more volume than expected to reach revenue targets," Ball wrote in a research note. "This competition could trigger a wave of merger and acquisition activity among smaller switch vendors as they try to gain economies of scale."

Among vendors, Canalys highlighted the ferocious competition between Cisco, HP Networking and Juniper. According to the researcher, Cisco's overall Ethernet switch share dropped to 68.2 percent from the fourth quarter's 69.2 percentage, and from 73.1 percent a year ago. Cisco, which is in the midst of a broad restructuring as it attempts to counteract several disappointing quarters' worth of earnings, still derives nearly half its revenue from switching and routing. Switching revenues declined 9 percent in Cisco's third quarter, according to its most exact earnings report.

HP Networking, on the other hand, is gaining in the market, according to Canalys, which gave HP a 14.1 percent share of Ethernet switching. HP, which increased its stake in part from the 2010 acquisition of 3Com, has been aggressively touting itself as a lower-cost alternative to Cisco, especially in data networking.

Juniper, meanwhile, continues to gain on its EX switches, and according to Canalys, also gained share from the year-ago quarter, currently pegged at 2.4 percent, with growth more than 22 percent from a year ago.

The fourth- and fifth-place enterprise switch vendors (Layer 2/3/4 only, as Canalys evaluates them) are Brocade and D-Link, the latter of which gained 18 percent and claims a 1.6 percent share. Other vendors account for 11.5 percent of the market collectively.

Cisco will continue to be challenged on all sides, Canalys noted.

"Cisco is facing intense pressure on both its core switch and overall enterprise networking business," Ball said. "It is up against aggressive competition from Juniper in routing, Riverbed [Technology] in WAN optimization, F5 Networks in application delivery controllers and Brocade in storage networking.

By region, North America saw the steepest declines in Ethernet switching, down 13.3 percent and largely attributable to declines in federal government spending. Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) decreased 6.7 percent year over year, and Asia Pacific (a 3.7 percent decline) and Latin America (a 1.4 percent decline) were also down. Canalys noted that the true effects of the March earthquake in Japan won't be known until Q2 numbers are finalized.

The "lone bright spot" in Q1 was the growth in 10Gb port shipments, according to Canalys. Those increased 69.9 percent year over year. 1Gb ports, by contrast, grew 12.4 percent, and 100Mb ports decline 5.7 percent. Data center networking will be an increasingly contentious battleground, Ball said, given the range of vendors that announced data center fabric strategies within the past year.

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Melody: Hi, I'm Melody, and when it comes to tests, I'm as guilty as anyone for leaving revision to the last minute. But that can’t be the best way. So today I'm going to be speaking to learning scientist Dr Carolina, to see what I can do about it.

Carolina: So leaving revision for the last-minute means that you're cramming a lot of studying into the last day or night and that is not only stressful. But, it makes you forget that information much faster. So a better way, is to plan smaller learning sessions and distribute those sessions over the course of time. How can I find a better way to work this year? You can look at when your exams are and then you would plan backwards. So you would schedule different study sessions. They can be half an hour long, an hour long or even shorter if you just want a short reactivation of what you have learned. That's absolutely fine.

Melody: So, once I’ve made my study plan, how do I actually start my session?

Carolina: So the first thing you should always do is try to remember information from memory. So do a quick quiz before looking at any of your notes or any of your material. Try to remember from memory first, as a starter, and then use your materials and your notes to get feedback, to see if you're right, or where you've got wrong answers and why they were wrong. So always use it as a kind of feedback. Also, when you do a study plan, always make sure that you also schedule some time for, for fun stuff. For stuff that you really enjoy, for hobbies, for meeting with friends and so on. That's really important as well, to keep you healthy and happy.

Melody: And if there's a day where I'm really busy, is there something I can do instead?

Carolina: If you only have five or ten minutes, that's what you're going to use, and it's absolutely fine. Do a quick quiz, try to remember information from memory, try to make different connections between different concepts that you learned. Do not stress. Just take it one step at a time and make sure that you're continuously studying.

Carolina: Thank you so much for your help.

The cost of living abroad will inevitably vary from student to student, based upon individual living styles, budgetary habits, personal resources, and the fluctuating currency exchange rates. Taking these factors into account, students may find it difficult to actually estimate expenditures in preparation for a program. Students should be prepared to adapt their standards of living to their surroundings, and approach the experience with a sense of financial responsibility.

Here are some financial tips to remember, in preparation for your time abroad:

Before You Go

Credit/Debit Cards
Contact your bank and credit/debit card companies to let them know you will be abroad (when and where you will be going), so that your withdrawals are not denied or your credit card cancelled. The credit card and/or debit card you plan to use while abroad must be in your name, not your parents'. (Most major lenders will, at the request of the cardholder, provide an additional card in the name of a dependent authorized to use the account.)

ATM Fees
Check with your bank for information about daily/weekly limits on withdrawals, and about fees charged for the use of foreign ATM's. When withdrawing money from an ATM abroad, you will likely be charged a fee at the foreign bank, in addition to your own bank's fee. Ask your bank before you go if they have a partnership bank in the country where you will be living; if so, you might be able to avoid ATM fees.

Foreign Currency
Some places you may be traveling do not always accept credit card as readily as in the U.S. Buy some currency to have when you arrive. You may need money to get from the airport to your accommodation or school, and changing money in airports is often more expensive than at a bank.  Communication with your bank prior to departure is important.  Check with your financial institution regarding the exchange of currency.  It is also helpful to inform your bank of your travel days for leaving and returning to the United States.  

Traveler's Checks
Be aware that traveler's checks are becoming increasingly difficult to cash, especially in Europe.  They are not highly recommended as a primary or secondary source of cash on most programs. 

Flights
Look for student rate flights through companies such as STA and Student Universe. These companies tend to offer cheaper rates for students and other companies may offer cheaper rates for anyone under the age of 26.

 While Abroad

Security
Be careful with purses, wallets, and backpacks, as they are easier targets for pickpockets.  Do not carry all of your money in one place, and if possible, have a secure place to store these items in your dormitory or host family, while you are not intending to use them.

Budget
Always carry your student ID and International Student Identity Card with you, as many places offer students discounts or even free admission. Keep an eye out for student rates, and remember it never hurts to ask! Try to avoid eating out during the week; cooking for yourself and/or eating with your host family will save a lot of money for weekends, travel, souvenirs, etc. 

Travel
When you arrive, consider buying a long-term bus or train pass; a monthly or multiple trip pass is likely a better value than daily passes. Make a budget for travel in addition to your weekly expense budget. Be aware of the current exchange rates in the countries you plan to travel to- this can greatly affect your travel budget.

You may find yourself taking exams "at home" this semester, or least away from the classroom. But the name “take-home exam” has a specific meaning. Unlike in-class exams that are given at a designated time, take-home exams are generally more flexible. You’re given a set of questions or problems several days in advance of the due date; you work on them gradually, taking as much time as you think is appropriate to prepare, write, and revise your answers. Take-home exams are a pretty standard feature in Humanities and Social Science classes. In the document below, however, we attempt to give advice that will be helpful in the Sciences as well.

Prepare, Think, Write, Revise:  This is your mantra.  As soon as you open your take-home exam instructions, read them carefully; read them multiple times.  Then close the screen and jot down the instructions in your paper notebook in your own words. Make double and triple sure you understand the following:

1. About how long you should take to work on the exam;

2. Whether you’re allowed to consult sources other than your primary studying for the class;

3. How you should cite your sources;

4. Whether or not you’re allowed to consult a peer tutor as you work on the exam (W, Q, S consultant, Peer Advisor, STEM guide, TA);

5. How long (how many words) are expected for each answer; and

6. Exactly when the exam is due, and how it is to be submitted.

Read the questions.  Take a walk. No cell phones on this walk.  As you walk, think about the questions (or do one question at a time, one question per walk).  Pull out your handy pocket paper notebook and jot down ideas from time to time.  Remember: if you want to do well, leave your cell phone at home. Trust me on this. 

I find it helps to decide on a number of ideas to aim for.  Walk until you have come up with, say, three points you know you want to make as you answer the question, and three examples you could use to support your ideas.  (If you think of more than three ideas along the way, rejoice.) The numbers help you organize your ideas into categories, and give you a rough outline to work from. Of course, good essays are not a mechanical list of three points!  This is simply a way to get started -- a way to sort out the many ideas that may be darting through your mind.

After you’ve drafted your essays (or solved your problems), get a good night’s sleep.  Revisit your work the next morning; edit for clarity; and add details that support your argument.  

-- Professor Marnie McInnes, English and Peer Advising 

General Strategies for Take-Home Exams in Q Courses

• Once you’ve completed the exam, double check that every question has been answered

• Double check that each question has the answer you want associated with it.

• Where you can, check your solutions by re-substituting them into the original givens.

• Ask if the problem admits of a trivial solution.

• Ask if the problem admits of a non-trivial solution.

• Answer the question asked and not some closely related question.

• Does your answer make sense?  Does it fall within a natural upper and lower bound?

• If you can, execute the code. Check its values for special cases.

• Did you cover a similar problem in class, lab, or as homework? How is this exam problem similar or different?

-- Professor Ash Puzzo, Philosophy and Q Program

From a Math Major’s Perspective

I usually start my take-home as soon as possible. I know that the take-home exams, especially in Math and Science, are generally designed to be more challenging than in-class exams. Thus, starting work on the exam early gives me more time to think through the exam questions. I take advantage of the extra time by double-checking my answers. 

Choosing a good workplace is very important. Find a location that is quiet and free of distractions, including other students. I had one interesting take-home exam experience which I will never forget. I was doing my Statistical Model Analysis exam in a busy airport, between two of my flights. I was definitely tired, rushed, and distracted by the noisy passengers and boarding calls every few minutes. It was much harder to focus on the exam questions in the airport than in my quiet dorm room. Thus, finding a good location (and stable Wi-Fi) is the key to doing well. Of course, the tips for general test-taking still apply: have a good rest and get fully prepared before you start to take the exam.

-- Angela Xinye Yang ‘21 

Purdue Owl

I like the advice the Purdue Owl provides for writing essays during in-class exams.  Their detailed examples and strategies work equally well for take-home exams.  Purdue University Online Writing Lab

-- Professor Susan Wilson, Communication & Theatre, S & W Programs

For Classes with a Great Deal of Reading:

1. Prepare a study guide with all the terms discussed in class with detailed notes on each term.

2. Set aside enough time to prepare for, as well as take, the exam.

3. Take the exam a few days before the deadline so that you’ll avoid feeling rushed.

4. Make sure to understand the exam rules, as you won’t be able to visit your professor during office hours to ask questions. Before the exam begins, be sure to clarify any uncertainties with your professor via email.

5. A lot of take-home exams ask you to write essays; thus try practicing your writing before you take the exam itself. Sift through your notes, craft a good question based on a few key points from the class, time yourself, and write an essay answer to your question. This is a great way to both study the material and practice timed writing.

6. Make sure you give yourself a nice, quiet space with a good Wi-Fi connection. It’s easy to get swept up in conversation with your roommates and friends and lose track of time, so make sure you can get to a place that will be conducive to work. 

-- Tarinni Kakar ‘21 

The Psychology Behind It All

The most important part of the take-home exam is the preparation that comes beforehand.  Make sure to keep up with class reading, take organized notes, and ask any questions you may have. Having a good base of information to use during the exam sets you up to really focus on each question one by one instead of combing through the textbooks on your desk.

I used to make the mistake of relying too heavily on the “open-book” policy that often comes with take-home exams, until I realized that the answers are not always in the reading. You have to understand the material and fully ingest what it's saying.  Use books and notes only as an aide to check details, facts, and figures. 

Also remember that your brain can get tired. Many professors are adding additional and more complex questions because they know that you have more books and notes than you would have in the classroom. Use being at home to your advantage: take a break every now and then. Taking a break allows you to come back to questions with a fresh set of eyes, correct mistakes, and, if need be, add new points. 

-- Helina Samson ‘22

Preparing to Take Your Online Exam

1. Before taking this exam, make sure that you have studied and spoken to your professor if you have questions. 

2. Find a quiet place where you can focus without distractions. 

3. Make sure you are prepared with all the materials you will need to do well on this exam: a charged laptop, textbook, notes, a pencil, and blank pieces of paper. 

4. Typically take-home exams are more flexible and give you extended time to finish. Take advantage of this and figure out roughly how long it should take you to complete each section. After spending a set amount of time on one section, move on to the next section even if you haven’t quite finished. 

By sectioning your time, you allow yourself to move forward without spending too much time on a single problem. When you have successfully made your way through the entire exam, you can go back to your unfinished sections and try again with a new set of eyes. The extra time benefits you:  if you are really struggling to complete a problem, you can walk away from the exam and return later with a clear mind. I find a great way to clear my head is by taking walks without my cellphone or sitting outside and getting some fresh air. 

-- Olivia Neal ‘22