A few questions about the MCDST Tests and me.

First a little back ground.
I have taken Cisco CCNA semesters 1-4 and a MCP class for Windows server
2000 when i was in high school, that was about 3-4 years ago.
I never got around to getting certs, money was main issue.
I am Currently a Help desk analyst For the Navy's network. I have been in my
current position for just shy of 2 years.
I trouble shoot hadware from laptops to blackberrys, I trouble shoot
software from Windows 2000 and XP on a mixed network, and all standard office
apps and all Navy propriatary softwares.

i have been studding the Sybex MCDST book at work through our online Ebook
sites.
These sites give me all the text in the books but no CDs, i also have free
access to the Ebook versions of the MS press book i seee talked about here.

I want to get my MCDST by Jan as thats when im up for a raise and i see this
as a good barganing chip.
Eventually i want to get my MCP, MCDST, MCSA, MCSE and MCDBA.


K now for my question, how much training do you guys think i would need to
take the first test the 70-271, i plan to finish they sybex book, but with
out the CDs i dont really have a valid way to test my knowledge, except the
10 questionreviews at the end of each chapter, so far ive been scoreing about
85% on avrg. In your opinions should i just buy the books with the CDs just
for the training tests?

Most estimates put self study at 8-10 weeks from what i can see, but with my
back ground and training do you think that could be cut down to 4weeks? maybe
less?

My company isnt to help full when it comes for paying for the tests so the
cash will be out of pocket.

 

So no one has an opinion on this??

 

I have been using the Microsoft Press training books and took my first test
after 4 weeks of nightly study. Got a 899. I supplemented any topics not
known by using Microsoft's Technet website.

I do not know too much about the Sybex books. I have heard good and bad
things. It realy depends upon your ability to learn quickly. Also having a
few pcs to "play" with helps. Both Home and Pro versions, and Workgrouped
and Domain based. They all cover a good base of material. Taking a few
MeasureUp exams will help give you a good understanding of what you know and
don't know. Does the sybex books have self exams? Surely it should. If you
are experienced you should be able to skim the chapters you are fluent with
to heart and concentrate on the unknown. There is always a menu option out
there that no one has used....and Microsoft will test you on that.

Sounds like you have enough previous experiences. It may just be a matter of
filling in the cracks of all the little tricks and tips that Microsoft wants
you to know. Remember above all, if Microsoft says to do it one way, and you
always do it another, the test will want the Microsoft way.

If you are interested, Amazon.com has all the Microsoft Press books for a
decent price( with slight imperfections...) that can be shipped free within
10 days. I got my last one for $30(list $59.99). It also included a cd that
had exams from MeasureUp. Big Help! Ok enough preaching...

Good Luck, hopin to finish the 271 and be MCDST by Christmas too!
DJ Drew

 

Just realized that it posted my name as JunkMail! lol

Just so everyone sees my name I reposted this.

sorry

Drew

 

It is very difficult to give a time frame or the amount of training you
need to anyone in newsgroups; despite the info you provided. As an
instructor, I can evaluate my students first hand and determine if they
are absorbing and comprehending the information. It has also been my
experience that some people are test takers and some are not (despite
doing very well in hands on labs and class assigned projects.) When
studying for any Microsoft exam, I was various books. I always use
Microsoft Press material. To be honest, it use to suck badly. But they
have did a great job in finding mature, experienced authors to correct
that issue. Another source must be TechNet. If you want to know the
material, there is no better place than the horse's mouth. It is
indispensable, and FREE. Other books I use sporadically are Exam Cram 2
series.

A good piece of advice and I do this all the time is take a couple of
hours and grab some 70-271 books off the local bookstore shelf and
browse thru them (by subject. Meaning if you are studying
"Troubleshooting security settings and local security policy", turn to
those pages in the books you picked up and see the difference in
explanation. Never, ever, rely on one book. Always have at least 2; 3 is
better.

As far as practice tests go, there are tons of them. I have used
MeasureUp, Transcender, and Self Test Software. All are relatively good.
I will tell you that throughout all the tests I have taken, the practice
tests have always been hardier. I have been so surprised walking out of
a test center with a 800+ score and like 25 to 30 minutes left on a
test.

Everything you need to know about the contents of this exam can be found
here: http://www.microsoft.com/learning/exams/70-271.asp
Microsoft tells you what you will be tested on. Make sure you feel
comfortable with all the requirements. When you think you are, look them
over again. Then it is all cake from there. The next step is to schedule
your exam. You odds of passing the exam dramatically increase when you
do this. And yes I was being smart. Many of my students take the class
but not the exam because they are scared of failing. I have offered many
of my students a free test if they just schedule it. I would tell them
that if they failed I would give them the $125 they spent on the test. I
have been teaching enough that I know what students to do this with and
who not to

In short, unfortunately only you can answer your question. Follow the
prescribed requirements list on the Microsoft Learning site that I
provided. When you feel comfortable, you will know.

Michael D. Alligood
MCSA, MCDST, MCP, A+,
Network+, i-Net+, CIW Assoc.,
CIW Certified Instructor

 

Thanks you 2 for your respsones.
I ordered the MS press book today for the 271 test.
Should be here this week.

I figure with this book, and Cd along with the ebook version of just about
ever MCDST book ya can think of available i think i will be ready for the
test by the end of the month.

Only problem im having right now is getting bored.
So far the chapters ive read in the Sybex and the MS Press i mostly know it.
So im just kinda skimming through it picking up and filling the little
cracks of info i dont know yet.

I hope once i have the practice tests ill be able to more pinpoint the info
im missing.

1 more quest i have, the mesure up test everone talks about is this the one
included on the MS press book CD?

 

My experience has been very different. I have been working as a desktop
support specialist for the last 18 months and passed both parts of A+ on the
first try. I then took MCDST (271) using the Microsoft book and practice
tests and Sybex. I failed the test by 1 or 2 questions. I knew by the 7th or
8th question that things were not going well. I had at least 10 questions
that were no where in the MS book that I could find.

I am getting ready to retake the test in 2 weeks (271) and I am using the MS
book, Cram Exam and Transcender practice questions. I found Sybex to be the
least helpful of all the test materials.

The best advise I have had is from a site out of England concerning +.
Answer as many practice questions as possible and then read the sections of
the MS book that explain the answers you miss.

From the posts I've read, it seems that only the successful people post. I
have talked to 3 network engineers who all failed their first MS test and all
3 said its really about learning how to take one of their tests.

Since I have a Masters degree (in an unrelated field) and had a 4.0 GPA, I
don't think I have a problem with taking tests, although I am more nervous
about retaking this test then I have been about any test ever!

One question I have is; what is the best group for asking questions about
material I don't understand or principles that were asked on the first test
that I am unable to find answers to?

DD

 

You can ask them here. Please keep in mind that you did agree to the
terms and conditions of the test when you took it. Do not post exact
question that were asked on your exam. Otherwise, ask away. We are here
to help.

Michael D. Alligood

MCSA, MCDST, MCP, A+,

Network+, i-Net+, CIW Assoc.,

CIW Certified Instructor

 

My first question is: What exactly is Telnet and when would I use it?

My second question is: No matter how many times I read the explanation,
something seems to be missing on what the difference is between the Hosts
file and the LMHosts file. I understand that LMhosts is backwards compatible
for Windows versions older than 2000 but then I read a Measure up question
that had both as the answer for a connectivity problem with computers running
XP in a workgroup and realized that I am totally confused. Now I am beginning
to think that LMHosts is for network connectivity problems when there is no
DHCP server and Hosts is for name resolution on a specific computer. I still
miss questions that ask me to choose between the 2.

The third question is totally frustrating me because no matter how I ask it,
it might violate the agreement but for the life of me I cannot find the
answer and from the answers given, it could have been one of 2. Any
suggestions?

 

Telnet is a command prompt type of connection to a remote system. It could
be a Cisco router, a Linux server or something else. Windows Server has a
telnet server also, but I cannot say that I have ever used it for anything
meaningful. Telnet is also great to "call" BBSes, but that is not going to
help your cert.

Jonathan

 

Telnet... Wow, I have not thought about that protocol in awhile. Telnet
is a protocol that allows you to log in remote devices such as a router
or another pc; more so with routers nowadays, but even that is being
phased out. It is assigned port number 23 (I would remember that if I
were you).

The LMHOSTS file is one method of name resolution for NetBIOS name
resolution for TCP/IP networks. The LMHOSTS file provides a NetBIOS name
resolution method that can be used for small networks that do not use a
WINS server. The HOST file in short answer is like an address book. When
you type an address like www.yahoo.com into your browser, the Hosts file
is consulted to see if you have the IP address, or "telephone number,"
for that site. If you do, then your computer will "call it" and the site
will open. If not, your computer will ask your ISP's (internet service
provider) computer for the phone number before it can "call" that site.
Most of the time, you do not have addresses in your "address book,"
because you have not put any there. Therefore, most of the time your
computer asks for the IP address from your ISP to find sites. Because of
the trillions of websites on the internet, HOST files are not a concern.
DNS is the preferred name resolution method.

As for your third question, you can post practice test question all day
long here. Just not actual exam questions. If it is something you saw on
the actual exam, try to put it in a different scenario, reword it. You
can give an example without violating your terms and conditions.

--
Michael D. Alligood,
MCSA, MCDST, MCP, A+,
Network+, i-Net+, CIW Assoc.,
CIW Certified Instructor

 

Thanks for the explanation of LMHosts and Hosts, now I understand. I hope
others benefit from some of these questions because I seem to have an endless
supply.
My next questions are: how many ports do I need to know (this is not covered
in the Microsoft book). From practice questions and your response:
Remote Desktop - port 3389
Incoming Network Traffic - Port 445
Telnet - Port 23

I am also confused by a practice question. I work for ABC Corp. IE 6 is my
default browser. A file server names FS1 on the local Intranet contains file
named help.doc in a folder named Techdocs. When I attempt to open the doc by
entering file://FS1.abc.local/techdocs/help.doc in the address line of my
browser, I receive an error in MS Word cannot open the document due to
potential security problems.

It isn't the answer that confuses me, it's the situation. I don't know what
they mean by a file server on the local Intranet. I'm thinking the local
Intanet would be on a local server and doc files would be loaded to the
Intranet.

Thanks for your help.

DD

 

Does anyone have any answers?

 

An Intranet is nothing more than your private network. Read
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intranet. The file could reside on one of
your local servers that is in your intranet. Do not think of your
intranet as one device or hardware itself, think of it as a concept with
hardware.

--
Michael D. Alligood,
MCSA, MCDST, MCP, A+,
Network+, i-Net+, CIW Assoc.,
CIW Certified Instructor

 

Thank you.

 

You are welcome.

--
Michael D. Alligood,
MCSA, MCDST, MCP, A+,
Network+, i-Net+, CIW Assoc.,
CIW Certified Instructor