Beginning your journey into IP telephony World pt. 3

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Beginning your journey into the IP Telephony world (Part III)


Submitted by wendell on Fri, 10/26/2007 - 9:23pm.
Dave Schulz is subbing for Wendell this week in the blog. Dave has been involved in networking and security for over 24 years. Working for a reseller in the Midwest, his experienced has varied from installation/support, consulting and management to contracting for an enterprise data center. Currently, Dave teaches voice technology for Skyline Advanced Technology Services. Dave has certifications in CCNP, CCDP and CCVP.
In the last article, I focused on learning IP Telephony from the perspective of those that already have a foundation in networking technology. However, there may be those that do not have this background, but still have a desire to learn IP Telephony. So, for everyone who does not consider themselves to be a network professional, be encouraged... you can still learn voice technology! However, I strongly advise that you work toward an understanding of the networking technology by going through the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) courseware, which includes the INTRO and ICND courses. This material is available in a two book set from CiscoPress, written by Wendell Odom. This courseware will supply you with enough background in networking to help in your IP Telephony studies. Here again, attending an instructor-led course will accelerate your learning in this area. After this, you would want to follow the learning path addressed in the last article.
There are two final points that I would like to address on learning IP Telephony. First, and one of which came from a question in the first article is.... what should you do with specific subjects where you are having difficulty in understanding, or, that may appear to be more difficult/complex than others. Do you just keep reading the same things over and over? Or, should you try something different? My suggestion here would be to do both....keep re-reading, and also, find other information on the same subject area. Don't lock yourself to one source. With most subjects there are many resources, books and experts that can help.
I found through my CCIE pursuits, that one of the best ways to learn is by finding a good study partner. This could be a friend, associate or co-worker that is close to your level of understanding and knowledge, and like you.... Has a strong desire to learn IP Telephony. This person should be someone that is encouraging, has good study habits, and is also able to contribute, as well as, receive information. It will help immensely when you can encourage each other, and assist in those pesky areas of understanding. And of course, you will be able to help them in an area where they are having trouble. Even though you may not be an expert, your explanation may be just what they needed to get that "breakthrough" for that area of difficultly. And, their explanation may be just want you needed!
I hope this series of article has come to encourage you and assist with your learning of IP Telephony, as it has been a pleasure for me to address everyone in the network world this past week. Happy Learning!