5 Best Networking Certifications for 2018

IT professionals experienced in the many fields of networking are always in huge demand in today's job market. Those who are serious about their professions should consider one or more of these best of breed networking certifications to set themselves apart from the competition.

When it comes to the care and feeding of advanced networks, there's a list of tools and technologies that qualified IT professionals must master particularly those who want to work as network administrators.

In extension to the servers and clients that make up the endpoints in such circumstances, there's some network infrastructure to worry about. This comprises switches and routers, plus a boat of devices and services, such as next-generation firewalls (NGFs), Unified threat management (UTM), spam, email and content filtering and, WAN optimization.

Covering your head around all these certification choices and specialties can be challenging, but understanding where to start can help. We looked at five networking certifications (in their order of appearance in the job boards table that follows) that we consider being leaders in the field of networking for 2018.

The recommended certifications represent all significant tiers of networking job roles, from the entry to the expert level. A person is just beginning out in networking, most likely as a technician or junior administrator, can expect to make about $47,000. Mid-tier network administrators and engineers earn an average of $66,000 to $84,000, and CCIEs average around $116,000.

1. Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP)
2. Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE)
3. CompTIA Network+
4. Wireshark Certified Network Analyst (WCNA)
5. Juniper Networks Certified Enterprise Routing and Switching Expert (JNCIE-ENT)

The Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) practices point at platforms and products from a foremost networking equipment vendor located at most communications and internet service providers, not to mention companies and businesses of all areas, as well as government, research, and academia. It's hard to reverse by getting Cisco certification nowadays, and the CCNP is its leading midrange credential over a wide variety of specialities.

Cisco offers several flavors of the CCNP: Cloud, Collaboration, Data Center, Routing and Switching, Security, Service Provider and Wireless. The Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) is a required stepping stone to the CCNP. What usually comes after the CCNP for networking professionals could be another CCNP (different specialty), one or more Cisco Specialist certifications, or the advanced Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE), which is also available in numerous specializations.

An high-value and evergreen networking certification is the Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE), which appears in several pathways. The yearly production of CCIEs lives small enough that Cisco can still demand to hire all of them itself, with demand and recognition for this challenging and pleasant certification forever stratospheric. Over the earlier few years, the Storage Networking credential provided the way to Collaboration, and a Data Center credential was entered.

Although the road to getting the CCIE is long and hard, it is well deserving the effort, time and money. This is a credential that will open gateways to plenty of job opportunities and high salaries for networking pros.

There aren't that many entry-level networking certifications encompassing, probably because CompTIA's Network+ credential more or less owns this particular niche. Many IT and certification pundits, including us, believe the Network+ to be an essential early checkbox element in any savvy IT professional's first certification portfolio. If you're just starting out, this is a certification for you.

CompTIA Network+ is also a vendor-neutral certification and a stepping-stone to a variation of more advanced networking credentials. Some vendor-specific certification programs even incorporate it as a prerequisite.

Established in 2007 by significant networking geeks Gerald Combs and Laura Chappell, Wireshark University allows only a single certification but makes it deserving your while. The Wireshark Certified Network Analyst (WCNA) knows knowledge of network inhaling and analysis using Wireshark, as well as network troubleshooting, TCP/IP network communications, and network security. To obtain this credential, candidates must pass one multiple choice exam, which is DoD 8570 certified.

The WCNA certification is valid for three years, but certification holders must get a total of 20 continuing professional education (CPE) credits every year to manage their credentials in the excellent position. These CPE credits must concentrate on activities associated with the WCNA exam objectives and not be attached directly to job tasks. For example, attending a Sharkfest or Black Hat conference, or even studying the Wireshark Network Analysis Study Guide, can make some CPEs.

With administering the WCNA program, Wireshark University allows self-paced, instructor-led and customized training choices for anyone who needs to learn about Wireshark and packet analysis. An All Access Pass is a one-year subscription to all Wireshark University training courses and costs $699.

Juniper Networks produces and sells routers, firewalls and all kinds of networking resolutions aimed at data-center environments. Its popular network operating system for routing, switching and security are called Junos OS, and figures prominently in Juniper devices and tools. As such, the company is a top rival to Cisco, Brocade, HPE and other networking players.

Juniper established the Juniper Networks Certification Program (JNCP) some years ago to secure a workforce capable of supporting the company's hardware and software resolutions. The part of this program that concentrates on Junos-based credentials includes Associate, Specialist, Professional and Expert levels across four lanes: Routing and Switching, Data Center, Service Provider, Enterprise Routing and Switching and Junos Security.

We support the upper-tier Enterprise Routing and Switching-Expert (JNCIE-ENT) certification because of its cachet in the industry and its salary generating capability. This credential requires candidates to achieve the Professional certification first and then to pass an eight hour, hands-on exam. Once received, the certification is valid for three years.

Outside the best five networking certifications, there are lots of other options for networking professionals to review and attempt. Networkers interested in an often vendor-neutral accreditation that involves a vendor-specific element for network management should look at the SolarWinds Certified Professional certification. The certification identifies general network fundamentals, management, and troubleshooting skills, planning, as well as knowledge in using the SolarWinds Orion network performance monitor.

Many larger networking vendors, including Brocade, Nokia, F5, and HPE, offer networking-focused credentials that climb all the space with advanced or expert credentials. Serious network professionals will also need to check out the certifications from Citrix, Avaya, and Extreme Networks.