Cisco

CCIE is no longer one monolithic “routing expert” credential. In 2026, Cisco’s expert portfolio spans Enterprise Infrastructure, Security, Data Center, Collaboration, Service Provider, Wireless, and Automation. Each track is tied to a demanding practical assessment and is intended to validate end-to-end expertise across design, deployment, operation, optimization, and troubleshooting. That makes the modern CCIE family broader than the classic reputation built around routing and switching. The common thread is not a specific protocol. It is the ability to operate at expert depth in a complex technology domain and to make…

Cisco retired the old CCNP Routing and Switching certification on February 23, 2020. A current candidate cannot book its historical exam sequence to earn that retired badge. Cisco CCNP Enterprise is the modern professional-level pathway for enterprise networking, but its scope is wider than a simple name change. The durable skills are still important: routing protocol behavior, redundant switching, WAN connectivity, troubleshooting and change verification. Newer CCNP Enterprise preparation adds network assurance, automation, SD-WAN and other technologies reflected in current Cisco objectives. Understand the certification transition The retired Routing and…

Cisco 350-401 ENCOR v1.2 is a focused maintenance update rather than a completely new certification. The version went live on March 19, 2026, and Cisco’s release notes show a clear direction: remove wireless content from the enterprise-core exam, retire or trim several less central topics, and update product names to current Cisco terminology. Candidates moving from older Cisco 350-401 ENCOR v1.1 material should therefore revise the scope, not throw away the entire study plan. The most visible change is the wireless split. Cisco removed wireless design, wireless infrastructure troubleshooting, and…

Cisco Secure Firewall ASA and Palo Alto Networks next-generation firewalls are both active technologies in 2026, but they are not equivalent products with different logos. Cisco continues to maintain ASA software—including current 9.24 releases—and ASA can run on modern Secure Firewall platforms. Palo Alto Networks, by contrast, is built around an application-aware next-generation firewall architecture in which application identity, content inspection, user context, and security services are central to policy design. The comparison therefore needs to start with operating model and security requirements. If an organization needs classic stateful firewalling,…

The 350-401 ENCOR exam remains Cisco’s enterprise core exam, but the current blueprint is v1.2. It is a 120-minute exam covering architecture, virtualization, infrastructure, network assurance, security, and automation. Cisco’s current training explicitly notes that older wireless material is no longer tested in ENCOR v1.2 because it moved into dedicated wireless certifications. That change matters because many older study resources still reflect v1.1. A candidate who studies a stale blueprint can lose time on material that no longer carries exam weight while under-preparing for the current architecture, assurance, and automation…

Cisco’s certification program has changed enough since the 2020–2022 redesign era that an article frozen in 2022 can now be actively misleading. The broad ideas from that period—one CCNA, technology-core exams, specialist concentrations, and recertification through continuing education—still matter. But the portfolio around them has evolved substantially. By 2026, Cisco has simplified branding around familiar CCNA, CCNP, and CCIE names, converted DevNet into Automation, moved CyberOps into CCNA/CCNP Cybersecurity, relaunched dedicated Wireless tracks, expanded AI-related specialist credentials, and refreshed security and design pathways. The best way to understand the redesign…

Cisco CCNP Security changed enough in 2026 that a “this week” update quickly becomes stale. The useful snapshot is the current certification structure and the skills Cisco is emphasizing now. The professional certification still requires the 350-701 SCOR core exam plus one concentration. Cisco’s current lineup includes 300-710 SNCF, 300-715 SISE, 300-740 SSCA, and 300-745 SDSI. The Cisco certification roadmap also shows security exam updates released on August 27, 2026, so candidates should verify the live blueprint instead of relying on an older course outline. SCOR remains the common security…

There is no single “CCNP exam” to prepare for in 2026. Cisco’s professional certification family includes multiple tracks such as Enterprise, Automation, Collaboration, Cybersecurity, Data Center, Security, Service Provider, and Wireless. Each professional certification follows the same broad architecture: a core exam plus one concentration exam. The preparation method can be shared, but the technical content must follow the specific track you choose. That is the first correction to make when older study guides say “prepare for the CCNP.” Start by deciding which professional role you are validating. A network…

Cisco 350-401 ENCOR is the core exam for CCNP Enterprise and an important written exam in the CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure path. In 2026, candidates need to study the v1.2 blueprint rather than older ENCOR outlines. Cisco’s current training page explicitly prepares learners for ENCOR v1.2, and Cisco’s v1.2 exam topics keep the major enterprise domains while removing a set of wireless-specific objectives that moved out of the Enterprise core. The exam remains a 120-minute test priced at US$400. Passing it earns the Cisco Certified Specialist – Enterprise Core credential and…

Cisco CCNP Data Center is valuable when your day-to-day work involves Nexus switching, data center networking, compute platforms, storage connectivity or infrastructure automation. It does not guarantee a salary increase or make an engineer proficient in every data-center platform after passing an exam. In October 2026 Cisco continues to offer CCNP Data Center with a core-and-concentration structure. Evaluate its return against actual projects, employer technology and the time required for troubleshooting practice, not against unverifiable averages for credential-holder salaries. How CCNP Data Center is earned Candidates pass 350-601 DCCOR and…

CCNA Wireless is a retired Cisco certification. It was once a dedicated associate-level credential for wireless professionals, but Cisco later consolidated associate networking into the unified CCNA. In March 2026, Cisco created a dedicated wireless track again—this time at the professional and expert levels with CCNP Wireless and CCIE Wireless. That makes old CCNA Wireless material historically useful but no longer a current certification target. Candidates interested in wireless today should build the networking foundation first, then choose the current wireless path based on the level of responsibility they want…

Policy-Based Routing (PBR) lets a Cisco router make selected forwarding decisions with a route map before normal destination-based routing is applied. Cisco’s current IOS XE documentation still supports both IPv4 and IPv6 PBR, which makes the feature useful when traffic needs to follow policy that cannot be expressed by destination prefix alone. PBR is powerful because it can override the normal routing-table decision for matched traffic. That same power makes it easy to create asymmetric paths, hidden dependencies, or difficult troubleshooting if the policy is not documented and monitored carefully….

Cisco DevNet Associate did not disappear because software skills became less important. It was renamed into Cisco’s broader Automation certification family. As of February 3, 2026, the former DevNet Associate credential is recognized as CCNA Automation, while the professional and expert levels use CCNP Automation and CCIE Automation. For associate-level candidates, the transition is unusually straightforward: Cisco described it as the same test under a new name. The current associate exam is 200-901 CCNAAUTO, covering software development, APIs, Cisco platforms, application deployment and security, infrastructure automation, and network fundamentals. That…

CCNP Routing & Switching is retired. Cisco replaced the old ROUTE, SWITCH, and TSHOOT-era structure in 2020 with CCNP Enterprise, a professional certification built around one core exam plus a concentration exam. The durable routing and switching concepts still matter, but the certification map has changed. Today, the enterprise path centers on CCNP Enterprise. The core is 350-401 ENCOR, which covers enterprise architecture, virtualization, infrastructure, assurance, security, and automation. Candidates then choose a concentration that matches the work they want to deepen. For professionals whose interest is closest to the…

Hands-on practice is one of the most effective ways to prepare for Cisco certification because networking becomes easier to understand when you can build a topology, make a change, observe the result, break something deliberately, and troubleshoot it. In 2026, Cisco highlights Packet Tracer, Cisco Modeling Labs, Cisco Learning Labs, and DevNet Sandboxes across its learning ecosystem. The Cisco certification catalog should determine what you practice, while the Cisco CCNA 200-301 exam is a good example of a path where fast simulation can cover a large part of the hands-on…