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One of my kryptonites is that I can’t help but make jokes. I haven’t quit my day job as an IT Guy to go deep into comedy so I can’t say they’re GOOD jokes, but you make a reference to an outdated song in 2026, it still has to be made. It helps with delivering good customer service, even if “No, you can’t toss your computer out the window to solve the problem” may dissapoint the end user.

This week I chose to focus on the cabling end of things. It’s the most common end of work I typically do, so it’s nice to see how the details of how it as a concept fits into the bigger picture.

Right now, i’m at the point where pacing is key on everything. I’ve got things to do, concepts to get, concepts to master, and surprising surprises that will inevitably come up, as they do. I’ve got a lot to cook and a lot to eat, so right now, i’m taking studying one bite at a time as one phase wraps up and the next one begins. That’s the way it’s always been, however, so no news is good news on that front. I’m not in a hurry because I know these things take time.

Today’s covering of Network++ is the Security end of things. Networking and Security go hand in hand, and as someone who spent a chunk of his career studying for security [Let’s just call it the Security++], a lot of this is recap for me, but definitely good to know, especially in a networking context!

Part of preparing for the CCNA is one of the basic rules of war – Know Your Opponent. It’s a Networking exam, so showing up with passable knowledge of the Network+ is what I’d consider showing up with shirt and pants, and i’m not sure that would get you by. I go through material and documentation sometimes to know what a thing does, but there’s not usually scrutiny on that. Let alone scrutiny I have to pay money for. That’s why i’m re-establishing a study campaign against it. CompTia’s Network+ and Cisco’s CCNA cover a lot of similar materials, basic networking principles and whatnot, but there’s a lot more depth to go into with the CCNA.

This is why you know your opponent – Cisco isn’t Comptia, and the Cisco Packet Tracer is a tool I have to get to know as one of those key differences. This is also in the “just getting to know you” phase – I don’t pay for the study voucher unless i’m 80% sure that paying $300 will be worth it to me in the end.

I’ve always seen my IT career as a never ending work in progress. Part of this is because there’s a lot of stuff i’ve always wanted to study and am now organizing to cover them somewhere between now and later.

Digital forensics is the big bad final boss, it would be the evil emperor in a cliche fantasy story for me. But before I get there, I have to climb Cybersecurity Mountain, and entry level cybersecurity is its own battle to fight, especially nowadays. I feel like to get *there*, it’s best to know as much as you can about “the network” in general. Whether or not EvilCorp has their servers wired to their AV is something I want to know if i’m going to be working on it. As such, i want to know about AV, IT, Telecom, Cabling, etc. As Perrywise, I only do everything so this knowledge is paramount!

No, i’m not actually suffering, February is just a slow month so i’ve been sowing a lot of seeds that aren’t worth talking about until they bear some leaves.

Today i’m covering transmission types, TCP models, and port names and numbers and more in today’s Get Wise With Perrywise!

It’s been a fun month starting 2026 here at Perrywise. My next big goal is to study for – and actually pass- the CCNA. Part of that process is pacing myself, and knowing that I need to recap the Network+ before I attempt the bigger, cooler Network+. I wanted to add the above certificate for a UPS training plan for the outing of my civilian identity for my superhero one. {Jk!}

As a result, i’ve been taking a detour into the realm of AV. AV is just IT with extra steps, so I can now say i’m Dante Level 3 certified. Netgear also has enterprise IT related classes I look forward to exploring while going back over the basics of the Network+.

I’ve had breakfast, and i’ve had second breakfast, but when I hear “seven layers”, i think it’s some sort of dip that needs chips, not a troubleshooting method. One of these days maybe the dip will be the problem so the chips will be the solution!

This one’s a bit late because on the back side, my schedule was thrown a bit out of whack, things cascade into problems and, as Perrywise, I can handle them, at the cost of more time. Rolling with the punches is just part of planning, it’s sticking with them and maintaining your course that’s the fun part!

It’s a step for every IT person to obtain “The Trifecta.” CompTIA’s A+, Network+, and Security+ provide the baseline of knowledge for my profession.

A key part of Perrywise is going beyond the baseline. Part of my original plan was to develop into a security-focused individual, studying my way up to Digital Forensics, a real interesting subject matter. A plan marred by setbacks and layoffs would be known as the Security++. CompTIA has another exam called the CySA+, and its older sibling the CASP+/SecurityX+. The plan was to focus on the first, but life happens. I studied for it, got laid off, and by the time I had found solid ground elsewhere, they had put out a new version of it, so I studied for it and moved on. I gained the knowledge, but not the official certification.

Before I go on to get the SecurityX+, It’s my goal to focus on the areas i’ve been neglecting or not focusing on the last few years. Networking is an essential area and it’s been refreshing to get to learn it once again. Some of it i recall from studying from it years ago, some of it is going to be new to me from years past. This is part of the fun of career development, finding a path and conquering it.

https://youtu.be/BVzAiL1wWXs

It’s a new year and a new beginning here at Perrywise! The latter half of last year happened to say the least, but i’ve been able to begin anew and fresh with a new office, new mission, and a season of Get Wise With Perrywise.

I’ve spent the last year on my own career development. I measure that in terms of certifications, and my problem was that all the certs I wanted were worthless. I want the knowledge, but spending the time and money on the full certification wasn’t worth it. I call this phase “Security++” as the Data+ and PenTest+ are two of them, they were supposed to complement the CySA+, but I’ve ended up having to study a lot more past those two, so i’m overprepared on that front.

As such, Networking has been something I haven’t been focused on. I was going to look into the CloudNet+ to cover those bases, but CompTIA has seemingly forgot it has existed. There are no study materials for it, so i’ve moved onto my next phase – Network++!

I’m starting with a two-pronged approach. I’m recapping the network basics and becoming more AV-certified. AV overlaps quite a lot with IT, especially in networking. This is just studying for the CCNA by other means, for me. Get Wise With Perrywise is the chronicle of my journey from step one to fully certified. However, i’ve got some time before I get there.