Geek Lands

Options include virtual courses, live teachers and instructional software


For network professionals and enthusiasts around the globe always try to get the latest training to obtain new skills and certifications, there is no shortage of excellent resources on the mighty internet, but how do you know which ones are good and which ones are great?

The first approach is to go straight to Cisco website. The company has huge wide spectrum of training tools and resources available for a variety of different topics and price points, ranging from free to thousands of dollars.

Here are four resources Cisco offers.
Cisco Learning Network



Cisco Learning Network is the company’s central hub for training and certifications for beginners as well as professionals. Users who join are able to explore certification paths, view exam topics, take training seminars, join discussion and study groups, and get information on pricing and booking of exams. Much of this information is free, although some training seminars cost money.
More information: Cisco Learning Network

Cisco Networking Academy


Cisco Networking Academy, or NetAcad, is a central repository for Cisco’s official virtual training seminars. Some of the seminars, such as introductory courses are free, others, such as exam-specific training seminars, cost anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars.
More information: Cisco Network Academy

Cisco Learning Network Store


This subset of the Cisco Learning Network offers structured curriculum for certain goals, such as training for entry, associate, professional, expert, architect and specialist-level exams. Other structured multi-session courses include topic areas such as data center, IoT, IP routing, network programmability, security/VPNs, security and CCNA cloud. Self-paced training, virtual labs, practice exams and community discussion and study groups are also available through the store at various costs, ranging from free to thousands of dollars.
More information: Learning Network Store

Packet Tracer


Packet Tracer is a network simulation and visualization training software developed by Cisco. It’s used to prepare for certification exams or just general practice of network configuration skills. It’s used in many online Cisco courses and comes in Windows, Linux or mobile versions for Apple and Android. Many Packet Tracer courses are free through the Cisco Networking Academy. Other training tools through the Cisco Networking Academy are not free, such as certain Cisco Learning Labs and the expert-level CCIE Lab training courses.
More information: Packet Tracer

If I have missed your favorite Cisco resource please let me know in comments below!

Facebook is planning to provide everyone with internet coverage using renewable energy, for both empowering lives and being eco-friendly at the same time!

The plan is to deploy giant solar powered drones, which will beam the internet to the ground, the areas which are still disconnected from the rest of the world, due to being extremely remote.

recently Facebook completed its test flight. The drone named Aquila was airborne for approximately 2 hours (1 hour 45 mins to be exact) and landed safely, FYI the previous test flight didn't have that lucky ending it crashed :(.


Facebook is hoping to connect the 4 billion people which don't have the luxury of internet using this drone tech due to severe limitation of our present network infrastructure considering the huge investment required to connect this remote parts of the world.

By design, the drone planned to be spending 90 days in flight with a wide coverage of 60-mile radius. Its wingspan is 42 meters, in reference Boeing 737 is less in that context, and weighing  450 kg.


The proposed service level of this drone will be 60,000 feet with a speed of 128 kph, and surprisingly it'll consume power equivalent to 3 hair dryers (yes you heard right 3 hair dryers)!

A single Aquila will not achieve anything so there needs to be a swarm of Aquila which will communicate with each other using lasers. However, that needs a lot of adjustments.

All these seem very promising on paper, however, there are few challenges to be overcome, which is storing enough power during daylight hours so that it can operate 24 hours a day, and especially during long winter nights.

The engineers working on the project also admitted that due to Aquila's size to weight ratio, they are pushing the boundaries of aeronautical engineering, without any realistic precedents till date.

And most potent question is that will this tech be cheaper than the existing technology, which is proven and reliable than any other network infrastructure alternative, only time will tell.

Enjoy the test fight video as provided by Facebook