Cisco Systems, Inc. is an American global technology corporation located in San Jose, California, in the heart of Silicon Valley. Cisco creates, produces, and markets networking hardware, telecom equipment, and other high-tech merchandise and services.
You should anticipate being questioned on several topics regarding your credentials, employment experience, and availability if you’re interviewing with Cisco Systems. To assist you in preparing for your interview, we have compiled a selection of Cisco interview questions and responses in this guide.
Depending on the position you’re applying for, Cisco Systems may have a different interview process. But the majority of jobs will call for at least one technical and one behavioral interview. Both in-person and telephone interviews are options for the process.
You might anticipate being questioned about your background in networking and coding during the technical interview. Additionally, the interviewer will be interested in learning about your approach to problem-solving. It’s crucial to be ready with detailed responses to these questions.
1. Teamwork Is Highly Valued At Cisco Systems. Describe The Importance Of Teamwork In Your Opinion.
One of the most essential business skills, in my opinion, is teamwork since it enables workers to collaborate to achieve a common objective. Teams are more productive than they would be on their own when everyone works together. At my current employment, where we have a sizable team of IT specialists who all work together to solve issues and offer solutions for our clients, I have witnessed this firsthand.
2. Describe Your Background In Leading Teams And Projects.
In my former position as a network administrator, I was in charge of simultaneously handling numerous sizable projects. Checking in with each project manager to see how their teams were doing was one of my first duties in the morning. I would assist them in finding answers if there were any problems or issues. I would meet with all of the managers after checking in with each team to discuss progress and ensure that everyone had what they needed to finish their assignments.
3. What Do You Anticipate To Be The Next Major Advancement In Networking Technology?
The emergence of 5G networks, in my opinion, will be the next significant advancement in networking technology. We have had the current 4G network for a while, therefore I believe it is time for a change. More bandwidth will be accessible with 5G, resulting in quicker speeds and lower latency. We would be able to transmit high-quality video without any lag or buffering due to this.
4. Give An Instance When You Had To Deal With A Troublesome Team Member.
In my previous role as a system administrator, I worked with a team member who routinely arrived late to meetings and frequently skipped them altogether. He missed deadlines as a result, which made it challenging for me to receive his advice on projects. I discussed the matter with him, and he admitted that he needed more time to finish things since he felt overburdened by the volume of work we were doing. We decided to give him a week more to complete each job so he could be satisfied with his work.
5. What Exactly Is A MAC Address?
The distinct 48-bit hardware address of a LAN card is known as a MAC (Media Access Control) address, and it is typically stored in the ROM of the network adapter card.
The MAC address is a unique identification assigned by manufacturers to a network card or device. It is sometimes referred to as a physical address, which is represented by hexadecimal numbers. Each MAC address is unique throughout the world and, in theory, is fixed for each device.
Each MAC address consists of six pairs of integers. The first three pairs aid in identifying the maker, while the next three aid in identifying the individual model. It is crucial to remember that a computer may use a variety of hardware to connect to networks; hence, a MAC address for Ethernet, one for Wi-Fi, and another for Bluetooth is usual.
6. Do You Possess Any Previous Sales Experience?
Although I’ve never received official sales training, I know it is all about developing relationships with customers. In my previous position, I assisted small businesses in setting up their networks as an IT consultant. Before beginning business, I always ensured to get to know each customer. It helped me comprehend their demands and identify opportunities to save them money.
7. When Does A Network Become Congested?
In general, network congestion occurs when applications send more data than the network’s hardware (such as routers and switches) can process or handle. resulting in these devices’ buffers getting full and occasionally overflowing
A buffer is a section of a device’s memory that is essentially set aside as a temporary storage area for data. This data is transmitted to or received from other devices, and as a result, packets may be delayed or lost during the process. Applications eventually retransmit the data, which results in increased traffic. Congestion is further exacerbated by this.
8. What Does The Networking Term “Window” Mean?
In essence, a window is a technique for managing the packet flow between two network hosts or computers. Window “announcements” are delivered from the receiving system to the sending system through a network. It is a method of acknowledging data receipt and informing the transmitting system’s current buffer size.
For instance, transmitting systems should wait for an acknowledgment before sending the next data chunk when the window size is zero. The transmitting system can send many packages of data before waiting for an acknowledgment when the receiving system reports a greater buffer size than a single data packet.
9. What Is The Default TCP Session Timeout For Cisco?
Cisco’s TCP session timeout is one minute. Following a typical connection closing sequence, the connection slots are opened in around 60 seconds. It can be adjusted to a different setting as needed. It is possible to provide a global idle timeout duration for the connection and translation slots of different protocols. Resources are returned to the pool to free up slots if unused during the designated idle intervals.
10. How Would You Describe An Ip Address To The Ordinary Individual?
Every machine connecting to the Internet is allocated a unique number. It is an Internet Protocol address. You will be unable to communicate with other people, computers, and gadgets on the Internet unless you have this unique number or tag on your equipment.
In other words, an IP address is similar to a phone number since it is unique and indicates a means to reach you only.
11. How Would You Troubleshoot A Network That Suffers From A Significant Level Of Packet Loss?
Finding the root of the issue is the first step in troubleshooting a network with excessive packet loss. It can be accomplished by diagnostics such as ping tests and traceroutes to detect where packets are being lost. Once the source has been determined, I would review the diagnostic test data to determine the actual cause of the problem.
I would take action to remedy the problem once the root cause is identified. It could include updating firmware or drivers, changing settings, or replacing damaged hardware, depending on the problem. I would also collaborate with other teams, such as security or server operations, if necessary, to verify that all network components are correctly set up and safe.
12. What Makes You Want To Work For This Company?
Your company is famous and a global leader in high-end technology products and services. This company’s strong value-driven work culture inspires me. In addition, I am a major fan of the current CEO. I learned that he began his career as a software developer at a tiny corporation. Furthermore, your senior leadership team members’ career graphs are incredibly inspiring. They show that anyone willing to work hard and persevere can quickly advance in this company.
13. What Method Would You Adopt If Recruited To Manage Numerous Clients At Once?
In my previous position as a network engineer, I was responsible for five distinct clients at the same time. To successfully manage this workload, I set up weekly meetings with each customer to discuss their current needs and progress. It enabled me to keep organized and deliver regular updates. In addition, I established a spreadsheet that detailed every activity I needed to complete for each client. It aided me in remembering which jobs were due and when.
14. Give An Example Of How You Employed A Routing Protocol To Boost Network Performance.
I recently employed a routing technique to improve network speed for a client. The client already had a network with various subnets and was experiencing sluggish response times while accessing resources across networks. To solve this issue, I made OSPF (Open Shortest Path First) their primary routing protocol. It enabled me to construct a dynamic routing table that would update itself automatically in response to changes in the network topology.
15. We Value Employees Who Can Swiftly Adjust To Change. Tell Us About A Time When You Had To Adjust To A New Circumstance.
In my previous position, I was part of a team of five people working on a project. We were all working remotely, so we didn’t have face-to-face encounters daily. One of our team members had to leave the project unexpectedly on one occasion owing to an emergency. My boss asked if I could take part in their duties while they sought a successor. I agreed because I knew I could manage it, but I also sought guidance from my teammates when necessary.
16. What Do You Believe Is The Most Important Factor To Keep In Mind While Attempting To Sell A Product Or Service?
When trying to sell something, my client is the decisive factor. I won’t be able to convince them to buy our product or service if I don’t understand who they are, what they need, and where their pain spots are. In my previous position as a sales representative for a software development business, I dealt with a wide range of customers. Some were small firms seeking to streamline their operations, while others were enterprises seeking new revenue streams.
17. Tell Us About A Moment When You Had A Difficult Client Relationship And How You Dealt With It.
I had a client that was quite demanding of my team in my previous job as a network engineer. The client would phone us multiple times a day to check on our progress, making it impossible for us to complete it on time. I met with the client to discuss their expectations and explain why we needed more time to finish the project. After we explained the circumstances, the client understood and granted us an additional week to complete the assignment.
18. What Is Your Background In Software Development?
I’ve been working on software for almost five years. I began as an intern at my present employer, working on many projects that needed me to learn new coding languages and integrate them into existing systems. I also attended a Java programming certification course last year, which helped me further enhance my skills.
19. Is There A Specific Reason For Quitting Your Current Job?
I’m ready for a new phase and tasks in my professional life. I want to continue learning and progressing in my area. And I’ve never felt more secure in taking on new obligations. In my current position, I don’t have many complex opportunities to work on, especially when it comes to protocols like OSPF, EIGRP, BGP, and UDP. So, I am confident that this role will provide me with the possibilities to tackle them.
20. What Essential Elements Would You Put In A Network If You Were Designing It From Scratch?
There are a few essential elements that I would incorporate while creating a network from the beginning. I would first and foremost put in place firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and access control lists to ensure the network is secure. By doing this, you can defend the network against harmful intrusions and unwanted access.
After that, I would design the network’s actual layout, which will include all of the wiring, routers, switches, and wireless access points. It will give the network redundancy in case of hardware problems and improve network speed.
21. Why Are You The Ideal Candidate For The Position?
I can fit in with a group and support everyone’s initiatives. My last position, for instance, involved numerous team projects. I was always able to identify the strengths of my teammates and gave them projects that were appropriate for their abilities. I know that a large portion of my profession is teamwork and group projects, and I am aware that I work best in this manner.
22. How Would You Sum Up Who You Are?
I’m a person who is ambitious and motivated. I do best in a setting where I can constantly push my personal and professional boundaries. I am seeking methods to improve and advance. These qualities have aided me in being successful in my job. For instance, in my last work, I received three promotions in less than two years.
23. What Appeals To You About This Position?
My time at my previous employer was valuable to me, however, there are no longer any prospects for growth there that fit with my professional objectives. My skill set and career aspirations are ideal for this role, which aligns perfectly with my skill set. Being passionate about helping underprivileged communities, I’m also seeking a job at a company like yours.
24. What Do You Find Interesting?
As a software engineer, I’m passionate about creating attractive, efficient digital products that enhance people’s technology experiences. One of my favorite parts of my previous job was witnessing the benefits of my team’s code update and seeing our months of hard work pay off with favorable user feedback.
25. How Do You Deal With Pressure?
When I concentrate on the bigger picture and divide my efforts into small chores, I can maintain my composure. I always ask myself, “What is the main objective I’m attempting to accomplish?” I then create a list of short-term and long-term action items with realistic but aggressive due dates.
Even when the assignment is due the following day, I ask, “What can I do in the next 30 minutes?” Before I know it, I’d accomplished a lot and that seems a difficult task no longer impossible.
Conclusion
You can prepare for your upcoming Cisco interview using this top-notch guide to interview questions and answers. We have included both fresher and seasoned professionals’ cisco interview questions. This blog also covers technical and cisco networking interview questions and answers.
You can stand out as a strong candidate for the position by successfully finishing a certification program or networking course and practicing with the Cisco interview questions and answers in this article.
In general, the interview procedure at Cisco Systems is simple. It is, nevertheless, necessary to prepare for both the technical and behavioral components of the interview.
