WHAT CERTIFICATIONS WOULD BEST PREPARE ME BEFORE I GO FOR A CISCO CERTIFICATION?

if you want to prepare cisco certification .many candidates take CCNA 640-402(Cisco Certified Network Associate(CCNA) )first .CCNA is the base of Cisco .you can read CCNA study guide”(the sixth version).you also can use testpassport test engine ,it is the same as real test . these can help you get Cisco CCNA certification easily

Network+ is a good starting point for networking certifications. It’s not worth much to the industry, but it will give you a confidence boost, test basic skills, and it’s less than $200.
Get a few routers and switches, build a network. Learn the basic protocols; spanning tree protocol, RIP, OSPF, etc. Learn how to use IOS and CatOS commands. Set, reset, and disable port security.
Certifications are not going to qualify you for any job or career, they are simply a requirement. The only thing that is going to get you anywhere is by starting at the bottom and advancing. Help desk jobs are good for this, in many corporations, help desk jobs are far more than tech support. You will be handling port security, creating work orders, and doing basic administrative work.

Before I moved into CGI & Animation I wanted to work in IT but the money in my opinion wasn’t enough for me. I started out with the CompTIA A+, Network+, Linux+ and iNet+ Certifications. I trained online at SmartCertify Direct, but they’re not around anymore. I recommend CBT Direct, http://www.cbtsys.com. I also have a background in programming but thats not important.

passcert is a very good website which can help you get ur exam. if you need you can go there and have a try http://www.passcert.com/.
good luck