642-801 BSCI booked March 01.

Any tips?

I think my weak spots right now are IS-IS theory (.. Why is this crap still in the exam?) and route redistribution/maps.

Anyones experience with the exam would be nice.

Cheers,
sart

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Webmaster

I guess it's getting kinda old, but it's still the same exam so here's my review from september 2003:

www.techexams.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1832

mikej412

sart wrote:

IS-IS theory (.. Why is this crap still in the exam?)

Because someone at Cisco is evil.

Oh, or maybe marketing -- OSI is now a "reference model"..... heck, they lost the protocol war to TCP/IP -- give it up, lose the 7 layers, bury the protocols and the IS-IS routing protocol.

Yeah, I got into networking from the UNIX Programming side a long long long time ago -- I'm still bitter from having to fight off those OSI idiots in network design presentations.

I'll admit it -- IS-IS is better than OSPF in some cases.... sigh.

pizzafart

Good luck man. I'm very soon to schedule the bsci also. I found the hardest stuff to be BGP, OSPF over NBMA, and the hairier nat setups like overlapping addresses & tcp load distribution.

At least isis only has two 2 modes: point-to-point & broadcast (uh I hope this is right). OSPF is giving me a migraine. I wonder though if there are going to be full on frame-relay sims ... my guess is no, but, doesn't hurt to be prepared I guess.

wildfire

From recent feedback Ive had from people at work IPV6 Features a lot in the exam. ISIS is also worth knowning well! A lot of people believe ISIS is dead, not true at all.

It is still used by a lot of ISP's and although where I am dont use it at all when we interface with the USAF they use ISIS on a large scale.

sart

wildfire wrote:

From recent feedback Ive had from people at work IPV6 Features a lot in the exam.

I still don't understand what you can test 'about' IPV6 - what kind of questions should I be expecting?

I haven't come across any material covering how to configure ipv6 on any devices, but as far as it comes to general theory I'm OK (~I think!)

So what's the deal? I'm sure we can give a hint somehow without violating the NDA.

mikej412

sart wrote:

I still don't understand what you can test 'about' IPV6 - what kind of questions should I be expecting?

Very simple basic questions. A bunch of them maybe -- but still simple.

You are correct -- there was no configuration of the actual protocol in any of the study materials I used (Cisco Press) -- so any conclusion you draw from that probably is accurate.

I figured the IPv6 questions were the easy points on the exam. I found the Cisco Press material more than covered that IPv6 line in the blueprint.

Don't lose any sleep over the IPv6 questions.

sart

mikej412 wrote:

I figured the IPv6 questions were the easy points on the exam. I found the Cisco Press material more than covered that IPv6 line in the blueprint.

Don't lose any sleep over the IPv6 questions.

Thanks, mike, this puts me a little more at ease.

Gotta brush up on my IS-IS a bit ((I really don't know how "IP" belongs in integrated IS-IS w/o network statements yet...)), BGP attributes and path selection, and possibly some more route maps and distribution lists.

Is route tagging on the BSCI? I found this a handy way to prevent redistributed routing loops.

wildfire

Didnt mean to scare you there Sart

All I meant was that one of the guys who works for me at work sat his exam a few weeks ago and he blamed his lack of IPV6 Knowledge on it due to having more questions that he can count on one hand.

The BSCI Self study guide (Not Exam Cert Guide) has been updated and you can get the extra chapter here

http://www.ciscopress.com/articles/article.asp?p=174107&seqNum=6

As mike said it will only be theory, when I did my BSCI it was a few simple questions on IPv6.

I dont Remeber any Route Tagging, but by the sounds of it you know about it already so I wouldnt worry over it.

Good luck

sart

Hehe getting pre-exam jitters...
One part of me is telling me to rebook the exam, but the other part is saying rough it out I can take a fail.. There's worse places to put my money.

I think what's giving me the most shakes right now is BGP. There is just so *much* of it to learn. I realized with the CCNA that I redicilously overstudied and I'm concerned I'm doing the same thing right now. I've been reading so much material and I'm not sure how much of it is relevant nor how deep I need to know.

I work at a service provider and have access to the core router configs (Thankfully it's not a job duty to provision BGP between our ISP buddies) and I'm trying to use these configs as a general guide as to what is really needed in the real world.

I wish I could find some free practice exams online to give me a general heading on the level of bgp familarity I need. I don't want to delve way deep into BGP and realize I'm missing EIGRP, OSPF or IS-IS.

There is a lot of 'general know-how' with the way routers would optimally work so I probably have a great shot if it comes down to best-guessing the answers but I don't want to count on this.

It's all mixed feelings right now. I'm confident I could configure a network in whatever way I want, simulations aren't what bothers me it's obscure theory questions.

I feel like a boxer psyching himself out before his fight. Worst part about the next three days is that they're days off and I don't have any access to network gear to work on. Two days even.

Time *is* a bit of a factor for reaching the CCNP for professional reasons so I'm trying to breeze through this stuff quick.

Excuse me for babbling.. *Bites his lip and goes back to his book*

wildfire

Im very much like you, I worry myself that I havent prepared enough and put exams off, I did the same with BSCI, I put it off twice before I finally sat it. I HATE failing!! however when I did the actuall exam I was overprepared and breezed the exam, but at the cost of taking it six months later than I would have wanted!
Do the practice exams on the Ciscopress CD, The important thing with BGP is understand the basics, BSCI is not BGP in depth (theres a whole BGP module for CCIP).
Understand how it works, understand peering, the difference bewtween internal and external. Understand the metrics and the order they are used in. Understand route reflectors.
There are plenty of good practice exams out there everyone has their favorites. Boson are usually good but a little on the easy side. I personally use the one we have at work called Crammaster with has things like adaptive drills etc.

Dont panic I think you will be fine! instead of thinking rough it out I can take fail! think "Take it this will be easy I can do this"

mikej412

sart wrote:

I don't want to delve way deep into BGP and realize I'm missing EIGRP, OSPF or IS-IS.

Correct -- but you still have dive into BGP. I think the BGP and EIGRP were the most annoying -- but that could just have been because I know and like OSPF, and I respect IS-IS (and maybe got lightweight questions).

I've decided its definitely more fun to come out of an exam and realize I've overstudied.

But if the money and a possible failure are out-weighed by your need for speed -- go for it. Look at the first try as a "recon by fire."

sart

Okay..
So I'm taking the smart path and canceling the exam.
I'll take it next week on saturday or monday instead.
I need the extra prep time. If anything, the confidence I don't have is dooming me to failure.
I'll be ready then.

Better safe than sorry...

Scratchcat69

Whenever you take the exam - good luck. I've just finished reading the Self-Study guide on BCSI. Lots of info in there!

To all who gave input, thanks! I'm hoping to take my exam by mid-April. I want to go through the core chapters again and work through my Boson labs some more.

Anyone have the NetSim for CCNP from Boson & passed the 642-801? I was wondering how helpful it was other than "simple" labs.

Chao!

sart

Scratchcat69 wrote:

Anyone have the NetSim for CCNP from Boson & passed the 642-801? I was wondering how helpful it was other than "simple" labs.

Chao!

Scratch,
I found the netsim a little lacking -- but then again I don't know how deep the actual exam goes. ~~CCNP Netsim beta 3

I've been working on real gear to study for this and found it pretty accurate :P

Scratchcat69

Thanks Sart! Again, good luck on the exam. Be sure to post once you made it! You will make it!

mikej412

sart wrote:

Better safe than sorry...

Make sense -- I do it every so often. I like to go into a test knowing that I will do more than pass. Plus I figure some extra studying or reviewing can't hurt.

What's your time factor for the CCNP -- days? weeks? or months?

sart

mikej412 wrote:

sart wrote:

What's your time factor for the CCNP -- days? weeks? or months?

Layoffs abound -- they expect the end of June.
I want to be as marketable as possible between then and now, I don't want to be unemployed looking for a job.

I've turned down some stuff already, I'm shooting nice and high.

mikej412

sart wrote:

Layoffs abound -- they expect the end of June.

Ah.... so you do have a little wiggle room!

You could plan a leisurely 1 test per month at the beginning of the month, and still have a couple of weeks (hopefully) to look for a new job.

Or you could push it a little more, and try an exam every 3 weeks -- which should be very possible.

Or, if you don't trust the layoff date -- go for one every 2 weeks. That means no working late or having a personal life or visiting and entertaining old folks in the old folks home on weekends. Doubling your caffeine intake should help. You must become a lean mean studying machine!

But I guess the best advise I can offer now -- one test at a time. Focus on the next test only for now. And don't let us guys (and girls) in the peanut gallery distract you from studying!!! Hoorah!!

sart

Now.. Wow.. Would you beleive it?
On the greatest stroke of bad luck, my laptop died today.

It looks like it'll be a few weeks before I'm studying again. (Thankfully there is no financial hit, I've got a long service contract with Dell).

Maybe my girlfriend won't mind me kicking her off of her own computer for a teensy while!

Still not going to let it hold me too far back.

mikej412

sart wrote:

Now.. Wow.. Would you beleive it?
On the greatest stroke of bad luck, my laptop died today.

Yeah, that's why I always buy laptops in pairs -- emergency harddrive transplants or if it was the harddrive, emergency backup restore. I have external USB drives for nothing but backup.

Plus for my certification studies, I have a backup set of my certification stuff on DVDs, keep a paper copy of my notes (for in-between backups), have a hugh stack of the real paper certification books, and candles and batteries (which came in handy for 3 hours a couple weeks back -- power outage the night before a test).

Its always something!

Hopefully Dell will perform a miracle for you and get you back in the game quick.

sart

Hehe..
14 hours to go...

cram cram cram cram cram.

Target areas: IPv6 autoconfiguration - advice taken by someone who's written the exam recently.

EIGRP. Just another re-skim.

I have a feeling I'm going to get hit with MCMA questions (choose all that apply) for, "What information is shown in the ip ospf database" command questions.

* over NMBA questions.

Behaviour of the 'passive' command when used on multiple protocols.
Behaviour of distribute list ip deny any any when used on multiple protocols.

OSPF totally stubby areas -- In fact - Can someone answer this question for me?

I saw some implementations out on the 'net and in some books I grabbed from the library.

RouterA)
router ospf 1
network 192.168.0.0 0.0.0.255 area 0
network 192.168.1.0 0.0.0.255 area 1
network 192.168.1.0 0.0.0.255 area 2
area 1 stub no-summary

RouterB)
router ospf 1
network 192.168.1.0 0.0.0.255 area 1
area 1 stub

Router 'B' is a totally stubby area.

Why is the 'no-summary' command not present on Router B?

myk_roque

RouterA)
router ospf 1
network 192.168.0.0 0.0.0.255 area 0
network 192.168.1.0 0.0.0.255 area 1
network 192.168.1.0 0.0.0.255 area 2
area 1 stub no-summary

RouterB)
router ospf 1
network 192.168.1.0 0.0.0.255 area 1
area 1 stub

Router 'B' is a totally stubby area.

Why is the 'no-summary' command not present on Router B?[/quote]

From your configuration, Id say that Router A was the ABR. In configuring Totally Stub Area, you only add the "no-summary" keyword to an ABR simply because the ABR will be the router to advertise the type-3 default route... so the internal routers only need the "stub" without the "no-summary" keyword.

myk_roque

... Just to add,.. look at it this way. For EIGRP, with discontigous networks you only need to add the "no auto-summary" command on the routers that are connected to the discontogous network. So theyre the only ones that will need to advertise the subnet masks together with their updates.

Same goes for OSPF. Since you only wish the ABR to advertise the default route supressing type 4 and 5 LSAs, The Internal routers that are part of the Stub Area do not need the command. You still need to configure them as stub areas though.

I am not saying this out of experience. I have only read them over from SYBEX. And I do not know the impact of adding the "no-summary" command to all the routers participating in the Stubby Area... But I do know thats the reason and logoc behind it all! :P good luck on BSCI,.. Im planning to take mine next week. the 15th

mikej412

sart wrote:

14 hours to go...

cram cram cram cram cram.

Hopefully you got some sleep in there somewhere -- Good Luck

sart

gr.

sart

I want a refund.
I want to appeal.
This is redicilous.
pass: 776.
Score: 770.
I've never failed anything in my life.
There were incorrect question/answers in the exam.
IF EVEN ONE OF THESE QUESTIONS were correct I would HAVE THIS under my belt and done with.

This was overall a horrible horrible experience. I have had a mooch live in my living room for the last week, basically **** up my studying. I've had my laptop fry.

I'm serious about the appeal. Can someone find information on this? What is the cost involved in an appeal?

I can't even retake this until March 15. This makes me VERY mad.

Jiggsaww

ouch.........now thats tough.........hmmm sorry man

mikej412

sart wrote:

I have had a mooch live in my living room for the last week, basically loving up my studying. I've had my laptop fry.

I'm serious about the appeal. Can someone find information on this? What is the cost involved in an appeal?

Ouch for sure!

My one failure was by 5 points on CIDS.

Lose the mooch!!

But the IPv6 questions were easy points, right?

I don't know if there is an appeal process for NON-CCIE Lab exam. The certification support forum on the Cisco website would be the place to start.

The good news is that this is the "hard exam" -- so once you get through this you know your study methods should be good enough to pass the rest.