1st CCIE Lab attempt starting 05 April 2007

Turgon

Just recertified my CCIE written today

Time to file all those books and CCO whitepapers away..

This seems like a friendly place to log CCIE works in progress. Now the written is done..a few days holiday and then put the home lab back together..brush up on some old labs in April..then IPExpert lab book.

Hope to see you around and swap notes.

Good luck all and hi

markzab

Awesome man.

GL with the Lab.

Turgon

Thanks a lot markzab

markzab

Did you attempt it before or just waited too long after passing the written last time?

Turgon

Took a few attempts to get through. I don't believe in braindumps. The test is difficult but doable. I simply went back to my books again and worked harder on the things that needed more work.

1st attempt..too much emphasis on certificationzone materials. Good materials but not cisco centric enough IMHO. I still have them..useful reference.

2nd attempt. Solid. Got through the whole test after boning up on the CCO whitepapers more closely and diving into CCO recommended books. But no cigar! Fine tuning required!

3rd time..the ticket..after Odom..lots of Odom. To brush up on fundamentals and specifics I had forgotten! My CCNP was in 2001, and my CCNA in 1999!

I passed the written first time in 2001 but it expired. I studied hard for the lab..but my career took off..long hours and the commute and I had to put lab ambitions on hold for a few years

Don't rush the written..you deny yourself an indepth learning experience that will reap dividends when you are working on lab prep!

All in all..time well spent!

I read all the recommended CCO blueprint papers, and several of the books on the CCO recommended reading list, certificationzone tutorials, Wendall Odoms book and the NLI written guide.

During the course of the reading over the last year I tested my understanding
of the topics.

I used certificationzone tests in 2006, had a go at boson, Netmasters, all of Wendall Odoms tests after reading the whole book and finally some of the NLI written guide questions.

I attempted the NLI questions a few days before my test for variety from the Wendall Odom tests. It was good to see my prior learning standing up well in the NLI end of chapter questions.

I'm glad I didn't shortcircuit the qualification exam experience. It has been an opportunity to cover a tremendous amount of network theory prior to the real business of labprep and should help me get the most out of the lab books on offer for hands on practice.

The reading has been time well spent. Some things I had forgotten are back in focus now. Other things I used to know I know better now, and I learned some new things.

On to labprep now and a lab date in Brussels before year end.

mikej412

Welcome to the forum!

I see you already found the "Who is Pursuing the CCIE in 2007?" thread.

Webmaster

mikej412 wrote:

Welcome to the forum!

Ditto!

Turgon

10pm UK time. Work over

Im spending an hour or two assembling my home lab for the first time in a long time. I will be using this for a few weeks to go over some old labs until my IPExpert version 9 lab book arrives. I need to upgrade from version 7.

Tonight..getting my Xyplex terminal server to play ball. It should be fun

Turgon

10pm Uk time..Signing off.

A good 24 hours setting up the home lab.

Finally cracked the Xyplex terminal issues. It get's it's OS nicely from the TFTP server now. With the hub in the way things didn't play nicely. Direct connection TFTP server to Xyplex no good either..

Instead.. I used a 3550 with speed set to 10M for the ports to the Xyplex and the TFTP server. Set TFTP server NIC to 10M as well...

bootp/tftp transfer of mx1500.sys to Xyplex fully operational..cool.

Xyplex ports configured ok. Tested hyperterminal to cisco gear hanging off xyplex ports using console cables. All good.

Tomorrow the fun part. Rack mount routers and switches..power cables..console cables..X21 cables..AUIs.

Fun stuff.

Turgon

Well the home lab is taking shape. Audited the old equipment. Now waiting for ebay purchases to arrive..dram, flash, tranceivers, brackets... then upgrade flash/dram and upgrade..

Need some cage nuts too and cable ties.

I will post a picture of the lab when it's done. Most stuff will be done at home..the rest, remote racks. It's fun putting together the lab after all these years. It took a while to acquire all this stuff..I recall paying almost $700 for a single 2503 on ebay so you could practice ISDN back in 2001.


Heady days...

Home labs were never cheap. Xyplex was the way to go for the self financing. Cisco Terminal servers were pricey on ebay..with Octal cable $800 - $900 back then...

Cool

Turgon

Flash/Dram/Cage Nuts/Transceivers have all arrived from different sellers from ebay. I shall be upgrading and mounting everything into the rack over the weekend. I have a Novell cert to take out tomorrow.

Once the lab is up, I will configure and try bootcamp lab 8 from the old days..minus the stuff that is off the lab these days..IPX etc..

A few weeks of old drills then start on the IPExpert lab book probably 5 nights a week until late in the year...Brussels lab date will be August-November depending on progress.

Network Design contract work for my ISP client goes well so I should have time to prepare.

Turgon

Spent all day today building the home lab.

All routers now upgraded to 16/16 with 12.3..except for one. Didn't like the new flash..older eeproms on board. No matter. I can live with 11.3 on the one router.

Phase 1 - upgrade over with.

Now Phase 2 - rack mounting. Cage nuts. Brackets. Cable Management.

Fun stuff

Turgon

hehehe..I have been changing whole networks for years Darby but thanks anyway
The ISP datacentres I work with have hundreds of servers. Solaris mostly.

It's all up and running now. A jet engine in my spare room

Terminal server config and router config next!

Turgon

That's an interesting arrangement. You are doing this for remote access to your racks? How does that hang together with the radius and IPSec components?

sexion8

Aredhel wrote:

Spent all day today building the home lab.

All routers now upgraded to 16/16 with 12.3..except for one. Didn't like the new flash..older eeproms on board. No matter. I can live with 11.3 on the one router.

12.3 what? On which routers? 25xx or 26xx? I've gotten most if not all my 25xx to run 12.3(21) my 3620's are running ik9o3s6-mz.123-21 (fw/ids/ips), my 4500's 12.2(40a)... 3810's 12.2(32), 2610's are 12.3(something) I won't power em on till my NM's come in. I still have issues on my terminal server. Worked fine for about a week @ work but then crapped out, since then I haven't even checked it much... I think my octal cable is flaky who knows... Also had issues with my Merge ISDN simulator... I don't remember where I put the software

Anyhow... Which routers I tried scrolling up to see the make...

Turgon

I wondered what VPN client you used. I shall keep this in mind should I want remote access for my own lab.

To sexion8, I'm using good old 2500s. For anything else it's remote racks.

Turgon

Obtained 2 x Sun Netra T1's. A welcome addition to the home lab. Some cable management planned today once I have got some CNE studies out of the way.

Turgon

Well I passed my CNE in Netware 5 and 6 today so it's back on with Cisco now.

I expect to be working scenarios on my home rack this weekend. Covered one last weekend.
The virtual link came up ok once I spotted the dodgy frame route in my frame switch . Typos are great trainers

Turgon

Right, I cabled the Saturday night. I shall be logging on shortly to configure. OSPF and BGP scenarios. Labs at home each weekend on the home rack. I shall be using IPExpert for remote rack sessions during the week in the evenings aftert work.

jasonboche

Good to hear! Keep up the great work!

Ciscopimpenator

Are you going to route some IPX with your Novell training?

:P

Turgon

hehehe..well I used to, but IPX RIP is off the lab these days so I think I will be passing my old notes on that protocol

Turgon

Worked an 8 router lab on the home rack including OSPF, BGP, RIP, EIGRP and Frame. It went well. My second in a week. More labs to come. On the rack every other day now. Tricks for ospf cost covered, basic filtering for BGP neighbors, summary routes, virtual links, ospf area range. It's been a while since I threw so much together at home but it all made a lot of sense.

Expect to be doing scenarios every other day now. IPexpert workbook upgrade ordered today.

Pash

Good luck, sounds like you are getting some good study time in, keep it up.

Turgon

Friday 8PM UK time. Work is over.

Option 1. Chase skirt and drink heavily (for others)
Option 2. Do a CCIE practice lab on the rack at home.

Option 2 is best for me. Happily married and the beaujolais in doors is very good

I just recabled my lab now and Im about to start a new configuration tonight. OSPF and BGP. 7 routers. My frame switch becomes a router with 4 x serial interfaces running IGP and BGP.

It should be fun. Off to press buttons right now. More later. Anyone planning any studies this weekend?

Pash

Aredhel wrote:

Friday 8PM UK time. Work is over.

Option 1. Chase skirt and drink heavily (for others)
Option 2. Do a CCIE practice lab on the rack at home.

Option 2 is best for me. Happily married and the beaujolais in doors is very good

I just recabled my lab now and Im about to start a new configuration tonight. OSPF and BGP. 7 routers. My frame switch becomes a router with 4 x serial interfaces running IGP and BGP.

It should be fun. Off to press buttons right now. More later. Anyone planning any studies this weekend?

Haha, im always chasing skirt and drinking heavily...why do they always run though when im trying to say hi?

It seems to be common that CCIE candidates are married...you must have very understanding wives...must be cool They should make a tv series called "CCIE wives" or something....like footballers wives but sexier!

mgomez

Nice sugestion...
but i doubt, married ok,
but beaujolais......not terrible wine....

I sugest to take a trip in France in Bordeaux (or other vine-growing if you prefer whites..) to discover wonderfull nectarine.....Eventually Champagn make more effect....

On my case, i will take Darby option,
Not married
No offense

Turgon

About to fire up the rack again and do a couple of hours. Terrible noise in a small room. I must invest in some earplugs

Turgon

Yeah. I thought about doing this. Perhaps hang an AP off a hub inbetween the Xyplex TS and the TFTP server it uses. It will have to wait until I get another laptop to use as a terminal to connect wirelessly to my rig from another room in the house.

Turgon

Checking out IPExpert's remote racks tonight. Pretty good. Lab book should be here in a few days.

dtlokee

Turgon wrote:

About to fire up the rack again and do a couple of hours. Terrible noise in a small room. I must invest in some earplugs

Good tip for the real lab!