1st CCIE lab attempt blog and help for candidates.

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  • TurgonTurgon Banned Posts: 6,308 ■■■■■■■■■□
    cool. I will be a ccie this year or the next. Everything is now ready.
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  • ITdudeITdude Member Posts: 1,181 ■■■□□□□□□□
    The Royal Wedding definitely takes precedence over CCIE studies! :)
    I usually hang out on 224.0.0.10 (FF02::A) and 224.0.0.5 (FF02::5) when I'm in a non-proprietary mood.

    __________________________________________
    Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.
    (Leonardo da Vinci)
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  • reaper81reaper81 Member Posts: 631
    Turgon wrote: »
    cool. I will be a ccie this year or the next. Everything is now ready.

    That is sweet to hear. How many hours do you think you need to put in before doing an attempt?
    Daniel Dib
    CCIE #37149
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  • reaper81reaper81 Member Posts: 631
    Where in the UK do you live Turgon? I'm thinking of doing a bootcamp with Narbik and it is running in Milton Keynes. Not that I would have much time to socialize but would be kind of cool to say hello if I decide to go for it.
    Daniel Dib
    CCIE #37149
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  • TurgonTurgon Banned Posts: 6,308 ■■■■■■■■■□
    reaper81 wrote: »
    Where in the UK do you live Turgon? I'm thinking of doing a bootcamp with Narbik and it is running in Milton Keynes. Not that I would have much time to socialize but would be kind of cool to say hello if I decide to go for it.

    Im in the North of England. I dont plan on doing the boot camp myself but if Im down that way on business it would be good to say hello.
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  • TurgonTurgon Banned Posts: 6,308 ■■■■■■■■■□
    reaper81 wrote: »
    That is sweet to hear. How many hours do you think you need to put in before doing an attempt?

    Difficult to put a figure on it but I would say another 300 hours on the labtime count should take me there. I need to do the Vol II labs a couple of times, put in some significant time on troubleshooting practice and get through a battery of mock exams. On reading I think another 150 should do it. My notes will take up most of that time and I need to swot for the written for a fourth time as my last one has just expired.

    Im done with rackhire and will be scrounging some equipment at work, the rest I will get off ebay. Given my irregular hours I want to be able to do lab work on demand and the rack schedules are hit and miss for that. Expensive too as the cost soon mounts up when you dont have time to use a full session!
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  • reaper81reaper81 Member Posts: 631
    Yes, totally agree on the rack rental but that is the only option for me right now. Don't have enough equipment to build my own lab. I try to get tokens when there is a 2 for 1 deal or significant discount but it's still quite expensive. Would cost me more to get some 3560's though.
    Daniel Dib
    CCIE #37149
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  • TurgonTurgon Banned Posts: 6,308 ■■■■■■■■■□
    reaper81 wrote: »
    Yes, totally agree on the rack rental but that is the only option for me right now. Don't have enough equipment to build my own lab. I try to get tokens when there is a 2 for 1 deal or significant discount but it's still quite expensive. Would cost me more to get some 3560's though.

    I have located 4 x 3550 switches that are surplus at work. They are coming home with me :)
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  • TurgonTurgon Banned Posts: 6,308 ■■■■■■■■■□
    Today has been a defining moment in my career. I feel very proud.
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  • reaper81reaper81 Member Posts: 631
    Turgon wrote: »
    Today has been a defining moment in my career. I feel very proud.

    Nice, finished a big project or got promoted or something like that? Great that you found some 3550's.
    Daniel Dib
    CCIE #37149
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  • TurgonTurgon Banned Posts: 6,308 ■■■■■■■■■□
    reaper81 wrote: »
    Nice, finished a big project or got promoted or something like that? Great that you found some 3550's.

    Just doing my job well and faith show in me as a technical lead when others could have usurped me. Certification is useful for interview hook and a vehicle to continue to stay 'current'. But really it's the quality of your day to day work that defines your career trajectory.

    So concentrate on that.
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  • ITVinceITVince Member Posts: 143
    This thread started in 2007 and looks like even before that you had another, how have you not forgotten the material from years ago taht youve been studying? lol icon_study.gif
    Currently studying for:
    MCTS 70-642 Network Infrastructure
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  • ITdudeITdude Member Posts: 1,181 ■■■□□□□□□□
    Turgon wrote: »
    I have located 4 x 3550 switches that are surplus at work. They are coming home with me :)

    Nice find are they EMI and POE, Too? I know, picky, picky icon_smile.gif
    I usually hang out on 224.0.0.10 (FF02::A) and 224.0.0.5 (FF02::5) when I'm in a non-proprietary mood.

    __________________________________________
    Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.
    (Leonardo da Vinci)
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  • TurgonTurgon Banned Posts: 6,308 ■■■■■■■■■□
    ITVince wrote: »
    This thread started in 2007 and looks like even before that you had another, how have you not forgotten the material from years ago taht youve been studying? lol icon_study.gif

    For me the CCIE is a journey not a destination. Everyone's equation is different. I prioritise my work (which pays the bills) and my family above the relentless daily grind to prepare for this exam. As a consequence I do not have the time to prepare daily for the exam, my time is needed elsewhere. But I do find, as the study is a more or less constant, that I have learned a good deal that helps me in my work. Which is why anyone would study for the CCIE.

    Some fast track CCIE's have been out of the industry for some years now. Im still in the game so must be doing something right, which includes staying current enough on the studies for them to have value!
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  • TurgonTurgon Banned Posts: 6,308 ■■■■■■■■■□
    MPLS notes from Vol II INE today when I get a chance!
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  • TurgonTurgon Banned Posts: 6,308 ■■■■■■■■■□
    No chances to study. All works time expended leading the design team. All out of works time needed with the family.
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  • TurgonTurgon Banned Posts: 6,308 ■■■■■■■■■□
    Last week was a washout on studytime due to commitments. A four day working week lies ahead as Friday Im travelling to a family party. Will see if I can get a few hours in Monday to Thursday.
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  • TurgonTurgon Banned Posts: 6,308 ■■■■■■■■■□
    My day is to loaded today. A presentation to give, meetings, two designs to review and approve and a third to produce and a firewall upgrade meeting. Perhaps some study time tomorrow.
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  • TurgonTurgon Banned Posts: 6,308 ■■■■■■■■■□
    Updated my notes with the MPLS configs in my mnemosyne database. Reset my passwords for the boson and transcender site. Bought v4 CCIE written exam and downloaded. Tomorrow I will download my previously bought transcender CCIP exam. Im somewhat keen to get my MPLS theory up to scratch again.
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  • jahsouljahsoul Member Posts: 453
    Turgon wrote: »
    I have located 4 x 3550 switches that are surplus at work. They are coming home with me :)
    Must be nice.....we have over 50 3560's just sitting around and I can't get one. icon_sad.gif One of the downfalls of working for the gubment.

    *back to the 10gb tech refresh, dot1x rollout, and documenting*
    Reading: What ever is on my desk that day :study:
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  • TurgonTurgon Banned Posts: 6,308 ■■■■■■■■■□
    jahsoul wrote: »
    Must be nice.....we have over 50 3560's just sitting around and I can't get one. icon_sad.gif One of the downfalls of working for the gubment.

    *back to the 10gb tech refresh, dot1x rollout, and documenting*

    They are not coming now, we need them for something at work. Besides, I have no freetime to do labwork.
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  • jahsouljahsoul Member Posts: 453
    Turgon wrote: »
    They are not coming now, we need them for something at work. Besides, I have no freetime to do labwork.
    I completely understand that. My son is expected in 3 weeks and then spearheading 2 projects, and trying to finish school...time is very limited.
    Reading: What ever is on my desk that day :study:
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  • TurgonTurgon Banned Posts: 6,308 ■■■■■■■■■□
    I have obtained the CCIP Bosons for BGP and MPLS. I have to say Im rather disappointed. The exams are top loaded on theory and parameters but have very few L3VPN and L2VPN configurations. I have found this to be a failing in Cisco Press books too and vendor materials.
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  • TurgonTurgon Banned Posts: 6,308 ■■■■■■■■■□
    Ok Im done with both Bosons for the CCIP. There wasn't a lot there of much benefit to my CCIE studies.
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  • TurgonTurgon Banned Posts: 6,308 ■■■■■■■■■□
    Gave a great all day presentation on MPLS design and migration. Tomorrow all day at a Vendor. Cool. No studies.
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  • TurgonTurgon Banned Posts: 6,308 ■■■■■■■■■□
    An hour on a proctor lab rack but it is a service provider rack I need for what I have in mind :)
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  • TurgonTurgon Banned Posts: 6,308 ■■■■■■■■■□
    Another hour in. In the end a back to back router solution sufficed for simple L3VPN practice. with LDP running between them. After my meetings I will see if there is another session free on the remote racks.
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  • TurgonTurgon Banned Posts: 6,308 ■■■■■■■■■□
    INE Vol III Lab no 1 - DONE.

    Finally, the long period of deep war is over and the counter attack has been unleashed. I completed my first full lab after over a year. It went well. Now I aim to be configuring each weekday unless all day meetings prevent it. It was always a lack of regular lab practice that held me back and the last 18 months at work have been so challenging that all my time and attention span 9 - 5 has necessarily been on the job. Now things are finally settled so with an early start each morning I can do the labs.

    No real surprises on the Vol 3 lab I did. Admittedly I needed the solutions, but they all make sense and simply serve to refresh my memory on things I have forgotten how to do due to the lack of practice. But having been there before, regular practice will bring it all back. The plan is to demolish the ten Vol 3 labs as quickly as possible to get some momentum as well as recall, so I get used to doing long core sessions again. About three hours is enough to do them. Then, its back to Vol II to take care of some back to back specific subject practice, along the lines I took during my summer vacation in 2009 which eventually was paying off in dividends. That will take care of the topics. Throw in the troubleshooting sections of the workbooks, which I will do in a few months time, and some mock exams in the autumn, and I should be streaming into Christmas looking good. Simply cram for and take the written and then schedule and destroy the lab. All I needed was regular practice, and now it looks like I can finally do that at last after shovelling **** at work with the boys for 18 months, passing probation, then earning payrises and bonuses, improving infrastructure and cementing my position.

    It's all good.
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  • reaper81reaper81 Member Posts: 631
    Good news man. I'm also aiming for the lab sometime early next year. This week is my week off though. Only week I have this summer totally dedicated to family. Doing rack rentals?
    Daniel Dib
    CCIE #37149
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  • TurgonTurgon Banned Posts: 6,308 ■■■■■■■■■□
    reaper81 wrote: »
    Good news man. I'm also aiming for the lab sometime early next year. This week is my week off though. Only week I have this summer totally dedicated to family. Doing rack rentals?

    Yup. I dont have the hardware to run dynamips or GNS3 properly at the moment, or the time to set it up. I have an aging HP system or a couple of G1 Proliants I might upgrade memory wise when I get a spare weekend for all that..
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