who is pursuing the CCIE in 2008?

MrD

Welcome back to the trek Peter!

mikej412

Ahriakin wrote:

Just put my first real foot forward and booked the written for March 3rd

You know what they say.... a journey of a 1000 lab hours starts with a single Written Exam. Good Luck!

PCHoldmann wrote:

I'm back for another round...

Back in the gym, er lab, working on your foot work and speed?

Turgon

Ahriakin wrote:

Turgon wrote:

Ahriakin wrote:

Just put my first real foot forward and booked the written for March 3rd, I figure I could do it by the end of this month but taking some good advice from others here I'm not going to rush the written part just to get to the lab. Hope to sit the lab before the end of the year.

Have you started written prep yet? What resources will you be using I can recommend a few.

Doh, sorry I didn't see this previously, only noticed it now as the thread was updated, wasn't being deliberately ignorant . I have my written tomorrow morning. I'm not sure if I'm ready but then I have to take a jump sometime. I've been following the recommended reading list as closely as time allowed (I've been through about half) adding the rest of the CCSP books and CBTNuggets. My weakest areas will be R&S and CSA/MARS so we'll see....At worst it'll be reconnaissance. If I pass then I'll be finishing/revising that reading list and starting on the IPExpert Security kit (I picked up their Workbook/Proctor Guide, DVDs and Audio on special) and working every scenario from every book I have from the CCNA up. Getting ahead of myself I guess, will have to see how tomorrow goes, I'll do a full study list and probably make some requests for further advice on materials if I pass.

Good luck with all that. I have found IPExpert labs to be very useful and thought provoking. I haven't bothered to buy the proctor guide, the solutions are enough. Anything vague in them is a good steer to my arsenal of books and CCO for clarification.

dynamik

Abdur Rahman, the first post of yours I saw was suspicious, but now it's quite clear that you're just a spammer. Please stop it.

shednik

abdur rahman wrote:

Try for **** Solutions They are best in CCIE Security you can check there forum on Face book **** CCIE Trainings.You can ask n number of technical Queries with them
Cheer up and get the number

It's sort of sad that companies think they will get business on a certification forum going about it like that....I'm sure Johan will put a stop to this one shortly.

mgeorge

Well count me in, I'm persuing it but i dont know if I'll attempt it this year or not, I'm aiming for
summer of next year.

I need to take a break real fast and take the 3 upgrade exams to the MCTS and MCITP
Enterprise Admin

PStefanov

I've set myself a goal to take the lab by the end of 2008 or the beginning of 2009 at latest. I'm currently reading the relevant configuration guides to the R&S track from the Cisco Documentation and will hit the lab this summer when I'm done with the guides. School is a little burden to my lab studies, but I imagine what will be when I start working I will use IE dynamips workbooks mostly and will do some of the IP Expert labs since I've got their workbooks and proctor guides as well. Dynamips is what I am going to use since I don't have the financial resources to buy my own lab. I might use some of the switches in the local Cisco office because those guys from Cisco are very helpful and are willing to give me access at no cost.

Turgon

PStefanov wrote:

I've set myself a goal to take the lab by the end of 2008 or the beginning of 2009 at latest. I'm currently reading the relevant configuration guides to the R&S track from the Cisco Documentation and will hit the lab this summer when I'm done with the guides. School is a little burden to my lab studies, but I imagine what will be when I start working I will use IE dynamips workbooks mostly and will do some of the IP Expert labs since I've got their workbooks and proctor guides as well. Dynamips is what I am going to use since I don't have the financial resources to buy my own lab. I might use some of the switches in the local Cisco office because those guys from Cisco are very helpful and are willing to give me access at no cost.

Good luck Pavel. Speaking from experience it is a difficult journey when you have time constraints like college, a demanding job, family commitments or a mixture of all these! But keep plugging away, little and often is better than big sessions, burn out and enforced gaps, something I have managed to avoid.

If you have plenty of free time evenings and weekends, use it wisely and at the same time try to get any support you can from your employer. That always helps. Over the years I found I was always kept way too busy running around to meet deadlines to do any prep on works time.

At my present rate I should have finally covered enough hours come July.

Keep in touch.

PStefanov

Thank you, Turgon! You're absolutely right about the free evenings and weekends. When I have free time, I almost always devote it to networking. However, I don't push too hard because I know I need some patience and a lot of time to gain the required knowledge. It's true that social life is in one way or another affected, but I try to balance between lab preparation and friends because I don't want to become one of those people whose wife, for instance, dumped him because of his lab prep (I know such guys)

dynamik

PStefanov wrote:

It's true that social life is in one way or another affected, but I try to balance between lab preparation and friends because I don't want to become one of those people whose wife, for instance, dumped him because of his lab prep (I know such guys)

At least those guys had goals; it could be worse. How would you feel about being dumped over a WoW addiction? Ouch!

oo_snoopy

I've started my trek this year. Goal is to shoot for the end of the year.

dtlokee

Recent changes may force me to change from a SP track to Voice, I should know better in a week or so either way I should be back in RTP this year.

dynamik

dtlokee wrote:

Recent changes may force me to change from a SP track to Voice, I should know better in a week or so either way I should be back in RTP this year.

Geez. You have your security written done too don't you? When do you think you're going to have all four?

c0d3_w0lf

Man, I'm glad I joined this forum. Seeing people go for the gold (y'know, Cisco should print your CCIE number in gold >.>) always helps keep me motivated and humble, two good things for studying networking.

So dtlokee, when you become a multi-CCIE, can we all hang off your coattails and be like "Oh yeah, I know that guy. We go way back, him and I!"

dtlokee

Well, CCIE voice it is, going to need to put the SP on hold for now. I'm not going to put a timeframe on it but hopefully this year I will attempt the lab.

darkuser

actually the truth is you dont really need the written to prepare
for the lab. once you've done it you've got 18 months to make your first attempt.

a lot of people then rush out and fail the first attempt.

i passed the written in 01 and 06 and never took it. (lab)
in 01 i was one of those people who felt like hot s***
and listed the ccie written as a cert
well its not
its just a "qualification" to schedule a lab attempt

now im just going to prepare and take the written when
im almost ready to make a lab attempt.
leaving enough time to schedule it
or by march 09 when my ccnp(s) expire

Turgon

darkuser wrote:

actually the truth is you dont really need the written to prepare
for the lab. once you've done it you've got 18 months to make your first attempt.

a lot of people then rush out and fail the first attempt.

i passed the written in 01 and 06 and never took it. (lab)
in 01 i was one of those people who felt like hot s***
and listed the ccie written as a cert
well its not
its just a "qualification" to schedule a lab attempt

now im just going to prepare and take the written when
im almost ready to make a lab attempt.
leaving enough time to schedule it
or by march 09 when my ccnp(s) expire

Your situation isn't typical as you have two written passes already but actually I do believe you need the written to prepare properly for the lab. Yes there are people who put it off and get by but there are many more that suffer as a consequence.

The 'emphasis' of the written exam as just a ticket to schedule a labslot has been one of the most overplayed urban myths of the CCIE track in recent years. This has resulted in high volume **** sales for the cert and a vital learning opportunity blown by many CCIE candidates. The written is an essential part of the process.

A lot of people push back on the written while they engage in lab prep. Not only do they fail to pass the written when they eventually take it, in some cases they severely hamper their understanding during lab practice. Now your milage varies based on your background and experience, so yes you could put the written off and take your chances while you plough into lab prep, but honestly a lot of CCIE candidates who do this don't have enough mastery of the theory to get the most out of lab practice. Often they end up playing catchup on networking theory just weeks before the lab exam and unearthing things they should have covered a year ago that would have helped them immensely during lab preparations.

GT-Rob

Well I think I am officially going to aim for the written done by the end of the year, with a spring/summer attempt on the RS lab. Theres no use putting it off to "some day".


And I would put CCIE written passed on my resume. I put that I was half done my CCNP on my resume and I got the job (even came up in my interview).

MrD

I agree with Turgon regarding the written being a critical stepping stone in the journey toward the lab, especially if you have limited real-world experience. If you are loaded down with experience, especially varied experience from a consulting-type job, I would think that it wouldn't be nearly as important.

Either way, you should put 100% into your preparation for the written, in my opinion. Of course, I always do everything 100% (which is sometimes a friggin curse).

I've actually already begun preparation for my March 2010 deadline of recertifying my CCIE. Nothing hardcore. Basically, just staying up to date on R&S by reading a couple of chapters of R&S material each week along with doing a couple vendor labs. I can keep this up indefinitely. I have a feeling that many IE's, once they pass, stop the journey. I don't want to be like that. I want to stay on the cutting edge at all times....just me

dtlokee

MrD wrote:

I've actually already begun preparation for my March 2010 deadline of recertifying my CCIE. Nothing hardcore. Basically, just staying up to date on R&S by reading a couple of chapters of R&S material each week along with doing a couple vendor labs. I can keep this up indefinitely. I have a feeling that many IE's, once they pass, stop the journey. I don't want to be like that.

I think the thing to do is to begin prepping for a different track since passing the written in any track will recertify other tracks.

MrD

Yeah I'm focusing on Design right now, but I want to stay true to the R&S track as well.

damsel_in_tha_net

any updates folks?

GT-Rob

I have the written booked for the end of July. Aiming for about January for the lab but that is just a wild guess at this point.

antonio banderas

I started studying for the written 3 weeks ago. However, I will schedule the written test at least 11 months from now. I have to make sure I know what I'm doing 1st and continue to work through labs to reinforce my theory.

keenon

i'm still on the mission. anyone in the mid state area that wants to join forces

mikej412

damsel_in_tha_net wrote:

any updates folks?

Still trying to catch one.

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I am on the schedule

GT-Rob

what date do you have mike? Do you think you will keep it?

A co-worker and I are actually about the same in our studies, so we are looking to both hit San Jose together this winter. Probably end up being pushed back, but who knows.

marlon23

Brussels by the end of this month And then hopefully start of journey towards CCIE in security

mikej412

marlon23 wrote:

Brussels by the end of this month

Good Luck!

GT-Rob wrote:

what date do you have mike? Do you think you will keep it?

I went with a Thursday since I don't like the extra wait time for the result on a Friday exam -- plus it will be in RTP so the flights take 1/2 the time and the schedules are more convenient for me (compared to San Jose).

I'm so sure I'm keeping the date I bought my plane tickets -- even though I'm not at the Lab pay date yet.

GT-Rob

Good luck Marlon!


Ya I have looked into flight costs and hotel arrangements for my 'goal' timeframe. I wonder if it is worth spending a couple of extra days in San Jose. Being from one of the colder parts of Canada now I wouldn't mind a couple of days on the beach in January