Well Cisco is now $1400 richer with my lab payed for under the 90 day policy. The exam is booked for January 28th and as of now that cannot be changed.
Thought I would start up a thread to give people and idea of where I am, and where I am going. This won't be close to as detailed as Turgon's but I hope to help someone out there someday
So where am I at.
Passed written in June after finishing my CCNP a couple of months earlier. Been working through Internetworkexpert's material since then. There wasn't any major reason I choose them, other than maybe price. I have the CoD (class on demand), audio classes, vol 1-3 workbooks, and more than enough rack rental tokens. I also have a home lab (6 routers, 2 switches), but I don't use it for much more than single technology practice. Also have all the standard Cisco Press books.
After the written I started into Vol 1. In retrospect I wish I started with the CoD, as they as awesome, but I didn't get into them intill I was into the Vol 2 labs. Vol 1 is a good way to get into the IOS more. So far everything has been 90% reading, 10% configs, and this was a good way to get in flipped around. Yes you still need the theory, but if you don't know how to implement it, its useless.
At this point I have done all the vol 1 labs, 9 of the 20 vol 2 labs, and about 5 vol 3 labs. I have also been through all of the CoD, and started going through them again but taking notes this time (again wish I did this before). I use the audio classes sometimes on the bike on the way to work, although they are a little basic for me now. If I had to guess, I would say I have about 250hrs on the racks so far, and a few hundred more between reading/CoD. I also work exclusively with Cisco IOS at work, so that helps too.
I would LIKE to get through the rest of Vol 2 by the end of the year. I have 3 weeks leading up to the exam date booked off of work as well, which I am not sure how to spend. Probably redo some labs, focusing on my weak sections (damn multicast and QoS).
Anyway, the countdown is on. Found a decent hotel in San Jose, staying 2 nights so I don't have to worry about travel during the exam.
