CCIE Mobile Lab

CCIE Mobile Lab Overview

I drove by the Cisco Office last week that will be hosting the upcoming Chicago CCIE Mobile Lab.

For some reason I was thinking it was going to be downtown -- but I guess being near O'Hare Airport is an even better idea.

The funny thing -- I usually don't go that way and hadn't been on that stretch of Higgins since probably a Microsoft Windows 95 Event. And as it turns out -- for some reason I looked over at the building as I was driving and thought about pulling into the parking lot to kill some time since I was running early. At the time I didn't know there was a Cisco Office there or that it was going to be the Mobile CCIE Lab Location.

So -- this is either a scary Halloween story

or I may have a date with destiny.

While home field advantage is too good to pass up, I'm not going to get my hopes up. The May 25-29 2009 Miami Mobile CCIE Lab shows up on the Mobile Labs Archive page as canceled due to low enrollment.

And right now there are still lots of open R&S seats.

The CCIE Mobile Lab cost is $1750 instead of the regular $1400 Lab fee.

Gosh I hope the circus comes to town

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GT-Rob

I was planning to take the Toronto lab (assuming to happens) in the summer, but the extra $350 make me think otherwise. I may instead try to push my employer to send me to San Jose for something business related (then I know for sure when I am taking it!)

jason_lunde

You gonna give it a go Mike?

mikej412

jason_lunde wrote: »

You gonna give it a go Mike?

Yes -- home field advantage is too good to pass up.

I'm going to give Cisco $1750 this week -- and hopefully everyone else who's already signed up does the same. And hopefully that's enough "paid seats" so that they don't cancel.

There are still plenty of seats available for the Chicago Mobile CCIE Lab.

kalebksp

Good luck Mike!

How long have you been preparing for the lab?

mikej412

kalebksp wrote: »

How long have you been preparing for the lab?

I have been preparing for the CCIE Lab my entire life.

Can you tell I'm already putting on my "game face?"

mikej412

Crap. Someone dropped their Monday Jan 25 date rather than pay....

I guess today is the first "pay date" for the January mobile lab dates (90 days out). This is where people have to "put up" their money or give up their "hold" on the lab spot in the schedule.

I don't have a Plan B if they cancel the Chicago Mobile Lab.

Turgon

mikej412 wrote: »

I have been preparing for the CCIE Lab my entire life.

Can you tell I'm already putting on my "game face?"

How many times have you faced the lab Mike? I hear lots of people take several goes. A friend of mine who has a very good job took 5 attempts, Karl Solie took 3 I believe.

mikej412

Turgon wrote: »

How many times have you faced the lab Mike?

So far, one less than I've needed to get my number. From here on I'm only keeping track of the Lab exams I pass.

Well, a "Tuesday Person" dropped their date so I'm guessing Monday & Tuesday are now totally open based on the open seats and the number of seats I thought were/are available -- but I could be wrong.

The Wednesday group seems to have held firm -- YEAH Wednesday Group!!!

2 people dropped their Thursday Labs -- but the Thursday "pay date" isn't over yet.

There's only 1 opening on Friday, and I though there were 2 before -- maybe "Tuesday" switched to "Friday"

I guess on next Monday or Tuesday I'll start looking to see if they've processed my payment. If they haven't processed my Lab payment I'll start to worry they are thinking about canceling.

Turgon

mikej412 wrote: »

So far, one less than I've needed to get my number. From here on I'm only keeping track of the Lab exams I pass.

Well, a "Tuesday Person" dropped their date so I'm guessing Monday & Tuesday are now totally open based on the open seats and the number of seats I thought were/are available -- but I could be wrong.

The Wednesday group seems to have held firm -- YEAH Wednesday Group!!!

2 people dropped their Thursday Labs -- but the Thursday "pay date" isn't over yet.

There's only 1 opening on Friday, and I though there were 2 before -- maybe "Tuesday" switched to "Friday"

I guess on next Monday or Tuesday I'll start looking to see if they've processed my payment. If they haven't processed my Lab payment I'll start to worry they are thinking about canceling.

Well lots of people take multiple attempts at this thing don't they. Good luck with that. I shall try out first time in Easter.

mikej412

mikej412 wrote: »

The Wednesday group seems to have held firm

Nooooooooooooo!! 2 more from the Wednesday group have dropped (or been dropped for non-payment).

veritas_libertas

Okay, this is depressing to watch

Do you have the option to go out of state for the test?

mikej412

veritas_libertas wrote: »

Do you have the option to go out of state for the test?

Sure -- there are plenty of slots almost anytime in San Jose or RTP.

There's also the possibility I could again get bumped from a flight and have to fly to San Francisco and jump in a cab for a ride to San Jose, be diverted due to weather and sit in a hot plane on the tarmac somewhere for 2 hours, sit on a plane for 3 hours due to a mechanical issue that will take only "15 minutes" to fix -- and miss switching to 2 other flights on another airline -- and then have to wait for a "new crew."

With the Chicago option I could sleep in my own bed, wake up at my normal time, and hope for a good rush hour commute. But I'd probably head down to the Marriott O'Hare the day before so I don't have to worry about car or weather or commute problems. I could drive either car if one doesn't start, limo, cab, get a ride from a friend/neighbor, take the commuter train, etc.

With the Chicago option, in case of Blizzard (after the Lab is up & the Proctor(s) is(are) here in Chicago) I've got 2 set of chains for my 4WD Explorer and my Neighbor would loan me his 4WD F250 if my Explorer ground clearance wasn't enough. I've got cross country skis and snow shoes -- so I could hike to the train station (if the trains can still get through) -- though if a Blizzard was coming I'd just head down to the Marriott early enough to beat the Blizzard and have a friend or a neighbor cater to the house & barn cats' every whim while I'm gone. And if the Marriott didn't have room for me "early" due to stranded travelers -- my Mom's house is 3.5 miles away from the Mobile Lab Location.

veritas_libertas

mikej412 wrote: »

Sure -- there are plenty of slots almost anytime in San Jose or RTP.

There's also the possibility I could again get bumped from a flight and have to fly to San Francisco and jump in a cab for a ride to San Jose, be diverted due to weather and sit in a hot plane on the tarmac somewhere for 2 hours, sit on a plane for 3 hours due to a mechanical issue that will take only "15 minutes" to fix -- and miss switching to 2 other flights on another airline -- and then have to wait for a "new crew."

With the Chicago option I could sleep in my own bed, wake up at my normal time, and hope for a good rush hour commute. But I'd probably head down to the Marriott O'Hare the day before so I don't have to worry about car or weather or commute problems. I could drive either car if one doesn't start, limo, cab, get a ride from a friend/neighbor, take the commuter train, etc.

With the Chicago option, in case of Blizzard (after the Lab is up & the Proctor(s) is(are) here in Chicago) I've got 2 set of chains for my 4WD Explorer and my Neighbor would loan me his 4WD F250 if my Explorer ground clearance wasn't enough. I've got cross country skis and snow shoes -- so I could hike to the train station (if the trains can still get through) -- though if a Blizzard was coming I'd just head down to the Marriott early enough to beat the Blizzard and have a friend or a neighbor cater to the house & barn cats' every whim while I'm gone. And if the Marriott didn't have room for me "early" due to stranded travelers -- my Mom's house is 3.5 miles away from the Mobile Lab Location.

Well I am glad your determined to get the CCIE. I am going to enjoy watching all the CCIE challengers this coming year

mikej412

So far only one "Friday Lab Person" has left the schedule.... but I think under 1/3 of the seats are booked. I'll start to get worried if my payment status doesn't change by Wednesday or Thursday.

Well -- I guess I should come up with my 80 something day plan. I already know about 5 days that I will get no Lab preparation done of any kind -- no Lab, no reading, no reviewing, no rest, no relaxation, no drinking. Hopefully those will be the only days like that between now and The Lab.

I've already started doing my first run through of the NMC/Cisco360 Troubleshooting VOD. It's amazing how many problems they can squeeze into a simple 3 & 5 router network.

So far I've only had a couple of "Oh!!! I didn't know that

" moments, one "undocumented commands better not be required to solved a trouble ticket

??:" moment, and one "That's it?!?!? That's all you got for troubleshooting routing redistribution?!?!?!

" moment.

It does sound like The Lab troubleshooting section will be one topology with 20-30 routers (virtual?!?!?) from the Scott Morris Guest Editorial on the Cisco Learning Network.
https://learningnetwork.cisco.com/docs/DOC-6083

rsutton

mikej412 wrote: »

fly to San Francisco and jump in a cab for a ride to San Jose

You do realize we have a SJ airport?!

I had to take a cab once from San Francisco to Hayward (about half way to SJ from SF). If I recall correctly it cost me around $100. We took BART to SF to hit the clubs and forgot that BART stopped at midnight, doh!

kalebksp

Wendell Odom has a couple of interesting articles about his experience with the lab beta. Sounds like his troubleshooting section had around 40 routers.

A Sneak Peek at the CCIE R/S Lab | NetworkWorld.com Community
CCIE R/S Lab Troubleshooting: Initially Shocked, but Wasn't Too Bad | NetworkWorld.com Community

ITdude

rsutton wrote: »

You do realize we have a SJ airport?!

You have to understand, Mike likes to fly via Piper Cub, so probably couldn't get into San Jose International.

mikej412

The Good News (hopefully) -- my "payment status" has changed:

[SIZE=-1]Paid via Credit Card: Invoice Pending[/SIZE]

Cisco took my money for the Chicago Mobile CCIE Lab -- so that brings me one step closer to dinner at a restaurant near O'Hare the night before my Lab.

It may be time to fire up the racks & servers and heat the barn.

mikej412

I now have a link under payment status that still goes to an old "invoice application." When I give up waiting after not being redirected to the new "invoice application" and click the backup link on the page I get an error page with a "contact us" link that goes to the standard error "page not available." So it's doing what it's always done -- which I take to be a good sign

A paper "paid invoice" should arrive in the mail soon.

dynamik

Git'r done!

laidbackfreak

Blimey Mike, with all those certs under your name I'd completely missed the lack of IE !

bring it on is what I say and hope the snow holds off for ya lol

sides14

Is the lab still a go?

mikej412

sides14 wrote: »

Is the lab still a go?

It looks like it -- until I hear otherwise.

I've gotten my paper copy of the paid invoice and another Friday slot is off the schedule. I'll take both of those as positive signs.