85 Days until my CCIE VOICE LAB

I have 85 days until my first attempt at the v3 Lab. This will be my second attempt at a CCIE level test and some how I still feel confident. I think I am on track to do pretty well. I would like to take the chance to blog as much as I can about my trials and tribulations over next few months. I currently am using the IPexperts Lab Books and have a full lab built. I have gone through their lab book 1 once before and am redoing all of them again for the second time.

- If you have any question or would like me to write over something that you might not fully comprehend I will be more then happy too. -

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Turgon

Luckycharms wrote: »

I have 85 days until my first attempt at the v3 Lab. This will be my second attempt at a CCIE level test and some how I still feel confident. I think I am on track to do pretty well. I would like to take the chance to blog as much as I can about my trials and tribulations over next few months. I currently am using the IPexperts Lab Books and have a full lab built. I have gone through their lab book 1 once before and am redoing all of them again for the second time.

- If you have any question or would like me to write over something that you might not fully comprehend I will be more then happy too. -

Good luck. I believe there is only a small number of Voice labs they can throw at you on lab day. At least that's the urban myth I heard. If so, take a good memory with you if things dont work out

Luckycharms

Thanks, I have heard that myth too...

laidbackfreak

good luck and I look forward to following your progress, I'm aiming to wrap up my VP by End of March and maybe look at IE written by end of the year.

Ps I like the sound of the myth, but I'm too familiar with how myths are often wrong lol

nel

Good luck mate! hope all goes well

mikej412

I'll have plenty of time to wish you luck when I sober up after my next R&S attempt

laidbackfreak

out of curiosity what's in your lab ?

Luckycharms

Thanks guys, I appreciate the good wish's.

As any one that has ever studied for a CCIE knows holidays mean something different then relaxation with family and down time... EXTRA STUDY DAYS!!! Two weeks in my case. And since I wasted the free weekend with normal day to day business it is time to start hitting the lab with a vengeance. So I have my study drink (caramel frappuccino with double avagotti shots = 4 shot’s of espresso), and a clean lab too— let’s get started!!! So since I have two weeks off and four weeks till my Ipexperts’ boot camp, I figure I will start off by doing their Lab book 1 over again. So today I will do lab’s 1 and 2 with one being a four hour lab and two being a two hour lab, both of which are entry level concepts.

[FONT=&quot]1.[/FONT][FONT=&quot]Implementing Campus Infrastructure and Services[/FONT]

No real problems.
--One thing I did start doing even though they didn't say anything about it was to read ahead and find out which gateway was in what device pool, so that I could configure the correct NTP association for the correct Time-zone. (for fail-over situation/etc.)

[FONT=&quot]2.[/FONT][FONT=&quot]Implementing CUCM Endpoint[/FONT]

No real problems.
--Just remember BAT Is your friend.. and to use as much of it as you can..

I will update this post with anything I had problems with and newly learned trick’s / tips that helped me.

Luckycharms

As for my current lab, I have the following setup. There has been countless revisions!
1.2821(PSTN)

a.3x HWIC-4T1/E1

b.PVDM2-16

2.2801(HQ)

a.1x HWIC-4T1/E1
b.PVDM2-32

3.2801(Br1)

a.1x HWIC-4T1/E1
b.PVDM2-8
c.HWIC-4ESW

4.2801(Br2)

a.1x HWIC-4T1/E1
b.PVDM2-8
c.AIM-CUE

5.Dell GX280

a.VM-Workstation (UCM-PUB)
b.VM-Workstation(UCCX)

6.Dell GX280

a.VM-Workstation(UCM-SUB)

7.Dell GX280

a.VM-Workstation(UC)

8.Dell GX280

a.VM-Workstation(CUPS)
b.VM-Workstation(AD-directory—Not used but have it setup)

9.2511

a.Console Server … Don’t have to have but makes it a lot easier to manage everything.

10.3560

a.X2 one for HQ and Br2 simply because I already had them and I only had one ESW card.

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DIAGRAM.jpg

Luckycharms

Today's Labs
3. Implementing CUCME Endpoints

No real problems, just need to remember to think ahead of what needs to be in the Sip Dial-plan.. (Is a time waste to add numbers after you have built the original plan and deployed it.)_

4. Implementing Voice Gateway

No real problems, Just need to remember to reload UCM's when changing the top level domain name for sip routing. Not entirely sure you need to reload the UCM's but I restarted all services and didn't take affect until after full restart.

Luckycharms

Sorry for the delay in post's.... But as for an update I have finished Ipexperts lab books 1 and am starting on their lab book 2 this weekend. I feel pretty confident that I understand all the lab book one material and will do well on lab book 2... But I will update this after this weekend... back to

pitviper

So how are things going on the study front?

Luckycharms

Sorry Guys/Girls its been a while since I posted... I have been studding like a mad man and working on my process more then anything...I have 14 days until I go into cool down mode before my test. Today I am going to work on my vpim process and try to get it down to the 5 min mark but we will see... I have also heard this so many times its mind numbing but I its not until recent that I have realized the lost time in auto-registration...I have come up with the following process for exact accuracy in registration.

1. Pull all Mac address from devices (show cdp ne)
2. Create PT/CSS ( place holders)
3. Map Phone to Load / #'s
4. Create Device (Load/PT/CSS/etc..) (just a temp setup)
5. Setup LAN (vlan/etc.)

This process is easily repeated if BR2 needs a load change too... (if they don't ask you to do the load change at the Site)...

Luckycharms

Well I leave tomorrow, and I think I am on track to pass. I truly believe if for some reason I don't pass I think it will be more of a mental issue then a failure of my study's...

But we will see, wish me lucky.

Oooh I also want to say thank you to all the people on this board.

networker050184

Good luck!

laidbackfreak

go and kick its ass

But above all enjoy it and learn from it

pitviper

Knock 'em dead!!!

Ahriakin

Best of luck!
Trust your instincts, stay calm and don't be afraid to reboot an appliance.

mikej412

Luckycharms wrote: »

Well I leave tomorrow

ROAD TRIP

Voice is probably the Lab where you definitely have to plan your work and work your plan.

Good Luck!!

Mrock4

Good luck! And (here comes my favorite phrase)...stay focused

SysAdmin4066

Make it tap man, good luck

pitviper

CCIE:Voice = pwned?

The suspense is killing me

Luckycharms

Well, I guess I will be going back in 30 days....!!!!

.. The thing that really gets me is that it wasn't that I couldn't do any of the things they asked me, it was the fact that I ran out of time... --- NOT MY FAULT!!!! I won't go into details but what I will say is that EVEN PROCTORS MESS UP SOME TIMES.. I have heard it a million times but not till I experienced it did I believe it.

But thanks to everyone for their support, Next week is spring break so I will keep you posting on any new topics...

SysAdmin4066

You can challenge it if the reason you ran out of time wasnt your fault, cant you?

pitviper

$h!t man, sorry to hear that

You got the winning philosophy though - kick it's butt round 2

mikej412

We'll just call this one Spring Training.

laidbackfreak

Tough going :-/ Did you have much left to do when you ran out of time? ie is it worth lodging a challenge?

networker050184

Sorry to hear about the no go man. Sounds like your studying is in the right direction though. You will get it next time!

Good luck!

chmorin

As Henry Ford once said:
"Failure is only the opportunity to more
intelligently begin again."
`Henry Ford

Luckycharms

During the exam I thought they would just add the time on to end of the test... giving me the full 8hours but things didn't work out that way. As I was leaving I thought about opening a case but decided against it.. I am just going to take the hit on the chin and keep studding, and take it agein SOON..like trying to scheduale a date in early April.

ooh and just to be clear we aren't talking like 20 or 30 min of wasted time ... 2+ hours...but I think I have said to much already... thank you all for you support.

pitviper

Luckycharms wrote: »

During the exam I thought they would just add the time on to end of the test... giving me the full 8hours but things didn't work out that way. As I was leaving I thought about opening a case but decided against it.. I am just going to take the hit on the chin and keep studding, and take it agein SOON..like trying to scheduale a date in early April.

ooh and just to be clear we aren't talking like 20 or 30 min of wasted time ... 2+ hours...but I think I have said to much already... thank you all for you support.

wow, that's 1/4 of the entire lab time! I would fight for a free re-take. Why aren't the proctors held accountable?