David's CCIE: R+S Thread

gorebrush

6 Routers, 4 Switches, BB's.

Can't be doing with the virtual stuff anymore, it's just not reliable enough. I can always sell it on (or use it for CCIE#2) afterwards

I don't think 7 months is too bad a timescale given that I've done CCNP and a lot of the core concepts are review for me. It's the putting it altogether in the scope of an 8 hour exam is the new stuff

Some of the more advanced stuff obviously I'm not going to know, but I think I'm probably CCNP+ at the moment and I'm able to pile in lots of hours every week (provided night shifts are not silly!)

Hoping to pile in 30-50 hours per week going forward now.

gorebrush

So I am making good progress through the video series and in the meantime I have spent the last two days building a lab (14 device lab) (surely that counts as labbing hours, right?)

I can now get on with labbing properly and I can even power the lab up overnight and work on it from work without disturbing my wife's sleep.

My only concern now is that they change the blueprint and there is another Cisco Live coming. Praying they don't go to 15.2 because my lab won't run it.

I have my slot in May so now I am fully armed I intend to really get stuck in. So, CCIE lab ready in 7 months? Game on!

gorebrush

So, now that the whole idea of actually owning a lab has sunk in - I have to say that that I am getting addicted. All I think about now is how my exercises went yesterday. I found a few cabling issues - which obviously wouldn't be in the lab itself, but all a worthwhile learning experience.

I noted that two of the routers didn't have the correct IOS on them, so upgrading those was a worthwhile experience too. Ended up in ROMMON and causing errors because I tried to use an IOS that the thing wouldn't support because it didn't have enough memory. Maybe I'll upgrade them but I found another IOS that was what I needed and didn't need silly amounts of memory of operate.

While I am now sat at work - I've been planning how to spend the rest of my time in the coming months. I think while I am at work on day shifts and it is quiet, there is no reason I can't use GNS to lab some small stuff, and then use my real lab at night. I need to sort out the cabling on my lab as it's a bit of a mess - I will do this tomorrow night (Tomorrow night would usually be my gaming night, but I think I will skip that this week).

Go labs!

carterw65

It took me quite a while to finally get my lab where I was happy with it. I have to agree, go with a full up lab with real equipment is the way to go. I got tired of messing around with the virtual stuff.

I am getting ready to fire up the lab again. I haven't felt food enough lately, but I think it is time. 30 April is my date in Brussels. Got to get crackin on this or I won't be ready!

Post a pic of your lab when you get a chance.

gorebrush

So I did some maths today, I think my lab, in total uses about 800-900W of power @ 4A. For 14 devices I am quite pleased. I guess I could always replace some more of the 26xx's with 1841's but I'm not that bothered. The cost of electricity for 200 hours of labbing a month will be £20 a month - not too expensive.

I bought the final piece of my lab today - a 6-way extension that can be controlled by USB - which, when linked to my server (I own a HP Microserver) will basically mean I can fire up the two sockets that lead to the lab - and remotely power it all on.

I'm going to cable it up properly tomorrow night.

gorebrush

Covered lots of Layer 2 stuff in labs tonight, I'm well and truly on the road now.

gorebrush

Another 10 hours done tonight. Covered the rest of the Layer 2 stuff and started on the routing basics.

I tell you one thing, if you are looking for something to motivate you - drop £1.8K on a lab. I'm making sure I get my moneys worth now.

gorebrush

Today's top tip: -

Don't use a terminal server to try and be clever and copy all the configs you've just pasted onto the devices into some file on the flash.

Just corrupted the flash on 3 devices

Though does lend to good experience with rommon......

EdTheLad

Today's top top tip lol

Use tcl to do the job for you, so you can basically write directly to a file in flash:


R5#dir nvram:
Directory of nvram:/

506 -rw- 4209 <no date> startup-config
507 ---- 24 <no date> private-config
1 -rw- 0 <no date> ifIndex-table

R5#tclsh
R5(tcl)#puts [open "nvram:Ed_config" w+] {my running config pasted here}

R5(tcl)#exit
R5#dir nvram:
Directory of nvram:/

506 -rw- 4209 <no date> startup-config
507 ---- 24 <no date> private-config
1 -rw- 0 <no date> ifIndex-table
2 -rw- 30 <no date> Ed_config

524288 bytes total (517955 bytes free)
R5#more nvram:Ed_config
my running config pasted here

R5#

If it was a config, then just copy "nvram:Ed_config running".
You'll just need to replace nvram: with flash: or whatever your working directory is.

gorebrush

I can see how the TCL would be awesome, I could use that to modify *where* the router stores it.

My issue was that I managed to write a config to 7 of the devices with no problem

My 3 x 2650XM's though - for whatever reason, it didn't like "copy runn flash:myconf.cfg" and whenever I swapped to any of their console lines, I got a steady stream of...

eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee (and increasing)

I booted all 3 and they all came up in rommon.

Ironically though the config was fine once I'd replaced the IOS.. Think I just borked the IOS on the three of them.

All ok now though.

gorebrush

Getting through BGP theory. The fundamental stuff is easy enough, but oh so many things to configure!

carterw65

Yea, BGP has sort of stalled me. I am taking my time going through it so I really get it down. Too much to learn to just blow through it.

gorebrush

I'm getting on with MPLS tonight instead, I will come back to BGP.

gorebrush

Managed only a couple of hours today and tiredness kicked in badly.

Didn't get a good nights sleep so called it a day early on and relaxed. Will be fresher tomorrow.

Nearly through most of the MPLS theory by this point though.

gorebrush

4 hours of IPv6 for me today.

carterw65

Ha, what a coincidence. That's exactly what I studied for 4 hours too!

gorebrush

Lab now June 9th thanks to the announcement seemingly for v5 going to be in January.

gorebrush

Started looking at Multicast today. With all the excitement of the new lab though - while it does change my plans somewhat, I don't think it should be a worry.

Legend says that Frame Relay will be going, so that will be nice. Not sure I liked it much anyway

gorebrush

Going to get a bunch done on Multicast today. Let's go!

carterw65

Let us know how 8.5 goes. It is giving me fits for sure. I know the problem, I just haven't figure out what I want to do with it.

gorebrush

Not labbing it yet - still on videos

In terms of the lab I've only just gotten through RIP. But I will indeed let you know.

carterw65

In case you are interested, I posted in the INE Forums on 8.5:

8.5 PIM Assert - IEOC - INE's Online Community

gorebrush

Just finished the rest of the video series I was watching. A few left but I've had enough of watching videos.

Now to the labs! I'll be working on those for a while now and then getting my large stack of textbooks out of the cupboard for further reading. I'm in this for the long haul.

gorebrush

6 hours of labbing on RIP today.

And general other stuff. Labbing is the way forward now as I need to get that counter moving and the command line knowledge increasing.

I would say I am pretty solid on most of the ethernet/frame relay commands, though I'm tempted to forget about FR. I'm in a funny position now. Without an official v5 announcement, there is every possibility that I could be sitting a v4 lab after all. So we'll see. As far as routing protocols go, again I am fairly solid on the fundamentals. I can get a design up and running fairly quickly even though I've not touched the command line for a lot of it for a long while.

My game plan now is to go through the routing protocols to expert standards, then tackle topics like MPLS last as that just makes logical sense to do that last.

As for what lab I *want* to do? The only answer to this is - it does not matter. The lab I want to do is the one where I am fully prepared for it and I'm going to pass it first time. And I will. It's a big stake, but I think the candidate who is completely prepared will do it in one shot.

We shall see.

gorebrush

Had me a day off today.

Slept in late, had dinner out with the wife, and went browsing CostCo. Now sat on the sofa chilling. Back to work tomorrow, but it is good to take a break.

Next week we're away for 3 nights, so it'll be good to get away and recharge the batteries a bit.

Half day Monday, 3 night shifts this week so potential for plenty of work, then 4 night shifts next week and my 3rd wedding anniversary too.

All in all I am very content with what work I am doing so far, but still plenty to do. Took some time out to review the blueprint yesterday, and having covered theory to a basic level (all of it), then the blueprint doesn't "feel" that bad anymore..

gorebrush

Another 10 hours labbing clocked up, still very much in the early stages of learning though. Covered EIGRP/OSPF last two nights, and one more night shift to go.

Hit a bit of a wall lately though, I need to press on, but I do feel I am making good progress. Going away for 3 nights at the end of the week so am looking forward to getting away and recharging a bit. As for my schedule, I'm thinking Sept 2014 now, but all according to the release of the v5 Blueprint. With no Blueprint announced it is difficult to know what to do. But I do know I have to just keep on going, as we all know, 80-90% of it wil be remain the same even if the blueprint does change.

carterw65

I get those ups and downs too. I can't lab at work so I have to do all my studying at home.

gorebrush

Ouch. I certainly get all the time I need - I just need to make sure I use it. Will do some more tomorrow (well, tonight)

I'm in this for the long haul, that much I do know. The basic config of most things is easy, however, it's just nailing it down and getting the speed up.

gorebrush

Slow progress last few weeks. Did manage to finish a bunch of videos though. Going to focus more on each technology now as a unit and really hammer down with more videos/practice. With no v5 announcement STILL from Cisco, then I do wonder if I have boxed clever with my June 9th slot. Despite the claims of March on INE, I'm still secretly hoping that this is not correct, and it will get the standard 6 months treatment like we used to get with CCIE announcements. In an ideal world they'll leave it until January and then my June lab seat suddenly looks freakin' awesome

silver145

Got mine for june 2nd here,

when they announced collaboration, did they give 6 months or was it just over and done with instantly?