David's CCIE: R+S Thread

gorebrush

So I read through the 2014 End to End QoS guide, that was a good read. It's a massive, massive book but the majority of it is not really all that useful outside of R&S. First part and there's some MPLS QoS and DMVPN etc in there too which is nice.

So at this point, I think what I am going to do is revisit the workbook and go from the beginning through to the end and just see what features I can configure properly, and which I can't. Once I'm done with that (and filling any holes on the way with reading/video) then I can start full labbing and troubleshooting. I am hoping that I am in the full scale lab phase at the beginning of January. January 10 through Feb 8th I am off work, so I've got like 4 weeks off work - that is going to be spent totally at the command line labbing the crap out of everything, 12-14 hour days if I have to. Maybe I am leaving it all a bit late, but then I've put in so much ground work, it really is now just about testing all the features out, and working out where the relevant parts of the guides are on the DocCD should I need them for the real thing.

The troubleshooting part of the lab seems less daunting as that happens to be my day job - maybe not to CCIE degree level in difficulty, but the methodology is true regardless of difficulty. I have a fairly good, structured approach to troubleshooting - so just loads of practice required.

On a seperate note, today marks my 4th wedding anniversary So I've been very fortunate to be able to do some light reading and work out my strategy for the rest of the time. I dread to think how many weeks I have left. Maybe single figures? Holy crap, 9 weeks 2 days. Yeah, I'm cutting it a bit close Nothing like flying by the seat of the pants, eh?

I am sure I will be fine - as I say the majority of the theory and understanding I've got nailed - just need to go practice it all some more.... well a lot.

lrb

You will be fine mate, you've prepared well up to this point so just make sure you keen the drive and desire until the lab date There were times towards the last few weeks that I wanted to take it easy but I didn't want to compromise all of the heard work up that point. One important thing I read in the CCIE non-technical guide (I can't remember off the top of my head what its called) is to envisage what it will be like to pass the lab and get your number. I'm sure pretty much anyone who has passed will tell you that it's a pretty great moment to see your number come up on the CCIE OLSM and I'm looking forward to an "I passed!!" post on here come the night of 6th Feb.

As for the TS it sounds like you have it down pat. My only advice is to read the TS guidelines on the first page when you start the lab. They will outline what you can and can't do to fix the problem. Read the question in full and just TS like you would in real life. Use show run sparingly, and if you have to make sure you know the filters/shortcuts such as show run vrf XYZ, show run route-map, show run | s r b, show run int eX/Y. I'm sure you already know these like the back of your but I hear tales of people throwing the basics out the window when they get into the lab in a panic.

Feel free to PM/email me if you need anything

gorebrush

Sounds like the "How to pass the CCIE the non technical guide" - I'm sure I'd read that too.

Good points on the TS there. I'm sure I'll be good there though. It's all about reading the diagrams properly, taking note of everything and getting that lay of the land straight in your mind...

gorebrush

So I have had a fairly productive today. Last night I started taking a look at the INE TS lab as part of their v5 workbook. Holy hell the learning curve on these tickets are more or less vertical . I panicked slightly, but I have since learned that the INE TS are hard on purpose. While I can see where they are going with the tickets, man they are just too difficult for their own good.

So, I've got access to the Cisco 360 TS labs, and they are much more gentler - phew. At this point I've done all the theory to death - I need to get on with the command line, and anything I am stuck with I'll go and revisit the videos and books.

Practice is pretty much all I need at this point now. 9 weeks to go exactly for the lab. I'm just lucky I can remember a fair chunk of the IOS commands off the top of my head with only <400 hours at the command line input. I've got weekend shifts this week, so I am hopeful for a decent 40 hours command line by Wednesday 0700 (when I finish work). Same for next weekend, 30 hours (working Monday so doubtful I'll get much actual practice done). Then Xmas is coming - I'm off for 2 weeks (yay) so hopefully I can get some practice in whilst also doing the whole Xmas thing, i.e. eating too much food and drinking a few too many wines *hic*.

Into the new year I am back at work so hopeful of some more quiet shifts (I love the December change freeze) and then January 10th through Feb 8th I am off work. I will be hardcore CLI for this month - and hopefully 100% labbing the full labs, scenarios, trouble shooting my way through it.

I am in London on Feb 4th (Wednesday) will chill out the Thursday, then lab on the 6th, back home on the 7th. Though, with a Cisco Nexus 7000 5-day course on Feb 9th, I'm wondering if I'll just stay in London for the week... Though not sure how that'll pan out yet, but anyway, CCIE first.

At this point I am still feeling quietly confident. I've done plenty of theory, it's just remembering it all and practicing from the beginning and finding any areas that make me wince. BGP with all it's wacky policy based answers to questions is probably my biggest sticking point from a pure understanding point of view... But we'll see. Tomorrow I'll be labbing, labbing and more labbing.

lrb

Keep it up mate you are on the home stretch now! Even if there are some days when you are swamped, always try and get at least 30 mins in as every little bit helps

silver145

writing on here as to not thread-jack

I would HIGHLY recommend down sizing on the monitor retail space you have, on the practice labs its a complete pain in the ass going from 2x monitor to 1x24" - main problem is just managing the retail, you have to remember the question while diagnosing it in your head and going back and forth, you cant really have it all visible at the same time. Even if you dont do much have some practice with it this way to format yourself atleast

gorebrush

Yeah appreciate that one. I've got a 22" monitor about the place, I'll have to give some pactice on that one!

In the meantime I've been going back and forth between videos and Cisco 360 TS labs. Getting much better at TS now...

I havent updated my counter in ages but I've probably put another 30 hours on it.

gorebrush

So, today marks the 8 week left point in what has been a very long journey. Coming up 5 years from the beginning (few stops and starts along the way). In that time I've changed jobs, got married, studied, had the various ups and downs that life throws at me, but somehow I'm still here going for gold. I'm up very late this evening as my wife is not here, she is looking after a relative who is very ill indeed. Times are tough at the moment but we are getting through it.

Looking back at my studies so far - I can say now I am about the point where I can start looking at the full blown labs for practice and then I can refer back to single sections of workbooks or videos, or read the DocCD where necessary in order to fill in any gaps.

I've had a go at a few of the Cisco 360 TS labs and they actually aren't too bad. A few "wtf" moments at times because I don't feel they are amazingly described but I think that's just getting the feel for the way the questions are asked...

Anyway, only 12 more shifts before my month off work and then I can really, REALLY get my head down. I think maybe, just maybe, I think I got this.

gorebrush

Argh. Remember to save your config Just spent 6 hours on a CFG lab (360) and a router died on its butt.

Nice. Well, overall not a bad experience, some of the wording is ambiguous! But good labs though.

lrb

How's the 360 labs coming along? Keep up the good work!

gorebrush

I did another one of the troubleshooting labs the other morning and was quite pleased, took a little longer than 2 hours but then I was at work answering questions and resolving tickets as well so not 100% attention but the content was fine.

I actually learned one or two things as well which surprised me but then I guess that's why we do the practice so much. 51 days to go. Lots more practice to come...

silver145

Out of curiosity - you using the "leaked" ones, or the paid for ones gore?

as i have done both - Difference is that the leaked ones use a lot smaller topology so its more like V4 - If you dont fix one thing it affects other tickets, where in V5 it is ALOT more compartmentalized. E.G you dont get the OSPF question right, it doesnt break 2 other tickets.

gorebrush

Yeah, that's what I kinda loved about the v5 announcements was that the lab topology is so much bigger. Something never sat right with me about having 2/3 different routing protocols all at once on one box and then your trying to manipulate it 10 different ways and make it behave in ways that really weren't supposed to happen.

49 days to go and quietly I am feeling confident. I've starting coming up with strategies for each part of the lab, i.e. what to configure first and in what order in order to optimise the steps I'm taking. Makes you think how about to save time and how to properly configure it when your methodical.

Kinda looking forward to it now.

gorebrush

So from here on out I think practice is the key. I've done a few practice labs now and it's just practice I need. Still got a lot of time left now thinking about it, and I only need to watch videos on some key areas to brush up on hazy bits of memory.

Keep on truckin' everyone!

bharvey92

Keep going man! Sounds like your steamrolling through this stuff! Sure you will nail the lab and get your number

gorebrush

I sure hope so!

gorebrush

So I've had a nice little break for Xmas, few days away from the studying. It has been very nice to get away from it for a few days after 18 months of constant books/videos/lab etc. Today also marks 40 days left. I have 7 more 12 hour shifts at work in the next two weeks, and then it is the final push before the lab day on 6th Feb.

Good luck to everyone else and a happy new year.

lrb

I've had about a week of a "mental holiday" and it has felt amazing so I can understand how you feel You are so close to the lab date now so keep pushing! Ping me if I can help with anything

gorebrush

Still hacking away at the keyboard. Mostly troubleshooting labs today. Need to have a go at some config stuff and I need to revisit some INE videos. 3 more shifts left at work then I'll be here 12 hours a day, daily until Feb 3rd. There's another 350 hours up for grabs if I put the time in. I will need to now, got a fair bit left to practice, but at least now I can get on with it.

I've taken a somewhat "bizarre" step of ordering a Logitech K120 keyboard. I'm rather odd when it comes to keyboards, I use two Cherry MX keyboards daily, and I'm damn sure that a cheap-o keyboard that I am not used to will drive me up the wall come lab day, so I'll take a punt and spend some money on the one they use. I assume also it'll be a US layout keyboard, but as I'm taking the lab in the UK I wonder if it may actually be a UK one. Depends where they do their procurement internally at Cisco I guess.

Feeling fairly confident at this point to be honest, I just need to work on my speed and practice.

If anyone has any last minute pointers they'd like to throw my way, let me know.

gorebrush

So. Friday of this week now marks the fact that I only have four weeks left until the lab. At this point I have tried some full lab and TS things and they've gone fairly well.

Some days lately I've procrastinated a bit much, but this morning I have managed to regain some focus by going through the INE v5 workbook and looking at the areas I *know* I need to practice. I have now got a list of things I can focus on and work through and hopefully that'll be the end to it. In the meantime I've only got 3 more shifts in at work, so 11th January onwards - 12 hours a day CCIE here I come whilst I head towards lab day.

Looking at the list of topics I need to go over, well there are no real surprises (Looking at you again, Multicast) and well I just need to practice it. I'm fairly happy otherwise. I think.

bharvey92

Sounds like your ready to nail this man! Couple of questions, what kind of current role do you work in currently whilst pursuing your IE? And also how have you found the INE videos for IE? Being from the UK were they rather expensive?

gorebrush

Currently I am a Network Engineer, 2nd line, but I work shifts, so get a lot of down time...

gorebrush

Got my K120 keyboard today. Glad I bought it now. The backspace is in the wrong place and the enter key is too small on US layouts! So I've got a chance to get used to it in the meantime. The key action isn't too bad, but by damn, it ain't no Cherry MX!

bharvey92

Nice, bet that helps!! Have you worked in industry long before sitting the IE?

gorebrush

Grown up with computers since age of 4.
BBC Micro 1987, PC's in 1991.
Graduated with degree in Business IT in 2004, straight into IT then.
Systems Administrator since 2006,
Got into Cisco late 2007, CCNA 2008, CCNP 2010...

gorebrush

Another 6 hours on the clock labbing and a few more theory hours in. Got to keep this pace up now, critical at this point.

gorebrush

6 more hours labbing today. Hitting the practice labs hard, finding my weak spots still.

2 more hours for 1,300 total. I'm still damn sure I haven't done enough labbing hours compared to some though but I think I'm on for another 150 hours if I keep this pace up.

If anyone has any last minute tips/suggestions they want to throw my way, please feel free

silver145

Make sure to cover Lb's workbook he created on dmvpn

https://packetdrop85.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/bibby-ts-workbook-dmvpn1.pdf

Reason i'd recommend it as anything thats just been created by someone who has just passed, be stupid not to :P

gorebrush

Good show, I'd forgotten he'd written this

gorebrush

So, another 6 hours to put on the lab clock today. Feeling happy with progress now, and looking back - wow. So much content. The practice is doing me good though, literally drilling and practicing different things, reading blogs, just trying to plug up any gaps that I may have.

Buying this US keyboard was probably one of the smartest moves I'd made for practice, as daft as that sounds. I am used to UK layouts, so having the backslash on the opposite side of the keyboard really irritated me to being with, now I'm used to it. I'm glad I am used to it now and not trying to get used to it during the lab, because that would have been really annoying.

Had two lie-in's this morning and yesterday morning. Whilst I am studying, I'm also on a rather nice extended holiday from work, so I need to get some relaxation in while I'm off too because it can't all be work work work. Though I am rather glad I've got myself quite a break - I'm off work now until Feb 16th as straight after the lab on the 6th, I'm doing a week long Nexus 7K course in London the week after. Nice. I'd like to turn up being a newly minted CCIE - but I guess that is all down to me, isn't it?