Update to my LAB.

I tore down my network and pretty much erased all configs to start fresh. Felt like i was getting lazy with a lot of copy n paste from my old configs. Its also good to rethink and pick from memory / ref some material now and then.

Still a good amount i need to config such as the GK ICT's and NON GK ICTs between the clusters. and Yes, i decided to setup 2 clusters for the sake of the ICT practice. I have not installed Unity yet. Didn't realize its 8 DVDs from cisco page? lol. QoS is not setup yet on any site. SIP trunks are functional and routing LIVE. Dialpeers need slight tweaking.. to keep things simple for now, only implemented Num-Exp .. will do some translation profiles later. still a lot of little configs needed @ the router level. CUCM is only up with MGCP @ the LA site.

plans are to get SD ICT to LA and BK to Fallback / SRST + CFUR to my cell via SIP trunk.

Frame-relay for lab purposes will be used as the WAN for all locations.. ISDN for primary PSTN and SIP(Ethernet to 881W) as backup to PSTN. Frame kind sucks since im limited to 128k per link. but im working with what i have so QoS will be very important here.

I know im missing more info to post but you should get the gist of things.

FYI.. i dont care if you see my # ... i mean.. whats the worst.. I get a prank call on my LAB network?? anyone calling me on my lab network will be laughed at.

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/RYFWnO_i4sAE2IBXHeoN9w?feat=directlink

click the link to zoom in and see more details.

[IMG]https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_p7_w-UZFVp0/TZofV_44DgI/AAAAAAAABg8/HbiIkCyKQVc/s800/MSD Update.png height="800" width="1600"[/IMG]

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pitviper

Looks like fun! I posted your numbers on the wall at an I-95 truck stop bathroom since you don't mind prank calls. JK

No international location yet? I still have difficulties thinking in non-US dial plans.

RickRandhawa

I've been meaning to ask you...did you have any issues installing the vwic-2mft-e1/t1 compatible cards into your new 3745? I bought a couple of those vwic-2mft-e1 compatible cards off ebay and they won't fit into my 3725, gonna have to return them and grab the genuine cisco ones for like $300 each, sucks.

LMAO!!! @ PitViper

pitviper

RickRandhawa wrote: »

I've been meaning to ask you...did you have any issues installing the vwic-2mft-e1/t1 compatible cards into your new 3745? I bought a couple of those vwic-2mft-e1 compatible cards off ebay and they won't fit into my 3725, gonna have to return them and grab the genuine cisco ones for like $300 each, sucks.

I still have a couple of Ch-isco VWICS (a 2MFT-T1 and a 2MFT-E1) in the lab. They are REAL tight but do eventually fit. I have to take them out with pliers. The metal used on the KOs is a tad bit thicker.

tokhss

LOL.. just got a call from Bubba @ hoot n horn off the 95.. its a date! Thanks PIT!

the fake stuff will fit, the problem is the end black plastic piece that connects to the back plain... the real one has grooves on each side to fit.. the fake ones suck at the groove making for some reason and u gotta force it.

bottom line. it works.

as far as INTL.. location BK used to be UK lol .. i did some INTL route patterns n stuff.. over it.. for now.

chmorin

Looks good, I'll have something similar up my sleeve should I ever get paid a reasonable amount of dough to support my expensive lab habits!

tokhss

Its must be hiring season again b/c i am getting at least 2 offers per week for voice jobs. 120-150k w/1-3 years of experience and ccvp/ccie title.

I currently work @ BT America's I dont get paid anywhere near that amount lol. There is another internal position that opened up, Tier 3 VOIP which i am shooting for. slight pay bump but its got the option to work from home at times which is great.

Chmorin, I see your in Texas. whats the deal over there? Job market still slow or are you trying to learn as much as u can before you set sail ?

Kelkin

tokhss wrote: »

Its must be hiring season again b/c i am getting at least 2 offers per week for voice jobs. 120-150k w/1-3 years of experience and ccvp/ccie title.

I currently work @ BT America's I dont get paid anywhere near that amount lol. There is another internal position that opened up, Tier 3 VOIP which i am shooting for. slight pay bump but its got the option to work from home at times which is great.

Chmorin, I see your in Texas. whats the deal over there? Job market still slow or are you trying to learn as much as u can before you set sail ?

Nice.. Ive been hit up for nothing but Project work.. blah!

tokhss

Kelkin.. where are u located?

California is picking back up with voip jobs from what i can see right now. I still get a bunch of east coast offers, like NJ, DC, VA. But im not moving.. i mean, im really gonna pack up from Los Angeles are move to jersey so i can be close to snooky?? meh lol

Kelkin

tokhss wrote: »

Kelkin.. where are u located?

California is picking back up with voip jobs from what i can see right now. I still get a bunch of east coast offers, like NJ, DC, VA. But im not moving.. i mean, im really gonna pack up from Los Angeles are move to jersey so i can be close to snooky?? meh lol

Im down here in the liquid sunshine state of Florida..

RickRandhawa

tokhss wrote: »

Its must be hiring season again b/c i am getting at least 2 offers per week for voice jobs. 120-150k w/1-3 years of experience and ccvp/ccie title.

I currently work @ BT America's I dont get paid anywhere near that amount lol. There is another internal position that opened up, Tier 3 VOIP which i am shooting for. slight pay bump but its got the option to work from home at times which is great.

Chmorin, I see your in Texas. whats the deal over there? Job market still slow or are you trying to learn as much as u can before you set sail ?

Posts like this always light a fire under my ass to hurry up and get my knowledge up.

I just barely started on the voice track, so it's going to take me a while.

My buddy took a job offer with a company in Dallas for ~$130k, then within 2 months they moved him up to director of unified communications and gave him a huge raise. From what he tells me, Dallas area is hot. H'es been a CCIE in Voice for 3 years though.

Kelkin

Thats cool.. Take your time and learn the material.. You will get there.. I'm kinda discouraged about pursuing ie right now.. got the carpet pulled from my feet not too long ago so im in the process of picking myself up and getting back motiviated..

chmorin

tokhss wrote: »

Chmorin, I see your in Texas. whats the deal over there? Job market still slow or are you trying to learn as much as u can before you set sail ?

For low experienced jobs, like everywhere, the job market is slow. Fortunately I am currently a network admin working on our voice infrastructure so I'm getting good experience, but I'm not paid what I'm worth. When I hit the 1-2 year mark and have my CCNP:V and CCNP, I should be able to find a job in the Houston area, or Dallas FW area pretty easily. The job market in Texas is typically growing, we are special like that.

tokhss

Guys. There good money to be made and even more if you properly invest. Stick with it and never give up and get lazy for a min b/c there is always another tech out there who is hungrier and even more motivated.

I graduated back in 2003 with my BS in CIS and got lazy once i landed a job. that lasted about 4 years and i quickly noticed i need to get back on the game and get my certs asap. Long story short, i thought about changing careers and going into Medical cuz i strongly believe our troubleshooting skills can really assist in the medical feild. but i said long story short didnt i? haha.. so yeah.. it wasnt until oct 2009 that i started up my cisco track.I even lost about 8 months of studying due to simply trying to maintain a life. I feel very behind and there is still a market for someone like me out there. It WILL grow as long as we dont have WW3.

also, look around you.. how many techs do you know really going after that CCIE or even NP ? I work with 50 techs and most of them are expired CCNAs and the other are starting up CCNA to only give up after they read the book.

Kelkin...
RickRand..

stay on it.

Chmorin.. thats good to hear. Once you get enough experience, its $$$ and it sounds like your well on your way.

Kelkin

This is what I love about this site.. techs supporting and encouraging each other..

hermeszdata

The job market is something I have been trying to get a handle on as well. Having spent the past 12 years as an independant contractor providing field support has opened a few doors, but with the way the economy has been for the last 4 years, those doors seem to close more quickly than they open.

Now that I have my CCNA and CCNA;Voice the doors seem to stay open longer. On Monday, this week, I received a call to service 2 sites who had just changed ISPs (I'll post that Day in the Life fiasco in another thread

) that resulted in their requesting a proposal to re-work the networks at both sites, upgrade primary network hardware and re-work their wireless network, currently 13 low-budget APs (new switch and APs proposed), and a proposal to take over managing both sites' IT ifrastructure. Their request for the proposals came on Tuesday and I told them I would have them by the middle of next week. On Wednesday, they called requesting an expedited delivery deadline of this afternoon. I emailed those proposals @ 2:30PM today. @ 3PM I received a call from the local contact Setting up a conference call for Wednesday morning, 6 April, with the company's CEO to go over the proposals and discuss other options. I have an un-official comfirmation that those proposals will be accepted, though I am not counting those duckies yet!

There are a few other possibilities in the works as well. Hopefully the Good Buddy network will kick in and I will get some more referral business as a result.

The old saying "It's not WHAT you know, it's WHO you know that counts!" tends to be very true in a broad sense. However, in the IT industry, It's WHAT you know that puts one in the position to develop the necessary WHO YOU KNOW contacts that makes WHO YOU KNOW count!

Such is life in the slow lane!