My CCIE Journey Has Officially Begun.

jamesp1983

I have decided that it is time to pursue the first goal I had when I entered IT, the CCIE. I know its going to be an EXTREME challenge, but I'm just pushing forward and trying to stay confident. I'm going to use this thread for tracking my progress throughout my CCIE journey. I purchased the INE Ultimate bundle last week and have been studying and labbing ever since. I'm still trying to figure out what the right balance of lab vs study is at this point, but I'm just reviewing all of the ATVOD material now (over 80 hours), to refresh myself. I'm open for any suggestions on how I should balance lab vs study time. I've been running Dynamips and working with my home switches while watching the videos as a way to get more hands on. I passed BCMSN, BSCI, and ISCW back in 2008, and wrapped up ONT in August of 2010. I have been working with the equipment at my job so that has kept me fresh on a lot of the info, but I'm still studying like I'm just starting out. I research topics in the videos that I don't really remember and that seems to be really helping. I will keep this updated as a motivator and also as a way to keep track of all that I have studied when it comes time for my final review. It feels great to finally get started on this path. My wife and I worked out a schedule and I'm going to try to hit 30-36 hours a week.

My resources:
-INE Virtual Lab
-The INE workbooks
-INE Written VOD
-Routing TCP/IP, vol I.
-Home lab (a few routers and some 3550s.)
-Cisco LAN Switching by Ken Clark
-Routing and Switching, Time of Convergence?
-My CCNP Library.
-Dynamips
-Cisco.com
-INE ATVOD 4.5

Should I buy Odom's exam guide? I think the Boson Exsim for CCIE will be the next addition.

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Comments

jamesp1983

http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/cc/so/cuso/epso/sqfr/safe_wp.pdf
SAFE Blueprint. Good reading...

jamesp1983

I just read for about 3 hours. I reviewed some OSPF topics during lunch, then read some more of Chp 18 in the Exam Guide.

This week has been busy to say the least. Work has been quite hectic. I plan on getting a lot studying done this weekend.

I finally met a CCIE (# in the 17000s) and he told me to email or call him anytime I have a question. I was pretty excited about that.

Quiz: what is the default violation mode for port security?

TLeTourneau

jamesp1983 wrote: »

I just read for about 3 hours. I reviewed some OSPF topics during lunch, then read some more of Chp 18 in the Exam Guide.

This week has been busy to say the least. Work has been quite hectic. I plan on getting a lot studying done this weekend.

I finally met a CCIE (# in the 17000s) and he told me to email or call him anytime I have a question. I was pretty excited about that.

I have been receiving a lot of calls recently because of my LinkedIn profile. I have an interview Monday for a Network Engineer/Analyst position. Yesterday, an owner of a consulting company that is a Cisco partner tech interviewed me and seemed pretty interested. Also, I had a phone interview with Comcast this evening and I did really well (they asked a lot of BGP questions) and told me they would be contacting me shortly as to when we can have a face to face interview. Who knows if anything will come of it, but any of those jobs would certainly help my family's financial situation.

Good luck with the studies!

I hope the prospects work out for you.

jamesp1983 wrote: »

Quiz: what is the default violation mode for port security?

Shutdown.

jamesp1983

TLeTourneau wrote: »

Good luck with the studies!

I hope the prospects work out for you.

Shutdown.

Thanks man! Good answer!

KrisA

Thanks to people like yourself, Turgon, Reaper and I am sure many others whom I have not come across, for motivating and inspiring others to continue. I am not even on the totem pole at this point, but seeing this does create a drive. I followed some of the links, knowing I wouldn't fully comprehend it, but to get a "I want to know that" feeling. Also picking up on "styles" of learning, some of the time management practices used by others. Keep up the incredible work.

jamesp1983

KrisA wrote: »

Thanks to people like yourself, Turgon, Reaper and I am sure many others whom I have not come across, for motivating and inspiring others to continue. I am not even on the totem pole at this point, but seeing this does create a drive. I followed some of the links, knowing I wouldn't fully comprehend it, but to get a "I want to know that" feeling. Also picking up on "styles" of learning, some of the time management practices used by others. Keep up the incredible work.

Thanks man!! Glad to hear we are motivating you. Turgon is a huge help and on his way. I hope to see a post from you in the future!

jamesp1983

This week has been incredibly busy with virtualization work. A lot of after hours cutovers and fire extinguishing (until 12 - 1am). I've been watching OSPF videos during my lunch break, and studying where I can at night. The project is mostly complete so back to business as usual. This weekend is open so I intend to make up for missed time.

jamesp1983

Really enjoying these BGP labs:

BGP | Table

jamesp1983

A company that I've been interviewing with over the past 2 weeks for a network architect position has called my references and had me take a Cisco design test. It was 55 questions and allotted the candidate 2 hours to complete it. It was a nice test because it wasn't really trivia, but more of an experience based test. I felt like I did well and didn't really see anything I didn't know. I have an interview with HR and the CTO on Monday. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Company who provides the testing:

http://www.ikmnet.com/products/reporting.cfm

That link shows you the type of information these tests can provide.

TLeTourneau

Good luck!

jamesp1983

TLeTourneau wrote: »

Good luck!

Thanks man! I'm nervous.

jamesp1983

I've been labbing BGP scenarios all night. Useful test script:

tclsh
foreach address {
1.1.1.1
2.2.2.2
3.3.3.3
4.4.4.4
5.5.5.5
6.6.6.6
7.7.7.7
} { ping $address re 10 si 1500
}

Type "tclquit" to get back to enable mode.

Also, pay attention to your OSPF process ID when you are redistributing into BGP...

Also, learn the regular expressions:
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/tech/tk365/technologies_tech_note09186a00800c95bb.shtml#asregexp

jamesp1983

I studied lastnight for about 3 hours. I spent my weekend prepping for the interview that I had today today instead of CCIE over the weekend, but I was using a lot of my CCIE notes to study from so I guess i could increment the reading time counter. I knew company's history inside out and backwards. Never was I asked anything related to what I knew about them. The VP of Technology who is also an ex network engineer didn't ask me any tech questions. He said I did really well on the test they made me take and I'm a CCNP so he knows I must know my stuff. He said I'll know the decision within the week.

jamesp1983

I just wrapped up chp 18 (Security) in the exam guide. Time for MPLS. The security chapter was interesting and there is a ton of commands that I need to learn. Good night.

Turgon

jamesp1983 wrote: »

I just wrapped up chp 18 (Security) in the exam guide. Time for MPLS. The security chapter was interesting and there is a ton of commands that I need to learn. Good night.

The MPLS chapters are not the best. The book tries to cover too much and is top heavy in frame tagging examples and terminology and light on configuration examples. Be sure to look at alternative sources of information for that topic. MPLS continues to be one of the most poorly explained technologies for newbies which is why many networkers would be completely baffled if asked to design an MPLS core.

jamesp1983

Turgon wrote: »

The MPLS chapters are not the best. The book tries to cover too much and is top heavy in frame tagging examples and terminology and light on configuration examples. Be sure to look at alternative sources of information for that topic. MPLS continues to be one of the most poorly explained technologies for newbies which is why many networkers would be completely baffled if asked to design an MPLS core.

Would you recommend MPLS Fundamentals? Amazon.com: MPLS Fundamentals (9781587051975): Luc De Ghein: Books

Turgon

jamesp1983 wrote: »

Would you recommend MPLS Fundamentals? Amazon.com: MPLS Fundamentals (9781587051975): Luc De Ghein: Books

No because I haven't read it. These books seem to be recommended by a lot of CCIP hippies. All I can tell you is if the Boson for CCIP is anything to go by that whole track left me cold on my R&S MPLS prep. Far too much minutia, not enough configuration examples. Im convinced if I was a CCIP I wouldn't gain anything to help me with my MPLS work. Just use Odom for now, surf the web for free supplemental reading but *most* importantly with MPLS build scenarios from your workbooks.

jamesp1983

I read about mpls vpns at the gym and then started reading the exam guide. I need to lab some more, but my focus has been on reading. I want to wrap up the Exam Guide before heading back into labbing again. I also have to enter in all my notes into Word and mnemosyne. My plan is do to further research on each topic as I lab it. I think I will try to get through all of the vol I workbooks before taking my written. I'll probably try to sneak in a little bit of lab time at work today on MPLS. I also want to do more research on MP-BGP.

jamesp1983

Good page about MP-BGP (some VRF, mpls, etc):

BGP extended community attributes

jamesp1983

Response to my thank you email:

I enjoyed meeting you as well. Your interviews went very well and we'll be in touch this week for sure

Thank you,
PHR

I'm hoping I got it. My wife thinks the smiley was unprofessional, but i took it as a hint...

jamesp1983

Yesterday was my birthday so I just did 2 hours of multicast labbing. The wife has planned 3 days of activities for it so I'll have to sneak in studying when I can. I got a call back from the job. They want to extend me an offer, but they have to get sign off from a lot of high ranking people in the company due to the fact that I'm asking for 5k over what their "max" was. They said it could take up to 2 weeks. I hope nothing changes.

jamesp1983

Understanding Private VLANs | CCIE Blog

Great explanation and configuration example for private vlans.

"Configure host ports and bind them to the respective isolated PVLANs. Note that a host port belongs to different VLANs at the same time: downstream primary and upstream secondary."

"First comes the Primary VLAN – simply the original VLAN (VLAN 100 in our example). This type of VLAN is used to forward frames downstream from P-ports to all other port types (I and C ports). In essense, Primary VLAN entails all port in domain, but is only used to transport frames from router to hosts (P to I and C). Next comes Secondary VLANs, which correspond to Isolated and Community port groups. They are used to transport frames in the opposite direction – from I and C ports to P-port."

Secondary VLANs describe upstream communication from I,C VLAN members to the router. (client/server to router)

Config example (based on 3560):

VLAN 10
-private-vlan primary
-private-vlan association 20-22

VLAN 20
-private-vlan isolated

VLAN 21
-private-vlan community

VLAN 22
-private-vlan community

You associate your secondary VLANs with your primary VLAN via the "private-vlan association [VLAN numbers]"

Router port config:
int fa0/1
-switchport private-vlan mapping 10 (which is your primary) 20-22 (all secondaries)
-swtichport mode private-vlan promiscuous

Community port (can communicate with other ports in that community VLAN, and the promiscuous ports):
int fa0/2
-switchport private-vlan host-association 10 (primary) 22 (community type)
-switchport mode private-vlan host

Isolated port (can only communicate upstream to Promiscuous ports (ie routers), can't communicate with other isolated ports):
int fa0/5
-switchport private-vlan host-association 10 (primary) 20 (isolated vlan #)
-switchport mode private-vlan host

sh vlan private-vlan - shows port to vlan mappings. (like more focused sh vlan brief)

jamesp1983

My birthday was this past Thursday and I received some cash. I'm trying to decide what I should buy next for my CCIE studies. Here are my options:

1. 3560-24ts-e
2. 2x1841s
3. 2x2610xm's and 1 2611xm (plus wics)
4. Boson's Written Exam Prep software and Ruhann's Routing-Bits handbook. (And maybe the 2611xm)

I have 3x3550s, and all of the BB equipment already. I also have an access server. I'm currently studying for my written.

jamesp1983

Yesterday was a productive day. I purchased Ruhann's book last night. I read over some switching topics in Cisco LAN Switching by Ken Clark because I wanted a quick refresh on some switching technologies and also to check out the quality of the writing. This book is definitely worth purchasing. You can skip over a good portion of it (due to it being really old), but Ken adds some humor into the technologies, and also goes pretty deep into the subject matter. I finished the day by reading the MPLS chapter in the Exam Guide. I am going to write a post on MPLS VPNs. (RTs (import and export), RDs, VRFs, LFIB, FIB, LIB, CEs, Ps, and PEs) I figure that will help drive home all of the components.

Turgon

jamesp1983 wrote: »

Yesterday was a productive day. I purchased Ruhann's book last night. I read over some switching topics in Cisco LAN Switching by Ken Clark because I wanted a quick refresh on some switching technologies and also to check out the quality of the writing. This book is definitely worth purchasing. You can skip over a good portion of it (due to it being really old), but Ken adds some humor into the technologies, and also goes pretty deep into the subject matter. I finished the day by reading the MPLS chapter in the Exam Guide. I am going to write a post on MPLS VPNs. (RTs (import and export), RDs, VRFs, LFIB, FIB, LIB, CEs, Ps, and PEs) I figure that will help drive home all of the components.

Have you passed the written yet? You are good to go on MPLS with that stuff. If you are prepping for the written it's time for a no lifer for four weeks with the Odom end of chapter questions, the final Odom exam and the Boson exams.

jamesp1983

I haven't passed the written yet. I still have a long way to go.

Turgon

jamesp1983 wrote: »

I haven't passed the written yet. I still have a long way to go.

With 145 reading hours in you have a solid foundation. Try the practice tests now to help you out.

jamesp1983

Turgon wrote: »

With 145 reading hours in you have a solid foundation. Try the practice tests now to help you out.

I just purchased the Boson ExSim for the CCIE Written. You can actually get the test for $20 cheaper (my total was $79.99) if you bought Odom's Exam Guide and registered the Boson software from that disc. I wrapped up the MPLS chapter last night (VRF Lite was all I had left) and started the IPv6 chapter (chapter 20). I ended the night by watching some OSPF videos.

jamesp1983

I'm on page 900 in the Exam Guide. I have almost filled two complete notebooks from that guide alone. I also watched the INE Written Videos on OSPF areas as well. I still need to complete the OSPF troubleshooting video.

I made an exact replica of my company's network (routers anyway) in GNS3 and have used it to test some changes that I am hoping to implement in the coming weeks. (Huge network redesign, renumber, and upgrade) We currently use HSRP, multihomed BGP, and I added some of my own twists as well (OSPF, some redistribution, default route injection, route-maps, nat, pat). I am going to continue to work with this to add some more of what I've been studying. I'm really learning to love gns3. I can read about something and immediately go test it out and tweak it. I also started some of the boson practice tests. I'm not doing bad so that boosted my confidence some.

I also learned a good mnemonic for BGP path attribute manipulation:

"Women Laugh At Me"

Weight (adjust inbound)(highest)(affects outbound)
Local Pref (adjust inbound)(highest)(affects outbound)
AS Path (adjust outbound)(shortest (fewest AS Paths))(affects inbound)
MED aka metric (adjust outbound) (lowest)(affects inbound)

jamesp1983

Great, the job that I interviewed for 2 weeks ago just got back to me. They told me they want to hire me and stopped interviewing others for the position, but there will be a bit of a delay seeing that they were just purchased by a much larger company. They said this position needs to be filled ASAP and they are pushing it through as quickly as they can. It is a great opportunity and I will learn a lot, but it seems like it might not happen. I hope they don't freeze hiring, but they are still posting jobs on dice and other boards for other positions so it doesn't seem like they will. Anyone ever been in a situation like this?