Where do you even begin?

I've been scouring this forum for a few days, trying to get an idea just where to begin, and I'm coming up with a blank. The only thing I've really found references a list of books on cisco's website, or a list on INE's website, but those are 14+ books!

Just curious if anyone has any suggestions regarding where to start / how to come up with a plan for conquering the written, and getting into the right position to start the lab preparation.

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Turgon

bermovick wrote: »

I've been scouring this forum for a few days, trying to get an idea just where to begin, and I'm coming up with a blank. The only thing I've really found references a list of books on cisco's website, or a list on INE's website, but those are 14+ books!

Just curious if anyone has any suggestions regarding where to start / how to come up with a plan for conquering the written, and getting into the right position to start the lab preparation.

There are lots of resources to choose from, that isn't the issue. Are you prepared to give up your evenings after work and your weekend to prepare? A candidate with time to burn can clear inside 12 months but that's going some and you will need works time to do that. Those who dont are looking at 2 years +. Post written, expect 1000 hours of lab prep.

As for the written. Buy Odom's book and start with that. 200+ hours reading to clear the written. Congratulations on declaring your intentions, it's a noble pursuit!

bermovick

Yeah, I understand the time commitment and I don't see that being a problem with my working the graveyard shift. Rarely do my family's hours and mine match up, so all the time when they do not I have available. I just wasn't sure where to start. The full list of INE's books would probably set me back $700-800 and that's not pocket change for me!

reaper81

CCIE certification guide, TCP/IP volumes, Internet routing architectures, Interconnections: Bridges, Routers, Switches, and Internetworking Protocols (2nd Edition), Internetworking with TCP/IP, Vol 1 (5th Edition), TCP/IP Illustrated, Vol. 1: The Protocols, Cisco QOS Exam Certification Guide (IP Telephony Self-Study) (2nd Edition) are some of the books I have used for my prep. The cert guide is the most important to get and the TCP/IP volumes by Doyle is something every engineer should own.

Turgon

bermovick wrote: »

Yeah, I understand the time commitment and I don't see that being a problem with my working the graveyard shift. Rarely do my family's hours and mine match up, so all the time when they do not I have available. I just wasn't sure where to start. The full list of INE's books would probably set me back $700-800 and that's not pocket change for me!

Start with the Odom studyguide first. You can read CCO technology guides online for free. Then invest in the Boson tests for the written. Doyle Vol 1 and Vol 2 would be good as well.

nerdydad

Safari Books or similar and a tablet, they have just about every book you could need. Check with your employer, many companies provide a subscription to the service.

jamesp1983

Turgon wrote: »

Start with the Odom studyguide first. You can read CCO technology guides online for free. Then invest in the Boson tests for the written. Doyle Vol 1 and Vol 2 would be good as well.

I second that. The cert guide covers a lot, but you still need to supplement your reading with Doyle and CCO docs. I also found a lot of ccie pursuit blogs with excellent tech posts.

bermovick

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. I'd already ordered Doyle II, but have ordered the cert guide as well. Doyle I will have to wait for next payday.

I don't expect to get any help from my employer - they've been pretty unsupportive to this point and I don't see that changing.

Forsaken_GA

You eat the elephant one byte (pun intended) at a time.

How to pass the CCIE R&S with INE's 4.0 Training Program

That link is a pretty good guide to getting a handle on the situation, even if you decide to not go with INE.

basically, you break it down into sections. First, you focus on the core technologies, the things that absolutely have to be right in order to have a prayer at passing... after all, if you can't configure OSPF correctly in the lab, then anything that depends on OSPF working properly will also be lost points. So focus on getting the core foundation built, and then flesh out your knowledgebase to build o that.

bermovick

Yeah, I'll definitely use that as a guideline once I pass the written.

Turgon

bermovick wrote: »

Yeah, I'll definitely use that as a guideline once I pass the written.

Stick a written study thread up on the CCIE board if it's really what you want to do. You will get lots of support. You are looking at 200 hours.

ColbyG

Start with the cert guide and the blueprint. Work your way through them and move into the other recommended material as necessary.