The other David's CCIE: R+S Thread

davidspirovalentine

Hi Team,

Like many of the other aspiring CCIE's here on TechExams I have decided to start a thread to track my CCIE progress. I have abandoned my blog in favour of this post and will be using it as my main outlet to tell the world how my CCIE preparation is going, so I will be sure to keep it up to date.

Firstly, just a little about me. I have been in the networking industry for the last 5 years working my way up from a help-desk support engineer (answering dial up queries and sorting out simple end user issues) to the senior network engineer I am today (doing cool stuff like working with WAAS optimization, Unified Comms and other awesome Cisco tech). I first achieved my CCENT about four years ago and my CCNA shortly after. I finished the CCNP and CCIP while I was working at an ISP here in Papua New Guinea. I have recently moved to a Cisco Partner here in PNG and they would like me to get my CCIE (and become the countries first while I am at it in order to aid our marketability). The feeling is mutual as I believe this is the next logical step in my career, to be honest I am really looking forward to it. I also know that the folks here at TE will help me get back on my feet if I drop the ball .

Now for the interesting stuff, here is what my Lab looks like (it is basically the INE v4.0 topology):

1x Cisco 2511-RJ (Access Server)
2x Cisco 2610XM
1x Cisco 2611XM
1x Cisco 2522
2x Cisco 2501
3x Cisco 1841
4x Cisco 3560

I have the following study material:

INE CCIE Routing & Switching Advanced Technologies Class
INE CCIE Routing & Switching Lab Preparation Bootcamp
INE CCIE R&S Advanced Troubleshooting 5 day Bootcamp v5
INE CCIE R&S Written
CBT Nuggets CCIE Certification Package (part of the office library)
CCIE Routing and Switching Exam Certification Guide
About 50-60% of the official book list (again, part of the office library)

My plan is to go slowly through the official exam certification guide while doing practicals on the lab equipment for everything (even stuff I understand). I will also be using the material on the book list should there be any areas (and I am sure there are a few) where the official guide doesn't go 'deep' enough into a topic.

My exam dates are as follows:

CCIE Written: 01/12/2012
CCIE Lab: Middle of July next year

Regardless of whether or not Cisco announces changes to the v4.0 blueprint early next year I am still going to push forward seeing as I now know where I stand. I will take my first shot (and hopefully my only shot...) at the CCIE:R&S Lab in July next year (which might be just before the v5.0 roll out...).

Wish me luck

Kind Regards,
David

ChooseLife

Good luck on the journey! It will be an awesome feeling to be the first in the country!

P.S. Who's the other David? :P

jamesp1983

Good luck on your journey. I look forward to reading about your progress.

davidspirovalentine

@ChooseLife - Thanks, I'm really psyched about it. I hope I am the first (because nobody really remembers the guy that came second...)

@jamesp1983 - Thanks, I'm going to need all the luck I can get

davidspirovalentine

Update 1:

Watched the following videos from the INE Written material (very high level):

1 Introduction 0h 22m
2 VLANs,Trunking and VTP 0h 27m
3 Spanning Tree Protocol 0h 41m
4 EtherChannel 0h 08m
5 Frame Relay 0h 10m
6 IPv4 Routing Overview 0h 09m
7 RIP 0h 26m
8 EIGRP 0h 46m

I will be watching the OSPF, BGP and IPv6 Videos over the weekend, once the INE Written videos are done I will be hitting the books, starting with the official exam curriculum

Kind Regards,
David

gorebrush

@ChooseLife - I am the "other" David

I started blogging and contemplating the CCIE ages ago but abandoned it. I am itching for something now, but just don't know what to do.........

davidspirovalentine

@Gorebrush - Before I blatantly tell you to start studying again I would like to understand why you stopped... What made you stop? Are you going to try again soon?

davidspirovalentine

Update 2:

Finished the written videos from INE. I am starting the book tomorrow night

ChooseLife

gorebrush wrote: »

@ChooseLife - I am the "other" David

Hi, nice to meet you

Zartanasaurus

gorebrush wrote: »

@ChooseLife - I am the "other" David

There can be only one!

davidspirovalentine

You guys are hilarious

MrBrian

Good luck to you. First CCIE for an entire country, perhaps? Nice

gorebrush

davidspirovalentine wrote: »

@Gorebrush - Before I blatantly tell you to start studying again I would like to understand why you stopped... What made you stop? Are you going to try again soon?

Well I stopped because there was a lot of transition going on at work so I felt that the timing was poor.

Since then I've pondered on what to do, but decided to stop the CCIE whilst I see what's going on. If I were to go for it now, I'm not sure what i'd end up doing work wise. I'd like to think that I could get a very well paid job for the company I am working for and move into Enterprise Networking, but I'm just not sure the posts exist.

I live 10 minutes from work so my cost of fuelling my car is low.

I dunno, tempted to go and do it again now though and see where it takes me...

davidspirovalentine

@MrBrian - thanks for the encouragement

@Gorebrush - Okay, I understand where you are coming from... To be honest after I finished my CCNP I sat in a 'comfort zone' until just recently where my company and mentor have put huge pressure on me to pursue the CCIE. If you can go for it on your own I suggest you start studying again (just a friendly push...). You never know where it can take you

gorebrush

davidspirovalentine wrote: »

You never know where it can take you

That is the thing....

davidspirovalentine

Update 3:

Pretty excited about starting the book tonight...

I have started reading it before but I always stopped because prior to this I did't have a lab to play with now that I have my 4x3560s to play with I am going to breeze through the LAN chapters

davidspirovalentine

Update 4:

Finished the first chapter, going through slowly and labbing all the way. Will be doing the second chapter tonight

davidspirovalentine

Update 5:

Okay... I have stopped studying for a month as I have a trip to Sydney to work on a voip project... I will get back to studying as soon as I get back...

I'm also thinking of checking out Narbiks course in Sydney...

davidspirovalentine

Update 6:

Went through chapters 3 and 4 last night. Good review on subnetting, I think my speed dropped a little so I will be hitting subnettingquestions.com - Free Subnetting Questions and Answers Randomly Generated Online for a few days to get my speed back.

I have booked my Narbik course for the November 5th to 9th in Sydney Australia so I'm looking forward to that

Tonight is Chapter 5 IP Services

davidspirovalentine

Update 7:

Chapter 5 done... So tired... Chapter 6 tomorrow night... Zzzzzzzzzzz

gorebrush

Looks like you are at least making some progress.

That is excellent!

I am hoping to pick this all up again soon.

davidspirovalentine

@gorebrush - Thanks for the support, yes you do need to get back to it

Update 8:

Enjoying my time in Sydney building my first full blown CUCM install

Haven't been near the books lately but will definitely need to pick up again as I need to be ready for the Narbik course in November.

Tracking along slowly...

davidspirovalentine

Update 9:

Took the ferry to Manly yesterday... Really enjoying my time in Sydney... haven't studied at all... need to get back to the books...

davidspirovalentine

Update 10:

Doing chapter 6 tonight...

In addition to this I will also be installing my CCIE Lab into the 42 RU cabinet at work. That is going to be fun

davidspirovalentine

Update 11: Haven't had the time to update my thread because the other network engineer (yes there are only two of us) has left the company... So I have been really busy.

I am up to Chapter 10 now, just reviewing BGP

I should have the book finished by the end of this month so that I can hammer away at the labs (Narbik's Workbook) before I attend the class in November...

Happy studying everyone

davidspirovalentine

Update 12:

Still haven't found a replacement for the other engineer...

Read chapter 15 last night, brushed up on frame relay and PPP, HDLC topics... Reading all about multicast tonight

davidspirovalentine

Update 12:

Back from Narbiks Bootcamp!

Studying Security tonight Chapter 18...

davidspirovalentine

back on the books... Watching the ATC videos from INE at the moment. Using the INE Rack rentals as my rack was torn apart to cater for the two trainees that joined the company a couple months ago.

been pretty flat out but back on the books again...

happy studying!!!

davidspirovalentine

Just finished the majority of the STP videos...

Will be starting the INE Work Book 1 tomorrow afternoon with a rack rental from INE.

I will let you all know how I go

NB: I tried streaming a CCNP Voice video today across my wimax link at home and it wasn't that bad... might get the INE All Access Pass...

deronadd

Hey just stopped by to wish you the best of luck with your studies and to ask a quick question. I recently began reading CCIE level books and topics I once knew in detail from my CCNP studies I feel less confident with, especially BGP. Are the ATC videos a detailed refresher or would you recommend reading the cert guides again?

davidspirovalentine

Hi Deronadd,

The ATC's are definately a good, detailed refresher however to be honest if I was you I would grab the topic specific books like IRA for BGP and the MPLS Fundamentals for MPLS. They really dive deep into the core of the topics and I am using the INE Videos as a refresher (as you mentioned).

The CCIE booklist is pretty neat and the expanded blue print on INE's site is AWEsome!

CCIE R/S 4.X Expanded Study Blueprint

I am crossing off the items on the INE list as it is more thorough.

Are you starting the CCIE:R&S track or just reading through the material?

Thanks for the luck, I'm definitely going to need it