CCIE R&S round 2

So my book came in to take the written again today and its time to start going down that road. Going to look into booking the written sometime in February, depending on how things go in January. I'd like to knock it out sooner than later in order to focus on the lab.

For those that don't know, I attempted the lab close to a year ago. I did really well on switching, IGP, multicast, IP services and ok on QoS. My weak areas, which killed my exam, were IPv6, BGP, and security, which I knew going in.

Plan of attack for round 2:

full lab at the office, with remote access.
-4 x 3750-24 w/emi
-6 routers of whatever I can find (likely 2600xms, 1800s, 2800s, 3600s, 3800s) in the storage room that will run a decent IOS.
-some kind of access server for console access to it all.

6 day boot camp from INE or the 5 day from IPexpert. Already approved from work, just need to work out a date/location. Looking at around March or April. Then hit the mock labs afterward and hammer out those damn weak spots that I neglected last time.

I know there is some crying on the interwebs about how hard the new lab is but I say bring it on. Im bringing big guns this time and have learned from my shortcomings from last time (like not try to drink $1500 worth of free drinks as I will spend the whole day in the bathroom).

Another thing I am going to do differently this time around is read less "CCIE Gossip". For some reason CCIE candidates obsess over things like the CCIE numbers, what camp has the most passes over the other, what vendor is better than what, who hired who, etc etc. Its just an exam, and Im just going to study and pass the *&^@$

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Comments

networker050184

Sounds like a good plan! Good luck to you. Hopefully I will be making my first attempt sometime around your second.

jason_lunde

Atta boy! Seriously, good luck with it dude.

Ahriakin

GT-Rob wrote: »

(like not try to drink $1500 worth of free drinks as I will spend the whole day in the bathroom).

I thought you were bringing your own tea?....mind you that will go through you too

Glad to hear you're getting back on the horse. Hard to believe it's almost been a year though since we were both talking about it last, I'm getting old

GT-Rob

I know! I can't believe that I have to take the written again, it doesn't feel like its been long enough

I got home to see the I giant block of 'book' on my desk. The new CCIE book is 1000+ pages. Not something you want to drag around with you, this one is staying at home!

CCIEWANNABE

good luck man, i hope you pass this time around. I totally agree with you about candidates gossiping too much about this and that. Talk is cheap, get your head in the books, lab it up and you'll be good to go!

BTW, I am shooting for a springtime go at the lab. Going to take a bootcamp early next year but haven't figured out which one yet.

GT-Rob

Let me know which one you end up taking. I am still between the "2". In fact, maybe I'll see you there! haha. Going to aim for Chicago as I can drive there (I hate flying).

nullrouter

GT-Rob wrote: »

I know! I can't believe that I have to take the written again, it doesn't feel like its been long enough

I got home to see the I giant block of 'book' on my desk. The new CCIE book is 1000+ pages. Not something you want to drag around with you, this one is staying at home!

Good luck with it dude. Should of taken a v3 shot in 2009 though, if you had the time and funds.

nel

Rob, Good luck mate! were behind you all the way!

APA

good luck Rob

Yes the new CCIE book is one extra large piece of kit..... I'm sure a large chunk of the amazon trees are missing due to this book....

Look forward to following your progress while the rest of us work towards the same goal as well!!!

Bring on 2010 and the R&S v4.0!

SysAdmin4066

Got my book yesterday, not looking forward to CISSP amount of reading again, but it's a necessary evil. Good luck, hard work, perseverance, and anything else you need to take this one out. I was wondering when you would get back on the horse, a little while ago reading your stuff was a big motivator, as quickly as you ran through the CCNP. Go and get em!

GT-Rob

I really wish I had taken my 2nd try this year, as it would have meant not doing the written again, and doing the v3. I just ran out of motivation and steam though after the first attempt, as I had been non-stop since CCNA, and really just couldn't take getting right back on.

Hope everyone enjoys the holidays. Its back to work for a lot of us it sounds in the new year!

SysAdmin4066

It was good to take a break man, now that youre motivated again, you will knock it out this next year. No worries, you've already done the written, so you know you can do that. And you've seen the lab, which is more than most. So, you've got an idea of what is needed to accomplish this goal and you have the aptitude to accomplish it.

nullrouter

GT-Rob wrote: »

I really wish I had taken my 2nd try this year, as it would have meant not doing the written again, and doing the v3. I just ran out of motivation and steam though after the first attempt, as I had been non-stop since CCNA, and really just couldn't take getting right back on.

Hope everyone enjoys the holidays. Its back to work for a lot of us it sounds in the new year!

Understandable... I was considering packing it in, if i was going to bomb out second time round, as I thought i had cake walked the first attempt. With all the study done in 07/08 and waiting between lab attempts in 09 was just eating up waaayyy too much of my time, and we're now going into 2010, thanks to the CCIE the years have gone so quick!

GT-Rob

Things are moving along. Taking tomorrow off work to try and get through a couple of chapters I would have liked on the weekend. I think I will be aiming for late February for the written, maybe the 26th. Its a pricey exam though, so I better pass it lol.

GT-Rob

Still chugging through the written book. Started to print off the new v4 labs from INE (brings me back!), and they don't seem too bad. Just glancing through the easier ones theres not much I couldn't solve off the top of my head (obviously struggle with the new stuff). I tell you having done this all before REALLY makes things easier this time around.

On the company's dime I have also purchased NMC's troubleshooting videos. I decided this instead of INE's offerings as they seem to be all over the place these days, and I like that NMC is focused on the one track (and the fact they are supported by Cisco). One thing I will say though is NMC is not cheap. I don't think I would be able to justify the cost if I were paying the bill.