TSHOOT Journey & Preparation

tomaifauchaitomaifauchai Member Posts: 301 ■■■□□□□□□□
I'll sit the TSHOOT exam this friday and i built a list of the common problems i could face in the exam and based on the Boson ticketing system, i will share my experience and what strategy i plan to use for the exam.

Layer 1 (down/down)
  1. sh ip int br (Check for UP/*)
  2. sh int X/X (Check for errdisable)
  3. sh port-s or sh port s
  4. sh run int X/X
  5. Check the other side state
    1. (For frame-relay, compare PVC's VS Interface)

Layer 2 (up/down)
  1. sh vlan br
    1. Access VLAN's in right slot
    2. Trunk interfaces transparent
  2. sh int trunk
    1. Allowed, pruned, active
  3. sh run int X/X
    1. Port Security
    2. PACL (Mac access-lists)
    3. Encapsulation & Switchport mode
    4. Frame-relay
  4. sh ether br & sh run
    1. Check for etherchannel configuration
    2. Check for negotiation and interface assignment

Layer 3 (up/up)
  1. Combination of PING/Traceroute
  2. sh ip route
  3. Check VLAN access-map and ip access-lists
  4. Check ip routing is enabled for L3 switches

Routing problems (EIGRP)
  1. sh ip eigrp neigh
  2. sh run int X/X
    1. Check for weird summary
    2. Check for Authentication parameters
  3. sh run | inc router
    1. Check for AS number
    2. Check for auto-summary
    3. Check for all networks
    4. Check for redistribute static
    5. Check for metric weights
    6. Check if default-metric is present if redistributing OSPF

Routing problems (OSPFv2)
  1. sh ip ospf neigh
  2. sh run int X/X
    1. Check for weird hello interval
    2. Check for Authentication parameters
  3. sh run | inc router
    1. Check for areas number
    2. Check for area type mismatch
    3. Check for all networks
    4. Check for default inf orig always
    5. Check for "subnets" keyword if redistributing EIGRP

Routing problems (BGP)
  1. Check neighbor IP and remote-as
  2. Check network statement match an existing route in the routing table

Routing problems (OSPFv3)
  1. Check ipv6 unicast-routing is enabled
  2. Check ipv6 interface declarations of both sides

Redistribution
  1. Check EIGRP default-metric statement
  2. Check OSPF subnets keyword
  3. Check route-map name
  4. Check match statement for correct ACL
  5. Check ACL statements
  6. Implicit permit statement of a route-map isn't important

HSRP
  1. Check standby group & ip
  2. Check priority VS higher IP address (default 100)
  3. Check prempt
  4. Check track decrement (default 10)

NAT
  1. Check ip nat inside/outside for correct interfaces
  2. Check ip nat pool
  3. Check nat access-list
  4. Check for overload missing

GRE Tunnel
  1. Default mode is gre ip
  2. Check tunnel source match egress ipv4 interface
  3. Check tunnel dest match ipv4 neighbor
  4. Check neighbor tunnel mode
  5. Check for ipv6 ip address applied to tunnel interface

DHCP
  1. Check SVI's or Routed ports helper-address
  2. Check excluded-address pool
  3. Check network and default-router params


The hint i found to memorize the logging severity
  1. Logging messages shortcut from low-to-high severity (DIN-WECA-E)
    1. Emergencies
    2. Alerts
    3. Critical
    4. Errors
    5. Warnings
    6. Notifications
    7. Informational
    8. Debugging


I hope i'm not missing much and maybe this could be helpful for someone else. If you have something i could add to this pattern, please post it !
I wonder if i can abort the tickets in the exam ?
So when stuck, i guess it is a bit helpful to verify what you suspect being the problem from another ticket configuration.

If so, i think i will take this approach mixed to bottom-up method from client pc to L3 Switches and divide-and-conquer from L3 Switches through server.


Cheers

Comments

  • Chris_Chris_ Member Posts: 326
    You can abort the tickets in the exam. Kevin Wallace was talking about it ina web cast. So, once you narrow it down to a device and think you know the problem, you can abort, then check the 'good' config on another ticket. Cisco have allowed this as they see checking baseline configs as a valid troueshooting method.
    I see google as a valid Troubleshooting method, wonder if it's allowed ;)
    Going all out for Voice. Don't worry Data; I'll never forget you
    :study: CVoice [X] CIPT 1 [ ] CIPT 2 [ ] CAPPS [ ] TVOICE [ ]
  • AkiiiAkiii Member Posts: 80 ■■□□□□□□□□
    I'm taking the exam tomorrow, check out this

    TSHOOT Demo Item
  • stuh84stuh84 Member Posts: 503
    You may be overthinking it a bit to be honest.

    My strategy was simple, if the question says "the user can't reach the web server", just ping from each device starting at the web server, and when the pings dont work, then its either that device or the device upstream that is causing the problem.

    If you've got the knowledge from the routing and switching exams and labbed them up enough, the TSHOOT should be a piece of cake.
    Work In Progress: CCIE R&S Written

    CCIE Progress - Hours reading - 15, hours labbing - 1
  • chmorinchmorin Member Posts: 1,446 ■■■■■□□□□□
    Still, it is nice to see a collection of basic steps to further narrow down the problem. It's not like he can bring this in with him during the test, he was just writing down for a reference. I think that is a good thing to do and have.
    Currently Pursuing
    WGU (BS in IT Network Administration) - 52%| CCIE:Voice Written - 0% (0/200 Hours)
    mikej412 wrote:
    Cisco Networking isn't just a job, it's a Lifestyle.
  • stuh84stuh84 Member Posts: 503
    This is true. I just worry a lot of people look at the TSHOOT as if its going to be this massive mountain to climb, only to find they either spent weeks/months preparing for it when it can really be done very soon after doing the other two CCNP exams, or overcomplicating it to the point were simple methods to check get missed.
    Work In Progress: CCIE R&S Written

    CCIE Progress - Hours reading - 15, hours labbing - 1
  • chmorinchmorin Member Posts: 1,446 ■■■■■□□□□□
    stuh84 wrote: »
    This is true. I just worry a lot of people look at the TSHOOT as if its going to be this massive mountain to climb, only to find they either spent weeks/months preparing for it when it can really be done very soon after doing the other two CCNP exams, or overcomplicating it to the point were simple methods to check get missed.

    That is a great point to get out there. If you go into these exams expecting all worse-case complex scenarios then you are likely to miss the simple issue that could of been fixed and found in minutes.
    Currently Pursuing
    WGU (BS in IT Network Administration) - 52%| CCIE:Voice Written - 0% (0/200 Hours)
    mikej412 wrote:
    Cisco Networking isn't just a job, it's a Lifestyle.
  • kryollakryolla Member Posts: 785
    just to clarify for layer 2 you can have an up/up state and still have issues, I would also add spanning tree issues for layer 2 check
    Studying for CCIE and drinking Home Brew
  • tomaifauchaitomaifauchai Member Posts: 301 ■■■□□□□□□□
    thanks for the comments, i've built it mainly to do some review before the exam since it is easy to forget about details and i'm the kinda guy who love to have a structured approach before doing something because i'm easily distracted :P

    @Kryolla
    For the Layer 2 up/up, are you referring at a working connectivity but problems at upper layers or something i couldn't know about the blueprint? I'm thinking about things like duplex mismatch or native vlan mismatch
    It could be nice if you have some examples and thanks for the spanning-tree
  • nicklauscombsnicklauscombs Member Posts: 885
    whats nice is if you study the topology before going in its pretty easy to narrow down what they possibly could ask you and where the problem lies.

    good luck!
    WIP: IPS exam
  • Ryan82Ryan82 Member Posts: 428
    Pretty much echoing what Stuh84 said, but one small thing that I did first was on the PC client I would do an ipconfig to ensure it has received an IP address from the DHCP server and if so then start pings to the distant end and stepping it back. If not, you know you need to hone in on something between your client pc and the dhcp server.

    Remember this exam is about paying attention to the details.

    If you can't figure out a ticket in 10 minutes move on to the next one and come back when you have knocked out the easy ones.

    Good luck
  • okplayaokplaya Member Posts: 199
    Good luck today! Although I have no Cisco certifications yet, I do "TSHOOT" every day at work. I think you have a pretty good foundation and should be able to discover most issues with your approach. My only advice, while probably too late, is to remember the basics. Too often I find myself delving way too deep on tickets without checking the basics.
  • tomaifauchaitomaifauchai Member Posts: 301 ■■■□□□□□□□
    CCNP Certified !
    642-832 -> PASS!!

    The exam was a very good experience overall but there was a bug on 1 ticket. Without disclosing what was it, i can say you can find a way to "bypass" this bug by checking if the options needed are elsewhere on the topology.

    I'd like to thank all the TE community for the great infos and great people in the forums. I'm currently from 1 exam away to start my CCIE quest and it's fun to write and read here everydays! :)
  • billyrbillyr Member Posts: 186
    kryolla wrote: »
    just to clarify for layer 2 you can have an up/up state and still have issues, I would also add spanning tree issues for layer 2 check

    Good point. For layer 1 a fast ethernet port will also show as UP/Down even when no cable is connected as long as you have the no shut command on the interface.
  • hermeszdatahermeszdata Member Posts: 225
    CCNP Certified !
    642-832 -> PASS!!

    The exam was a very good experience overall but there was a bug on 1 ticket. Without disclosing what was it, i can say you can find a way to "bypass" this bug by checking if the options needed are elsewhere on the topology.

    I'd like to thank all the TE community for the great infos and great people in the forums. I'm currently from 1 exam to start my CCIE quest and it's fun to write and read here everydays! :)

    Congrats on the pass!

    I know I am a bit late chiming in on the original content, but I would like to offer this general troubleshooting tip. Having spent many years as a electronics technicial/engineer doing bench repairs and prototyping of circuits, I adopted a Divide and Conquer approach to troubleshooting. I have found this approach the fastest way to a solution. as applied to network troubleshooting the steps are as follows:
    1. Check the source host config to insure correct.
    2. Ping Destination IP.
    3. If Ping Fails , tracert from source to destination to get indication of point of failure.
    4. Ping path midpoint IP halfway between source and destination.
    5. This is where we branch:
      • If pass, ping ip address between midpoint and destination and repeat as necessary.
      • If fail, ping ip address betwen source and midpoint IP and repeat as necessary.
    Basically, the idea is to start by cutting the topology in half to try to isolate which half is the source of the problem. Then cutting the halves in half and repeating until we narrow down the device causing the problem.
    Pings/tracert are cheap from a time cost standpoint, and there is always the possibility that the problem is on the first connected device, i.e. a switch vlan/trunk config issue. However, from a real world standpoint, trouble tickets arise as a result of a failure of a formally functional network.
    John
    Current Progress:
    Studying:
    CCNA Security - 60%, CCNA Wireless - 80%, ROUTE - 10% (Way behind due to major Wireless Project)
    Exams Passed:
    CCNA - 640-802 - 17 Jan 2011 -- CVOICE v6 - 642-436 - 28 Feb 2011
    2011 Goals
    CCNP/CCNP:Voice
  • mikej412mikej412 Member Posts: 10,086 ■■■■■■■■■■
    PASS!!
    Congratulations on the PASS!! icon_cheers.gif

    Congratulations on the CCNP!! icon_cheers.gif
    :mike: Cisco Certifications -- Collect the Entire Set!
  • *BB**BB* Member Posts: 95 ■■□□□□□□□□
    Congrats!!
    Procrastinator extraordinaire
  • tomaifauchaitomaifauchai Member Posts: 301 ■■■□□□□□□□
    Congrats on the pass!
    1. This is where we branch:
      • If pass, ping ip address between midpoint and destination and repeat as necessary.
      • If fail, ping ip address betwen source and midpoint IP and repeat as necessary.
    Basically, the idea is to start by cutting the topology in half to try to isolate which half is the source of the problem.

    Quality! So this is a full Divide-and-conquer method.
    When i get into a newer device, i always ping the neighbor device facing the cloud direction so then i'm sure layer 3 is working. I go then directly to sh ip route!
    I will bring your method in my handbag!
  • NOC-NinjaNOC-Ninja Member Posts: 1,403
    CCNP Certified !
    642-832 -> PASS!!

    The exam was a very good experience overall but there was a bug on 1 ticket. Without disclosing what was it, i can say you can find a way to "bypass" this bug by checking if the options needed are elsewhere on the topology.

    I'd like to thank all the TE community for the great infos and great people in the forums. I'm currently from 1 exam away to start my CCIE quest and it's fun to write and read here everydays! :)
    How long did it took you to study
    ROUTE?
    SWITCH?
    and
    TSHOOT?
  • tomaifauchaitomaifauchai Member Posts: 301 ■■■□□□□□□□
    I took 2 months to study & lab ROUTE
    1 month for switch
    2 weeks for tshoot (Skipped most of the book)

    But i am a full time student with plenty of time and i can pass around 15 to 20 hours per week studying Cisco. ( Starting MPLS now!! )
    I usually take 1 month per exam (70-85 hours) and for the whole CCNP i would say i've spent 200 hours of study without any doubts
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