I’d say I’ll be done with this chapter in the next day or so, then it’s time to move onto EIGRP finally. I’ll probably flip between labbing EIGRP and doing some layer 2 labs I think. I haven’t done any layer 2 labs from the workbooks lately, just because I’ve been focusing a lot on my reading. I’d say so far I’m abiding by my strategy of roughly 80% reading and 20% labbing for the written exam, then going to about 85% labbing and 15% reading when it comes to the lab prep. I intend on reading every blog I can get my hands on once I start the lab prep, so I can stay sharp and play with new ideas.

I will post more once I get some rest and get to lab a little bit.

I like these posts. I like writing up something that I truly believe, thinking that maybe, just maybe, whether it be tomorrow, or next week, or five years from now- that someone will be motivated or inspired by my words. So here goes.

Getting the CCIE for me isn’t an option. I have to. No, I mean, I really have to. It’s a curse sometimes. Why? I’m not the best engineer. I’m not the smartest guy. I wasn’t blessed with a family that was well off. At times, my life has been rough. I’ve worked hard to earn what I have. I make up for my lack of brilliance with cisco equipment by hard work, and perserverence. It can be a pain in the ass, knowing that I have mounds of documentation and various cisco books to read, in addition to videos and labbing..just to get on the same level as some of those Cisco guru’s out there.  I’ve decided to quit before, because of personal reasons. I came back. I will always come back, until I get the CCIE. Why? You’re going to think I’m insane, stupid, or maybe a combination…but it’s almost biological. My brain is wired in such a way that I have tunnel vision in regards to the CCIE. If I quit studying today, I would get the CCIE 10 years from now. Maybe 15. It’s really not a choice. That’s great, but it sucks sometimes too. I literally am unable to sit at home and do nothing most of the time..just ask my wife. If I’m at the doctors office waiting for an appointment, or eating lunch alone, I’m probably looking at cisco blogs on my iphone. I get home and briefly read some cisco docs or lab something real quick before dinner..THEN I study after dinner. Again, I might not be the brightest, but once I get my number, I promise that nobody will doubt whether or not I put in the work.

Where it started

As a child, I used to constantly say “I’m going to be rich”, “I’m going to do this, do that” etc. Everyone laughed..they knew it wouldn’t happen. One of my fondest memories is of my grandmother who passed away years ago- I was probably 14 years old, and said “I’m going to be a millionaire”. The laughing began in the room. My grandmother silenced everyone, looked at me in the eyes, and said “Mikey..you will do whatever you set your mind to. I promise“. That moment feels like it happened yesterday. Infact, that is the last memory I have of my grandmother.

Fast forward, I haven’t been OK with the idea of not attaining goals that I decide on. What are my goals? Well, yeah, the CCIE is a goal. I think a lot of the CCIE for me is not only the certificate, or the status, or the money- it’s kind of the validation that I can always do bigger and better things. And the CCIE is just the beginning. As I started studying the CCIE exam cert guide for the written, I already started telling myself “after I pass, which track is next?”, and by the way, it’s looking like SP. I imagine once I pass the R&S lab whenever that is, I’ll probably have a third in mind. I don’t know.

The thing is, it’s not just a cisco thing. I love what I do, and I love the technology, but I might not always be in this industry. In 10 years, I could be a double or triple CCIE, and decide that I want to get into real estate development (something I’ve thought about for a while), or try to do something even bigger than I can imagine now..I don’t know. 

The whole point I hope to pass on is, regardless of what you do, you absolutely can do it..if you want to. You have to have the passion, and the drive, and the rest will fall in place. It might not happen as soon as you’d like it, but it will happen.

Started the IP Services chapter. It’s disappointing how short the sections are for each technology. I know that the R&S written is known to not be a horrible exam or anything, but it makes me wonder if the test can really go without a word of GLBP (which only made a short paragraph explaining WHAT it is, zero configuration)..we will see.

My strategy up until this point has been following the advice of many CCIE friends:

“Read the books, pass the written, start labbing”

Not one CCIE I know has said “read the books, lab, read more, repeat..take the written, lab”, which has basically been my strategy. I think a more accurate idea of my current strategy would read like this:

“Read the books, lab enough to know how it works- but don’t read too far into it, take the written, lab more..”

We’ll see how it goes. Off to lunch then it’s back to the books, and hopefully some INE labs later.

• (4) 3550′s
• (3) 2611xm’s
• (3) 3640′s (instead of 1841′s)
• (1) 2522 (Frame switch)
• (3) 2501′s (BB routers)
• (1) 2511 (Terminal server)

If you’re familiar with Internetworkexpert’s topology, you’ll probably notice that you only really “need” two BB routers (the 2501′s). I purchased an extra simply as a backup, so I could expand the topology a little bit and have a wildcard in there if I chose to experiment a little more. All of the gear is going in a 24U rack, and I estimate I’ll have about 20U’s occupied with the gear above (plus PDU’s, and possibly a shelf).

Anyway, can’t wait for it to all arrive. In the meantime I have a lot of cleaning to do, and will be reorganizing my computer desk-area (which is no small feat!). I will post pics as the gear comes in!

I’m a huge fan of Donald Trump. Many people know this. I’m always reading something about him, I loved The Apprentice, and I always quote him. In one of his books, he mentions the fact that most people earn within 10% of their friends. The idea is, if you make a lot of money, you socialize with people who also make a lot of money. If you hang with low-lifes, you’ll be a low-life…etc. Fair enough..I believe it. Anyway, the same is true for motivation. If you place yourself around highly motivated people, you will be more likely to be motivated. Look at the top colleges in the country. Why are they the top? Because of the price? Maybe. I’d venture to say the students that go there are so high of a caliber, and motivated, that they push each other to become better. Why can’t the Cisco world be the same way? I don’t want to talk to people who are “thinking” about the CCNA for 2 yrs. I want to talk to those who are scheduling exams, and putting in the lab and book time..because THOSE are the people who motivate me. I’m not saying I dislike or don’t enjoy talking to cisco “hopefuls”, on the contrary- I love helping others. I just don’t look to that crowd for motivation.

I’m not really the type who gets super amped up about something and lets the fire die. I’d say I’m more like what you might call a “true believer”. I get a goal in my heart, and believe in it so much that I absolutely know it will happen..it’s just a matter of finding out the how to get to that point.

Anyway, at the end of the day, yes, the CCIE, and all other exams, are just that- exams. However, without motivation, you won’t go far. Maybe the CCIE is more than just knowing the technologies. Maybe it’s just as much of a test of personality as it is skills.

Cisco had a problem with cheating/braindumps

We all know it. Braindumping was running rampant (and still seems to be on the lower-level certifications). Braindumping and cheating severely devalues a certification. The individual taking the certification doesn’t learn anything, and the vendor faces a situation in which their certification doesn’t mean as much as it used to. With the prestige of the CCIE- this isn’t acceptable.

Why I think Cisco made it easier..and harder

I should make it clear- I think the purpose behind v4.0 was primarily to cut down on the cheating in the CCIE program. How better to do this, then to introduce a 2 hour troubleshooting section (and OEQ’s..which were introduced before 4.0)?? It seems that possibly- and this is speculation- the OEQ’s did help, but not as much as Cisco hoped. With the troubleshooting section included, this HAS to weed out a considerable amount of those attempting to cheat the exam.

Easier? Well, I think so..for those of us who study the material. Let’s look at it: Everyone knows that Cisco added things like MPLS/VPN to the CCIE exam. So, let me get this right, we have to troubleshoot for 2 hours, have 30 minutes to take our OEQ’s..and we have to conquer a test that already had a 10%’ish (don’t quote me) pass rate on the first try? And we only have 6 hours to handle the configuration portion…with more material? I don’t think so. It seems to me, that Cisco may have widened the river, and made it a little more shallow. When I say ‘shallow’, I mean it relatively..I’m not implying the CCIE is considerably easier, but that maybe..just maybe, the CCIE is more attainable for those who put in the work. It should also go without beind said, that the troubleshooting section means you do need to be on your game when you show up to test.

Of course, all of this is personal speculation..and ultimately, I will find out firsthand when I sit the lab exam next year.

What about all those who have failed the 4.0 exam?

I’m not trying to take anything away from those who have failed the new exam, but I can’t help but think some candidates may have jumped the gun, anxious to try the new v4.0 format. In that same note, it’s a new experience for them..new experience brings frustration, anxiety, and stress. The CCIE isn’t easy, and never was, so you can’t really blame them. I expect we’ll see more passes in the next 6 months. Only time will tell. If it continues to be this difficult, it will be interesting to see what CCIE candidates do.

Well, I’m getting back into things. My life has been very busy in the last month or so. My older brother, Dan, is getting married in less then a month, I’m getting married myself in less than 2 months, going to Jamaica for a week, etc.  That being said, it’s time to hone in and get back to basics. I’m going to start at block A, and re-read the CCIE exam cert guide (v3.0, unfortunately..I will fill in the gaps with online docs, videos, and hands on experimentation), then take the CCIE written. My tentative goal is to take it just barely after the new year. If all goes well, I’ll pass it within a couple of weeks of us breaking into 2010. I hope then to take the ONT exam quickly, and schedule the CCIE lab exam for somewhere around late 2010.  I need to get back on the horse, because for a while, I lost my focus, and got a little overconfident I think. Now that I am back in the right mindset, I need to re-focus, and assess where I stand, and get to work. Just wanted to let everyone know that I’m still rolling, albeit very slowly.

Look for an article or two to show up in the next week or two if things go right. Not sure what subject it’ll be on yet. Take care…..stay classy, san diego.