• Read OSPF (Chapter 8, CCIE exam cert guide, 4th edition)
• Lab OSPF scenarios every OTHER day. Since there’s so much information that goes with OSPF, I want to make the majority of my studying for now reading about it, and by skipping a day of OSPF labbing, it allows me to have plenty to lab after reading about it for 2 days.
• On the “off” days from OSPF labbing (bear in mind, I’ll still be reading about it..), I’ll do light layer 2 labs to stay fresh, maybe even skim through a couple of pages from LAN Switching here and there.
• Once I finish reading OSPF from the exam cert guide, I’ll skim through TCP/IP Vol I’s coverage of it, which is huge! I’ve read through some of the chapter before in that book, but not all. Once I get this covered I’ll probably move on to the next subject.

I’d say right now I’m looking at ‘finishing’ OSPF as far as the written goes in about 7-10 days. Work will play a role too since I’m going to switch shifts soon and have less time at work to study. Either way, that brings us into April, and that means I have about 2 1/2 months of studying left from right now till taking the written. That’s not very long!

We’ll tentatively say June 15th, but I have a feeling it’ll be more like July 15th for the written. Who knows <shrug>

• Finished IP Forwarding..straightforward
• Read Chapter 7 (EIGRP)
• Labbed INE Vol I EIGRP exercises

As for the last bullet, I didn’t really catch anything “new” to be honest with EIGRP, although I did make a mental note to review any of the little tricky parts with using prefix lists. I was able to successfully configure a few for the scenarios, as well as distribute list and various route filtering in EIGRP, but I feel like there’ s a few “gotchas” that I need to review. Not prior to the written, however.

Tomorrow I’ll begin Chapter 8, OSPF. I’ll be on OSPF most likely the next 2 weeks I think. Depends how things go, but maybe longer. Along with being a long chapter on OSPF, I need a lot of practice labbing OSPF. I’d say I’m a proficient CCNP as it goes with OSPF, but not near a CCIE candidate with it. Most likely somewhere inbetween doing the OSPF reading, I will go back and read/lab some layer 2 topics to stay fresh with those, as I have a tendency to forget all the intricacies!

Night night..it’s 4:30am, nobody can say I’m not dedicated.

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.

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.

-Read up to page 85 on the CCIE Exam Cert Guide (4th edition)

-Read 10-20 pages of the BCMSN book, used it to review on some layer 2 topics that the exam cert guide didn’t go into to much detail with

-Did up to page 40′ish on the INE Volume I labs. I’ve been taking my time to make sure I have the verification commands down, and know that I’m “good” at certain technologies. This is especially important to me, since switching is doubtedly a core topic..everything else would break without it!

ip access-list log-update threshold X

I stumbled onto this command thanks to the INE ATC. By default, when you add the “log” keyword to an access-list entry, it will log the first hit, and subsequent identical hits will be logged at 5 minute intervals. Great for the real world (sometimes), not so great for the lab. I find it helpful to know one-for-one, that I have a packet passing through that meets that particular ACL. By entering this command, and putting a “1″ where the X is, it will log hits 1-for-1. Pretty helpful I think.

Anyway, back to studying. I’m now entering the world of STP, so if you don’t hear from me, send help ASAP I’ll be fine.

1. Pick a technology/area to focus on (ie: Switching)
2. Read the chapter from the CCIE exam cert guide
3. Do corresponding InternetworkExpert Volume I labs
4. Re-read if necessary, read supplemental material (ie: LAN Switching from Cisco Press)
5. Run through INE labs again and play with ‘custom’ scenarios, to make sure I have the configuration side down
6. Skim over the section as needed to stay sharp on certain topics

That’s the general idea, which will repeat for every chapter basically. I’ve read most of TCP/IP Vol I, and will probably go back to it once I get to OSPF, but for now, I want to focus, so since switching is at the beginning nof the CCIE cert guide..and a core area, I will be focusing on that for a while.

Tonight’s progress: I’ve read 40+ pages tonight (still reading) from the CCIE Exam cert guide (4th edition). Nothing really has caught me as being “new”, but I’m moving forward and trying to remember little details that could catch me on the written. In the end, though, I’m just trying hard to keep my momentum. I have a tendency to get hung up on something, or get distracted. I need to make sure I take the written for what it is, a test. I need to pass it, and lab, lab, lab. I want to know these technologies, but I also want to be functional, and I can’t get to a CCIE-level of configuration until I pass this written, which is exactly what I intend on doing. Back to reading..if I get any further I may throw up another post later.

• Check your frame switch config first. It should essentially be the following:

interface Serial3                                                               
description **INTERFACE TO R3 S1/0**                                           
no ip address                                                                  
encapsulation frame-relay                                                      
serial restart-delay 0                                                         
clockrate 64000                                                                
frame-relay lmi-type cisco    // Not necessarily required, but I like to do it just to know what’s going on. You can also disable frame-relay inverse-arp to be safe.                                                    
frame-relay intf-type dce                                                      
frame-relay route 301 interface Serial1 103                                    
frame-relay route 304 interface Serial4 403

Most people’s problem are going to come from the frame-relay route statement. Here’s how it breaks down:

frame-relay route <INCOMING DLCI> <OUTGOING INTERFACE> <OUTGOING DLCI>

So here’s the logic..think of it like you are the INTERFACE. So, for example, I would say “I am Serial3, and I’m connected to R3. If I receive any data on incoming DLCI 304, send it out interface Serial4 via DLCI 403. This would look like:

frame-relay route 304 interface Serial4 403

Now, as far as the router config on the other end..you just need a couple of things, the frame encap, IP, no shut, and that’s about it..if you’re getting a down/down, you need to check elsewhere.

Getting your cables straight:

• The FR switch should be the DCE for both layer 1 and layer 2. Your DB-60 DTE/DCE cables are labeled which end is DCE, and which is DTE. Make sure your DCE is inserted on the frame relay switch end..and inserted properly. It’s pretty easy to insert the cable upside down, but it won’t get a good connection, so be sure to check this.
• If you still have no luck, swap serial cables..if you have the same results, try a different port (on both ends)
• If you decide to switch interfaces on the frame switch, remove your old config on the old interface. If you do a “show frame pvc”, you’ll see two entries for that same DLCI, which could cause issues. Better safe than sorry.
• Finally, if you’re at a complete loss, unplug all other cables going into the frame switch, and blow out all config, and go one at a time. It’s best to keep it simple. Once you’ve verified your config is good to go on one interface, then you can duplicate that config on the other interfaces.

Best of luck. Hoped to have help a little. Just my $.02 after configuring my frame switch.

Anyway, I’m getting all of the CAT5 cable made. I’m making it all myself, to save money, and to have the cables at the proper lengths. Nothing annoys me more than seeing a rack with 20 ft of extra CAT5 when that’s not necessary. I kind of understand on serial cables..mine are longer than they need to be also, but let’s at least do a LITTLE cable management people. That being said, there’s gotta be a limit, because if you’re anything like me, you move cables around sometimes, and try new things, which is great. We’re not building a permanent rack here, it’s for training purposes- but using that as a reason to not use cable management is kind of a cop out! That aside, to some extent, I expect CCIE racks to be kind of messy, that’s part of the game..just not overly messy

Back to making the CAT5. I haven’t gotten much studying done since I’ve been busy getting the rack up in order to do IEWB Vol I again. I will surely post more once I make some process whether it be on the rack or my personal studies for the written.