Mr. Configure

Free DESGN (CCDA) Beta Class in Raleigh, N.C., August 30 – September 3, 2010

2010-08-02T19:24:00.002-04:00

Wish I could attend, but as I can't hopefully some of you can.

Learning@Cisco is seeking students to attend a free beta class for the new Designing for Cisco Internetwork Solutions (DESGN) course. This course prepares students for the Cisco Certified Design Associate (CCDA) certification.

DATES: August 30 – September 3, 2010
TIME: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily
LOCATION: Fast Lane training facility, Raleigh, N.C.
COST: Class provided at no cost; however, students must pay for their own food, travel, and lodging.
REQUIREMENTS: Prospective DESGN beta students should have a current CCNA certification in addition to SWITCH (BCMSN) certification or equivalent knowledge.

Register Now! Class size is limited, so registration is on a first come, first served basis. If you meet the requirements and are available to attend all five days of the class, please forward this email to jebush@cisco.com.

CCIE R&S v4.0 Lab Exam Demo

2010-06-14T02:25:00.004-04:00

After passing the CCIE R&S Written qualification exam over 1 week ago, I have been busy tending to post celebratory duties, which include scheduling the Lab and finalizing a solid study schedule. With regards to the latter, some research was required, which led me to watch an interesting video from The Human Network. This video is an overview of the CCIE Lab 4.0 interface one might expect to see at lab time.

CCIE R&S v4.0 Lab Exam Demo (12:40 min)
This demo will familiarize candidates with the online interface that has replaced paper exams, which presents the virtual topology, test questions, documentation and tools. Strongly recommended for all candidates.

The main page can be found here.

Passed the Written today....

2010-06-02T15:46:00.056-04:00

As the title states, I passed the Written today...

My Background:
Approximately 4 years in networking, 9 years in IT.
CCNA, with no higher level certs.
5 months of preparation for this exam.

Thoughts:
I can't tell you if it was a fair or unfair exam. You either know enough to pass, or you don't. I can, however, tell you about the prep material I used and whether they were worth it or not. So, in rating these materials, I'll use the 5 ping scale (borrowed from Sean E. Connelly) with 5 being the best. (These are listed in no particular order.)

Materials:
1. CCIE Routing & Switching Certification Guide, Fourth Edition
It's tough to aggregate all the information that the CCIE R&S blueprint covers, but Odom & friends (Healy & Donohue) have done it (for the most part).

Positives:
In this tome is over 95% of the information you will need to pass the Written. However, your ability to retain all that information is the real challenge. The book can't help you there, but at least the information is aggregated in one central location. It's really the best bang for your buck.

Negatives:
The book contains almost everything you need, but not everything. Some topics are a little too light. But, I'm not sure how much better a book can get when the test is updated at a faster rate. The Boson questions that came with this book are sub-par for testing purposes, and I cannot recommend them to anyone in that regard. Perhaps you could use them to retain some info, but I believe you are better off creating flashcards in Mnemosyne.

Rating:
4 pings out of 5
!!!.!

2. Boson ExSim-Max for Cisco 350-001 v4.0
For the money, this is the best test engine out there. I tried three but only mention two, if you count INE's.

Positives:
There are three exams (A, B, & C) contained in it, and I found the information to be detailed and accurate. The questions have great explanations which are all cited, and many of which are cited directly from Cisco's website.

Negatives:
None of the practice tests I took matched the overall difficulty level of actual exam, including this test engine. I also wish some of the book sources they used were derived from CCIE Routing & Switching Certification Guide, Fourth Edition versus whatever edition they used.

Rating:
4 pings out of 5
!!!.!

3. INE's CCIE Routing & Switching Written Exam
I wouldn't purchase this bootcamp again unless I had no desire to read CCIE Routing & Switching Certification Guide, Fourth Edition. Even with a discount, it cost too much.

Positives:
If you're not a reader, this bootcamp is for you. Anthony Sequeira will walk you most of the technologies on the blueprint. The topics are broken down into separate modules, which is convenient. He periodically updates the bootcamp with newer modules. Also, there are two test banks, one with 100 questions, and another with 40 (at last count). Test bank two gets updated. These are online based, but have no explanations.

Negatives:
It cost too much. Also, the depth for some of the modules felt more like CCNA or CCNP level modules versus CCIE. The BGP module was like this, for example. Prior to the exam, I assumed he was trying to bring the bootcamp more in line with the actual test. Then I took the exam.

Rating:
3 pings out of 5
!.!.!

4. R&S Short-Notes v4
Remember when I said, "I'm not sure how much better a book can get when the test is updated at a faster rate,"? Scratch that. Ruhann's R&S Short-Notes delivers.

Positives:
Covers the full CCIE R&S blueprint with configuration examples and reference links. It's pretty sick how thorough it is. I read the entire book. Also, he updates it and sends out the updates at no further cost.

Negatives:
Well, none, unless you bought this product as an OEQ buster.

Rating:
5 pings out of 5
!!!!!

I'd like to rate the DocCD, but that pretty much speaks for itself. Know this, you will need it. I'll post some of the links I used in my studies in another post.

That's pretty much it. Now it's time to go to work!

For those who needed to hear Cisco say it...

2010-05-09T01:55:00.003-04:00

Core Knowledge Questions Removed for CCIE R&S and Voice Lab Exams

With more than six months of exam results now available, Cisco is able to report that the troubleshooting components of the CCIE R&S v4.0 and CCIE Voice v3.0 lab exams are performing well in validating expert level networking skills. Considering these results, Cisco has decided to eliminate the Core Knowledge questions from the current CCIE R&S v4.0 and CCIE Voice v3.0 Lab Exams. Beginning on May 10, 2010, CCIE R&S and CCIE Voice Lab Exams, in all global locations, will no longer include the four open-ended Core Knowledge questions. The total lab time will remain eight hours. For the CCIE R&S Lab Exam, this means candidates will begin with the two-hour Troubleshooting section, followed by a six-hour Configuration section. For CCIE Voice, candidates will have the full eight hours to complete the integrated exam. At this time, only the R&S and Voice tracks will be eliminating the Core Knowledge questions.

OEQs: You're Out!

2010-05-06T11:43:00.012-04:00

OEQs are going the way of the Dodo on May 10, 2010.

The information is from a Cisco CCIE Quarterly Call, but
you can read more here:

Bye-Bye Core Knowledge Section!
Cisco Announces OEQs (Core Knowledge) Gone May 10th for R&S and Voice Labs

It will be very interesting to see how the the remaining sections will
now stack up, and also how the vendors change their approach.

UPDATE:

The sections are projected as follows:

* Troubleshooting - 2 hours
* Configuration - 6 hours

Good fun!

Packet Pushers

2010-05-04T10:04:00.007-04:00

As I was cleaning up the leftovers from building a Juniper Olive using a Nokia IP440, I saw a new blog posting for:

Packet Pushers Podcast

Greg Ferro, Ethan Banks, and Dan Hughes, all CCIEs, have joined forces to deliver a weekly podcast on the Networking industry.

I just finished the first "Lab Scenario" or podcast, and I thought it was pretty good. I jotted a few of the things I liked about it below.

- Great mix of topics
- Knowledge shows but isn't overwhelming to novice-levels
- Good moderation
- It's not delivered by Cisco, which allows for a different (re: non-marketing based) perspective.

Surfing

2010-04-03T18:18:00.007-04:00

I bumped into a Spanish blog post a while ago which was pretty cool:
CCIE en Español

The blog posting contained some great links, which pointed in the direction of two blogs I like:

1. Routing Bits : Which, if you didn't already know, has probably the best "Notes-style Prep"
I've ever seen, including the Cisco Press version. (And yes, I did purchase a copy.)

CCIE R&R Short-notes

2. 111 Articles to Help You Pass the CCIE Routing and Switching Lab Exam: Another great review for when your tired and want a quick read on various subjects. Excellently organized and sourced from the CCIE Study Wiki.

Expansion of CCIE Routing and Switching Lab v4.0 Blueprint

2010-03-27T22:03:00.003-04:00

Cisco has released an expanded version of their Lab Exam blueprint.

You can login to see it (https://learningnetwork.cisco.com/docs/DOC-6864)
or have a look below.

CCIE Routing and Switching

Expansion of Routing and Switching Lab v4.0 Blueprint

Detailed Checklist of Topics to Be Covered

Please be advised that this topic checklist is not an all-inclusive list of Cisco CCIE Routing and Switching lab exam subjects. Instead, we provide this outline as a supplement to the existing lab blueprint to help candidates prepare for their lab exams. Other relevant or related topics may also appear in the actual lab exam.

We would like to get your feedback please comment and/or rate this document.

1.0	Implementing Layer 2 Technologies Configuring and Troubleshooting Layer 2 Technologies
1.01	Frame Relay
1.01.1	Frame Relay Multipoint Links on a Physical Interface Using Inverse ARP
1.01.2	Frame Relay Multipoint Links on a Physical Interface Without Using Inverse ARP
1.01.3.	Frame Relay Multipoint Link on a Subinterface Using Inverse ARP
1.01.4.	Frame Relay Multipoint Link on a Subinterface Without Using Inverse ARP
1.01.5.	Frame Relay Point-to-Point Subinterfaces
1.01.6.	PVC with a Multipoint Interface on One Side and a Subinterface on the Other Side
1.01.7.	Authentication on a Frame Relay Link Using PPP
1.2	Catalyst Configuration
1.2.01.	Trunks Using an Industry-Standard Encapsulation
1.2.02.	Trunks Using a Cisco Proprietary Encapsulation
1.2.03.	Creating, Deleting, and Editing VLANs
1.2.04.	VTP in Client/Server Mode
1.2.05.	VTP in Transparent Mode
1.2.06.	VTP Authentication
1.2.07.	VTP Pruning
1.2.08.	Controlling VLANs That Cross a Trunk
1.2.09.	Optimizing STP by STP Timers
1.2.10.	PortFast
1.2.11.	Loop Guard
1.2.12.	BPDU Guard
1.2.13.	BPDU Filters
1.2.14.	UplinkFast
1.2.15.	BackboneFast
1.2.16.	MSTP
1.2.17.	Selecting the Root Bridge for VLANs in a PVST Environment
1.2.18.	Selecting the Root Bridge for an MST Instance in an MST Environment
1.2.19.	Setting the Port Priority to Designate the Forwarding Ports
1.2.20.	EtherChannel Using an Industry-Standard Protocol
1.2.21.	EtherChannel Using a Cisco Proprietary Protocol
1.2.22.	Disabling Protocols on the EtherChannel
1.2.23.	Load-Balancing Type on the EtherChannel
1.2.24.	SNMP Management on the Switch
1.2.25.	Telnet and SSH Management on the Switch
1.2.26.	Controlling Inbound and Outbound Telnet on the Switch
1.2.27.	Regular and Smart Macros
1.2.28.	Switch Banners
1.2.29.	UDLD
1.2.30.	Switch Virtual Interfaces (SVIs) for IP Routing
1.2.31.	Router on a Stick
1.2.32.	SPAN
1.2.33.	RSPAN
1.2.34.	IP Routing on the Switch Using RIPv2, EIGRP, OSPF, and BGP
1.2.35.	IP Phones to Connect to the Catalyst Switch
1.2.36.	Dot1q Tunneling
1.3	Other Layer 2 Technologies
1.3.1.	HDLC
1.3.2.	PPP
1.3.3.	PPP over Ethernet
2.0	Implementing IPv4 Configuring and Troubleshooting IPv4
2.1.	IPv4 Addressing
2.1.1.	IPv4 Addressing
2.1.2.	IPv4 Subnetting
2.1.3.	IPv4 VLSM
2.2.	OSPFv2
2.2.01.	OSPF on a Broadcast Multicast Access Network (Ethernet)
2.2.02.	OSPF over a Frame Relay Multipoint Network by Changing Network Types
2.2.03.	OSPF over a Frame Relay Multipoint Network by Using the neighbor Command
2.2.04.	OSPF over a Frame Relay Point-to-Point Network
2.2.05.	Virtual Links
2.2.06.	Stub Areas
2.2.07.	Totally Stubby Areas
2.2.08.	NSSA Areas
2.2.09.	NSSA and Stub Areas
2.2.10.	NSSA and Totally Stubby Areas
2.3.	EIGRP
2.3.1.	Basic EIGRP
2.3.2.	Passive Interfaces
2.3.3.	EIGRP Stub on Routers and Switches
2.3.4.	EIGRP Update—Bandwidth Control
2.3.5.	Changing the Administrative Distance of EIGRP
2.3.6.	Unequal-Cost Load Balancing for EIGRP
2.4.	Filtering, Redistribution, and Summarization
2.4.01.	Route Filtering for OSPF Within the Area Using a Distribute List with an ACL and Prefix Lists
2.4.02.	Route Filtering for OSPF Between Areas
2.4.03.	Summarization of OSPF Routes Between Areas
2.4.04.	Summarization of External Routers Within OSPF
2.4.05.	Filtering with a Distribute List Using an ACL and Prefix Lists
2.4.06.	Using Advanced ACLs and a Prefix List for Filtering Routes
2.4.07.	Summarizing Routes with EIGRP
2.4.08.	Route Summarization for RIP
2.4.09.	Redistribution Between OSPF and EIGRP
2.4.10.	Redistribution Between RIP and EIGRP
2.4.11.	Redistribution of Directly Connected Routes
2.4.12.	Redistribution of Static Routes
2.4.13.	Redistribution with Filtering Using ACLs and Prefix Lists
2.4.14.	Redistribution with Filtering Using Route Tagging
2.5.	IBGP
2.5.1.	IBGP Peering
2.5.2.	Advertising Routes in BGP
2.5.3.	Next-Hop Attribute
2.5.4.	Route Reflectors
2.5.5.	Redundancy by Neighbor Relationships Based on Loopbacks
2.6.	EBGP
2.6.1.	EBGP Peering
2.6.2.	EBGP Peering Based on Loopbacks
2.7.	BGP Advanced Features
2.7.01.	Filtering Using ACLs
2.7.02.	Filtering Using Prefix Lists
2.7.03.	Filtering Using AS Path Filters
2.7.04.	Redistributing Connected Routes into BGP
2.7.05.	Redistributing Dynamic Routing Protocols into BGP
2.7.06.	BGP Aggregation
2.7.07.	BGP Aggregation with the Summary Only Parameter
2.7.08.	BGP Aggregation with Suppress Maps
2.7.09.	BGP Aggregation with Unsuppress Maps
2.7.10.	BGP Best-Path Selection – Weight
2.7.11.	BGP Best-Path Selection – Local Preference
2.7.12.	BGP Best-Path Selection – MED
2.7.13.	BGP Communities – No-Export
2.7.14.	BGP Communities – No-Advertise
2.7.15.	BGP Confederation
2.7.16.	BGP Local AS
2.7.17.	Working with Private AS Numbers
2.7.18.	Route Dampening
2.7.19.	Conditional Advertising
2.7.20.	Peer Groups
3.0	Implementing IPv6 Configuring and Troubleshooting IPv6
3.1.	IPv6
3.1.1.	IPv6 Addresses
3.1.2.	OSPFv3
3.1.3.	EIGRPv6
3.1.4.	IPv6 Tunneling
3.1.5.	IPv6 on a Frame Relay Network – Multipoint
3.1.6.	IPv6 on a Frame Relay Network – Point-to-Point
3.1.7.	Route Filtering with a Distribute List Using an ACL and Prefix Lists
3.1.8.	Route Redistribution Between OSPFv3 and EIGRPv6
4.0	Implementing MPLS Configuring and Troubleshooting MPLS
4.1.	MPLS Unicast Routing
4.1.1.	MPLS Unicast Routing Using LDP
4.1.2.	Controlling Label Distribution
4.2.	MPLS VPN
4.2.1.	MPLS VPN Using Static Routing Between PE-CE
4.2.2.	MPLS VPN Using EIGRP as the PE-CE Routing Protocol
4.2.3.	MPLS VPN Using OSPF as the PE-CE Routing Protocol
4.2.4.	MPLS VPN Using EBGP as the PE-CE Routing Protocol
4.2.5.	Controlling Route Propagation Using the Route Target with Import and Export Maps
4.3.	VRF-Lite
4.3.1.	VRFs at the Customer Sites Using VRF-Lite
5.0	Implementing IP Multicast Configuring and Troubleshooting IP Multicast
5.1.	PIM and Bidirectional PIM
5.1.1.	PIM Dense Mode
5.1.2.	PIM on an NMBA Network
5.1.3.	PIM Sparse Mode – Static Rendezvous Point
5.1.4.	PIM Sparse Mode – Multiple Static Rendezvous Points
5.1.5.	PIM Sparse Mode – Auto Rendezvous Point
5.1.6.	PIM Sparse Mode with Multiple Rendezvous Points Using the Auto Rendezvous Point
5.1.7.	Bidirectional PIM
5.2.	MSDP
5.2.1.	MSDP
5.2.2.	MSDP to an Anycast Rendezvous Point
5.3.	Multicast Tools
5.3.1.	Multicast Rate Limiting
5.3.2.	IGMP Filtering on the Switch
5.3.3.	Use of the Switch to Block Multicast Traffic
5.3.4.	Multicasting Through a GRE Tunnel
5.3.5.	Multicast Helper Address
5.4.	IPv6 Multicast
5.4.1.	IPv6 Multicast Routing Using PIM
5.4.2.	IPv6 Multicast Listener Discovery (MLD) Protocol
6.0	Implementing Network Security Configuring and Troubleshooting Network Security
6.1.	AAA and Security Server Protocols
6.1.1.	Use of a Router to Authenticate Against a AAA Server Using TACACS+
6.1.2.	Use of a Router to Authenticate Against a AAA Server Using RADIUS
6.1.3.	Local Privilege Authorization
6.1.4.	Accounting to a AAA Server Using TACACS+
6.1.5.	Accounting to a AAA Server Using RADIUS
6.2.	Access Lists
6.2.1.	Standard Access Lists
6.2.2.	Extended Access Lists
6.2.3.	Time-Based Access Lists
6.2.4.	Reflexive Access Lists
6.3.	Routing Protocol Security
6.3.1.	Routing Protocol Authentication for EIGRP
6.3.2.	Routing Protocol Authentication for OSPF – Area-Wide
6.3.3.	Routing Protocol Authentication for OSPF – Interface-Specific
6.3.4.	Routing Protocol Authentication for OSPF Virtual Links
6.3.5.	Routing Protocol Authentication for BGP
6.4.	Catalyst Security
6.4.1.	Storm Control
6.4.2.	Switch Port Security
6.4.3.	Dot1x Authentication
6.4.4.	Dot1x Authentication for VLAN Assignment
6.4.5.	VLAN Access Maps
6.4.6.	DHCP Snooping
6.4.7.	DAI
6.4.8.	IP Source Guard
6.4.9.	Private VLANs
6.5.	Cisco IOS and Zone-Based Firewalls
6.5.1.	Basic Cisco IOS Firewall
6.5.2.	DoS Protection on a Cisco IOS Firewall
6.5.3.	Basic Zone-Based Firewall
6.5.4.	Zone-Based Firewall with Deep Packet Inspection
6.6.	NAT
6.6.1.	Dynamic NAT
6.6.2.	PAT
6.6.3.	Static NAT
6.6.4.	Static PAT
6.6.5.	Policy-Based NAT
6.7.	Other Security Features
6.7.1.	Configuring the TCP Intercept Feature
6.7.2.	Configuring Blocking of Fragment Attacks
6.7.3.	Configuring Switch Security Features
6.7.4.	Configuring Antispoofing Using an ACL
6.7.5.	Configuring Antispoofing Using uRPF
6.7.6.	SSH on Routers and Switches
6.7.7.	Cisco IOS IPS
6.7.8.	Controlling Telnet and SSH Access to the Router and Switch
7.0	Implementing Network Services Configuring and Troubleshooting Network Services
7.1.	DHCP
7.1.1.	Configuring DHCP on a Cisco IOS Router
7.1.2.	Configuring DHCP on a Switch
7.1.3.	Using a Router and a Switch to Act as a DHCP Relay Agent (Helper Address)
7.2.	HSRP
7.2.1.	HSRP Between Two Routers
7.2.2.	Pre-empt for HSRP
7.2.3.	Authentication for HSRP
7.2.4.	VRRP
7.2.5.	GLBP
7.3.	IP Services
7.3.1.	Use of the Router for WCCP
7.3.2.	Use of the Router to Generate an Exception Dump Using TFTP
7.3.3.	Use of the Router to Generate an Exception Dump Using FTP
7.3.4.	Use of the Router to Generate an Exception Dump Using RCP
7.3.5.	Broadcast Forwarding for Protocols
7.4.	System Management
7.4.1.	Telnet Management on the Router and Switch
7.4.2.	SSH Management on the Router and Switch
7.4.3.	Disabling Telnet and the SSH Client on the Switch
7.4.4.	HTTP Management on the Router and Switch
7.4.5.	Controlling HTTP Management on the Router and Switch
7.5.	NTP
7.5.1.	NTP Using the NTP Master and NTP Server Commands
7.5.2.	NTP Without Using the NTP Server
7.5.3.	NTP Using NTP Broadcast Commands
8.0	Implementing QoS Configuring and Troubleshooting QoS
8.1.	Classification
8.1.1.	Marking Using DSCP
8.1.2.	Marking Using IP Precedence
8.1.3.	Marking Using CoS
8.2.	Congestion Management and Congestion Avoidance
8.2.1.	Priority Queuing
8.2.2.	Custom Queuing
8.2.3.	Weighted Fair Queuing
8.2.4.	WRED
8.2.5.	RSVP
8.3.	Policing and Shaping
8.3.1.	CAR Using Rate Limiting Under the Interface
8.3.2.	Frame Relay Traffic Shaping Using Map Classes
8.3.3.	Discard Eligible List
8.4.	Link Efficiency Mechanisms
8.4.1.	Compression
8.4.2.	Link Fragmentation and Interleaving (LFI) for Frame Relay
8.5.	Modular QoS CLI
8.5.1.	Policing
8.5.2.	Class-Based Weighted Fair Queuing (CB-WFQ)
8.5.3.	Low Latency Queuing (LLQ)
8.5.4.	Shaping Using MQC
8.5.5.	Random Early Detection Using MQC
8.5.6.	WRED Using MQC
8.5.7.	Using NBAR for QoS
8.5.8.	Discard Eligible Marking Using MQC
8.6.	Catalyst QoS
8.6.1.	WRR on the Catalyst Switch
9.0	Troubleshooting a Network Troubleshooting Network-Wide Connectivity Issues
9.1.	Troubleshooting Layer 2 Problems
9.1.1.	Troubleshooting Catalyst Switch Network Issues
9.1.2.	Troubleshooting Frame Relay Network Issues
9.2.	Troubleshooting Layer 3 Problems
9.2.1.	Troubleshooting IP Addressing Network Issues
9.2.2.	Troubleshooting Routing Protocol Network Issues
9.2.3.	Troubleshooting Routing Protocol Loop Issues
9.3.	Troubleshooting Application Problems
9.3.1.	Determining Which Aspects of the Network to Troubleshoot to Determine Network Functionality (Given a Set of Symptoms)
9.4.	Troubleshooting Network Services
9.4.1.	Troubleshooting Misconfigured NTP Setup
9.4.2.	Troubleshooting Misconfigured DHCP Setup
9.4.3.	Troubleshooting Misconfigured Telnet and SSH Setup
9.4.4.	Troubleshooting Misconfigured SNMP Setup
9.5.	Troubleshooting Security Services
9.5.1.	Troubleshooting Misconfigured ACLs
9.5.2.	Troubleshooting Misconfigured NAT
9.5.3.	Troubleshooting Misconfigured AAA Services
10.0	Optimizing a Network Configuring and Troubleshooting Optimization of a Network
10.1.	Logging In
10.1.1.	Logging into a Remote Syslog Server
10.1.2.	Logging into the Internal Buffer
10.2.	SNMP
10.2.1.	Use of a Router to Communicate to an SNMP Management Station
10.2.2.	Use of a Router to Generate SNMP Traps
10.3.	RMON
10.3.1.	Use of a Router to Generate SNMP Traps Using RMON
10.4.	Accounting
10.4.1.	IP Accounting
10.5.	SLA
10.5.1.	IP SLA
10.6.	Implementing Network Services on the Routers
10.6.1.	Use of a Router as an FTP Server
10.6.2.	Use of a Router as a TFTP Server
10.6.3.	Cisco IOS Embedded Event Manager
10.6.4.	NetFlow
10.6.5.	HTTP and HTTPS on a Router
10.6.6.	Telnet on a Router
10.6.7.	Implementing Secure Copy Protocol (SCP) on a Router

CCNP Troubleshooting TSHOOT Exam Topology (via Chainring Circus)

2010-02-21T12:00:00.004-05:00

I'm generally not a big fan of "piggy-backing" on blogs, but Greg from etherealmind.com has a post that probably will go viral (at least for future CCNPs).

CCNP Troubleshooting TSHOOT Exam Topology (via Chainring Circus)

eBook Readers...

2010-01-27T17:18:00.004-05:00

I have been researching a few eBook readers in the hopes of finding something that will assist in my studies without adding more paper to my bookshelves. I still haven't made a final decision yet, but was (as of late) leaning toward the Kindle DX which has a price point of $489.

At least I was until today...

Apple iPad

I'm thinking at $499, I'll get better file organization as compared to the Kindle DX, with the addition of office-style apps and web surfing, among others. We'll see.

Cisco Announces New Service Provider Operations Track

2010-01-25T16:58:00.003-05:00

Built on the growing demand for dedicated professionals who can manage, maintain and troubleshoot complex service provider IP NGN core network infrastructures, Cisco is introducing a new Service Provider (SP) Operations track. This new track is focused on developing associate, professional and expert-level capabilities to operate large, complex SP networks. These new, first of their kind certifications are designed specifically for Cisco Service Provider Customers, Partners and Cisco Networking Engineers.

Over the coming months Cisco will release new CCIE, CCNP, and CCNA SP Operations courses and exams. In addition, the written exam topics for the CCIE SP Operations certification are now available on the Cisco Learning Network. The CCIE SP Operations written exam is scheduled for release in the second quarter of 2010.

Stefan Fouant, JNCIP-M/T and JNCIE-M/T Lab & Preparation Notes

2010-01-13T14:54:00.005-05:00

Congratulations to Stefan Fouant, CISSP and JNCIE-M/T, recently posted his steps for methods the JNCIP-M/T and JNCIP-M/T to Groupstudy. This is an excellent posting which covers the following:

> JNCIP-M/T review
> JNCIE-M/T review
> Proteus Networks JNCIE-M/T practice exams/lab gear review

JNCIP-M/T and JNCIE-M/T Lab & Preparation Notes

Hello Fellow Groupstudy Lurkers,

I'm delighted to say that I passed the JNCIE-M/T exam last month and I am
now the proud recipient of the highly sought-after JNCIE-M/T designation!
I'd like to take a few moments to share about my experiences with the rest
of you who may also decide to pursue this certification. Sorry for the long
post, but I'm sure some of you will find this useful.

Before I delve into the specifics of the JNCIP-M/T and JNCIE-M/T
preparations, let me suggest that anyone who is interested in pursuing this
track start out with the JNCIA-M/T certification, prior to moving to the
JNCIS-M/T. While it is possible to skip directly to the JNCIS-M/T
certification, there is so much useful information available in the 'JNCIA
Study Guide' that I strongly believe it should be at the top of the list for
those who are just starting out with JUNOS.

As for JNCIP-M/T, I prepared entirely using the 'JNCIP Study Guide' by Harry
Reynolds. Although this book is long out of print, the Study Guide is
available as a free download from Juniper's website, as are the rest of the
Study Guides for the Service Provider track. For actual hands-on, I used a
testbed comprised entirely of Juniper Olives running in VMware. Yes, it is
possible to use an Olive lab exclusively in order to do EVERYTHING needed to
prepare for this exam. As this exam is mostly focused on BGP and IGPs there
is nothing which actually requires a hardware based PFE or dedicated ASICs,
as such an Olive is perfectly acceptable for test preparation.

If you decide to pursue this route and do preparations exclusively in this
manner, there are a few things to keep in mind. I've found that the initial
install of JUNOS requires quite a bit more memory than it does once its
finally completed. I was able to successfully run a VM Olive running JUNOS
8.1 (at the time of this writing JUNOS 8.1 was the version being used in the
exam) with as little as 48 MB of memory, however CLI response time was
incredibly slow. I've found the sweet spot to be right at around 96MB of RAM
for each Olive VM image. In order to follow through the examples in the
JNCIP Study Guide, you're going to want to have at least 8 Olive VMs running
simultaneously (7 for the actual routers comprising the student's testbed
and another Olive to simulate the EBGP peers using Virtual Routers). Make
sure you have at least 768 MB of available memory you can allocate to your
VMs. Depending on what version of VMware you are running, you might need to
tweak the vmnet interfaces so that each Olive has enough fxp0s, and you
might also need to stitch them together logically within the VMware
configuration files. Be prepared to get under the hood of VMware
configuration in order to get all this working correctly. Perhaps a better
option would be to configure an ESX or ESXi Server and run your images off a
high-powered server, where you have loads of memory and virtual switching
capabilities. Another option is to utilize a single hardware-based chassis,
such as the MX240 and segment this using Logical Routers (see below for
details on this configuration).

Preparing for the JNCIE-M/T exam is a bit more difficult, as it requires
actual hardware to perform many of the tasks required of this exam. Many of
the tasks like setting up Multicast or Layer 2 VPN srequire dedicated
hardware within the PFE, so using Olives is not an option. Never fear, it
is entirely possible to prepare for this exam using as little as a single
MX240 coupled with Logical Routers (Logical Systems in JUNOS 9.3 and above).
You will need a total of ~40 connections to set this lab up so get your
hands on a high density 40x1GE card and a bunch of fiber and you should be
ready to go. Make sure the card you use is capable of Layer 3 services, as
cards capable of running only Layer 2 services will fall short of many of
the configuration tasks. If you're short on SFPs or just don't have enough
physical ports, it's also possible to use logical tunnels to stitch your
logical routers together, as in the following example:

logical-systems {
dc {
interfaces {
lt-0/0/10 {
unit 0 {
description dc->r7;
encapsulation ethernet;
peer-unit 1;
family inet {
address 10.0.8.13/30;
}
family iso;
}
}
}
}
r7 {
interfaces {
lt-0/0/10 {
unit 1 {
description r7->dc;
encapsulation ethernet;
peer-unit 0;
family inet {
address 10.0.8.14/30;
}
family iso;
}
}
}
}
chassis {
fpc 0 {
pic 0 {
tunnel-services {
bandwidth 1g;
}
}
}
network-services ip;
}

The last bit is required in order to make sure you allocate a fixed amount
of bandwidth on the PFE for the logical tunnels. The coolest thing about
the logical tunnels feature within JUNOS is that you can actually configure
them with Ethernet, Frame Relay, or a host of other encapsulation types.
Logical tunnel interfaces behave just like regular interfaces and it's
entirely possible to configure things like IS-IS across them, as can be seen
in the above example where 'family iso' has been enabled.

Navigating the CLI is a bit unwieldy using Logical Routers if you're working
from the root of the physical device, so its highly advisable to configure
individual user accounts for each logical router. This will enable you to
log in to each logical router and be positioned within the root of that
logical router as if you were in the root of a real physical router. This
can be accomplished with the following configuration:

system {
class dc {
idle-timeout 0;
logical-system dc;
permissions all;
class r7 {
idle-timeout 0;
logical-system r7;
permissions all;
}
user dc {
uid 2014;
class dc;
authentication {
encrypted-password "xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"; ## SECRET-DATA
}
}
user r7 {
uid 2010;
class r7;
authentication {
encrypted-password "xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"; ## SECRET-DATA
}
}
}
}

In addition to the above lab setup, I used the 'JNCIE Study Guide' from
Harry Reynolds. While this is an excellent book in preparation for the
exam, my advice is to make sure you also read through the 'MPLS
Applications', 'Multicast', and 'VPN' Configuration Guides, and be familiar
with as many knobs and configuration options as possible. You are also
going to want to make sure you understand IS-IS and OSPF as well as BGP in
an even deeper fashion than that required in the JNCIP-M/T exam.

As a word of note, in preparing for both the JNCIP-M/T and the JNCIE-M/T
exams, make sure you have a good handle on how to use 'load merge terminal
relative', 'load patch terminal', and when to copy and paste portions of
code simply using 'show | display set'. It's equally important to know
which one of the above commands to use in a given situation. For example,
when copying changes to several stanzas from one router to another, it's
often quite a bit easier to use the 'load patch' command as you won't have
to copy snippets from portions of different stanzas into a notepad prior to
loading into the target router. Little things like this can save quite a bit
of time and will come in handy when your time would be better served trying
to focus on troubleshooting why your IGP isn't coming up.

Finally, I should mention that I also utilized the services of Proteus
Networks (www.proteus.net) which offers remote-proctored JNCIP-M/T,
JNCIE-M/T and JNCIE-ER practice exams on their lab gear. For $800, their
package consists of two 8 hour labs comprising a wide variety of topics you
are likely to see on the exam. When you are finished with each, they will
grade it and give you feedback on how well you performed. What I liked
about Proteus is that they even let me play around with the gear after my
exam was graded, and allowed me to go and fix some of my mistakes. In
addition, they were highly responsive to my emails, and answered all of my
questions in a timely manner. Looking back, I don't think I would have been
able to pass the JNCIE-M/T exam without the use of their services as there
were several subject areas identified throughout their exam which required
additional focus. In my opinion, their remote-proctored exams are a genuine
bargain for the price and anyone who is preparing for the JNCIE exams should
seriously investigate their offerings.

All in all, the total study time for JNCIP-M/T was approximately 2 months,
and the total study time for JNCIE-M/T was approximately 3 months. This
usually comprised about an hour or two each day during the week reading, and
anywhere from 10-16 hours of lab time on the weekends. I'm lucky in that I
have also worked in a Service Provider environment for several years where I
was able to intimately familiarize myself with many of these technologies
over a span of many years. In addition, I have spent a considerable amount
of time reading a plethora of books on a wide variety of networking
technologies. If you are new to MPLS, Multicast, Layer 2/3 VPNs, QoS, or
IPv6, you may want to factor in additional time to your study schedule. The
trick here is to be consistent and develop a schedule which you can live
with - you will be much better served by spending a few hours a day over a
span of months rather than hundreds of hours the weeks before your exam.
Slow and steady wins the race here... you'll be surprised how quickly a few
months can go by when you're motivated and committed to something!

I hope this helps those of you who are pursuing either the JNCIP-M/T or the
JNCIE-M/T certifications, and I wish you the best of luck in your endeavors!

Stefan Fouant, CISSP, JNCIE-M/T
www.shortestpathfirst.net
GPG Key ID: 0xB5E3803D

CCIE Study Resources: Interview with Roman Rodichev!!!!

2009-12-16T18:23:00.013-05:00

If you haven't heard of Roman Rodichev, he's a CCIE 6x, and all of those bad boys are for current CCIE tracks. That's sick. We'll, he talks about his experiences at CCIE Study Resources, a new CCIE resource blog operated by Larry Hadrava, CCIE #12203. You can read the entire interview here.

Here are a few of Rodichev's insights (I just had to post here for my own benefit if nothing else):

Prior to the Lab:

Find time to read. Print out a 10-20 page section of a configuration guide or a tech note and read it the same day. Do this every day. There are plenty of moments in your day, wherever you are, when you are idling and could spend that time reading. Finally, again, it’s all about INTEREST and ENJOYMENT. If you are truly interested in the technology, if you are really enjoying studying, you will find time how to balance work, wife (can’t speak for kids) and studying. People who “can’t find time for studying”, don’t actually enjoy studying that technology.

If you are going to do CCIE, why waste time on CCNP? If you are ready for CCIE, you can go and take all CCNP tests in one day, and you’ll pass them. Getting CCNP might get you a $10-20K salary increase, but probably only if you switch jobs. If you think that CCIE is your ultimate goal, go for CCIE, don’t think about CCNP. These two certifications require a different approach in studying. Some people choose to study with pass4sure and pass the CCNP within a week. I would rather prepare first for a CCIE, and then take CCNP tests without preparation a week before the CCIE lab.

After the Lab:

Past experience taking these labs taught me a lesson:
1. Document the entire lab even if you think you passed it. This takes about 3 days. Don’t be lazy!!
2. Practice your lab at home and research every topic even if you believe you will get a different lab next time
3. Don’t wait after failing, schedule the lab for the soonest date possible. The most studying you will do is between the attempts.

OT: WiGig Completes Wireless Specification

2009-12-10T12:57:00.005-05:00

It will be interesting to see how quickly this specification can be brought to market...

A new robust wireless technology for the home appears slated to begin appearing in devices in 2011 after the Wireless Gigabit Alliance (WiGig) announced on Thursday that it has completed its unified wireless specification. The 60-GHz technology will support transmission rates up to 7 Gbps.

It's not immediately clear exactly where WiGig will fit in the myriad of wireless schemes, some already in use like the many Wi-Fi flavors, or some still being developed like WirelessHD. However, the fact that WiGig is supported by many leading high-tech firms means it's likely to find its place, probably in home and small office networking where robust networks are required.

Read the rest here.

Olive reloaded or how to emulate Juniper routers

2009-12-03T18:33:00.003-05:00

It had to happen at some point right? GNS3 can now utilize Juniper JUNOS on the PC.

Olive reloaded or how to emulate Juniper routers

I have an Juniper/Olive rack which now includes 5 Olives and a J2300, so I'll be sticking with those for a while...

OT: Google DNS

2009-12-03T18:28:00.003-05:00

They have a "Google-___" for almost everything else... why not Google DNS?

What is Google Public DNS?

Google Public DNS is a free, global Domain Name System (DNS) resolution service, that you can use as an alternative to your current DNS provider.

To try it out:

Configure your network settings to use the IP addresses 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 as your DNS servers or
Read our configuration instructions.

If you decide to try Google Public DNS, your client programs will perform all DNS lookups using Google Public DNS.

Why does DNS matter?

The DNS protocol is an important part of the web's infrastructure, serving as the Internet's phone book: every time you visit a website, your computer performs a DNS lookup. Complex pages often require multiple DNS lookups before they start loading, so your computer may be performing hundreds of lookups a day.

Why should you try Google Public DNS?

By using Google Public DNS you can:

Speed up your browsing experience.
Improve your security.
Get the results you expect with absolutely no redirection.

S2N

2009-11-26T08:47:00.001-05:00

What's old news for some, is new news for others...

You can now download Soup 2 Nuts free now...labs with everything from S2N + explanations...

S2N

BGP, OSPF, BGP, OSPF...

2009-11-25T01:33:00.002-05:00

Blurb:
We'll, I am back on the grind again. I need to be more thorough on BGP and OSPF and the differences between Cisco and Juniper implementations. So, I will be running through labs and theory alternating between the two. This will be for interviewing purposes.

When I feel comfortable I can crush these topics, I will probably change gears to renew my CCNA. Which exam I choose to recertify with will be dependent on my employment status.

JNCIA-ER Complete

2009-10-12T14:09:00.007-04:00

So, I finally completed the JNCIA-ER today. I actually took and failed this exam on Friday by 2 measly points. Funny, I found the JNCIA-M to be a cake walk, but the ER was another story.

I used the Juniper Fast Track materials. Which include the OJRE student and lab guides. I found them to be barely sufficient enough to pass. I needed other resources to pass this exam:

JUNOS Enterprise Routing
Juniper Techpubs

Juniper Fast track discount will change on 10/9!!!

2009-09-29T20:10:00.002-04:00

* One voucher per person per certification exam through 2009. 100% discount offer ends October 9, 2009 at 5pm PST time at which time we will revert back to the standard 50% discount.

The 1U Olive

2009-08-30T18:11:00.006-04:00

I posted this on Techexams, but I thought I'd add it here.

NOTE: Of course, you can build a VMWare Olive, but I don’t want to use my current machine for that. If that suits your needs, check it out: Building a Juniper 'Olive' running latest JUNOS in VMWare.

Getting back into Juniper has been great so far, most especially because of the Fast Track materials. That stated, I still need to get a little more hands-on with JUNOS. I recently built one Olive already, with a plan to add a couple more eventually. My first Olive is contained in a 4U server rackmount case. That’s a space eater. A good friend of mine with a firewall background (who also is using Fast Track) thought it might be possible to use a 1U Nokia IP330. His company had several they were about to toss, so what the hey right?

Here are the specs:

1U-sized PC appliance
1x AMD K6-2 CPU @400 MHz (i586)
256 MB PC-100 SDRAM
1x 20GB IDE hard drive
3x Intel 82558 Pro/100 Ethernet (fxp(4))
2x RS-232 serial interfaces (DB-9 male) with BIOS-level serial console

You can find similar ones here:
nokia IP330, great deals on Computers Networking on eBay!

1. I had to connect the Hard Drive from the IP330 to my first Olive (in place of the current working HD). The IDE port on the IP330 motherboard has an extra pin which prevented me from connecting a standard IDE cable with master and slave connectors for dual use of the HD and CD ROM.

2. I installed FreeBSD mini 4.4 per Sid Smokes.
Juniper Olive Install: Juniper Olive has more granular instructions for basic *nix folks like myself. These sites also contain the instructions for loading JUNOS. Note: For my initial installation I used jinstall-7.4R1.7-export-signed.tgz and I upgraded to jinstall-8.3R2.8-export-signed. I don’t have enough RAM to upgrade to jinstall-9.x …yet.

3. When the install of FreeBSD completed (and rebooted), I logged in as root to complete the file system changes. I then mounted the cdrom and copied the jninstall to the /var/temp (as per the above instructions).

4. I then ran the pkg_add command. Once that completes a "reboot" will need to be issued. (This is normal so far). After I issued the "reboot" the machine began to reboot (of course). When it powered down, and before it powered up, I manually turned off the power to that machine.

5. I removed the drive, and re-installed it in the IP330. I connected the power cable, then a null-modem cable to the console port and booted the IP330 up. Null modem cables can be found here: RS-232 Null Modem, great deals on Computers Networking, Electronics on eBay!

6. It took about 15 minutes, more or less, for the IP330 to boot all the way up to the login prompt. I did see the following error (you may see several, but I was concerned only about this one):

fxp: Could not derive MAC address from EEPROM
fxp0: Ethernet address 02:00:02:00:00:04
fxp: Could not derive MAC address from EEPROM
fxp1: Ethernet address 02:00:03:00:00:04
fxp: Could not derive MAC address from EEPROM
fxp2: Ethernet address 02:00:04:00:00:04

While probably not an issue for only one IP330 Olive, all of my IP330 Olives assigned a dummy MAC address (of 02:00:0X:00:00:04) to the respective fxp ports on each Olive. You can manually change the MAC address to avoid duplicates:

jnpr@OLIVE1# set interfaces fxp0 mac ?
Possible completions:
Hardware MAC address
[edit].

I was able to easily assign an IP, configure telnet/hostname/1 superuser, and telnet
from my machine.

Here's what fxp0 looks like:

jnpr@OLIVE2# run show interfaces fxp0
Physical interface: fxp0, Enabled, Physical link is Up
Interface index: 1, SNMP ifIndex: 1
Type: Ethernet, Link-level type: Ethernet, MTU: 1514, Speed: 100mbps
Device flags : Present Running
Interface flags: SNMP-Traps
Link type : Full-Duplex
Link flags : 4
Current address: 02:00:02:00:00:04, Hardware address: 02:00:02:00:00:04
Last flapped : Never
Input packets : 10
Output packets: 1

Logical interface fxp0.0 (Index 65) (SNMP ifIndex 13)
Flags: SNMP-Traps Encapsulation: ENET2
Protocol inet, MTU: 1500
Flags: Is-Primary
Addresses, Flags: Is-Default Is-Preferred Is-Primary
Destination: 192.168.5/24, Local: 192.168.5.96,
Broadcast: 192.168.5.255

And show version:

jnpr@OLIVE2> show version
Hostname: OLIVE2
Model: olive
JUNOS Base OS boot [8.3R2.8]
JUNOS Base OS Software Suite [8.3R2.8]
JUNOS Kernel Software Suite [8.3R2.8]
JUNOS Packet Forwarding Engine Support (M/T Common) [8.3R2.8]
JUNOS Packet Forwarding Engine Support (M20/M40) [8.3R2.8]
JUNOS Online Documentation [8.3R2.8]
JUNOS Routing Software Suite [8.3R2.8]

jnpr@OLIVE2>

Special shout to 8o8 for the IP330s.

JNCIA-ER - Part 1.7

2009-08-22T03:26:00.006-04:00

Ok. Passed the assessment (see below). I still have two chapters left to read in the OJRE Student Guide. In addition to that and reviewing tabbed notes, I also need to review the J-Web Interface User Guide. If the exam is anything like the assessment, I'll need that to bone up on J-Web. I'll likely complete the OJRE Lab Guide as well.

JNCIA-ER: Pre-assessment Exam

The pre-assessment exam consists of 25 questions designed to prepare you for the proctored exam at a Prometric testing center. At the end of the pre-assessment exam you will be instantly graded; a 70% passing score earns you a discounted voucher ID for the Prometric exam. An e-mail will also be sent to you with your results.

Congratulations! You have passed the JNCIA-ER: Pre-assessment Exam.

Your score was: 80%
Passing score is: 70%

Your voucher ID is: **********
You have earned a discount off your certification exam of 100%

You will receive an e-mail with this information shortly.

INE CCNA Audio Bootcamp: Free

2009-08-19T17:55:00.000-04:00

Sharing is caring...

INE CCNA Audio Bootcamp

Olive is UP/UP!

2009-08-13T20:13:00.013-04:00

The first thing you should know about Olives, is that there are no Olives.
The second thing you should know about Olives, is that there are no Olives.

Ok, so there are several sites/blogs you can use to build an Olive.

Here's what worked for me:
Juniper Olive Install

which seems to piggy back off of Sid Smokes

My network cards were purchased from eBay based on recommendations from JuniperClue.

I used the following code, thereby bypassing the "ELF binary type "0" not known": jinstall-7.4R1.7-export-signed.tgz (no I cannot share a copy).

Though, you should be able to resolve such an error using this or I Can Has IPv6.

The issue I ran into, (that I could not seem to find a resolution for on the www), was the following error:

ERROR: recognize_model: Unable to discover hard drive Issue

=================== Bootstrap installer starting ===================
Initialized the environment
Routing engine model is Olive
Sourcing /sbin/Olive
No harddrive device found!
ERROR: recognize_model: Unable to discover hard drive
You are now in a debugging subshell (you may not see a prompt)...
# Console: serial port
BIOS drive A: is disk0
BIOS drive C: is disk1
BIOS 639kB/228288kB available memory

The resolution was "simple." The HD should have been physically cabled as primary master, and I had it cabled as secondary master. Once I cabled it correctly, I had to reload FreeBSD and the jinstall file from scratch. After that, I was good to go.

JNCIA-ER - Part 1

2009-08-10T21:14:00.008-04:00

Well, I was fortunate enough to complete a Juniper JNSSA-ER Virtual Lab Hands-on Training course over the weekend. It is not a JNCIA-ER course, but it was technical and free. Great course. So great, in fact, as Juniper is offering 4 FREE certifications (until year's end) and I have plenty of time on my hands, I have decided to go for them!

I'll blog about my experience here, of course.

First things first. Last night, I took the pre-assessment which allows me to obtain the 100% off voucher from Juniper for the actual exam. There were 25 questions, which I blew through in less than 5 minutes. I just needed to see where I stood, and to get a feel for the questions. The being said, you know what comes next:

We’re sorry. You did not pass the JNCIA-ER: Pre-assessment Exam this time.

Your score was: 24%
Passing score is: 70%

Ouch! LOL They also send you an email letting you know what your status was.

Today, I am working my way through Part 1: JUNOS as a Second Language (JSL) online course (pictured here). Also free. It's excellent. The course is downloadable and does not require installation. It runs inside my Adobe Flash player and it is interactive (to an extent) which allows for 'configuration' of the examples presented in the course. This is simply to give you a basic feel for JUNOS, if you will. It compares and contrasts the differences between Cisco IOS and JUNOS, and walks you through examples of various configurations. You can also compare different pieces of a JUNOS config and compare it to the same config in IOS. Pretty cool.

Free JNCIE-ER Labs...

2009-08-07T09:22:00.002-04:00

These are pretty cool...

http://www.techexams.net/forums/juniper-certifications/45576-jncie-er-prep-materials-practice-labs-topology.html

Now all I need are Olives!!!

Juniper Fast Track is Back!

2009-08-07T09:19:00.002-04:00

What a nice wallet saver is such a rough economy...

Welcome to the new Fast Track portal

You are on your way to become certified in Juniper Networks Enterprise Routing, Enhanced Security, and Enterprise Switching! You will have access to valuable study materials, and information about scheduling your final exam. Take our pre-assessment exam to earn a 100% off voucher* towards the price of the final exam! Get started today!

* One voucher per person per certification exam through 2009

Juniper Fast Track is Back!

2009-08-07T09:19:00.000-04:00

What a nice wallet saver is such a rough economy...

Welcome to the new Fast Track portal

* One voucher per person per certification exam through 2009

CCIE Written 4.0 Beta

2009-08-07T09:13:00.002-04:00

Though I am preparing for the 3.0 Written, I am seriously considering taking this exam...

Beta Exams

Each written exam version is offered first in beta form at a discounted cost of US$50. Beta exams are scheduled just like other written exams and are available at all worldwide testing locations. A passing grade on the beta qualifies a candidate to schedule the lab exam. Results, however, are typically not available until six to eight weeks after the close of the beta. A candidate may attempt the beta exam only once during the beta period.

Narbs Anyone?

2009-08-03T04:38:00.003-04:00

Looks like Narbik is having a fire sale for his lab books.

http://www.net-workbooks.com/workbooks.html#routingswitching

JNCIA/S/P/E...anyone?

2009-07-18T20:45:00.002-04:00

Well, here are the free books to the M-Series:

http://www.juniper.net/us/en/training/certification/books.html

EIGRP

2009-07-07T13:34:00.003-04:00

Read chapter 8.
Completed EIGRP CBT.
Completed EIGRP: Foundation.

The Load Balancing section was painful (at first) thanks to a frame relay misconfiguration.

I am finding EIGRP Network Design Solutions to be a nice little supplementary jewel.

Time for a little SG1, my favorite sci-fi-comedy show.

Next: Section IV: OSPF from the CCIE Written 3.0 blueprint.

Sections II, III, & VI from the CCIE Written 3.0 blueprint completed.

Solie I & II

2009-07-03T00:21:00.002-04:00

I came across an interesting "blurb" about Karl Solie, CCIE #4599. As you may know, he's written a couple of lab books that cover an older blueprint, yet his books are still in demand. What I plan on doing is supplementing (as needed) Foundations and S2N with portions of his lab books. I'll match the relevant chapters from his books with the blueprint. These books are excellent and if you can find them at the right price, get them. Vendor lab books are expensive and this is a great way to learn and save.

RIPv2

2009-06-30T02:39:00.005-04:00

Read chapters 6 & 7.
Completed RIPv2 CBT.
Completed RIPv2: Foundation.

Yeah, it was a slight deviation from the Written blueprint, but like Odom says, "Although RIPv2 is no longer on the CCIE Routing and Switching qualification exam blueprint, it is clearly helpful to understand its operations to strengthen your grasp on IGPs in general," (Odom, p.186).

Now, time to play a little 1942... another dated piece of history that still brings enjoyment.

Next: Section IV: EIGRP from the CCIE Written 3.0 blueprint.

Sections II, III, & VI from the CCIE Written 3.0 blueprint completed.

IP

2009-06-26T02:00:00.006-04:00

Read chapters 4 & 5.
Completed NAT & HSRP/NTP CBTs.
Completed NAT: Foundation.

Next: Section IV from the CCIE Written 3.0 blueprint.

Sections II, III, & VI from the CCIE Written 3.0 blueprint completed.

Frame Relay

2009-06-21T17:48:00.005-04:00

Read Frame Relay chapter.
Completed Frame Relay CBTs.
Completed Frame Relay Labs: Foundation.

Thus far I have completed sections II & VI from the CCIE Written 3.0 blueprint.

I am working from the physical layer up as I read, view, and lab my way to the Written
which I hope to have completed by the end of August/beginning of September.

Next: Section III from the CCIE Written 3.0 blueprint.

CCIE Foundations - Switching

2009-06-17T12:34:00.007-04:00

Whew. It took me about 6 hours to complete 55 pages of lab material, and as you can see, it has the answers. I'll run through it again when I return to switching. This time around I am just doing a quasi-in-depth-overview of the blueprint before I go all granular on that bad boy.

Some errors, but very well written over all.

Thus far I have completed section II CCIE Written 3.0 blueprint.

Cisco 3550 EMI image upgrade...

2009-06-17T01:24:00.019-04:00

I've been journaling but not on my blog, which I know seems to defeat the purpose of a blog. However, I don't see a need to always rehash what is already abundantly spread across the www. I have read the first three chapters of CCIE Routing and Switching Exam Certification Guide (3rd Edition) and watched episodes and have finished the first 4 videos from CBT Nuggets. I am going to lab up this Narbik lab tonight (err, this morning): CCIE Foundation - Switching. Going through the nuggets last night I realized that I hadn't upgraded all of my Cisco 3550s with an EMI image. Hence, the point of this post.

Enjoy.

1) My PC is my tftp server, so I connected my 3550 to my Linksys router.

2) Configure the switch port as a router port, add an IP address, set speed 10 and duplex half.

en
conf t
!
ip routing
!
!
interface FastEthernet0/1
no switchport
ip address 192.168.5.25 255.255.255.0
duplex half
speed 10
end

3) Verify amount of free memory.

dir flash:

4) Issue the delete command in order to remove the old Cisco IOS Software Release.

delete flash:

ex: delete flash: c3550-ipservicesk9-mz.122-25.SEE4.bin

5) In order to delete an image directory and all the subdirectories and files in the image directory, issue the delete /force /recursive command.

delete /force /recursive flash:

ex: delete /force /recursive flash:c3550-i9q3l2-mz.121-13.EA1a

6) Issue the copy tftp flash: command, tftp location, and destination file name.

7) When the image has uploaded, check the directory to see the new image
then verify its checksum.

dir flash:
verify flash:c3550-ipservicesk9-mz.122-44.SE6.bin

8) Set a boot system statement so that the new image boots on the next reload.

boot system flash:c3550-ipservicesk9-mz.122-44.SE6.bin

9) Verify the boot path list.

show boot

10) Write memory and reload.

=============================================

Here it is in action:

SW3>en
SW3#conf t
Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.
SW3(config)#!
SW3(config)#ip routing
SW3(config)#!
SW3(config)#!
SW3(config)#interface FastEthernet0/1
SW3(config-if)# no switchport
SW3(config-if)# ip address 192.168.5.25 255.255.255.0
SW3(config-if)# duplex half
SW3(config-if)# speed 10
SW3(config-if)#end
SW3#
00:02:20: %SYS-5-CONFIG_I: Configured from console by console
00:02:21: %LINEPROTO-5-UPDOWN: Line protocol on Interface FastEthernet0/1, changed
state to down
SW3#
00:02:22: %LINK-3-UPDOWN: Interface FastEthernet0/1, changed state to down
SW3#
00:02:24: %LINK-3-UPDOWN: Interface FastEthernet0/1, changed state to up
00:02:25: %LINEPROTO-5-UPDOWN: Line protocol on Interface FastEthernet0/1, changed
state to up
SW3#
SW3#
SW3#
SW3#! view amount of free memory
SW3#
SW3#dir flash:
Directory of flash:/

2 -rwx 344 Mar 01 1993 01:44:56 +00:00 system_env_vars
3 -rwx 556 Mar 01 1993 00:01:02 +00:00 vlan.dat
5 -rwx 3614 Mar 01 1993 00:47:17 +00:00 config.text
6 -rwx 5 Mar 01 1993 00:47:17 +00:00 private-config.text
8 drwx 192 Mar 01 1993 00:04:24 +00:00 c3550-i9q3l2-mz.121-19.EA1c
88 drwx 192 Mar 01 1993 01:44:56 +00:00 c3550-i9q3l2-mz.121-22.EA1a
174 -rwx 0 Mar 01 1993 01:44:56 +00:00 env_vars

15998976 bytes total (2581504 bytes free)
SW3#delete flash:c3550-i9q3l2-mz.121-19.EA1c
Delete filename [c3550-i9q3l2-mz.121-19.EA1c]?
Delete flash:c3550-i9q3l2-mz.121-19.EA1c? [confirm]
%Error deleting flash:c3550-i9q3l2-mz.121-19.EA1c (Is a directory)
SW3#
SW3#
SW3#!Issue the delete /force /recursive
SW3#
SW3#
SW3#delete /force /recursive flash:c3550-i9q3l2-mz.121-19.EA1c
Delete filename [c3550-i9q3l2-mz.121-19.EA1c]?
SW3#delete /force /recursive flash:c3550-i9q3l2-mz.121-22.EA1a
Delete filename [c3550-i9q3l2-mz.121-22.EA1a]?
SW3#
SW3#
SW3#
SW3#! Issue the copy tftp flash: command
SW3#
SW3#copy tftp flash:
Address or name of remote host []? 192.168.5.101
Source filename []? c3550-ipservicesk9-mz.122-44.SE6.bin
Destination filename [c3550-ipservicesk9-mz.122-44.SE6.bin]?
Accessing tftp://192.168.5.101/c3550-ipservicesk9-mz.122-44.SE6.bin...
Loading c3550-ipservicesk9-mz.122-44.SE6.bin from 192.168.5.101 (via FastEthernet0/1):

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! {output abbreviated}
[OK - 9707290 bytes]

9707290 bytes copied in 198.404 secs (48927 bytes/sec)
SW3#
SW3#
SW3#! check directory
SW3#dir flash:
Directory of flash:/

2 -rwx 344 Mar 01 1993 01:44:56 +00:00 system_env_vars
3 -rwx 556 Mar 01 1993 00:01:02 +00:00 vlan.dat
4 -rwx 9707290 Mar 01 1993 00:12:08 +00:00 c3550-ipservicesk9-mz.122-

44.SE6.bin
5 -rwx 3614 Mar 01 1993 00:47:17 +00:00 config.text
6 -rwx 5 Mar 01 1993 00:47:17 +00:00 private-config.text
174 -rwx 0 Mar 01 1993 01:44:56 +00:00 env_vars

15998976 bytes total (6284288 bytes free)
SW3#
SW3#! Issue the verify command to verify that the
SW3#! image checksum is correct:
SW3#
SW3#verify flash:c3550-ipservicesk9-mz.122-44.SE6.bin
Verified flash:c3550-ipservicesk9-mz.122-44.SE6.bin
SW3#
SW3#
SW3#! Set a boot system statement so that the new
SW3#! image boots on the next reload.
SW3#
SW3#conf t
Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.
SW3(config)#boot system flash:c3550-ipservicesk9-mz.122-44.SE6.bin
SW3(config)#^Z
SW3#
00:14:17: %SYS-5-CONFIG_I: Configured from console by console
SW3#
SW3#! Issue show boot
SW3#
SW3#show boot
BOOT path-list: flash:c3550-ipservicesk9-mz.122-44.SE6.bin
Config file: flash:/config.text
Private Config file: flash:/private-config.text
Enable Break: no
Manual Boot: no
HELPER path-list:
NVRAM/Config file
buffer size: 393216
SW3#
SW3# ! Write mem and reload
SW3#
SW3#write memory
Building configuration...
[OK]
SW3#reload
Proceed with reload? [confirm]

00:14:44: %SYS-5-RELOAD: Reload requested

=================================

Citation:

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/switches/ps646/products_configuration_example09186a0080169623.shtml#concept9

IOS location:

IOS download page: reqiures login
http://tools.cisco.com/support/downloads/go/ImageList.x?relVer=12.2.44-SE6&mdfid=275935237&sftType=IOS+Software&optPlat=&nodecount=2&edesignator=ED&modelName=Cisco+Catalyst+3550+48+EMI+Switch&treeMdfId=268438038&treeName=Switches&modifmdfid=null&imname=&hybrid=Y&imst=N&lr=Y

IP SERVICES
c3550-ipservicesk9-mz.122-44.SE6.bin
Release Date: 17/Mar/2009
Size: 9479.78 KB (9707290 bytes)
Minimum Memory: DRAM:64 MB Flash:16 MB

Cisco® Revises its Popular CCIE® R&S Certification

2009-05-05T05:39:00.004-04:00

Yes, it has been a while since I posted. And for many reasons (and maybe some excuses). I received the below info in an email in the midst of the night:

Cisco® Revises its Popular CCIE® R&S Certification

Cisco has revised the certification requirements for CCIE Routing & Switching (CCIE R&S)-the expert level certification for network engineers.

The new certification standards reflect the job skills employers look for at the expert level and are outlined on the Cisco Learning Network at CCIE R&S v4.0 written exam topics and CCIE R&S v4.0 lab exam topics. The revised CCIE R&S v4.0 exams are scheduled for release on October 18, 2009 and will immediately replace the currently available v3.0 exams.

To support the certification changes, the Cisco 360 Learning Program for CCIE R&S is being updated with new lessons on MPLS and Troubleshooting, additions to the instructor-led workshops, new lab exercises for self-paced practice, and new performance assessments. The Program is the only authorized expert training currently aligned to CCIE R&S v4.0. The program is delivered globally by Cisco Learning Partners .

Save the Date: Two Live CCIE R&S Certification Webinars, May 20, 2009
Cisco will conduct two live webinars on Wednesday, May 20, 2009 covering enhancements made to the CCIE R&S certification and to the Cisco 360 Learning Program for CCIE R&S to align with the updates.

Study Plan

2009-03-09T20:32:00.008-04:00

I am going to use the following in preparation for the RS Written exam:

Like a lot of engineers, I have purchased or received a great deal of books
some on (and some not on) Cisco's recommended 'Book List.'

For the Written, however, I have decided to go with a more a more scaled approach
using IPexpert's list. This list has a nice summary explanation of which books you
should read and why.

I plan to begin reading the CCIE Routing and Switching Exam Certification Guide, 3rd Edition after this weekend (yeah, I have to defer to a major class project).

I will supplement this with labs covering each technology as I move through the book.

*****************************************************************************
*****************************************************************************

Upgrading lab...

2009-03-09T20:24:00.002-04:00

This place is really dusty...

I've been pretty busy at work (who hasn't?), but have finally developed
a plan for the Written. I also decided to upgrade my lab. I am currently cabling
the following:

R1 = Cisco 2620XM
R3 = Cisco 2621XM
R2 = Cisco 2610XM
R4 = Cisco 2611XM
R5 = Cisco 2611XM
R6 = Cisco 2621XM
BB1 = Cisco 2610
BB2 = Cisco 2501
BB3 = Cisco 2610
FR = Cisco 3620
sw1 = Cisco 3550
sw2 = Cisco 3550
sw3 = Cisco 3550
sw4 = Cisco 3550
TS = Cisco 2511

I use Wic-2Ts with Smart Serial x-over cables for serial connections,
which is how I am able to use the Cisco 3620 as a Frame switch. This
works great for my needs. All other connections are standard e-net
x-over or straight thru, as well as Octo cables.

After I pass the written I'll rent lab time to cover additional technologies
as I progress.

Oh boy, talk about blog neglect!

2008-12-03T14:58:00.000-05:00

Oh boy, talk about blog neglect!

I've been slammed with grad school work. I am more than ready to complete
this degree, especially because my rack is collecting serious dust.

I have also been interviewing, and I'll blog about that later.

Dear Secret Santa...

2008-10-22T13:59:00.005-04:00

My family celebrates the Xmas holidays by giving gifts via Secret Santa.
Here was my letter.... I'm sure they'll love it...

Dear Secret Santa:

I'd like a Cisco 3560, but those are going for $800 used right now. So I'd like
a Cisco 3550. You'd have to buy it used from eBay. It can be 24 or 48 ports. They
go for around the same price. See a sample below.

http://cgi.ebay.com/CISCO-3550-CATALYST-48-PORT-SWITCH-DUAL-WS-G5484_W0QQitemZ270286891237QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item270286891237&_trkparms=72%3A1205|39%3A1|66%3A2|65%3A12|240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/switches/ps646/index.html

I just need the following specs:

Cisco WS-C3550-48-SMI Switch 3550 with EMI Image
or
Cisco WS-C3550-24-SMI Switch 3550 with EMI Image
or
Cisco WS-C3550-24-SMI Switch 3550 with SMI Image

Don't let these specifications frighten or confuse you. The hardware is the easiest
part of networking. Please be sure that once you get the Cisco 3550, test it to
make sure it works. (For testing you will need to "console" in; please see {Dad's name}
for details). It would stink if you gave a me a switch that didn't work.

Many Thanks Santa!

Cisco launches first-ever authorized CCIE training program

2008-10-15T15:52:00.000-04:00

I'm stuck studying Strategic Management.

Check out this article though:

Cisco launches first-ever authorized CCIE training program

My Favorite Interview Question - Jeff Doyle

2008-10-13T10:43:00.001-04:00

Check out this little jewel...

My Favorite Interview Question - Jeff Doyle

Today’s post is about one of the most basic OSPF rules.

I was often called upon, in past jobs, to conduct technical interviews with applicants to network engineering and professional services positions. A CCIE and experience commensurate with that certification was typically a gateway to just being considered for a technical interview, so these job candidates were no slouches in what they knew.

CCIE SP Mini-Scenarios

2008-10-09T10:44:00.001-04:00

Anyone thinking of going for the CCIE SP? Check out these free
mini scenarios from Antonio Soares, CCIE #18473.

CCIELab has passed the CCIE!

2008-10-08T13:09:00.003-04:00

Read all about CCIE Lab Preparation's experience here:

CCIE #22262
My Lab Experience - Part I
My Lab Experience - Part II

CCIE Pursuit's 1st Lab Attempt - Write Up

2008-10-08T11:27:00.002-04:00

A two part series (at this point) that gives one an excellent view into the lab (without NDA violation). IMO, one of the more thorough descriptions out there.

Check them out here:

CCIE Pursuit Blog

My Lab Experience - Part I
My Lab Experience - Part II

The dangers of nonpassive router interfaces

2008-10-07T11:13:00.005-04:00

Been a little busy with interviews and getting set for two of my last four
classes (Graduate Accounting and Strategic Management). Meanwhile just
read a cool article by Stretch at Packetlife. Give it a read:

The dangers of nonpassive router interfaces

By default, any network interface advertised by an IGP is considered active for that protocol. This means that the router will send information out that interface in an attempt to advertise routes or form adjacencies with neighboring routers. While this provides a bit of convenience to the administrator, it also presents a gaping security hole if neighbor adjacencies are not securely authenticated...

Read Narbik's sample chapter...

2008-09-22T15:26:00.000-04:00

... on Switching (Narbik CCIE Foundations sample chapter).
Very nice. Will do this lab next.

CCIE Lab View - See What Its Like!

2008-09-17T00:43:00.001-04:00

Check out the Virtual Tour of the CCIE Lab here!

Nice!

Multicast then Narbik Sample Chapter

2008-09-17T00:42:00.002-04:00

Completed Bryant Advantage Multicasting lab. Not bad, but brief. Will move on to a brief overview of switching (Narbik CCIE Foundations sample chapter).

BGP Labs - Bryant Advantage

2008-09-16T16:33:00.002-04:00

Done. I really recommend these to those preparing for the BSCI. Very nice transitional labs that get you thinking and understanding what it is that you are doing, versus just simply entering in commands and seeing that it works.

BGP

2008-09-15T13:46:00.001-04:00

Working towards finishing the BGP portion of the lab from Bryant Advantage. Nice stuff. I'll need to roll through it again. And perhaps a third time with the configs covered up O_o. Anyway, should finish that today, and then move on the multicasting portion. This will have given me a nice, albeit light, overview of Routing.

EIGRP

2008-09-13T19:19:00.003-04:00

Completed Bryant Advantage EIGRP section. Nice. Will do BGP tomorrow. Just doing a run through of these labs as I read through Doyle's book.

Article on Mask comparison: subnet versus wildcard from Packetlife.net

2008-09-10T21:00:00.003-04:00

Nice, quick and clean explanation/"new"reminder of subnet versus wildcard masks.

Quoted from Packetlife.net
Many newbie network admins express difficulty with the subnet-versus-wildcard masking paradigm. It is a commonly held belief that a wildcard mask is simply the inverse of a subnet mask, and this is often the case, but not necessarily. Here's a brief rundown explaining the purpose of both mask types. Click here for the rest!

"OPSF Hub-And-Spoke And Virtual Links" lab - Issue Resolved

2008-09-10T14:04:00.003-04:00

In response to yesterday's post: here
I have resolved the issue.

NOTE: Unused interfaces and other portions of the config are omitted.

Ok, so I went back to basics borrowing from this config, I configured R4 and R5 based off of:

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/tech/tk365/technologies_configuration_example09186a0080094057.shtml#conf1

Modified Configs:
Router 4

host R4
!
interface Loopback0
ip address 4.4.4.4 255.255.255.255
!
interface Serial0/1
ip address 1.1.1.4 255.255.255.0
clock rate 64000
!
router ospf 1
network 1.1.1.0 0.0.0.255 area 0

Router 5

host R5
!
interface Loopback0
ip address 5.5.5.5 255.255.255.255
!
interface Serial0/1
ip address 1.1.1.5 255.255.255.0
!
router ospf 1
network 1.1.1.0 0.0.0.255 area 0

Here, the main difference is that I used HDLC between R4 and R5 versus Frame-Relay. I am able to establish an adjacency between
the two:

R4#sh int Serial0/1
Serial0/1 is up, line protocol is up
Hardware is PowerQUICC Serial
Internet address is 1.1.1.4/24
MTU 1500 bytes, BW 1544 Kbit, DLY 20000 usec,
reliability 255/255, txload 1/255, rxload 1/255
Encapsulation HDLC, loopback not set

R4#sh ip os ne

Neighbor ID Pri State Dead Time Address Interface
5.5.5.5 0 FULL/ - 00:00:34 1.1.1.5 Serial0/1
R4#sh ip os int s0/1
Serial0/1 is up, line protocol is up
Internet Address 1.1.1.4/24, Area 0
Process ID 1, Router ID 4.4.4.4, Network Type POINT_TO_POINT, Cost: 64
Transmit Delay is 1 sec, State POINT_TO_POINT,
Timer intervals configured, Hello 10, Dead 40, Wait 40, Retransmit 5
oob-resync timeout 40
Hello due in 00:00:01
Supports Link-local Signaling (LLS)
Index 1/1, flood queue length 0
Next 0x0(0)/0x0(0)
Last flood scan length is 1, maximum is 1
Last flood scan time is 0 msec, maximum is 0 msec
Neighbor Count is 1, Adjacent neighbor count is 1
Adjacent with neighbor 5.5.5.5
Suppress hello for 0 neighbor(s)
R4#

R5#sh int s0/1
Serial0/1 is up, line protocol is up
Hardware is PowerQUICC Serial
Internet address is 1.1.1.5/24
MTU 1500 bytes, BW 128 Kbit, DLY 20000 usec,
reliability 255/255, txload 1/255, rxload 1/255
Encapsulation HDLC, loopback not set
R5#sh ip os ne

Neighbor ID Pri State Dead Time Address Interface
4.4.4.4 0 FULL/ - 00:00:37 1.1.1.4 Serial0/1
R5#
R5#sh ip os int s0/1
Serial0/1 is up, line protocol is up
Internet Address 1.1.1.5/24, Area 0
Process ID 1, Router ID 5.5.5.5, Network Type POINT_TO_POINT, Cost: 781
Transmit Delay is 1 sec, State POINT_TO_POINT,
Timer intervals configured, Hello 10, Dead 40, Wait 40, Retransmit 5
oob-resync timeout 40
Hello due in 00:00:08
Supports Link-local Signaling (LLS)
Index 1/1, flood queue length 0
Next 0x0(0)/0x0(0)
Last flood scan length is 1, maximum is 1
Last flood scan time is 0 msec, maximum is 0 msec
Neighbor Count is 1, Adjacent neighbor count is 1
Adjacent with neighbor 4.4.4.4
Suppress hello for 0 neighbor(s)
R5#

=================================================================================

I reconfigured R4 and R5 to reflect HDLC along with the lab book's info:

Router 4
!
!
interface Loopback4
ip address 4.4.4.4 255.255.255.255
!
interface FastEthernet0/0
ip address 172.12.23.4 255.255.255.0
shutdown
speed auto
half-duplex
!
interface Serial0/0
ip address 172.12.123.4 255.255.255.0
encapsulation frame-relay IETF
ip ospf hello-interval 5
ip ospf priority 0
no fair-queue
frame-relay map ip 172.12.123.2 321
frame-relay interface-dlci 321
frame-relay lmi-type cisco
!
!
interface Serial0/1
ip address 10.2.2.4 255.255.255.0
clock rate 64000
!
router ospf 1
router-id 44.44.44.44
log-adjacency-changes
area 45 virtual-link 5.5.5.5
network 4.4.4.4 0.0.0.0 area 4
network 10.2.2.0 0.0.0.255 area 45
network 172.12.123.0 0.0.0.255 area 0
!
!

Router 5
!
!
interface Loopback5
ip address 5.5.5.5 255.255.255.255
!
interface FastEthernet0/0
ip address 172.12.23.5 255.255.255.0
shutdown
speed auto
half-duplex
!
interface Serial0/1
ip address 10.2.2.5 255.255.255.0
!
router ospf 1
log-adjacency-changes
area 45 virtual-link 44.44.44.44
network 5.5.5.5 0.0.0.0 area 5
network 10.2.2.0 0.0.0.255 area 45
!
!

The adjacency is established:

R4#sh ip osp ne

Neighbor ID Pri State Dead Time Address Interface
5.5.5.5 0 FULL/ - 00:00:35 10.2.2.5 Serial0/1
R4#sh ip os int s0/1
Serial0/1 is up, line protocol is up
Internet Address 10.2.2.4/24, Area 45
Process ID 1, Router ID 44.44.44.44, Network Type POINT_TO_POINT, Cost: 64
Transmit Delay is 1 sec, State POINT_TO_POINT,
Timer intervals configured, Hello 10, Dead 40, Wait 40, Retransmit 5
oob-resync timeout 40
Hello due in 00:00:02
Supports Link-local Signaling (LLS)
Index 1/3, flood queue length 0
Next 0x0(0)/0x0(0)
Last flood scan length is 1, maximum is 1
Last flood scan time is 0 msec, maximum is 0 msec
Neighbor Count is 1, Adjacent neighbor count is 1
Adjacent with neighbor 5.5.5.5
Suppress hello for 0 neighbor(s)
R4#

R5#sh ip os ne

Neighbor ID Pri State Dead Time Address Interface
44.44.44.44 0 FULL/ - 00:00:33 10.2.2.4 Serial0/1
R5#sh ip os int s0/1
Serial0/1 is up, line protocol is up
Internet Address 10.2.2.5/24, Area 45
Process ID 1, Router ID 5.5.5.5, Network Type POINT_TO_POINT, Cost: 781
Transmit Delay is 1 sec, State POINT_TO_POINT,
Timer intervals configured, Hello 10, Dead 40, Wait 40, Retransmit 5
oob-resync timeout 40
Hello due in 00:00:08
Supports Link-local Signaling (LLS)
Index 1/3, flood queue length 0
Next 0x0(0)/0x0(0)
Last flood scan length is 1, maximum is 1
Last flood scan time is 0 msec, maximum is 0 msec
Neighbor Count is 1, Adjacent neighbor count is 1
Adjacent with neighbor 44.44.44.44
Suppress hello for 0 neighbor(s)
R5#

And thanks to the virtual link, I can now ping back to the hub router (R1).

R5#p 1.1.1.1

Type escape sequence to abort.
Sending 5, 100-byte ICMP Echos to 1.1.1.1, timeout is 2 seconds:
!!!!!
Success rate is 100 percent (5/5), round-trip min/avg/max = 92/93/96 ms
R5#

R5#sh ip ro os
1.0.0.0/32 is subnetted, 1 subnets
O IA 1.1.1.1 [110/846] via 10.2.2.4, 00:03:03, Serial0/1
2.0.0.0/32 is subnetted, 1 subnets
O IA 2.2.2.2 [110/846] via 10.2.2.4, 00:03:03, Serial0/1
4.0.0.0/32 is subnetted, 1 subnets
O IA 4.4.4.4 [110/782] via 10.2.2.4, 00:03:03, Serial0/1
172.12.0.0/24 is subnetted, 1 subnets
O 172.12.123.0 [110/845] via 10.2.2.4, 00:03:03, Serial0/1
R5#

Now, I know Frame-Relay point-to-point is possible. This link proves it:
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/tech/tk365/technologies_configuration_example09186a0080094054.shtml#conf

I think my mistake with Frame-Relay OSPF Point-to-Point is that I should have
established a point-to-point sub-interface, e.g. interface Serial0.1 point-to-point
versus making R4 a frame-switch just to deal with point-to-point connectivity between
R4 and R5. O_o ??

Could be another reason, but I got frame-relay p2p to work as well. Check it out below:

Configs (then results after):

Router 4

!
!
interface Loopback4
ip address 4.4.4.4 255.255.255.255
!
interface FastEthernet0/0
ip address 172.12.23.4 255.255.255.0
shutdown
speed auto
half-duplex
!
interface Serial0/0
ip address 172.12.123.4 255.255.255.0
encapsulation frame-relay IETF
ip ospf hello-interval 5
ip ospf priority 0
no fair-queue
frame-relay map ip 172.12.123.2 321
frame-relay interface-dlci 321
frame-relay lmi-type cisco
!

interface Serial0/1
no ip address
encapsulation frame-relay
no keepalive
clock rate 64000
!
interface Serial0/1.1 point-to-point
ip address 10.2.2.4 255.255.255.0
frame-relay interface-dlci 444
!
router ospf 1
router-id 44.44.44.44
log-adjacency-changes
area 45 virtual-link 5.5.5.5
network 4.4.4.4 0.0.0.0 area 4
network 10.2.2.0 0.0.0.255 area 45
network 172.12.123.0 0.0.0.255 area 0
!

Router 5

!
!
interface Loopback5
ip address 5.5.5.5 255.255.255.255
!
interface FastEthernet0/0
ip address 172.12.23.5 255.255.255.0
shutdown
speed auto
half-duplex
!
!
interface Serial0/1
no ip address
encapsulation frame-relay
no keepalive
!
interface Serial0/1.1 point-to-point
ip address 10.2.2.5 255.255.255.0
frame-relay interface-dlci 444
!
router ospf 1
log-adjacency-changes
area 45 virtual-link 44.44.44.44
network 5.5.5.5 0.0.0.0 area 5
network 10.2.2.0 0.0.0.255 area 45
!
!

R4#sh ip os ne

Neighbor ID Pri State Dead Time Address Interface
5.5.5.5 0 FULL/ - 00:00:31 10.2.2.5 Serial0/1.1
R4#sh ip os int s0/1
%OSPF: OSPF not enabled on Serial0/1
R4#sh ip os int s0/1.1
Serial0/1.1 is up, line protocol is up
Internet Address 10.2.2.4/24, Area 45
Process ID 1, Router ID 44.44.44.44, Network Type POINT_TO_POINT, Cost: 64
Transmit Delay is 1 sec, State POINT_TO_POINT,
Timer intervals configured, Hello 10, Dead 40, Wait 40, Retransmit 5
oob-resync timeout 40
Hello due in 00:00:01
Supports Link-local Signaling (LLS)
Index 1/3, flood queue length 0
Next 0x0(0)/0x0(0)
Last flood scan length is 1, maximum is 1
Last flood scan time is 0 msec, maximum is 0 msec
Neighbor Count is 1, Adjacent neighbor count is 1
Adjacent with neighbor 5.5.5.5
Suppress hello for 0 neighbor(s)
R4#

R5#
R5#sh ip os ne

Neighbor ID Pri State Dead Time Address Interface
44.44.44.44 0 FULL/ - 00:00:32 10.2.2.4 Serial0/1.1
R5#sh ip os int s0/1.1
Serial0/1.1 is up, line protocol is up
Internet Address 10.2.2.5/24, Area 45
Process ID 1, Router ID 5.5.5.5, Network Type POINT_TO_POINT, Cost: 781
Transmit Delay is 1 sec, State POINT_TO_POINT,
Timer intervals configured, Hello 10, Dead 40, Wait 40, Retransmit 5
oob-resync timeout 40
Hello due in 00:00:05
Supports Link-local Signaling (LLS)
Index 1/3, flood queue length 0
Next 0x0(0)/0x0(0)
Last flood scan length is 1, maximum is 1
Last flood scan time is 0 msec, maximum is 0 msec
Neighbor Count is 1, Adjacent neighbor count is 1
Adjacent with neighbor 44.44.44.44
Suppress hello for 0 neighbor(s)
R5#
R5#

And last, but not least, pinging from R1 using TCL to all Loopbacks.

R1#tclsh
R1(tcl)#foreach address {
+>(tcl)#1.1.1.1
+>(tcl)#2.2.2.2
+>(tcl)#4.4.4.4
+>(tcl)#5.5.5.5
+>(tcl)#} { ping $address re 3 si 100 }

Type escape sequence to abort.
Sending 3, 100-byte ICMP Echos to 1.1.1.1, timeout is 2 seconds:
!!!
Success rate is 100 percent (3/3), round-trip min/avg/max = 1/3/4 ms
Type escape sequence to abort.
Sending 3, 100-byte ICMP Echos to 2.2.2.2, timeout is 2 seconds:
!!!
Success rate is 100 percent (3/3), round-trip min/avg/max = 64/66/68 ms
Type escape sequence to abort.
Sending 3, 100-byte ICMP Echos to 4.4.4.4, timeout is 2 seconds:
!!!
Success rate is 100 percent (3/3), round-trip min/avg/max = 64/65/68 ms
Type escape sequence to abort.
Sending 3, 100-byte ICMP Echos to 5.5.5.5, timeout is 2 seconds:
!!!
Success rate is 100 percent (3/3), round-trip min/avg/max = 92/92/92 ms
R1(tcl)#^Z
R1#
05:09:33: %SYS-5-CONFIG_I: Configured from console by console
R1#

Thanks!

"OPSF Hub-And-Spoke And Virtual Links" lab - Issue

2008-09-10T00:42:00.002-04:00

Got stumped on a portion of this "OPSF Hub-And-Spoke And Virtual Links" lab (Bryant advantage). Hopefull I can finish it tomorrow... sleepy...

NOTE: My Physical Setup is the as the workbook's, except that the Lab's R3 is my R4,
and the lab's R4 is my R5. Hence the slight differences in loopbacks and the like.

I am working the "OPSF Hub-And-Spoke And Virtual Links" lab. What I
am running into is that I am unable to establish an Adjacency between
R4 and R5. Any suggestions would greatly appreciated. Thanks!

R4#
R4#sh ip os n

Neighbor ID Pri State Dead Time Address Interface
11.11.11.11 1 FULL/DR 00:00:15 172.12.123.1 Serial0/0
R4#

R5#
R5#sh ip os ne

R5#

show ip ospf interface so/1 for Router4

R4#
R4#sh ip os int s0/1
Serial0/1 is up, line protocol is up
Internet Address 10.2.2.4/24, Area 45
Process ID 1, Router ID 44.44.44.44, Network Type NON_BROADCAST, Cost: 64
Transmit Delay is 1 sec, State DR, Priority 1
Designated Router (ID) 44.44.44.44, Interface address 10.2.2.4
No backup designated router on this network
Timer intervals configured, Hello 30, Dead 120, Wait 120, Retransmit 5
oob-resync timeout 120
Hello due in 00:00:22
Supports Link-local Signaling (LLS)
Index 1/3, flood queue length 0
Next 0x0(0)/0x0(0)
Last flood scan length is 0, maximum is 0
Last flood scan time is 0 msec, maximum is 0 msec
Neighbor Count is 0, Adjacent neighbor count is 0
Suppress hello for 0 neighbor(s)
R4#
R4#

show ip ospf interface so/1 for Router 5

R5#
R5#sh ip os in s0/1
Serial0/1 is up, line protocol is up
Internet Address 10.2.2.5/24, Area 45
Process ID 1, Router ID 5.5.5.5, Network Type NON_BROADCAST, Cost: 781
Transmit Delay is 1 sec, State DR, Priority 1
Designated Router (ID) 5.5.5.5, Interface address 10.2.2.5
No backup designated router on this network
Timer intervals configured, Hello 30, Dead 120, Wait 120, Retransmit 5
oob-resync timeout 120
Hello due in 00:00:29
Supports Link-local Signaling (LLS)
Index 1/1, flood queue length 0
Next 0x0(0)/0x0(0)
Last flood scan length is 0, maximum is 0
Last flood scan time is 0 msec, maximum is 0 msec
Neighbor Count is 0, Adjacent neighbor count is 0
Suppress hello for 0 neighbor(s)
R5#
R5#

Configs below:

===================== R4 ==========================================

!
frame-relay switching
!
!
!
!
interface Loopback4
ip address 4.4.4.4 255.255.255.255
!
interface FastEthernet0/0
ip address 172.12.23.4 255.255.255.0
shutdown
speed auto
half-duplex
!
interface Serial0/0
ip address 172.12.123.4 255.255.255.0
encapsulation frame-relay IETF
ip ospf hello-interval 5
ip ospf priority 0
no fair-queue
frame-relay map ip 172.12.123.2 321
frame-relay interface-dlci 321
frame-relay lmi-type cisco
!
interface FastEthernet0/1
no ip address
shutdown
speed auto
half-duplex
!
interface Serial0/1
ip address 10.2.2.4 255.255.255.0
encapsulation frame-relay IETF
clock rate 64000
frame-relay interface-dlci 444
frame-relay intf-type dce
!
router ospf 1
router-id 44.44.44.44
log-adjacency-changes
area 45 virtual-link 5.5.5.5
network 4.4.4.4 0.0.0.0 area 4
network 10.2.2.0 0.0.0.255 area 45
network 172.12.123.0 0.0.0.255 area 0
!
!

===================== R5 ==========================================

!
!
!
interface Loopback5
ip address 5.5.5.5 255.255.255.255
!
interface FastEthernet0/0
ip address 172.12.23.5 255.255.255.0
shutdown
speed auto
half-duplex
!
interface Serial0/0
no ip address
shutdown
no fair-queue
!
interface FastEthernet0/1
no ip address
shutdown
speed auto
half-duplex
!
interface Serial0/1
ip address 10.2.2.5 255.255.255.0
encapsulation frame-relay IETF
frame-relay interface-dlci 444
!
router ospf 1
log-adjacency-changes
area 45 virtual-link 44.44.44.44
network 5.5.5.5 0.0.0.0 area 5
network 10.2.2.0 0.0.0.255 area 45
!

Labs - Bryant Advantage

2008-09-08T15:49:00.004-04:00

Completed the first three labs for BSCI (Layer 2, Static, RIP). Nice explanations. Gives you a better feel for doing labs without an "answer key," as a typical CCNP/CCNA lab would have. I'll do more of these tonight if I'm not too tired, then start EIGRP (Doyle, notes, lab) tomorrow.

Waiting on a customer....

2008-09-08T15:09:00.002-04:00

...conference call to start. Came across a pretty cool site: Ratemynetworkdiagram.com

The break down follows:

Welcome to Rate My Network Diagram!

The idea of setting this site up was not to make it possible for people to vote on the "look" of a network diagram. The purpose of this site is to allow people to learn about computer networking and network documentation by seeing what other people have done with their networks -- all for free.

Along with rating network diagrams, users may also leave comments or messages in the RMND forum to interact with other users of the site. When rating other user's network diagrams or designing your own diagram, please keep in mind ratings should be based on the function of the network and not the graphic design capabilities of the network administrator.

RIPv2/RIPng

2008-09-08T10:51:00.002-04:00

Reviewed RIPv2/RIPng notes found here after reading Chapter 6 (Doyle, Routing TCP/IP v2).

To RIP or not to RIP...

2008-09-08T10:06:00.003-04:00

Went to a wedding and celebrated with friends, which means I didn't study a bit (well, I did study for my graduate Project Management course O_o). Anyways, RIPv2 isn't on the the CCIE Written (according to the Blueprint) so I'll briefly review and move to EIGRP.

RIPv2

2008-09-04T16:44:00.002-04:00

I'll be moving on to RIPv2, finally. No worries, I have plenty of time to comb through each Written topic. And I finally get to work out these labs. It's going to be an awesome weekend!

Pipe-ology CDP

2008-09-04T12:10:00.004-04:00

Ever need to get the Device name or IP address from other devices
connected to the router/switch you are currently in? A "show cdp
neighbors detail" will do the trick. But what if you have multiple
devices connected to your router or switch? Sifting through the output
could be painful. That's where the pipe (|) comes in. Our format is
show cdp neighbors detail | include [string1]|[string2]. Issue the
"sh cdp neighbors detail | include Device|IP" and we'll get the desired
output without the sifting. (sh cdp ne det | in Dev|IP - for short)

R1#sh cdp neighbors detail
-------------------------
Device ID: SW1.switch.net
Entry address(es):
IP address: 10.x.x.x
Platform: cisco WS-C2950G-24-EI, Capabilities: Switch IGMP
Interface: FastEthernet0/0.1, Port ID (outgoing port): FastEthernet0/24
Holdtime : 147 sec

Version :
Cisco Internetwork Operating System Software
IOS (tm) C2950 Software (C2950-I6K2L2Q4-M), Version 12.1(22)EA11, RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc2)
Copyright (c) 1986-2008 by cisco Systems, Inc.
Compiled Tue 08-Jan-08 11:12 by amvarma

advertisement version: 2
Protocol Hello: OUI=0x00000C, Protocol ID=0x0112; payload len=27,

value=00000000FFFFFFFF010221FF0000000000000012009B7E00FF0000
VTP Management Domain: ''
Native VLAN: 1
Duplex: full

R1#

Using the pipe:

R1#sh cdp neighbors detail | include Device|IP
Device ID: SW1.switch.net
IP address: 10.5.5.50
R1#

Shortcut version:

R1#sh cdp ne det | in Dev|IP
Device ID: SW1.switch.net
IP address: 10.x.x.x
R1#

Note: IP addresses and Device names are blocked to protect the innocent. Also, the
strings are case sensitive.

Lab Challenges

2008-09-04T10:17:00.003-04:00

Where were blogs like these in 2000? Here's a couple of lab challenges from Just another CCIE
CCIE #20728. Pretty nice, and also free! So go ahead, lab it up!

http://ccie20728.wordpress.com/2008/08/26/lab-challenge-eigrp/#more-205
http://ccie20728.wordpress.com/2008/05/11/lab-challenge-igp-eigrp-ospf-and-rip/

Ahhhh, IPv6 Round 1 - DONE!

2008-09-03T18:24:00.004-04:00

Well, done, until my second reading anyway. Since I'm now on Doyle's Routing TCP/IP v1, I may go over static routing again, though I just covered it via Bryant Advantage. I'll decide later tonight. Had a busy day at work, and I'm finally outta here!

It Looks Like Paper CCNPs ARE Good For Something

2008-09-03T12:04:00.002-04:00

Yeah, it's been posted b4, but it's one of my favorite success stories, so here it goes again!

Citation:
From CCIE Pursuit Blog & GS:

It Looks Like Paper CCNPs ARE Good For Something

July 3, 2008

“Anger is an energy”
Rise - Public Image Limited

I recently blogged about Dale Kling passing the lab on his first attempt. He was a classmate of mine at the IE Mock Lab Workshop. Dale was knocking out labs in under 3 hours at the workshop. He finished the real deal in four hours, so he must have been putzing around.

It was pretty obvious that Dale had a very good shot at passing the lab on his first attempt. His dedication and hours of effort are nothing short of insane. I have taken his advice and am trying to increase my speed by doing labs over and over again.

Below is his story as posted in GroupStudy - since the jerk never replied to my email! :-) There’s a lot of good information and tips in his posting. Plus Dale had a rather unique motivation to pursue the CCIE.

Dale is already starting on the Service Provider track, which just verifies his insanity.

Damn, I finished the lab in 4 hours and had 4 hours to verify and I still didn’t………..

get served that coffee Brian Dennis was talking about. At least I got my number on my first attempt though, 21330 baby! BTW, never ever ever take your lab on Friday, the wait was worse then the night before christmas as a kid! I didn’t get my results until I woke up this morning and have been on edge with people all weekend.

Some people already know me from class and know my story. I began studying because of all the paper CCNPs out there, especially my work. Now I have nothing against CCNPs or any paper certs if you did it the right way, but what pissed me off is that our employer thought this other guy was as qualified as me because he got his CCNP and this guy announced himself as a Senior Engineer. Well this schmuck took two days to get an SVI on a Cat 3750 up and just started networking about a year ago. While I worked hard for mine and have recertified it twice over the past 7 years now, he got his in weeks with you know what…… Pretty blatant about it as well as they passed them around work talking about how they can get CCNP in just a few weeks. These guys blow and I wish Cisco would do something about their testing system.

In any case, I got mad, I mean really mad that nobody could see through the charade of these fake qualified network engineers. February of this year I had enough and I knew there was only one thing to do. Get something that they couldn’t get or at least they would have to work real hard to get and based on their work ethic, I doubt they would ever get it, the CCIE. I worked my @$$ off since I got the materials end of February, and by the grace of GOD and my lovely wife I was able to get my number in RTP on June 27th. I pretty much shut my family off for the last 4 months, while my wife took care of everything, the kids, the house, the dogs…… To give everyone an idea of the hours I put in…. I worked 40 hours a week, I studied everyday after work, from 6 pm to 2 am labbing and 12-15 hours each day on the weekends. I took one day off and that was Mothers day and then I attended InternetworkExperts 12 day bootcamp. I actually finished their bootcamp material by the 3rd day of the bootcamp and Brian Dennis and company was nice enough to let me mock lab the rest of the days I was there. The InternetworkExpert bootcamp was nice to get away for 12 days and lab for about 12-15 hours a day. I went outside once the entire time I was there and that was for a 5 min walk to look at the pool and I didn’t turn on my tv once. I probably squeezed in about 3 weeks of lab time in 2 weeks of time. In essence, I was driven to get the CCIE from start to finish in about 4 months. Granted I have about 8 years Cisco experience, but it hasn’t been hands on everyday the past 3-4 years because I work in a lab environment now and no longer do operational support, thank god for that too.

It was a hard road, and there was many times I kept telling myself this is too hard and will I never get there. However, I kept telling myself as long as I keep studying and as long as I keep labbing I will always learn something and will get closer. You might think I’m crazy, but I had a goal and my wife said go for it. As I’ve said in previous posts, my motivattion was not money, but to gain the knowledge these other guys didn’t have and to achieve CCIE status, something most of these paper certifiers won’t ever get. I have to say that I must thank these guys at work for the motivation, and I will today when I go in to work in 2 hours after I get my Cisco polos embroidered with the CCIE logo and install an LED behind it. Seriously though, they gave me that spark that I was missing for years and passing this lab attempt has ignited it even more. Now if you’ve managed to endure the past few paragraphs of blah, all you first time CCIE candidates enjoy my recommendations, which you’ve all heard time and time again I’m sure.

Study the Core, lab the Core until your fingers bleed. Get your Core down to at least 3 hours or less. InternetwokExpert WB3 labs are awesome for this, I got those down to 2 hours or less, some of the hard ones took 2 1/2 hours. Speed and time management was huge for me. I probably put in about 500 hours of harcore lab time the last 4 months. I initially started InternetworkExperts WB2 doing labs in like 10 hours, learning and understanding the theory behind things. They were tough at first, but I constantly would go back and reread the DOCCD and reference all my books, I have ton of books. I watched their technologies COD 2 1/2 times in it’s entirety. It took a lot of coffee and doing it hands on with them to stay awake. Brian Dennis’s jokes couldn’t even keep me up anymore after the first go around. ;) After a few months I started completing their labs in entirety in about 4 hours. Once this happened, I would do them and then look up everything in the DOCCD, no matter if I knew it or not. This was my DOCCD familiarization stage. I actually picked that up from Scott Morris from somewhere I believe. Here it comes, you’ve heard it before, and you’re going to hear it again….

KNOW YOUR DOCCD.. I guarantee you will get something in the lab that you haven’t seen before. This is where speed on the CORE was essential for me. By lunch I had completed the lab once over , ran my TCL script, and was feeling a little uneasy still, but I had the meat done. I’m a paranoid guy, you can ask others. The only thing left was verification and digging in the DOCCD for those few things I didn’t know. I verified twice and each time I found one small mistake that would have cost me 2 or 3 points each. Oh and by the way, I still don’t know the answer to one of them weird questions, even now that I’m home and I have google, so here it comes, here it comes again, KNOW YOUR DOCCD. My last suggestion is make sure you know theory very well in the CORE IGP, well everything you learn really, but especially your CORE. you’ve heard time and time again Switching, FR, and IGP probably will be half your points. If you understand the mechanics and how things work, no matter what scenario you get you can work through it. If you memorize the vendor WBs, it won’t help in the real lab.

So I guess I should recognize people and materials that have helped me. First off, my wife and GOD. If I don’t mention her first, she might kill me and probably the same about GOD… O_o Next, InternetworkExperts ver 4 WBs and their Technology COD. I have the Brians’ voices engrained into my head. Brian Dennis, Josh Finke and crew from InternetworkExpert were nice enough to hook me up in the last hours. Also, IPExperts audio CD with Scott Morris. I bought their WB package, but I only used the audio portion. I thought it was very good and I probably listened to it about 5 times in it’s entirety driving to and from work everyday. It was just an extra tool to feed my brain the knowledge it needed.

I already have the materials from InternetworkExpert for the SP track and will hit that at work starting this morning since this is what I do at work everyday and my boss will let me study while I lab it up on our 7604s. MMM Knowledge, I think these guys at work turned me into an animal. Watch your back Petr, I’m coming for your CCIEs and I’ll probably pass up Brian Mcgahan in 6 months because he’s a slacker. j/k man.

Good luck to all other CCIE candidates and I hope this email helps.

regards,

Dale

P.S. Don’t unicast me for any NDA crap either, I’ll turn your ass into Cisco.

Groupstudy's CCIE Discussion list:

2008-09-03T10:22:00.010-04:00

Groupstudy's Cisco CCIE Certification Discussion list is another great resource, especially for those who haven't yet completed the CCIE Written portion. As I have only one 3550 switch to practice routing on, and 3 2950s, I wondered how I could route across the 2950s. The following posting entitled "Routng between 3550 and 2950" explains it. See below:

HI Experts,

Following is my topology:-

R1(2611) <---> R2(2611) <---->SW1(3550) ======SW2(2950) <----->
R3(2611) <----->R4(2611)

Note:- Link between the SW1 & SW2 is etherchannel

My query is:-

1. Can the routes be received from R1 to R4.If yes then how should be
the Switches configured coz one of them is Layer 2 and the other is
Layer 3

What I have done so far:-

1. I tried configuring SW1 as layer 3 interface and sw2 as layer 2 on
one of the Interface . the link came up but still couln't get routes
from R1 to R4. I did this configuration by deleting the etherchannel
between the 2 switches. I think this is a wrong configuration but I
don't knowhow I should make the packets reachable in this scenario.

--
Warm Regards
Raghav

RESPONSE:

One option creat whaterver L3 SVi on 3550 say
!
Int vlan 33
ip addr 33.33.33.1/24
!

On the interface connecting to the L2 switch.. just say sw acc vl 33 and the
same command on the interface connecting to R3

On R3.
int eth0/0
ip add 33.33.33.3/24
!

You should be able to ping between Sw1 and R3 then. You could also leave the
link between sw1 and sw2 to be a trunk and just make changes on the link
connecting to R3.

Do read Lan Switching by Clark should help you out with most switching tech.

-Hoogen

LAB

2008-09-03T01:52:00.020-04:00

Here are pics of my labs with brief rundowns below:

Cisco Lab (as pictured):

R1: Cisco 2620XM
R3: Cisco 2621XM
R2: Cisco 2610XM
R4: Cisco 2611XM
R5: Cisco 2611XM
R6: Cisco 2621XM
BB1: Cisco 2610
BB3: Cisco 2610
BB2: Cisco 2610
FS: Cisco 3620
TS: Cisco 2511
SW1: Cisco 3550
SW2: Cisco 3550
SW3: Cisco 3550
SW4: Cisco 3550

Juniper Lab (as pictured):

TS: Cisco 2509
SW: Cisco 2950
OLIVE1: Nokia IP330
OLIVE2: Nokia IP330
OLIVE3: Nokia IP330
OLIVE4: Nokia IP330
OLIVE5: AMD PC
OLIVE6: Nokia IP440
OLIVE7: Nokia IP440

IPv6

2008-09-03T00:34:00.003-04:00

Worked through most of IPv6 in Doyle's Routing TCP/IP. That's a great book! Took thorough notes, will finish tomorrow morning and move on to RIPv2 (finally), then on to EIGRP. Hopefully I can get some time in to work on my lab before the week is out. Plan to run through those RIP labs from the Bryant Advantage and Mohamed Ouamer. These are just basic labs, but I'm doing them to reinforce concepts as I progress. I plan to continue on that route building up my understanding for the Written, and at the same time, preparing for transition to Soup-to-Nuts (S2N) once I have completed the written. I plan to take the written by the end of November, beginning of December before this project at work ramps to full speed. Anyway, that's the basic gist of my plan. I'll place a real outline later.

TCP/IP/VLSM/Summarization/CIDR

2008-09-01T20:58:00.005-04:00

Well, never made it to RIPv2 : (. Spent the day taking thorough notes on TCP/IP/VLSM/Summarization/CIDR. Read the first three sections of the Bryant Advantage BSCI Study Guide: IP Routing, DV Routing, & VLSM, Summarization, and CIDR. Will go back through to make flash cards for reminders. Will follow up with IPv6 from Routing TCP/IP Volume I, either tonight and tomorrow, or just tomorrow.

Free Labs

2008-08-31T22:53:00.005-04:00

Looks like a new site is up by Mohamed Ouamer. I'll run through a few of his labs and post my thoughts afterward. It actually could be a good find as I am spending the day running through RIP, and he has several RIP labs up.

Skipping the CCNP, and straight to the CCIE?

2008-08-29T14:04:00.003-04:00

Yep! I have decided not to pursue the CCNP. (I actually earned the CCNP and CCDP in 2001-02). I will instead start preparing for the CCIE Written and then the lab. There are some arguments as to why you should skip the CCNP, but I am skipping it simply to bypass the rehashing. I have a full lab setup, though not as fancy as most, but enough to get 85-90% of the topics done. I can rent rack time after that.

BSCI Study/Practice Exams

2008-08-27T14:51:00.004-04:00

Have you tried the BSCI practice exams from Cisco or some of their
interactive games? Maybe not as tough as the real exam, but pretty
entertaining. Click here to try!

Then click on Study/Learn or Practice.

10 TIPS FOR TAKING THE LAB EXAM

2008-08-26T16:50:00.003-04:00

STUDY TIPS

Assessing Strengths
Using the content blueprint, determine your experience and knowledge in the major topic areas. For areas of strength, practicing for speed should be your focus. For weak areas, you may need training or book study in addition to practice.

Study Materials
Choose lab materials that provide configuration examples and take a hands-on approach. Look for materials that are approved or provided by Cisco and its Learning Partners.

Hands-On Practice
Build and practice lab scenarios on a per topic basis. Go beyond the basics and practice additional features. Learn the show and debug commands along with each topic. If a protocol has multiple ways of configuring a feature, practice all of them.

Cisco Documentation CD
Make sure you can navigate the Cisco documentation CD with confidence because this is the only resource you will be allowed during the lab. Make the CD part of your regular study; if you are familiar with it, you can save time during the exam. As of March 2006, the documentation can only be navigated using the index; the search function has been disabled.

Home Labs
Although acquiring a personal home lab is ideal, it can be costly to gather all the equipment you will need. For the hardware devices that are costly to obtain, you may be able to rent the equipment online at a more reasonable cost.

TEN TIPS FOR TAKING THE LAB EXAM

Read the entire exam first and check for addressing issues. Do not skip any details or sections.

Manage your time. Make a plan to cover all the sections in the time provided. Work out how much time you will spend on each section, keeping in mind the point value of the questions. Don’t forget to allow time at the end to verify your solutions.

Clarify the requirements of each question. Don’t assume requirements that aren’t mentioned in the question. During the lab, if you are in any doubt, verify your understanding of the question with the proctor.

Do each question as a unit. Configure and verify before moving to the next question. You may want to redraw the topology with all the details available. This will help you visualize and map the network.

Troubleshoot. You must know how to troubleshoot using the tools available. Although troubleshooting is important, don’t lose too much time working on a 2- or 3-point question. If you’re caught off-guard by an unfamiliar topic, don’t let it absorb too much time. Work on the things you are more comfortable with and go back to difficult items later.

Keep a list. During the exam, make notes on configurations and settings as you move through the exam. Make a separate list for items you have not been able to address or where you have not achieved the desired result which you’ll need to revisit.

Test your work. Never rely on a configuration done in the early hours of the exam. There is a possibility that an item you configured a few sections earlier can become broken and non-functional. Keep in mind that points are awarded for working configuration only.

Save your configurations often.

Don’t make any drastic changes in the last half hour of the exam.

Speed is vital on the exam. Review and practice core material the week before the exam to ensure you can move quickly through the less challenging questions.

About Me

2008-08-26T16:43:00.023-04:00

My name is Micah, and I am a Network Engineer for a major ISP. I originally obtained the CCNA/CCNP/CCDA/CCDP in 2000-01. I let them expire when I returned to NCSU, where I completed my BA in Communication in June of 2006. I recently completed a MBA in Management from Strayer University in September of 2009 and am now working toward the MSIS. Currently, I hold the CCNA (yep, took it again), and the JNCIA-ER. I passed CCIE Written in June of 2010, and am now preparing for the CCIE Lab.

I wrote the instructions for the IP330 Olive.

The 1U Olive @ Techexams.
The 1U Olive @ Mr.Configure.

Cisco Doc CD + Tutorial

2008-08-25T20:30:00.006-04:00

http://www.cisco.com/univercd/home/home.htm

When I run into trouble on my labs, I use the DOC CD, which I am getting better at using, thanks to the Internetwork Experts tutorial:

http://www.internetworkexpert.com/resources/using_the_doccd/index.html

How's that for an endorsement... j/k

Links for the BSCI

2008-08-25T16:44:00.001-04:00

First Post

2008-08-25T15:41:00.000-04:00

Greetings-

This is more or less a personal blog that will allow me to post things related to routing, switching, and convergence technologies that I may need to quickly access without sifting through the stacks of printed paper I have, or worse, creating more stacks of printed paper. (wow, that was a long sentence).

Seraphus