From: John Conzone (jkconzone@xxxxxxxx)
Date: Sat Aug 12 2000 - 15:01:13 GMT-3
I stand, errrr, I sit corrected!
----- Original Message -----
From: "Brad Ellis" <ironbrad@WANgurus.com>
To: "John Conzone" <jkconzone@home.com>; "Arne Kuhlmann" <ccie-lab@arne.de>;
<ccielab@groupstudy.com>
Sent: Saturday, August 12, 2000 1:18 PM
Subject: Re: Budget for Lab
> John,
>
> Hi! The virtual racks at WWW.CCBOOTCAMP.COM aren't booked up anymore.
They
> added (2) more racks to their current racks and now have a total of (4)
four
> racks. (3 w/ ATM)
>
> fyi
> -Brad
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "John Conzone" <jkconzone@home.com>
> To: "Brad Ellis" <ironbrad@WANgurus.com>; "Arne Kuhlmann"
> <ccie-lab@arne.de>; <ccielab@groupstudy.com>
> Sent: Saturday, August 12, 2000 1:12 PM
> Subject: Re: Budget for Lab
>
>
> > I echo Brad's sentiments. I have purchased some equipment form Brad
> and
> > its helping a lot. The bootcamp virtual racks are great for ATM and
Voice,
> > but are booked up. I plan on renting space on www.nantech.com. Naana is
a
> > fellow CCIE candidate who has set up a rack, and I am getting ready to
> sign
> > up as we speak.
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Brad Ellis" <ironbrad@WANgurus.com>
> > To: "Arne Kuhlmann" <ccie-lab@arne.de>; <ccielab@groupstudy.com>
> > Sent: Saturday, August 12, 2000 12:30 PM
> > Subject: Re: Budget for Lab
> >
> >
> > > Arne,
> > >
> > > Hi! Virtual labs are a great way to save some money and get good
> exposure
> > > to a variety of technologies. We have had many CCIE's use
> > > www.ccbootcamp.com to gain the necessary skills required to pass the
lab
> > > exam.
> > >
> > > I used CCBOOTCAMP's labs to prepare for the exam mainly using my own
> > > equipment (with the exception of ATM, which I did on a virtual rack).
> If
> > I
> > > could re-do my studying all over again (I dont think I ever would!!),
I
> > > would have just used a virtual rack instead of trying to track down
all
> > the
> > > hardware I needed for my home lab (cables, Maus, switches, routers,
> > > transceivers, etc..what a pain!)
> > >
> > > For many people that are serious about their CCIE certification, the
> cost
> > of
> > > using a virtual rack is minimal ($200/day ave). Getting a home lab of
6
> > or
> > > 7 routers, a switch, and maybe an ISDN simulator (or ISDN lines
> depending
> > on
> > > location), and then using the Virtual Rack for ATM/VoIP/ISL
> trunking/etc.
> > is
> > > a great approach.
> > >
> > > As far as VoIP is concerned, I know that Marc Russell has the voice
gear
> > on
> > > his rack and has helped out his clients in the past by actually
> assisting
> > > them with making the VoIP calls to verify configurations.
> > >
> > > ttyl,
> > > -Brad Ellis
> > > CCIE#5796
> > > www.optsys.net
> > >
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: "Arne Kuhlmann" <ccie-lab@arne.de>
> > > To: <ccielab@groupstudy.com>
> > > Sent: Saturday, August 12, 2000 8:12 AM
> > > Subject: Re: Budget for Lab
> > >
> > >
> > > > What do you guys think of renting time on a virtual lab? For those
who
> > > done it,
> > > > has it been worthwhile?
> > > >
> > > > I have never used a virtual lab and am somewhat reluctant to do so:
> > > > - You have to book a certain timeslot, so you have to use it at that
> > time.
> > > With
> > > > a home lab, you can practice whenever you want. If you only used it
> for
> > 3
> > > hrs
> > > > that day, you don't have to pay for 8.
> > > > - I like to have physical access to the routers so I can wire them
> > however
> > > I
> > > > want for different scenarios. At a home lab you are not stuck with
the
> > > > predefined setup like on the virtual lab.
> > > > - The home lab does cost more, but when you are done you can sell
it,
> if
> > > you are
> > > > lucky for about the same price you bought it for. The money spent on
a
> > > virtual
> > > > lab is gone...
> > > > - There are some things that are very expensive to set up at home,
> like
> > > ATM and
> > > > voice. Luckily we have some ATM stuff at the place where I work, so
> > that's
> > > not a
> > > > problem. Can you really practice voice on a virtual lab? It's one
> thing
> > to
> > > > configure the voice ports on a router, but then I'd like to pick up
> the
> > > phone
> > > > and make a call with it...
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > To get back to the original topic: I am paying for the whole CCIE
> > journey
> > > > myself. Spent hundreds of $$$ on books, thousands on Routers (about
> 5k).
> > > And
> > > > I'll be taking a CCIE lab class with MTS in London late October
(anoth
> er
> > > $10k
> > > > with flight/hotel). After that I'm off to San Jose on Nov 18.
> > > > Not only are travel cost a major factor (I'm from Germany) but also
> the
> > > lost
> > > > income as a contractor for the weeks spent on training and the lab.
> > > >
> > > > Regards,
> > > >
> > > > Arne Kuhlmann
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Brad Ellis wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > I paid $25,000 for my lab...it took a while to pay off my credit
> > > cards!!!
> > > > > (hence I started selling hardware). I would have never passed if
I
> > > didnt
> > > > > buy my own lab. Now that I look back, I wasted WAAAAY too much
time
> > > putting
> > > > > the lab together (hunting down hardware). I would have been much
> > better
> > > off
> > > > > purchasing virtual rack time from CCBOOTCAMP.COM or another
virtual
> > rack
> > > > > place that had ATM and VoIP. I probably could have done that and
> had
> > my
> > > > > company pay for it as training...oh well. Good luck in your
> journey.
> > > If
> > > > > you need any cisco hardware, just let me know how I can help.
> > > > >
> > > > > ttyl,
> > > > > -Brad
> > > >
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.4 : Thu Jun 13 2002 - 08:24:24 GMT-3