From: Kevin Baumgartner (kbaumgar@xxxxxxxxx)
Date: Wed Jan 10 2001 - 15:44:59 GMT-3
I would spend a lot of time on the layer 2 configuration. I kind of got
burned on
my second attempt with some problems with frame-relay. I finally got it to work
but spent way too much time.
My thought before was that I know Frame-relay and ISDN so I really don't need
to spend much time practicing on this. Not to say that I didn't have this
as part of
my practice labs that I worked on, but I just didn't spend enough time
trying different
things out.
So I would be very familar and fast with setting up Frame-relay, ISDN,
Token-ring
switch, and now ATM.
Kevin
At 12:22 PM 1/10/01 -0600, Michelle T wrote:
>If anyone is feeling so inclined to, I would be interested in hearing about
>second attempts. I am about to take mine and have been wondering a lot about
>what it will be like. I took my first attempt in March of last year, so it
>seems like it has been a long time. I remember being really surprised at how
>un-prepared I was. I thought I knew routing and switching very well and had
>a chance at passing the first time. Well, I was surprised to find that
>routing and switching really were not my biggest problems, though I did not
>know them as well as I thought I did. There is a big difference between
>knowing how to get a protocol up and working and understanding the inner
>workings of that protocol and the gotchas and rules. Most importantly, I
>discovered that you will never get to the layer 3 stuff you feel comfortable
>with if you can't get Layer 1 and 2 working flawlessly. I did ok on L1, but
>layer 2 issues caught me very much by surprise. I felt I encountered just
>about every frame format that exists in that lab on that day. And as I
>frantically searched the CD and watched the time tick away at a surreal
>speed, I realized I had a long way to go.
>
>That night, knowing I would not make it the next day, I seriously
>contemplated giving up. I think I knew deep down just how much time this was
>going to take and had myself nearly talked out of it. Lucky for me I have an
>understanding and encouraging spouse who gently kicked me in the butt and
>got me going again.
>
>I just looked back at a lab I had practiced on a lot before that first
>attempt. It's from the U of M practice lab and I remember spending an entire
>weekend on it. I think I could do it now in a couple of hours. But at the
>time, I thought I was doing pretty well. Now I realize that it is so
>important to know things right off the top of your head so you can have some
>time for the things that don't quite make sense or for which there isn't an
>obvious answer jumping out at you. Anyway, regardless of the outcome, I just
>believe this will be a completely different experience and know that if I
>pass, I will have earned it and if I don't pass, I don't have nearly as far
>to go as I once did.
>
>Thanks for your thoughts in advance!
>
>Michelle Truman
>
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