From: McCallum, Robert (Robert.McCallum@let-it-be-thus.com)
Date: Mon Feb 24 2003 - 18:24:41 GMT-3
Kym,
Well done. Agree with you totally in that I failed my first attempt because of the token ring switch. I bought one nailed that and sailed the second attempt. Its a good feeling when you get that elusive email. As you stated - now the fun begins for you.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Thomas Trygar [mailto:trygar@wans.net]
> Sent: 23 February 2003 22:02
> To: kym blair
> Cc: ccielab@groupstudy.com
> Subject: Re: CCIE #11115 (longish)
>
>
> Kym,
>
> What is the 2924 for is your suggested equipment list?
> Is it for testing port security/QOS, and other port specific
> configurations?
>
> Tom
>
> kym blair wrote:
>
> > GroupStudy Friends,
> >
> > It was a longer road for me than for most ... two years
> since passing the
> > written. I work long hours and drive 1-1/2 hours each way,
> so only have
> > time and energy to read a little on weeknights. Those who
> can study during
> > the week can probably do it more quickly.
> >
> > I always told my wife that the exam costs $3,750 and they
> let you pay it in
> > three installments. My first attempt was April 2002 in
> Singapore. The exam
> > was much easier than the IPExpert and CCBootcamp scenarios,
> but I just
> > wasn't ready. However, it was a lot of fun and it gave me
> confidence.
> >
> > The big push that made me sure I was ready came in December
> when I spent two
> > weeks at NMC-1 and NMC-2. I can't say enough about Fred,
> Bruce, and Val.
> > They drive you from sunup to long past sundown with
> impossible tasks, then
> > drop hints so you can succeed. What a confidence builder,
> not to mention
> > skill builder. They'd repeatedly remind us to get
> something to eat, but
> > noone would want to leave their seat, so Bruce would
> sometimes order pizza
> > for us (I think so he wouldn't be responsible for his
> students passing out).
> > Then I spent the following two weeks repeating the drills at home.
> >
> > Test day was to be December 26th, but I had lost my
> passport and couldn't
> > leave Korea. Cisco Tokyo was very understanding and
> rescheduled me for
> > January for free. Well, my January exam was the
> killer-test-from-hell. I
> > did worse than I had done last April. I figured the price
> for me just went
> > up from $3,750 to about $12,500. I was so depressed.
> (Remember my email
> > last month about trying to decide which building was
> taller?) I knew I was
> > ready and didn't want to lose the edge, so rescheduled
> immediately; Beijing
> > had an opening for exactly 30 days later ... Feb 21st.
> >
> > My weak area was 3550 QOS issues. Someone from GroupStudy
> offered to loan
> > me a 3550 for free, and he express mailed it
> internationally to me which
> > cost him $100! Unbelievable! His email address is (well,
> better not go
> > there). That was such a big help; I tested everything I
> had had doubts
> > about on the 3550. A couple people from GroupStudy started
> working with me
> > on tough topics; what a help.
> >
> > My third attempt was wonderful. The topics better fit my
> strong areas. I
> > finished in four hours, but knew I had a small problem that
> needed a better
> > solution. It took an hour to hit on just the right
> combination and I knew I
> > had that piece nailed. I spent the next two hours reading
> every word slowly
> > and carefully and rechecking my work. Good thing ... I
> found two items that
> > I had programmed inbound instead of outbound, and a third that I had
> > programmed on the wrong router. Carelessness. Had another
> hour left, so
> > triple checked everything and found no errors. The only
> points I could lose
> > would be from an ambiguous requirement here or there. I
> checked my email
> > three hours later and found the good news. I was hoping
> for a number close
> > to 11111.
> >
> > RECOMMENDATIONS:
> >
> > (1) Don't try to get around buying equipment. Max out your
> credit card,
> > take out a second mortgage, and hit your mother-in-law up
> for some money.
> > Sooner or later you're going to have to buy enough routers;
> make it sooner
> > than later. Get about a dozen routers, one 3550 and one
> 2924, an ISDN
> > Simulator, and a pair of FXS modules. If your spouse gives
> you a hard time,
> > tell them it was Kym's idea. Skip ATM ... too expensive,
> and easily learned
> > with a couple weekends of rack time (let your spouse know of this
> > sacrifice).
> >
> > (2) At first, study one topic at a time ... frame relay,
> vtp/vlans, rip,
> > eigrp, ospf, redistribution, isdn, bgp, multicast, voip,
> qos. Once you have
> > each topic mastered individually, buy some quality
> (translation: expensive)
> > scenarios and do them for time. Don't get cheap here
> (remind your spouse
> > you've already made a significant investment). There are
> three or four good
> > vendors, each with $500-600 workbooks. Invest in a couple.
> Keep yourself
> > challenged. This is where you'll master the smaller but no
> less important
> > topics like ipsec, nat, hsrp, dhcp, various qos,
> access-lists, prefix-lists,
> > route-maps, vlan filters, etc. etc.
> >
> > (3) Don't waste time during your early studies sifting
> through GroupStudy.
> > Your time would be better spent on the rack your
> mother-in-law invested so
> > wisely in. Near the end, you should pay attention to GroupStudy and
> > contribute as you are able. Thankfully (I can say that now
> that I've
> > passed), the lab keeps changing to keep up with emerging technology.
> > Whatever scenarios you purchase will be a little dated.
> They'll give you
> > solid skills in all the core and many of the peripheral
> topics, but you'll
> > be on your own for the newest topics. Voice, 3550, and QOS
> are changing
> > rapidly (not to mention the fact that the lab had some
> brand new 6509's
> > sitting there ... what were they for???). The tough
> questions are presented
> > to GroupStudy by frustrated candidates and are debated
> heavily, sometimes
> > without resolution.
> >
> > (4) Don't rush your first attempt. You'll know when you're ready.
> > Everything on GroupStudy will seem easy, and you'll be
> knocking out 8-hour
> > IPExpert scenarios in six. If you have any doubts, save your
> > mother-in-law's $1250 plus travel money, and spend it on a 3550.
> >
> > (5) If she can afford it, spend a week or two during the
> last 60 days at
> > NetMasterClass or CyscoExpert. Don't go before you think
> you're ready to
> > sit the lab or you won't get the full benefit from the
> class. Being away
> > from home in a pure study mode is fantastic. Hey, you
> might even be able to
> > get your company to pay for it (my wife wasn't listening to
> me any more and
> > my mother-in-law was just laughing, but the boss was still open to
> > suggestions).
> >
> > (6) Use the CD as much as possible (IOS 12.2):
> >
> > http://www.cisco.com/univercd/home/home.htm
> >
> > Enjoy your studies. It should be a fun road. This is just
> the beginning;
> > there is much more to learn (e.g., MPLS, deeper QOS,
> security, IP Phones,
> > etc.).
> >
> > I really want to thank a couple of you who cheered me up
> last month after my
> > second attempt, and who helped me focus on the latest
> topics to finish my
> > preparation. You know who you are.
> >
> > Paul, you've served the community by maintaining and
> improving GroupStudy
> > for so many years. May God reward you some day! Thank you
> very very much!
> >
> > Best regards,
> >
> > Kym
> >
> > _________________________________________________________________
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