From: Tom Larus (tlarus@cox.net)
Date: Fri Jan 07 2005 - 23:39:45 GMT-3
David:
The best thing I could think of to make use of your small lab in the
short term would be to work through technology-specific labs that
require only a few routers and one switch in an effort to really nail
down the technologies. I worked on a substantial number of
InternetworkExpert's technology labs (I did not design them, mind you.
I just labbed them up and cut and pasted configs and output. Brian M.
was the brains behind the ones I worked on.) I can tell you honestly
that I learned some important lessons that you would benefit from
knowing. And I am just referring to the technology-specific material,
and fairly fundamental material at that, not to advanced topics
involving complex interactions among technologies. There are some
details about lower-level stuff that even a lot of the folks who write
CCO documentation and books from major publishers may not be entirely
clear on. I am not saying that people should use this particular
material, but people should spend more time than most CCIE candidates
spend on the basics. The temptation is to buy an advanced workbook and
dive in and get immersed (often over one's head). You can pass the lab
this way, but I now think that spending more time on the basics before
diving into the advanced labs is a lower-risk approach. It requires
patience, and we all tend to want to move fast toward our goal.
You will eventually need to rent some rack time or add equipment to your
rack-- later. But if you are like most CCIE candidates, you could
benefit from work on the basics. By the time you need more equipment,
it could have dropped in price or Cisco could have altered the equipment
list.
That's just my two cents. BTW, I am not associated with Internetwork
Expert now, so I am not trying to help them sell their products. I just
happen to believe that focusing on nailing down the basics before diving
into advanced workbooks is a good approach, and one which too few people
use. I wish I had known this when I was preparing for the Lab. I may
not have passed in fewer tries than the two times it took me, but I
would have worried less about ultimately passing. It is simply a safer,
and potentially less stressful approach to take.
I am also not trying to sell my own CCIE Warm-Up e-books, because they
are not technology-specific labs, but rather put-it-all-together labs.
Sincerely,
Tom Larus, CCIE #10,014
David Duncon wrote:
> Hi Group,
>
> Is there any way I can use my limited home lab of 4 x 2621s ( 3 on a
> HUB and Spoke topo and 4th one as p2p or any of the first three) , 1
> FR switch & 1 x 3550 to do vendor workbooks such as from IE and
> Ipexpert ?
>
> I do aware that most vendor workbooks physical topo is based on 6 x
> outers , 2 x 3550s along with backbones. But unfortunately my home lab
> do not have these many devices. And instead of investing more funds on
> additional devices , I just want to proceed my practice with the
> current lab I have got. And work on "core switching and routing
> exercises" to begin with. And then for ATM and ISDN , I may hire some
> online rack rental hours down the track before the exam date.
>
> Originally I was thinking to buy online rack rentals all together ?
> But later I have decided against it simply because , unlimited or
> unknown number of hours I got plan for . Meaning I may need any where
> from 300 hours (best case scenario , i.e. if I am lucky at my 1st
> attempt ) to as many as 1000 hours ( worst case scenario , preparing
> till my 3rd attempt) or even more if I am little unlucky all the way.
>
> And later had to convinced my Boss to let me take 4 routers , 1 FR
> switch and 1 3550 for my home lab. Lucking my department loaned me
> these devices for 6 months till , June 2005.But now I am not sure
> though on how to use this cut down lab on vendor book exercises.
> Because the other day when I tried to cable it up, I was not only
> falling short of number of devices , but also falling short of number
> or type of interfaces on the devices.
>
> Any guidance from either Vendors or from any one who went through
> similar dilemma as myself is much appreciated.
>
> Cheers
>
> - David.
>
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