From: loc.pham@comcast.net
Date: Sun Oct 22 2006 - 03:16:53 ART
After two years+ journey, I finally get my #.
A huge thanks to PaulB for making this GS so popular.
A lifetime of thanks to BruceC, Alexei,BrianD, ScottM, BMC,BobS, PeterP. From the newbie question to the QoS processes, you all are helping us to drive deeper to ... the home run ! ( ok, for those pure networkers, how about help us to route packets using conventional routing algorithms !?? )
Ok, the long-timer ChrisL, Jong-KimS, JL,CCIE2be, RichardM, Mani,Church, ElliottE, .... you know who you are bro.
First, no PM me for NDA stuff, I will not answer ( and send it to spam ! )
Now, the meaty stuffs: how do I do it ?
1. Say goodbye to wife/kids/friends/relative (!)
2. Sit in more labs than I want to admit ;-)
3. IEWBv1/2 is definitely get me the fundamental of config. ( IMHO ). Without this baby stepping stones, I would give up this journey sometime ago. From the elaborate menu buildup to the 1-2-3 of FR/ISDN/ATM nail-up: YOU MUST HAVE THIS BABY.
4. NMCv7 is a must if you need to get down-low with the debug, the how-to-think-like-router-process-packet, the complex 3-ways (EIGRP-RIP-OSPF) that drive me alot of sleepness nights, the QoS curve-ball, the MC, the complex STP with native VLAN, .... this is get me not just to pass the lab, I KNOW I CAN DO IT, I DONE IT BEFORE BY PROOF OF DEBUG ! They forum is actively answer by Alexei and all questions seem to be answer appropriately. Their Technical Library is un-matched anywhere.
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Ok , enough with the workbooks, what do it take me ?
- For a family man of 4 young kids, I can not stress the commitment issue: your family have to be behind you 100 %. You have to commit to yourself of DON'T GIVE UP!
- Schedule a time for labs practices: like most of you, I can not practice NMC at work (!!!) , so you have to plan for time to do it after work : it mean 4-6 to hrs additional daily ! a 12-14 hrs weekdays is a must.
- I setup my homelab so I can ssh back and practice even during many family vacations !!!
- With the recent "improve" of DocCD search, I know I can not count on DocCD for "step-by-step-of howto-CBWFQ" so I have to force to memorize all these baby stuffs and the only way to do it is practices ^3.
- For me, not able to get the IPod, the VoD, I used flashcards to memorize important steps, concepts and read them during traffics, waiting for kids, wife. You have to maximize your learning at ALL-THE-TIME.
- YOU MUST practice and verify all steps. DO NOT BELIEVE it just works. PROVE IT to yourself.
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More, Ok how about lab-day:
-Forget about trying to sleep, I do not care anymore. I know that I will not able to sleep so just be there, do your regular stuff and be it. Why fight it ?
-I have a wonderful conversation with Bruce Caslow, the master just before my last lab and he comment that WE-MUST-HAVE-A-GAME-PLAN, WHAT-IS-YOUR-FIRST-MOVE during lab. This is how I understand him and able to pass the lab with confidence, no iffy, butty, Thank you Bruce. ( I promise to stop-by and say hi to you all when I am in VA area ).
It is a long journey, and it will not end here. I will be driving this Routing and Switch thing with confidence and surely carry on to VoIP, Storage, or whatever my career drive me to.
Hope this help some of you, and keep-on-labbing, babe !
Loc Pham, rs # 17030
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