From: Noel Debouver III (noeldebouveriii@yahoo.com)
Date: Wed Jan 10 2007 - 20:15:30 ART
Hello,
It seems the list has grown by both leaps and by bounds.
Here are some answers to the FAQ's I've already received:
1. The current track being sudied for is RS. However, due to overlap with SP and Security and to some degree Voice, if you are studying these tracks you may wish to follow along.
2. While the study-group is voluntary, participation is mandatory. I.E. If you want to get the latest updates, you'll have to work and produce results as well.
3. While I am insterested in primarily a layered step-by-step approach, I do realize that some study-group participants are more advanced than others. I will make assignments per subject matter area for each of the recognized sections for interested parties to complete.
4. The approach is simple. We are a group of like-minded professionals who are interested in passing the exams as quickly and as efficiently as possible, we will learn the technologies along the way. This means the format of the practices will have to be followed to the letter. This methodology will transcend any language barriers or other impedents to our combined success.
5. It has been a long time since Cert-Nerds from Cisco started their program of study. Tyler's Landmines have not been forgotten.
6. This type of collaborative effort has not yet been realized by Groupstudy since its inception although it was considered at one time. Let's make this a success.
7. I have heard that I have been referred to as both a hero and as a complete idiot for posting my queries and making my bold statements, that most of us in the know, already know to be completely true, but for obvious reasons no one seems to want to accept. We all know why. FYI - I think I am neither, I am a learner and I intend to learn by whatever means necessary.
8. It is on the basis of the facts in item 7 that I have decided to break from the culture that has been groupstudy and start a new study group. Basically, it will be what groupstudy should have been a technology by technology breakdown, complete with exercises and labs for each technology including all manner of questions/answers, and especially lab exercises. Now some may argue, this will hurt the current vendors who sell labs. Not true, for I, a simple lab candidate do not hold any one of the current vendor's level of expertise, I simply am quite methodical in my madness, I do not sleep, and am quite the machine when it comes to realizing the goals I choose to seek.
9. Every student on groupstudy who truly seeks to learn from this experiment. If it is true and every technology is tested with configurations examples (one by one) both completely with a written breakdown/explanation, extensive questions and answers, and complete lab examples with both show and debug output for each of the examples, then we will have created the most explicit documentation and training materials to date and will have done so for free.
10. The lab topology to be used will be a similar topology as used on the both the CCIE Lab and CCIE Accessor. The labs will vary and will be complete as to the extent of our collective imagination, with over 10,000 potential lab-study partners that is a lot of potential energy. Naturally, the exact condigurations cannot be used for obvious reasons but other vendors use a similar topology that at least includes the topology used by the CCIE Lab and Accessor Labs. It is under this basis that this does not break the NDA.
11. Better Network Engineers by Network Engineer and for Network Engineers.
Let's see how this program works.
I already have over 100 lab study buddies who have been to the lab 0-4 times each and this list seems to be growing.
Not bad for less than 72 hours or so.
The first assignments will be handed out this coming weekend.
1. Frame Relay
2. Switching (Broken down by sub-category)
3. L3 Interior Protocols
4. BGP
5. IPv6
6. Misc. Topics
7. IP Multicast
8. QoS
9. Security
10. Troubleshooting Techniques
If you have a preference on areas you would like to work on in particular - notify me and I'll assign you your assignments.
If you need to know more about certain areas, let me know and I'll provide you some materials and references to help you out in those areas, AFTER you have completed your designated assignments.
Format will need to be followed or assignments will not be accepted for credit for areas that you need help with.
If you think the format I have sent you can be improved, all input is welcome.
Most exercises, can be completed on but a few routers (perhaps as few as one in some cases and as many as 4 and the same applies to switches).
Give a little to get a lot.
Sharing is Caring.
We Will Win.
Full challenge lab opportunities will be made available for those who have completed an appropriate number of lab assignments.
These lab assignments can be watched by another study member real-time who would be expected to critique the study member who is taking the challenge lab.
Yet, up to a third study member or more, may grade the lab and offer constructive feedback. More than one member may grade a challenge lab in order to gain maximum effect.
So those who do not have access to a lab, can still sudy and gain a lot of insight into the process, by watching and grading other members.
And do not be shamed, we actually benefit from mistakes.
All sessions would be logged for yet further review and analysis.
Remember volunteerism is key for a successful global community.
References to Cisco Press books may be made and each member would be expected to own a copy or have access to a copy of the work in order to gain maxmimum effect from the process.
References to other works, will be kept to a minimum, obviously if references are made, it would be expected that we would refer those questions to the appropriate forum of the said vendor in order to ensure their copyrights are being manintained.
A set of rules and expectations will be created by which everyone who participates will be expected to aggree to.
So, if we do this correctly, I think we can all save a lot of $$$ and perhaps ultimately pass our respective lab exams quicker and in less overall number of attempts.
=====================
What to do next:
1. Some people have an obvious advantage - you know who you are.
2. Some people are new and need to know where to start. For this pick a topic you know or want to know better and pick a second topic. I'll expect you to research the first topic, and I shall reward you by giving you access to the information gained in the second topic and we can go from there.
3. People who are ready to lab out the finding and are prepared to have a lab-study buddy login and watch over your shoulder - let me know who is at this stage - I'll provide the time and opportunity for this.
4. People who are ready to grade and provide results based on the grades, this means you will have researched the section or sections you are interested in to provide feedback from. You will also be willing to share tips that you see the lab study buddy can benefit from.
5. All activity is voluntary.
6. Groupstudy can be a passive form of learning. This study group is intended to be dynamic and living and breathing. It can only breath if you choose to participate. In order to gain the maximum benefit, it is expected you will benefit accordingly.
Any last minute questions?
I am expecting to go to the lab later in the fall of 2007. If you people do your part and help me, I'll be ready in time. If you do not, then maybe I'll be ready on my own.
I expect we as a group will learn a lot from each other.
If you wish to attempt a challenge lab, than expect that the first one will be ready in about a week or so from this weekend.
I'll prepare a schedule, if you have your own gear, this is acceptable, but I'll expect you to save your logs of your session for review by other members of the study group.
Remember you will have to give to receive.
Noel Debouver III <noeldebouveriii@yahoo.com> wrote:
Replies have been sent to interested parties. Let's get the party started.
Let's see of we cannot take a structured approach to understanding each technology, literally one by one, layer by layer, until we have mastered or at least more fully understand the underlying conepts that are breaking our foundations as we complete our study labs.
I'll be your guide. I am not famous like Heinz Ulm, Bruce Caslow, Brian Dennis or Brian McGahan, or Scott Morris, Brad Ellis or even Narbik and Anthony S.
However, I am organized, methodical, have a keen eye for subtle details, and a burning passion to meet this goal head-on.
I am well-prepared and have most every resource that can be had to attain this goal.
So my friends who have opted to stud with me, let us see if we cannot slay the beast once and for all.
Wish us luck!
Someone once said none of knows it all, but all of us know the sum of it all. And if they did not, I am now. Let's roll people.
I'll expect that each study-buddy can devote about 2 hours night at least 3-5 times per week and be prepared to take a challenge exam at least once per month at a minimum and as frequently as once per week or so.
This is a hard study group it is free and it will be instense be design. Tasks will be assigned to the study partner and the partner is expected to research each task to the fullest of his or her ability. The hands-on practical labs will be assigned to the study partner and that partner will be first expected to complete a certain Layer of each practive lab.
Consider this, if one cannot get past he L3 Interior Routing Protocols, why would that person be interested in spending undo amounts of time with BGP yet? It has been said before.
Organized, methodical, and precise is the means by which a candidate should be preparing. Many times we do not and we are led by a false pride or a sense of urgency - perhaps a date is nearing and we do not want to re-take the written portion again.
Why not? $300.00 is certainly cheaper than $1250.00 and did I forget to mention that if one cannot pass the written again, one will most certainly experience difficulty on the lab.
Now I asked for lab partners, and some replied. I have responded. I will start assigning talks, those that are truly motivated will keep up and those who are not will simply drift away. This is true of most any study group.
Don't worry if you cannot hack it or decide this is not for you. But if it is, let's see if we can master the technology, assure our skills, and pass this lab once and for all and be a better Cisco Network Engineer as a result of our efforts.
Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to respond and those who have responed and went to the next step.
Let's get the party started.
Noel Debouver III wrote:
Anyone else?
Noel Debouver III wrote:
Hi all,
I am wanting to know if anyone wants to study together. I know most people want partners in the same physical area, but I think we can study fine over the Internet using chat and email programs.
So if anyone is interested, let me know.
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.4 : Thu Feb 08 2007 - 23:46:56 ART