From: Darby Weaver (darbyweaver@yahoo.com)
Date: Tue Nov 27 2007 - 23:37:00 ART
Rakesh,
Hi,
The first think I'd do is ask myself, are there any
faults at all listed.
If not, while still being cautious, I'd move on and
just get started.
Now when I'm in the lab or in any lab scenario, I've
been taught by, Caslow, the Brians, and Mr. U to check
the configuration of my pod as compared to what is on
whatever diagrams I may be given.
I might add, you will be told by the proctors to
verify this first. And you better. I have been given
the wrong lab workbook for my pod in the past and if I
had not noticed quickly... Yout got it I would have
failed for a totally wrong set of reasons.
Next so as I'm device-hopping like some kind of
Wanna-be CCIE acting like an Easter Bunny who's lost
his eggs...
I find it helpful to look around a little:
I try to figure out my switching early - this means
VTP (I got this one - yay!!!), trunking, vlans, and
etherchannel... I'm not worried about other stuff for
the most part yet.
If I'm told to expect errors, you know I'm gonna do a
show run and look at the config.
Sh cdp nei to see who's connected.
Turn console logging on and while I find logging sync
to be helpful... sometimes in real life - I've seen it
as a detriment to seeing all my logs... but... let
your situation dictate how you deal with your day.
sh ip int brief -> What's up or down and change it
accordingly (note I don't do this with my serials).
Sh version -> I do actually look and consider this
later. I am especially wary about my switches and if
you watch the Brians enough, you know why.
I may also run some basic housekeeping command and
while I'm at it verify point to point connectivity per
directly connected interface.
I carefully note subnet masks as well... just me, but
I'm a dumb ole country boy. I know the more advanced
city slickers never have this problem...
Again show run and ensure everything looks kinda kewl
with my diagrams.
Now all of this usually takes me about 30-40 minutes
since I might even do it twice (double-checking) and I
might be browsing my workbook or even drawing out my
Switch Configs and my copy of the diagrams - working
copy - which BTW - might just help spot issues in
their tracks... like the cockroaches they are...
So by the time I'm done, I'm pretty well set...
BTW - If I've been asked to do any intervlan routing
or bridging, it should be done by the time I finish.
The trick above is to stick and move - verify and move
on and do so quickly, efficiently, and with maximum
accuracy.
Any mistakes here and you will pay for it for the rest
of the lab - so be careful...
I do work through this faster than I do on graded
labs.
Caslow taught me to look for physical or logical
routing loops. And to have a checklist in the first
place.
Mr. Sinclair made sure I did not leave NMC without
knowing that drawing my diagrams, especially my switch
diagrams was critical to my success on any given lab.
Val Pavlichencko taught me to never underestimate the
full power of the candidate default route and its
special place in any given lab.
The Brians/Brains taught me to work in a clockwise
circle or a corner and build my network one piece at a
time, one layer at a time. I found this very very
helpful and it helped me master time management in the
lab. After I got the handle of it, I may have failed,
but I had time to spare...
Mr. U taught me to never ever in a million years
underestimate the simplicity of an incorrect subnet
mask and the power it has in any graded or practice
lab. To his credit, Caslow tried...but being the rock
I am, it took me a while to let it sink in... By the
time I met up with Mr. U, he drove it home...
You see a lot of times, we all look for complexity in
any given lab, but really it comes down to
fundamentals and understanding the basics is what
really makes one the master.
So...
I discussed how to approach a given lab cautiously and
how to make corrections as one goes hippity hopping
through the lab...
One more thing, I love CDP and I turn it on for
everything, habit now, but just in case - I even use
it on serial interfaces.
If my intervlan routing is not working as expected or
my trunks do not appear to be trunking... you got it I
create an L3 logical interface step by step... I do
not have this problem much these days, but if I did I
might use this method as a sanity check.
Let's see, mostly I do not need them much, but I have
grown to love my debugging commands as well, and since
I've been using them more and more and have
incorporated them into my daily routine too... never
over look conditional debugging... powerful stuff.
Ok, let me know if this helps or if there are more
tips you might need on a per section basis.
I could have missed something, or may have some
holes... but this is my thoughts at the moment.
Later guys...
Darby
--- "Rakesh Menon (rakmenon)" <rakmenon@cisco.com>
wrote:
> Hi All,
>
> From what I have heard abt the lab, there are a few
> initial mistakes
> that u have to correct to get a couple of marks (IP
> Addresses, Mask
> etc). Tried to see if there is a pattern or flow
> that I could induct in
> my lab practise to find these, but no avail. Just a
> beginner in the CCIE
> World so don't have much idea abt lab strategy right
> now.
>
> Please suggest if there are any Tips or Tricks that
> i can use to find
> these initial glitches. And most importantly when
> should I start looking
> for them..
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> With Regards,
> Rakesh Menon
>
>
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