The story of CCIE#34420

I passed at RTP on Monday 1/30, after Cisco won 7 previous battles. I
started studying for the CCIE in July of 2008 (V3 was the test until
10/09). I didn't really take studying seriously until enrolled in Narbik's
first bootcamp in Wilmington, DE (my current town). It simply wasn't
possible for me to take a bootcamp elsewhere because my wife worked (and
was pregnant) and my daughter was 3 at the time. Her hands were very full!
I am eternally grateful for my wife's patience. She is a rockstar!! I would
have divorced myself long ago!

I started with INE's product line first using dynamips and then moving up
to the real hardware. I was and still am a hard core Linux user. I had
about 6 years of experience as sysadmin on production boxes. INE's products
are great, but I was growing more and more frustrated with dynamips.

I started with a clean slate the summer of 2010 with a new INE topology
based lab on real hardware

Narbik taught me to look at things in their absolute simplest form. My
friend and mentor Dave Roehsler (CCIE#20502) did the same thing. Grab some
markers, a white board and work it out. Narbik's topology and workbooks can
almost be done entirely on Dynamips without any trouble, FB!!!

I began sharpening the saw over and over again with Narbik's workbooks on
Dynamips. Any chance I got, I used them.

I found myself knowing the material, but failing the tests. The last
failure was 9/9/11 by one or two troubleshooting tickets. Revenge for that
failure would be cold and merciless! No comfort to the enemy, just pain,
death, and destruction!

The time between the two tests was nothing but speed building and
reviewing. Brian McGahan's new ATC v4.5 was out and it was great for
keeping the cobwebs out of my mind. I could burn through an INE Vol II TS
section in 40 minutes or less by the week before the lab. The Vol II config
labs were toast in 4 hours.

I managed to complete and pass the TS section with 30 minutes left in the
real lab. The config part was done with more than 2 hours left.

All of my studies were self funded. In fact, I even left a full time
position with a local Gold partner who wanted my CCIE#, but didn't want to
fund my studies. I landed a very lucrative long term contract that provided
the resources to make it all happen.

I put some video clips out on my Youtube channel: mjk2374. I don't have
much content, but there are some good clips from RTP and a rack tour from
my basement. The proctor, David Blair, gave me permission to shoot the
video inside the lab.

It was an honor and privilege to sign the wall of pain next to David
Roehsler's. Narbik's entry is there as well as a few other interesting
things like a husband and wife duo. It looks like Howard's son put Sponge
Bob on the bottom, too. I saw Brian McGahan's, but unfortunately didn't
capture it on video.

My best advice to CCIE candidates is pretty much what Narbik says,"You are
ready when you can do the workbooks cover to cover with absolutely no
questions." Don't overestimate your own ability(like I did). Make sure you
are an expert when you walk through that door at Cisco. If you take the
psychological aspects of the test out, they don't have a leg to stand on.
Invest in yourself and absolutely never give up!

Thanks!

Michael Kiefer
CCIE# 34420 (R&S)

Blogs and organic groups at http://www.ccie.net
Received on Wed Feb 01 2012 - 12:25:06 ART