Re: My story- CCIE #35355

John,

Congratulations, and i know you have worked VERY hard to get this number
and you totally deserve it. Thanks and I appreciate that you liked the boot
camp and the workbooks, but at the end of the day, it was all you, you
stayed up all night, and you performed an unbelievable number of labs. I
just did what any instructor would have done.

Once again congratulations and i can't wait to read your success story
about your Security CCIE.

Good job mate.

On Wed, May 9, 2012 at 11:46 AM, john matijevic <john.matijevic_at_gmail.com>wrote:

> Congradulations Alexei!!!!
>
>
> Very encouraging and thanks very much for sharing your learning
> experiences.
>
> I spent 3 hours last nite, just on route redistribution alone, spent a
> lot of time, with different filtering techniques of using
> prefix-lists, access-lists, route-maps, distribute-lists etc, to
> control Router injection behavior. It is this level of granularity
> that you need to pass the exam. I was trying to understand where
> routes where coming from and where they were traversing using tools
> such as traceroutes, route tables etc.
>
> To pass the exam, from my experience as I have passed lab exam before
> back in 2004, have to spend many, many, many hours not only on Docs
> but with configuration you have to get to the detail.
>
> I look forward to getting back my old number again!!! Hopefully sooner
> rather than later.
>
> Again congradulations its an amazing feeling!
>
>
>
>
> Regards,
> John
>
> On 5/9/12, Alexei Monastyrnyi <alexeim73_at_gmail.com> wrote:
> > Great achievement and a nice number too!
> > Congrats!
> >
> > A.
> >
> > On 5/9/2012 1:42 PM, Jay McMickle wrote:
> >> Thanks:
> >> I thank God.B This has been a dream of mine for 6 years, and he
> >> solely helped me attain this! I donb t want to start a religion roll as
> >> we
> >> are all from different parts of the word and have different religious
> >> backgrounds.B However, give God a year of your faith and belief and see
> >> if
> >> things donb t change!
> >> Secondly, my wife and family for dealing with me.B
> >> Itb s been a constant 2 years of knowing that I need to get home and
> lab.B
> >> I
> >> thank those that have helped me on the forums, and especially Narbik.B
> >> He
> >> gave me a personal relationship through my training, and even hung out
> >> with us
> >> until the wee morning hours during bootcamps to chat with us about
> >> anything
> >> and everything.B He really does care and it shows in his work.B
> Finally,
> >> I
> >> thank my employer.B Without their support, I would have had to quit my
> >> job to
> >> get this accomplished in 2 years.
> >>
> >> Materials used:
> >> Global Knowledge CIERS1
> >> bootcamp
> >> CCBootcamp MPLS for CCIE candidates (taken at Cisco LIVE)
> >> INE (video
> >> only)
> >> IPExpert Blended Learning Solution (Vol1 and 3 only, video on demand,
> >> audio on demand)
> >> CCBootcamp ALM bootcamp
> >> Narbik CIERS1 (attended twice)
> >> bootcamp, Advanced workbook, bootcamp 4.0 workbook
> >> B
> >> Hardware used:
> >> I was
> >> using 2800/3800/3560b s hardware cabled for each vendor.
> >> B
> >> Products that
> >> didnb t work:
> >> CCBootcamp workbooks- I attended a CCB in September 2011.B The
> >> instructor (Rahim) was great and very knowledgeable.B I attended a
> >> bootcamp,
> >> but quickly cancelled on day 2 due to the workbooks alone.B There were
> >> so
> >> many typos, that even the instructor had to work through the workbooks
> to
> >> find
> >> that it mentions the wrong routers as part of the restrictions.B This
> >> made me
> >> start to doubt myself- not a good way to learn!B Ib m sure the owner
> >> will
> >> come after me again for this posting, however, he did not follow up on
> >> his
> >> promise to rectify the situation (by receiving a beta version of the new
> >> workbooks) and Ib m advising students away from your products as I said
> I
> >> would.B I have a few more examples of the bad business practices, but I
> >> will
> >> spare you those details.B WORST WORKBOOKS EVER!
> >> B
> >> Dates:
> >> - April 30, 2010-
> >> Passed CCIE R&S Written
> >> B
> >> - May 3, 2010- Global Knowledge Bootcamp, CIERS1
> >> (San Jose, California)
> >> B
> >> - July 2010- Passed CCIE Security written (Free test
> >> at Cisco LIVE)
> >> B
> >> - July 2010-Dec. 2011
> >> I was averaging 15 hours a week of
> >> rack time over 4-5 days a week.B
> >> B
> >> - June 2011
> >> I attended Narbikb s CIERS1
> >> bootcamp.B WHOA.B Thatb s a lot to take in, but amazing training.B
> The
> >> man
> >> is a walking IOS dictionary and can rattle off 7 levels deep of IOS
> >> commands.B I learned his theory (not verbatim) that if you need a sh
> run
> >> or
> >> to use a b ?b , you arenb t ready for the lab.B I carried this with me
> >> throughout my studies after that.B Narbik taught me to look at the
> >> requirement or question, think about what technology is at hand, and if
> >> itb s
> >> a global, or interface command before starting in on a solution.B Great
> >> advice!
> >> B
> >> - Nov, 2011
> >> I attended Narbikb s CIERS1 bootcamp for the second
> >> time. I was better prepared and did much better on my assessment labs.B
> >> I
> >> felt close to ready, but Narbik informed me that I wasnb t ready.B Yet,
> >> I
> >> still had to make my attempt at the Lab to qualify for the Lab Safe
> >> program.
> >> B
> >> - Dec. 13, 2011
> >> My first attempt at the CCIE R&S lab.B I got a 50% (avg)
> >> on the config section, and an 18% on troubleshooting.B I didnb t expect
> >> to
> >> pass, but I was forced (so to speak) to take the lab by the end of the
> >> year to
> >> qualify for the b Lab Safeb program (free second attempt).
> >>
> >> - Dec. 15- 2011
> >> Kicked my labbing into high gear, and focused on the technologies I
> didnb
> >> t
> >> know well.B These were mainly IP Services.
> >> B
> >> - Dec. 20, 2011-March 20, 2012
> >> Stepped up my lab times to 25 hours a week.B My method was this- Run
> >> through
> >> IPX VOL1 for the technologies I saw that I didnb t know well.B This was
> >> about 12 topics.B Run through IPX VOL3 Mock labs very slowly.B In
> fact,
> >> I
> >> sometimes took 16-20 hours for a Mock lab because I was looking them up
> on
> >> the
> >> DOCCD, and playing with different options to actually break the solution
> >> and
> >> finding a second solution as an alternative.B This was a key building
> >> block
> >> for me.B I want through Narbikb s Adv. workbooks and Bootcamp 4.0
> >> workbooks.B I especially liked Narbikb s workbooks for the reason for
> >> the
> >> solution.B If I didnb t know something in-depth, Narbikb s workbooks
> >> were
> >> my direct solution.B All of the vendors workbooks were still weak in IP
> >> Services, especially EEM an OER.B I know that Narbik, and Ib m sure the
> >> other vendors will as well, have updates to their workbooks as this has
> >> been
> >> mentioned time and time again.B I believe Brain with INE has
> >> committed to releasing something soon.
> >> B
> >> - March 20-April 30, 2012
> >> Kicked my
> >> labbing into high gear.B My job allowed me to work from home, so I was
> >> averaging 30 hours a week (7 days a week) without any days off from
> >> labbing.B
> >> Those last 5 weeks were rough!B I was staying up late at night,
> drinking
> >> Monster energy drinks, and chasing them with Red Bull energy drinks!B
> Up
> >> until midnight/1am, and getting up at 6am, taking my girls to school,
> >> going to
> >> the gym, and then heading back to the house to lab/work.B The last week
> >> before my lab, I actually took a week of vacation and turned off my
> email
> >> and
> >> didnb t answer my work phone except at breaks.
> >> B
> >> - May 1, 2012
> >> Passed CCIE
> >> R&S Lab in San Jose!B Although they say to stop labbing and relax your
> >> mind,
> >> I don't work like that.B I labbed until midnight the night before the
> lab
> >> in
> >> my hotel, and labbed for an hour that morning.B This is partially
> becuase
> >> my
> >> mind was conditioned to do that (lab late), and I wanted my mind alert
> >> and
> >> fingers ready that morning for the lab.B I didn't feel it was proper to
> >> show
> >> up and not have the mentality for the wording of the lab.B *NOTE* You
> >> could
> >> have cut the tension with a knife in the waiting area prior to the lab
> at
> >> Cisco's San Jose's office.B I couldn't help but crack jokes!B Probably
> >> my
> >> way of dealing with nervous situations.B Also, it took 10 hours for my
> >> email
> >> that I passed!B AHHHHH!B Why was it that when I failed I knew in 2
> >> hours?B
> >> Needless to say, I got zero sleep that night!
> >>
> >> *My tips to success*
> >> When you
> >> lab up, take your time to learn a technology.B When you learn it, go to
> >> a
> >> different vendor and work their technology based labs.B Go through
> them,
> >> fix
> >> it, and break it.B Get fancy with it and find another way to do it
> >> (because
> >> there is always another way and you might get a restriction that will
> >> throw
> >> you for a loop).
> >> B
> >> Preferred vendors (there is no single vendor), and why-
> >> Narbik-Workbooks are in different degrees of difficulty, they build upon
> >> each
> >> other, and have a VERY detailed explaination to learn from.B After
> paying
> >> for
> >> his bootcamp and attending, you can re-take the bootcamps if seats are
> >> available for free.B With the amount of information delivered, I highly
> >> recommend taking it at least twice!
> >> B
> >> IPExpert- VERY hard, right out of the
> >> box!B But, their BLS has videob s that help understand how, but not
> >> why.B
> >> Itb s up to you to learn the technology prior to working their labs.B
> >> The
> >> VOD is a b death by slideshowb that didnb t help me at all.B I did
> >> thoroughly enjoy their video on demand.B I have a lengthy drive to work
> >> each
> >> day, and these came in handy to some extent.B But, once I found myself
> >> solid
> >> on a technology, and I was done with Narbikb s workbooks, this is where
> I
> >> went.B This is for the advanced student that feels they are ready, but
> in
> >> my
> >> opinion, not a learning tool.
> >> B
> >> INE- Their all access pass is great, and
> >> offers you discounted rates on their CCIE workbooks.B Their videob s
> are
> >> REALLY good.B For a lot of candidates, INE is a good choice as their
> >> hardware
> >> is 1800/2600 model routers and less of a financial impact.
> >> B
> >> Cisco 360- I
> >> donb t care for the workbooks, but their assessment labs are good to get
> >> a
> >> feel of the lab interface, and gives you an idea via a score of where
> you
> >> are.B If you can score high on these labs, you will do good on the
> >> labs.B
> >> But, I saw technologies on the lab that I did not get tested on within
> >> the
> >> Assessment labs.
> >> B
> >> I hope this helps you.B Now, onto CCIE Security!B
> >> Re-cabling my racks now for IPExpert and Narbik's layouts.B ;)B
> >> B
> >> God
> >> Bless.
> >>
> >> Regards,
> >> Jay McMickle-B CCIE #35355
> >>
> >>
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> >>
> >> _______________________________________________________________________
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> >
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>
>
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>
> _______________________________________________________________________
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>

-- 
*Narbik Kocharians
*CCSI#30832, CCIE# 12410 (R&S, SP, Security)
*www.MicronicsTraining.com* <http://www.micronicstraining.com/>
Sr. Technical Instructor
YES! We take Cisco Learning Credits!
A Cisco Learning Partner
Blogs and organic groups at http://www.ccie.net