CCIE link #12

This post is by Brian McGahan on OSPF type 5 E1 vs E2 routes. It explains in detail how the OSPF state machine works and busts a few myths on OSPF metric calculation. Remember that OSPF prefers E1 over E2 regardless of metric. A common misconception is that E2 does not use cost to ASBR when calculating metric. Read the post to understand why this is wrong.

CCIE link #11

To be a CCIE we need a good grasp of switching and STP. This post by Petr Lapukhov (again) is one of the best I’ve ever seen on STP. This post describes PVST+ in detail. Read it here.

CCIE link #10

This is the final post by Petr on route redistribution. If you have read all three of them you should have a much better understanding of route redistribution. Also, INE has released a few videos on route redistribution from ther ATC. These videos are very good and I recommend you watch them.

CCIE link #9

This is Petr from INEs second blog post on route redistribution in a three part series. I am starting to get a better grasp of route redistribution. I want to reach the level where I can look at a diagram and immediately identify potential loops and problems and think about what measures to take to prevent problems. If Cisco says I can’t use feature X or Y I should know how to do it using feature Z. So here is part second part in the route redistribution series.

CCIE link # 8

Route redistribution can be very complex in certain scenarios. I have struggled a bit with some of these scenarios and now I’m trying to increase my knowledge in this area. This post at INE is by Petr Lapukhov. Petr is probably one if not the smartest guy out there with multiple CCIE’s and a CCDE. This post from him is about redistribution, this is the first part in a three part series. I highly recommend you visit it.

CCIE link # 7

I haven’t really had the time to do a daily post with CCIE links so from now on I will just call them CCIE links. This link is to a fellow blogger who did a post on OSPF. OSPF might be the most important protocol to know on the lab but certainly in real life. This post describes how to interpret the OSPF database.

CCIE link of the day # 6 – Use the community

Many of you will have heard about Groupstudy. Groupstudy runs a few mailing lists for different levels of Cisco certifications, you should join the CCIE one. This requires that you have already passed the written. You should join it for a couple of reasons.

• There are a lot of experts and people that have passed the CCIE
• You can learn by reading other candidates questions
• You learn by asking your own questions
• There is an archive with earlier mails

Definately use Groupstudy as one of your study tools for the CCIE.

CCIE link of the day # 5 – Know your enemy

Passing the lab is a lot about psychology. You will be put into an environment you have never been in before. You won’t know what the room looks like, what keyboard you will use and there are a lot of unknowns. As one well known CCIE said “We don’t want to do anything for the first time in the lab except pass it.” In my preparations I have taken some measurements to keep these unknowns to a minimum. I am using PuTTY for access since that is used in the R&S lab. I am also using a keyboard with an american layout to be used to finding the keys I will need on the lab. I bought a screen of similar size to the ones used on the lab and I’m not using dual screens even though I prefer that since we only have one screen at the lab. This post at the netcraftsmen talks about the environment of the lab.

CCIE link of the day # 4 – Faster, harder, CCIE!

To pass the CCIE lab we need to be fast. It is important to be fast in a smart way though, we have not use for mindless speed. We need to know the protocols and in what order to do things to be as effecient as possible. Let me give you an example. When I configure etherchannels I make sure to shutdown both sides first. Then I configure what I want and then I enable the ports at nearly the same time. Why? If you enable one side first and wait too long to do the other side you can risk loops and interfaces behaving badly. You might even need to reboot your switch. So doing this will ensure you have a smooth ride and don’t waste time on troubleshooting things that you don’t need to. Check this link out at IPExpert by Anthony Sequeira that describes how he does things.

CCIE link of the day # 3 – Join the forum

Since I use INE I often visit their forum, which is called IEOC. This is the place to ask questions specific to your workbook. There are a lot of CCIE candidates and previous students who are now CCIE’s that are willing to help.

If you are using another vendor then you should use that forum to ask questions. Before asking questions make sure that your question has not already been posted by someone else. Browse through earlier posts or use the search function.

When labbing you will encounter some issues and the forum is the best place to get answers to this.