I'm getting a little frustrated with the workbook. It is what it is, but it's a little different from the way I think. I didn't even realize this until tonight. One of the frustrations is that the exercises are iterative rather than cumulative. At work, we're used to building something. We put this up. Then we add that. Then we need to reconfigure this to do that. With the workbook, you're setting this up. Then you need to 'undo' what you just did and do it another way. Granted, this will probably help for the test, but it's hard to figure out how much of what you just did needs to be undone to do the next exercise. On top of that - I was a bit eager to start. I didn't really clear off the previous configs on all the devices. So sometimes I have to go over and over and over it until I find out why following the steps in the workbook doesn't exactly come out right the first time. But, in a way - that's helping me to learn too. I'm finding out what has to match up and where I left off and just how much needs to be done to get it to work.

I'm looking forward to doing the whole labs, but I realize I'm not at that point yet. I'm still re-sharpening skills and getting a deeper understanding of some of the things I'm doing. It's all good. And I'm sure the troubleshooting practice will come in handy later...

I guess the biggest thing I'm learning is : patience with myself.

My first obstacle was the diagrams. I put most of the rack together and started on Section I - Switching and Bridging. This should be easy, right? This is what I do all day. Not so much.

From the INE materials that I downloaded, the diagrams didn't match up. I knew I had to be on the wrong page or something. I went through the exercise where you put the VLANs you need on the switches. Well, putting the VLANs on the switches themselves is the easy part. I do that all the time. Figuring out which VLAN goes where - that's a kick in the head.

The first thing I ran into was that the v4 rack setup is for Workbook II - or at least I think it probably is...haven't gotten there yet. The second thing is that in these configurations and setups, you're trying to represent a macro environment using a micro physical environment. If this were the 'real world' you would be using a considerable increase in equipment to replicate the environment.

One of the guys from work who is studying for the SP track gave me the best advice -- draw out the environment with colored pencils for the VLANs. The other thing that helped me through this patch was this: if this was a work scenario or environment, I wouldn't have any trouble figuring this out. So I sat at my desk at work and used highlighters and was able to figure out the VLANs. Ta-da!

You use the logical diagram from Workbook I and the TABLE of connections in the workbook to figure it out. You find the connection - see where it's going to (physically) and then color that stem for that VLAN. Once you do that, it's obvious what VLAN needs to be on which switch.

Another thing I noticed is that I'm rusty on a lot of things that I don't use in my current job. Sure, they say that experience is the best for this. Not really. Experience doesn't tell you *why* you're doing what you're doing - just that this works. Granted, you have more opportunities if you're working in the field, but at the same time, you can focus on one or two areas to the exclusion of other topics/protocols. Or you might configure something in only one way - and end up rusty on the other ways of doing a task. Experience is good - but you have to study.

I'm hoping that once I get 'in the groove' on this, things will start going faster. Inertia is always the hardest at the beginning.

You don't want to work so hard at it so hard that you burn out. You don't want to drive away your family - what good is achievement if it costs you the ones you love? And - you don't want to swing too far the other way, either. If you're around distractions, you can easily be tempted. There's always something that 'needs doing' around the house. Having a 'lab' at a separate location can help to define boundaries and achieve balance.

So I had my first 'session' at my work rack. I didn't get to use the workbooks yet because I'm starting from scratch. I spent the first 8 hours digging through the available equipment and trying to shoehorn it into the requirements. There were some adaptations to be made, but I think it might work.

I got lucky and was able to snag 2 3550s and 2 3560s - which sets things up nicely for the switching portion. The routers were a bit harder to acquire. I ended up with 2 2612s and another 2600. There's a 2500 in there along with some 2800s. I'm short one serial interface, but I think I might have a card to tie that up with a bow. That gives me the proper number of routers with the correct interfaces. The documents on the INE site call for 2 2610XMs, 1 2611XM and 3 1841s. It doesn't specify any requirements for BB1, BB2 and BB3 - but I used some 3845s for that. From what it looks like, those routers just need to have ethernet interfaces and perhaps run BGP.

I will probably have to take two of my routers in to flush everything out. I didn't find anything for an access server, but I did find a few sets of octal cables. I also didn't find anything for a frame relay switch, but I have one here that I can toss into the mix. Not sure if I'll have enough interfaces on it, but I noticed network modules that may fit and perhaps I can toss a few more WICs in to get it up to snuff. It's a work in progress and I have to cut myself some slack that I didn't just open boxes and rack it all up.

How far did I get today? Well, I found the equipment and racked it. I have the CAT5 cables at the ready and started to plug them in. However, I realized that I thought about bringing my adapter, but didn't manage to put it in my backpack... So without being able to log into the switches and clear the configs/shut the ports, etc., I figured the best course would be to stop there and go at it again tomorrow. [With the adapter.]

What I'd like to do in my wishful, fantasy mode - is go in and get everything racked and cabled in two hours and start in on the exercises. However, realistically and practically -- as long as I get the rack up and running before Friday, I'm ahead of the game. I wouldn't have had the money to rent a rack until Friday anyway. And there's really no rush - since nothing has been scheduled and I really have until September to sit for the lab. So I'm actually doing far better than I realize at first blush.

So now it's time to update the lab stats and relax. Tomorrow's another day.

Granted, I have a Frame Relay switch. I have 4 old 2500s - one of which is an access server. And I have two old switches - a 1900 and a 2900 XL ....oooooh. Not getting too far with that, am I?

So I was a bit down today and spent quite a bit of time worrying about where to get the money for rack time. At the end of the day, I got a visitor. My future boss (who happens to work in the same building) sent one of his guys over to show me what was available in their lab and let me know that I could use as much of the equipment as necessary. They have a lot of extra equipment that is really 'stored' (read: collecting dust) that I would be able to rack and practice on. I don't have badge access to the area, but the other section of the lab is normally staffed round the clock and I could enter there and use the lab.

Wow. I'm so excited, I can hardly breathe! So make a mental note: Let other people know that you are working towards this credential. You never know who may be able to help or in what way others can help. I knew these guys had a lab area. I knew where it was. But I wasn't sure if they would open it to me - or if that was even appropriate to ask about... And now I don't have to ask - since it was offered. And I'm going to jump on it.

I know that one of the questions that people in my situation want to know is: how much rack time is it going to take to get the CCIE? And, of course, it depends on where you are in your skill level. But, just like the reading - I'm going to keep track of how many hours I spend so that I know what it took me to get there. The hours I spend on that rack will be logged under the "Work Rack" column. But, again, that will only get me so far. Once I get through a reasonable amount of material, I can switch off to the INE racks for some of the other labs and probably at least one or two graded Mock Labs. Yeah, that's something that the Work Lab environment can't do for me --> grade the lab at the end. And face it, a graded lab for $200 is worth it - rather than finding out if I'm 'ready' by spending $1400 on the real lab...

All I need is the opportunity -- I'll put the work in to make it happen.

I can't help but compare my experience with Dante... Here I am, middle-aged, about to enter the mouth of Hell. Yes, I am finally getting to the 'meat' of studying for the CCIE Lab.

I just purchased Vol I and Vol II of Internetwork Expert's CCIE R&S Workbooks. I am overwhelmed. I got the online edition and got the 'bundle' - with a significant savings. I need to work through the first two before I think about getting the next two. Yes, I will be getting all 4 workbooks. On top of that, I will also be getting the OEQ practice - Core Knowledge Simulation online simulator. But, tonight, I just got the first two workbooks.

I downloaded the materials. I have the diagrams. I have the initial configs. I have the exercises. I have a headache.

The sheer volume of material is enough to make your jaw drop. But, at the same time, you know that you're definitely getting your money's worth! It must have taken a LOT of time and expertise to come up with all this. At first glance, you look at it and wonder if you can make it through ALL of this - ever. The hard and fast deadline from Cisco to take my first attempt at the lab is September. I really need to get this done before June. I'd like to get it done before the end of April. We'll see.

It reminds me of the road march in Basic Training - when I got to the bottom of Oh-My-God hill. I looked up and said exactly that. At the bottom, I just couldn't believe that I could climb a mountain of that size - it was bigger than anything I had ever seen before. But, with a drill sergeant on my heels, I moved up step-by-step. About 3/4ths of the way up, there's a second part to that hill. It's called Holy-Shit. And that's exactly what I said when I saw it. That part of the mountain looked like it was at almost a 90 degree angle. There was no way I'd make it up that one. But again that drill sergeant was right behind me - and I guess I was more afraid of the drill than the mountain - so up I went. At the top, there is a tree with a water spout sticking out of it. Some kind neighbor piped in some water from his well for the poor kids that were always trekking up the mountain. My canteen still had water and it was all downhill from there, so I didn't refill. At the bottom on the other side, I was amazed that I actually was able to climb that mountain. Yes, it's part of the Army's confidence-building and it works. I was proud of myself for completing that climb.

Years later, I ended up working at that same post - in my specialization of Preventive Medicine. We got a call that a whole platoon had come down sick with a water-borne illness. We were sent to test the water. Yes, the water from the spout at the top of that hill. We drove a jeep up that same path I had marched years ago. Looking at it years later, it didn't look so big anymore. And it was now one of many road marches that my boots had seen. I was seasoned and any hill was no longer daunting. I had perspective. Granted, it still would have been a lot of effort to climb up that hill again - but, it was no longer impossible in my mind. Just a lot more work.

This is the R&S equivalent of Oh-My-God hill. I need to just move forward and keep moving. Start at page 1 and don't stop until there's a number at the end of my name. I'm not starting from scratch. I have years of experience. I do this stuff all the time. If this were a project at work, I would lay it out and start in on it. This is the work that it takes to build confidence and speed. On top of that, all the security material is still fresh from the CCSP. And when I look back, it will no longer look as impossible as it does now - just a lot more work.

One note of comfort >> a post from one of the instructors shed some light on the RTP slots not being available until July. Apparently the guy in charge is moving on and they're looking to replace him. Once that's done, there may be slots available at RTP. What this means is that I might not have to take a PLANE trip to San Jose (the worst part of the whole experience). Even if I take a plane, it would be a much shorter (and hopefully less traumatic) trip to North Carolina instead. I have to keep checking the scheduling site.

Okay - so let me make a wish and hope that perhaps the mobile testing unit that is in Chicago may actually take a nice little trip to Boston right at the time when I'm ready to take a shot at the test. It could happen.

Not all labs are the same. It may look like butter and smell like butter, but it tastes like wax shavings.

I started with a QoS lab. It looked really complex and challenging. It was going to be a stretch, but I was going to take a shot at it. At the top of the 'lab' area, there are two links. One link is to download the course files. The other link is to download configuration files. Neither link works. Okay - so maybe it's just this one course.

I tried another course - configuring BGP stuff. It's another interesting scenario - not really like the labs in the Cisco Press Practice Labs book. This is just complex and pretty well laid out. The Cisco Press Practice Labs book looks more like what I would expect to encounter on the real lab:

Advertise this network into EIGRP on each router. Ensure that R3 prefers the route from R2 by manipulating the delay associated with this route. Do not manually adjust the delay associated with the interface by use of the delay command. You are permitted to configure only R2 to influence the delay.

Yeah. That's what I expect. And sometimes I have thought that it was a cockamamie question or configuration. But the more I think about it, the more I realize that as obtuse as some of the questions and instructions might be, they actually really do prepare you for the 'real world.' Consider the case of a configuration or adjustment that would fix or optimize something that simply should be done on RouterX. That's the simplest and best way to configure it. Well, the problem in the real world might be that RouterX belongs to your provider or someone who works for another company. You may not be able to convince (or coerce) them to enter such a configuration on their device. So you have to configure -your- device (which you do have access to) in order to bring about the tweak or fix that you need. It happens. Another real world example is with misconfigurations. Yes, you should know how to configure your devices correctly - but you should also know what it looks like when someone else touched it before you and made some typo or gave some command they didn't completely understand. What are the common ways that other people screw up? Ah - now that's a much larger list than you may think. Stupid has no limits and new stupid is born every minute. The reason it's broken is because someone invented a new brand of stupid. And now it's up to you to find it, fix it and take a bow. After all, you're the expert - right?

So back to the BGP lab. The files for this one downloaded. I had hope. The exercise looked interesting. I click to schedule/reserve the lab. It took 2 minutes to load. Okay - not bad. The lab loaded and the interface looked a bit like the files I just downloaded. However, the topology allows you to click the device to telnet, view the configs (run/start), or reload the router. There was a small link on the left which you can use to download and use the Telnet fix for IE7. Well, I'm using IE8 so I ignored it. I clicked the device and chose telnet. A browser popped up with an error and that was all. I could not get back to where I started. The browser closed and I started back to try again. Now there's no way to connect to the device. I had to end the session. I tried going back to it again. This time the link is now there. I click the link to use the Telnet fix for IE7. After I run the fix, I am told to close all browser windows for the fix to work. I go back to the lab again. [Note: each time I have to log into Cisco through the PEC site, launch PEC, launch the lab, and then schedule another session.] So now I'm sure this is going to work. I schedule my session and it appears with the clickable device. I click Telnet. Nothing happens. Well, at least nothing useful. I get two popup windows which ask me if I'm sure I want to do this... But no telnet. I even tried PuTTY - using the IP address and port provided in the popup. No dice. Nothing but a big, black screen - which times out and closes.

To add insult to injury >> Once you cancel the lab and discard the config (which was nothing since you couldn't get into it), you are sent to a page for a LabOps Survey - which never loads. You see "Please wait .... loading" and if you're lucky, you see your name at the top and no survey questions. Just a large blue blank screen. How rich.

I guess you get what you pay for... and these were free. What a bargain to be working for a Gold Partner!

Of course, all the labs are not like that. But from what I've experienced, anything that says NIL is worth nil. There were some really good labs on there before they moved the site. I guess I need to just search harder. It's a shame because when you read through the scenarios, they sound like really good, tough challenges. I guess the biggest challenge is making the lab work?

Meanwhile, I'm going to chalk tonight up to a loss and break into the Cisco Press Practice Labs scenarios tomorrow on the Dynamips/GNS3 that I was able to get up and running on my 'spare' computer. I'll also give the BGP lab another shot from that machine - it's an old XP box running IE7. Wouldn't that be a kick in the head if it works?

So I started looking through the menu options. I still haven't found what I was looking for yet. Or perhaps I stumbled upon it and didn't realize it. Eventually I'll see it --> What I'm looking for is a way to enter a game move-by-move into the engine/database. That way I can see it played out on the board while I'm reading it in the books. That way I can continue on the actual play step-by-step and use the board in front of me to view the variations. Nothing too terribly complex and if this didn't exist, I would just use two boards.

The other thing I noticed is that the books annotate the game they are discussing. There are a number of games in the chess database engine and there should be a way of referencing the game in the book and pulling it up out of the engine. The games used for illustration are not obscure and are 'classics' ... It shouldn't be too hard to accomplish - once I find the right settings. [Or I could enter in move-by-move > once I figure out how to keep Fritz from *playing* the game instead of letting me enter it.]

Back to the Help file -- I found the setting for a Friendly game. It asked for a handicap - and I put a big one in. Currently, my (provisional) rating is in the 800s. No, I didn't forget the 1 or the 2 in front of that. It's in the 800s. So I put that down for a handicap. I figure if this is Grandmaster level, minus 800 - it would still be tough. If the handicap represents the level at which the engine plays, it'll be fine. The Help file mentioned that you can put in whatever you want, but after a number of games, the program will figure out your handicap based on your playing. So I guess the more I use it, the more useful it will be. What a nice idea.

Then I got lucky. I played 1. e4 and the engine played 1. ... c6. OMG! I just wrote about that! It's the Caro-Kann! Granted, I haven't studied that opening much, but I knew my next move should be 2. d4. The game took off from there. I can't say that it was an 'easy' game, but I took my time and didn't rush through it. I thought about each move and made some decisions which worked well for me. I also played a bit more aggressively than normal (for me). However, I didn't get reckless (which was a recent habit). Every time I took a piece, it was either to my advantage or a pretty much even trade. I think I just played one of my better games so far. [Okay, I know it wasn't the stuff to write to Mom about, but for me it was good.] As the middle game played out, we were pretty even on material and I noticed I had a better pawn structure. I also noticed that during the game, I was evaluating things differently. I didn't feel I had to defend against any and all threats. Some threats were idle, some were made idle by reinforcement, and others just weren't even a threat. I felt more focused.

There was a point where we were getting to the endgame. Each side had a few pieces left, there was space on the board and the pawns were few. Black had rooks on a8 and h8 and the king was a bit moved around. My king was nice and tucked behind the rook on f1 with the f2, g2 and h2 pawns in front. I knew that things were going to heat up any second. And I noticed that all this time I had been working my knights and bishops to the bone. My rook on a1 was not doing anything and I thought it should help out. I moved it -- Rb2 -- onto the open file to get involved. That's when the message popped up. I thought I had done something wrong. Instead, it was a message saying that I had done a fine job. WTF? A resignation message... who knew? I didn't - until now. It was quite a surprise.

The only thing that surprised me more was my first draw. I was getting my butt stomped by a 6yr old (who was actually quite good). She had my pawns blocked and the king was trapped except for one direction - and it was her move. She moved and blocked that square too. Now it was my move - and I had no legal move. I was somewhat panicked. My opponent didn't know what to do either. We got the TD - who looked at the board and said congrats - it's a draw. My opponent was disappointed because we both knew she was kicking my tail - and I got lucky. But apparently if it's your turn and you don't have any legal moves (pawns/pieces are blocked and any move by the king would put himself in check), and you are currently not in check, then it's a draw. What a nice way to learn things. I wish all my lessons were that pleasantly surprising.

Before you waste your time looking for a gauntlet to throw down in challenge -- you can't beat me because I beat myself before you can get the opportunity. My openings stink. My middle game strategy amounts to 'oh, I hope they don't see that'... not exactly a tactic to write books about. And my endgame consists of why-don't-you-just-kill-me-and-stop-the-torture.

So why do I play? Why would I want to go back to that? Because I know I can do better.

As an update, I still don't have a MonRoi. I could never justify the money given my current playing ability. I do actually have Fritz on the computer. Unfortunately, at this point, I can't make it do what I want to make it useful. But, it's a computer program. That means there exists a nice little Help file. A little bit of RTFM will solve that.

So where do I start? Well, my best guess is that I should study the openings. If you've opened yourself up for disaster before your 3rd move, everything else is a moot point. I know my openings stink. But now I have to figure out -why- my openings stink.

For the most part, the openings have all been played before. When you move your first piece (as white), there are only 10 pieces you can move (the 8 pawns and the 2 knights). Granted, some moves are more likely than others. However, there are only so many 'book' first moves. And then again, there are only so many 'book' responses by black to that first move. If I make the move I know - and black makes the response I expect, I can get to the end of the opening. However, if black's first move is not something I've seen - I have no clue how to respond.

Take for instance, 1.e4. If this is followed by 1. ... e5, then I continue with 2. Nf3. It's almost automatic and I know I'm not yet screwed. But if 1. e4 is followed by 1. ... c6, well...what the heck do I do now? Well, the first thing I *should* do is recognize it as the Caro-Kann opening. Once I can do that, I might be able to remember that my next best (book) move would be:
a) d4 [Advance Variation/Bornstein-Larsen System/Classical System/Exchange Variation, etc]
b) c4 [Anti-Caro-Kann]
c) d3 [Closed Variation]

The day that those moves are made and I remember what follows is the day that I make it out of the opening alive and at least survive until the middle game. However, that is not today. Today I would play 2. Nc3 to protect the pawn. Why? Because there's a pawn out there and it neeeeeds my help and protection. [Oh, does it really?]

So, having said that, I realize that the only way to improve is to improve my opening. Since the Ruy Lopez is the most familiar to me, that's where I will start. Let's see how far this can go...

So here's where I started for my lab prep:
I watched the ICND 1 and ICND 2 videos.
I watched the CCNP videos.

Although I watched them on Safari, all the videos (for the lab prep) were from Cisco Press. If you're the type that needs to have stuff in your hands - these videos are available for about $62/each. For $42/month you can watch all of them on Safari. I had my account at the Library level for 2 months - which enabled me to read the ASA book (about 1200 pages) and watch all the videos. It was well worth it - since the book itself has a 'discount' price of $72 and an e-book price of $57... For me, it was a good way to cut costs and still get the training.

Well...I'm sure some are asking why a CCNP would need this training and just skip it and cut costs even more. You probably could do that, but you would be the lesser for it. The material was a very good review and foundation. Yes, it covered everything I had already learned and used for the past 12 years. But it also had a secondary effect: confidence-building.

When you look at the material for the CCIE Lab, it can appear to be a daunting task. You think that there's all this material that you need to know at a level that you can't even begin to imagine. There must be tricks and traps that you have no idea how to prepare for - since the pass rate (especially for first-timers) is so low. Going over the basics was very helpful in that respect. It helped me to remember just how far along that path I have walked - and things that years ago seemed impossible to master, are now second-nature. It was a great confidence-builder. It also helped me realize that some tasks which don't currently happen to be part of my day-to-day activities have not been forgotten. Yeah, I may have to practice some things to build speed and confidence, but I'm not starting from scratch. It's there. It just needs to be fine-tuned.

I'm looking forward to this journey. With the competition in this field, it will only help if I know this material inside out. I am looking forward to strengthening my skills and becoming the best in the field. Aim high - even if you fall short, you'll still be ahead of where you would be if your aim was lower.

Now all that's left is to hit the top certs. I watched a video on preparing for the PMP exam recently. Although I know that Project Management is something that is going to be added to my responsibilities soon, I'm not actually looking at moving in that direction. However, I thought the PMP video would be some useful knowledge to have...and it was. The biggest takeaway from the video was this --> since you're going for the PMP cert, treat your training like a Project and use that to guide your studies. Hey....that's a GREAT idea! So now I'm going to practice what I've been learning (here and there) about Project Management while planning the "Project" of my CCIE studies. Two for the price of one!

Well - I hope everyone enjoys the holidays. I'll be taking a short break until the end of the year to re-energize and gestate some ideas. Then I'm back with a sense of purpose -- > Getting my CCIE number.

Maybe it was because I took the SNAF and SNAA one after the other, but it seemed (to me) that the SNAA was a bit easier than the SNAF. There weren't as many hard/close questions - either that, or I was expecting them and they didn't bother me as much?

When I first started out on this path, it really bothered me that there wasn't a clear cut path for study. However, I was determined to find what I could and make it work. What I found was that there were more resources available than it seemed at first glance.

SkillSoft -- Some of the training they provide is current. Some of the training is a version or two behind the current offerings. If this resource is available to you, use it. If not, move on to the next thing.

Safari -- This was a good bargain and turned out better than I expected. I started out with the basic bookshelf and then expanded to the Library. I expanded so that I would have access to the Rough Cuts books. When you look on Cisco Press, you won't find much. However, in the Safari Library you will find access to Cisco Press books that are out of print and Rough Cuts of books that aren't available yet. I completed reading and tested on material from a book that will be released next month. It was a little frustrating to read and look at the example or diagram that shows a placeholder, but most of the diagrams were available. There were one or two that I wished were there, but I found that material elsewhere and was able to adapt.

One of the BEST things I stumbled upon for this self-study was a set of videos in the Safari Library. I was able to view hours of video where David Hucaby explains and demonstrates firewall configuration. Those videos more than made up for the missing diagrams in the Rough Cuts. In fact, I think that was the thing that made this last test so much easier.

Cisco PEC (Partner E-Learning Channel) - This was more important in the earlier tests. A bit tough to navigate, however, when you find the labs that apply, they can be a valuable resource. Some of the labs can also be adapted from their intended use and can give you a bit more experience with some of the interfaces that you may not currently have available to you.

Well, now it's onto the CCIE Lab. From here on, it's just networking. So don't get in my way or I'll configure you.

Since I enjoyed the videos so much (and it's like sitting there watching Hulu)... I've decided to start off with a good, hard refresher. Safari has the ICND, CCNA and CCNP videos. I will go through those on my 'break' and then onto Vol 1 and 2 of the CCIE Practical Studies. I also have 5 spare computers, a frame relay switch, four routers and two switches for my 'lab'... Not much (considering what I will be studying), however it's a good start. Getting dynamips and dynagen up and running will be a fun challenge. Once I wear out that set of equipment, I'll be ready to get the most out of the expensive rack time.

My goal is to pass the CCIE Lab on the first shot. This is not because I think I'm so great - but because it's EXPENSIVE! Okay... real truth >> I have to get on a PLANE to get there. I don't want to have to do that twice, so I'm shooting for a first-time pass. ; )

Enjoy the holiday and don't eat too much turkey!

Gotta admit - this was a HARD test. I only had 10 min left at the end and that was after putting a little pep in my step. At the halfway mark for time, I was nowhere near halfway through the questions. So I put a little sense of urgency while going through the later questions. At the end of the exam, I was mentally exhausted. There were a lot of loooooooong questions. And there were a lot of 'attention to detail' questions. You know -- the kind where two or three of the answers are very similar except for one little difference... You read answer A and then answer B and it looks like it says the same thing. Then you look closer. It still looks like it says the same thing. Then you have to sit there and compare word by word until you get to the one word that's different. Sheesh. I sat there with two hands on the monitor pointing word by word to find the difference. And then there was the back and forth with the close answers that were in the question that you had to figure out from the simulation. It was WORK.

But that's all behind me now. Onto the next test... Oh, yeah - it's the Advanced test on the same ASA! For this one, I had to up my Safari Subscription to "Library" - just so I could read the Rough Cuts book. This lovely little 1200 page book isn't even available in print until December. I'll have it read by then. From what I was looking at in the reviews, the Huckaby book [ASA, PIX and FWSM Handbook] is good prep for the SNAF. Yes, it was. Between that and the SNAF Quick Reference - the two adequately cover the material. Neither book is sufficient by itself.

For the SNAA, I'm reading the Rough Cuts All-in-One book, SNAA Quick Reference, and the SSL Remote Access VPNs book. That should cover enough ground - from what I'm seeing in the Exam Topics. This one looks more like it should be called the VPN exam. But, I'm sure once I get through all those pages, I'll know a lot more than just that. I'd really like to be super-prepared for this last exam. Once it's completed, not only will I become a CCSP, but the SNAF and the SNAA are the requirements for ASA Specialist. So I guess that's a two-for-one exam...

And...if passing a test today wasn't enough : I reached and passed my reading goal for 2009!!!

I have to admit - I'm looking forward to completing the CCSP and finally getting back to the CCIE Lab Prep. I was working on my 'lab' as 'break time' between studying sessions this weekend. I now have two Windows boxes and one Fedora box to run Dynamips/Dynagen. Along with that, I have four routers, a frame relay switch and two LAN switches. That should get me through the first round of Lab prep. Once I outgrow that and do as much as I can, then I'll turn to rack time to polish up. No sense in wasting expensive rack time in the beginning stages of studying. And it's going to be odd going back to physical books. I already have the hardcover Vol I and Vol II of CCIE Practical Studies. [Yeah, there's another 2000 pages of reading...]

But for tonight - I'm taking a break. I went out to dinner and now I'm going to HULU!!!

Enjoy!

Wow. Suddenly I feel so Internet Old.

If you really want to know - GeoCities died sometime around the introduction of Netscape 3 or so...

Back in the day... when I first signed up for Internet access, my ISP allowed each customer a whole 5 MB of web space. And at the time - it was PLENTY! I created an entire web site within that space - with links, newsletter, etc.. But at that time, pictures were static and web pages were mostly filled with text. The year was 1996 and I was easily found frittering away the hours in chatrooms. In was in those chatrooms that I learned HTML. And of course, since I had two 'handles' in the chatrooms, I had to have two pages... So off to Geo I went. It was a really good place for a starter page.

Geo started going downhill for a number of reasons and in a number of ways. There were fights in the neighborhoods. Eventually there were bandwidth limits - and if too many people had gone to your page (or if you had a number of pics on it), you could easily use up your bandwidth for the day. And then came the onslaught of cheaper disk space and reasonable web hosting accounts.

But when it was new, it was good. You could easily put up a little 'about me' page and link it to your chat handle. That way if someone *really* wanted to know about you, they could click the link and you didn't have to bother with the same questions over and over. [Where does your handle come from? Where are you from?] And sometimes it was a conversation starter. Oh, I see you're into such-and-such... and you could actually talk to a stranger about some common interest - instead of small talk and flirting. Yes - I used to actually TALK to people in chatrooms. It was interesting and I learned a lot. But mostly... I went there so people would click the link and it would up my hit counter... [Don't I just live on the edge?]

Although the site 'bit the dust' a long time ago, it still puts a note of sadness in the air that a part of the early Internet history has been closed down. RIP GeoCities ...along with DejaNews and other staples of the Internet Past.

I passed the SNRS exam. 2 down and 2 to go - both of which are ASA tests. I'm now looking at the ASA Foundation (SNAF) and ASA Advanced (SNAA) exams to get the CCSP.

One of the interesting things that I'm finding is the way this body of knowledge is building inside me. I'm really thankful for the path I've chosen and I think that my experiences and previous training is making the upcoming studies easier and easier. Not that it's a snap - it is a lot of hard work. But I'm finding that so much is integrated and that the things I know from Routing/Switching are coming in very handy when studying the Security stuff.

As far as book reviews for the books I read for this exam ...

The SNRS Quick Study Guide -- not really a fan of it. Granted, it's a good book and covers the material, but it reads like you're looking at someone's notebook for the classroom training. Of course - it doesn't pretend to be a complete study guide - however, it is the only CURRENT material for this exam. [Note: read closely - there are significant errors in the examples.]

The SNRS Exam Certification Guide - worth spending the time on reading. However -- be warned that this guide is for a previous version of the test. I recommend that you read this book BEFORE you read the Quick Study Guide.

Also -- I recommend taking the IPS exam BEFORE taking the SNRS exam. The IPS guide is for the current version and is up-to-date. This will help you in many ways with the SNRS material.

I also read through the SkillSoft Study Guide for the prior version of this exam. It was helpful in some ways and covered some of the material. I wish Cisco Press would have just taken the Exam Certification Guide and updated what needed updates and put it out. It was very unnerving to have to piece together this study material and decide for myself (read: research) what was current and what wasn't...and also what was correct when there were conflicts in the material (and there were some)...

Best advice: When you go through the Quick Study Guide, do a search on the Cisco site for each topic as you go along. There are lots of guides and training videos on the site that will help you learn.

Wireshark Certified Network Analyst

The WCNA test is temporarily unavailable as we migrate to another exam format that ensures the test's integrity, offers precise and relevant evaluation of the candidate's skills and scales meet the needs of our global audience.

"This is a large undertaking. I'm excited to move to a new test offering. I'll keep you informed of the status at this location."
-Laura Chappell, Wireshark University Founder

The test has only been available since this spring! Talk about trying to hit a moving target...

All I could think of was this little story from some email forward ...

Good luck, bad luck
A father and his son owned a farm. They did not have many animals, but they did own a horse. One day the horse ran away.
“How terrible, what bad luck,” said the neighbours.
“Good luck, bad luck, who knows?” replied the farmer.
Several weeks later the horse returned, bringing with him four wild mares.
“What marvellous luck,” said the neighbours.
“Good luck, bad luck, who knows?” replied the farmer.
The son began to learn to ride the wild horses, but one day he was thrown and broke his leg.
“What bad luck,” said the neighbours.
“Good luck, bad luck, who knows?” replied the farmer.
The next week the army came to the village to take all the young men to war. The farmer’s son was still disabled with his broken leg, so he was spared. “Good luck, bad luck, who knows?”

I guess it was good luck that I didn't plunk down $300 and take a test that was eliminated the next day. And although the test itself is on hiatus, I will just finish up the last section and put my notes aside. My 'plan' was to finish up and then pore through a bunch of trace files for practice until I felt comfortable taking the test. Since I have already downloaded some practice trace files from ChappellU, I may as well take a look at them - but now, I will limit myself to one per day. There are also some captures that I wanted to do in different scenarios related to yet another blog I've been working on. I will still set up those devices and make the captures. But there's no rush and they will have to become relegated to the "I'm taking a break from studying" time... Hopefully by the time the test becomes available again, I will be ready to just jump in and take it.

Oh well - it's September. Time to get back to the next CCSP exam and continue with *that* plan. It's time to update the site again and rearrange the study area and materials.