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CCIE Secrets Revealed, version 2.5

Copy of http://www.cciesecrets.net/cciesecrets.htm by Jim Irwin.
Please note that this book was written in 2003 and quite a number of things have changed since than, however you may still benefit from this material.

Jim Irwin CCIE #9569

I have had over 8 years of experience as a networking professional.  When I was 14 years old I got a job washing dishes in an Amish restaurant where some of the pots were so big I had to literally crawl inside of them to scrub the bottoms!  I saved my money and one of the first things I bought was a personal computer.  I was so proud that day when my Commodore Plus 4 arrived!  It was the predecessor to the C64 (I think) and only had 4 programs with no internal storage.  It didn't matter, from then on I was hooked on technology.  I took Basic programming on Tandy 1000's in high school and went on to spend many late nights in the computer lab in college (It was a Novell Network and was all the rage back then...).  My first paid consulting job was actually for the doctor's office that my mother worked in.  I was 17 years old.  They wanted to install a medical billing program on the computers in the office.  I installed the software and edited the autoexec batch files to open the program as Windows starts and then showed the office employees how to use the software.  My big paycheck was $140 and that was really good at the time.

 

After college, I kind of fell out of society for a while.  I sold everything I owned, bought a motorcycle and hit the road for about three years.  I would travel from town to town in search of something - I still don't know what I was looking for - not sure if I ever found it...  When I got tired, I slept - sometimes in a campground, sometimes off the road behind some trees or bushes.  When I ran low on money, I stopped wherever I was and got a job bussing or waiting tables or any odd job that I could find - I was even in a show in Las Vegas for a few months (I had the long-haired and road-beaten gruff look they wanted for the part).  Sometimes when I stopped and worked I would get lucky to get into a place with a roof for a while - some were better than others.

 

Towards the end of this journey I met up with some truck drivers and they offered to teach me a little about trucking.  I was traveling all the time anyway, might as well get paid for it.  I took to it quite well and soon was working for a long-haul trucking company out of Denver, CO.  I drove all over the country and several times into Canada.  

 

Throughout all of these adventures, technology was always there for me.  I even had a laptop in my big rig and would hook up to telephone lines at truckstops or use my cellular modem (sparingly - it was extremely expensive back then).  The Internet has always had a certain calling to me.  I knew I would have to indulge my need for more technology eventually.

 

The more I thought about it, the sooner I decided to make it happen.  I saved up some money from trucking, quit the long-haul business and settled in Colorado Springs, CO to attend the Denver Technical College.  During this year of training, I worked as a tow-truck driver and local semi-truck driver to pay the bills.  Eventually, I upgraded all of the systems in the trucking office and continued to support them for several years after turning in my CDL (Commercial Drivers License) for a PC.

 

In the beginning, I did just about everything; hardware jockey, telephone PBX support, desktop support, NT admin, switches and routers, and anything else they could think of to fill my already busy schedule.  Then, in the summer of 1999, the certification bug hit me.  I decided I wanted to get some of those for myself.

 

I started with CompTia's A+, which led to Network+.  Then I decided to conquer Microsoft's MCSE, and did so in record time (I think I took the last 4 exams in 4 weeks - one per week).  This actually frightened my boss who took several years to complete his.  I knew my potential for growth was limited where I was and I set out to find other opportunities.  This move led me to the world of consulting, which then resulted in being layed-off twice in a three-year period.

 

Even though I had taken all of those other tracks first, I had my eye on Cisco from the very beginning.  In my first techie job I had some experience with a 1700 series router; splitting channels on the CSU/DSU to carry voice and data to a remote location.  That absolutely fascinated me.  I learned as much as I could about Cisco from that day forward.  I decided to finish up the Microsoft track because I had started down that road and I would not be satisfied unless I went to completion with it.  About a week after getting the MCSE, I bought my first Cisco CCNA book.  Three weeks later I had the certification.

 

I then went for the CCNP (after my first layoff - I figured I would need it to get my next job).  I completed a test a week (with the help of the Boson tests) and landed my next job a few weeks after that.  Somewhere in there I also got a Nortel Networks certification - they looked pretty good back then...  Two more exams and I had the CCDP.  I passed the CCIE written on the first try in August 2001.  I tried for months to get some of the other CCIEs that I knew to mentor me or help me to figure out how to pass the CCIE Lab, to no avail.  It seems that they were too busy or not interested or worse yet felt their job security threatened somehow.  

 

I figured out early on how to pass written exams - whether CompTia, Microsoft, Nortel, or Cisco - I always passed them on the first attempt (Boson).  I knew that the CCIE Lab would not be as easily conquered.  I needed a different plan if I were to be successful.  I heard about Groupstudy and joined - still no plan.  I searched the Internet high and low - still no plan.  I even went back to the CCIEs at work - no plan.  

 

I decided to figure it out as carefully and as detailed as possible.  I started gathering as much information as I could in regard to everything about the exam - from the physical environment all the way to the complexities and intricacies of the technologies.  I created and followed my plan and the result is that I passed the CCIE Lab on the first try; June 23rd, 2002.

 

In the absence of such a resource, I compiled my plan and posted it to the Internet.  At first on E-bay and my own website for a fee, users could download and access the eBook that I wrote.  I eventually figured that more people would benefit from the resource if I were able to provide it for free.  So I got some sponsors and now "CCIE Secrets Revealed" is a free resource for everyone.  If even a small fraction of the readers visit and purchase from my sponsors, then I will receive enough money from them to pay for my website and other administrative duties.

 

Hey, if a gruffy old biker and truck driver like me can get a CCIE, so can you!

 

Best Regards,

Jim


Page 1
CCIE Secrets Book
Jim's philosophy:
There are physical characteristics that separate a guy like me from a star athlete. Obviously.
Those differences are primarily in the form of size, muscles, and natural athletic ability. Those are all things that I
cannot achieve no matter how much I train. My bones will never grow larger, my muscles will only grow to an
extent, and if talent is not there, it is difficult to ever be good enough at sports to become a professional.
But what about this: take my brain and put it next to the same athlete, or even Albert Einstein. Is there much of a
difference, physically? No, there is not. Size, shape, physical attributes - mostly the same.
Jim's philosophy is this: When it comes to intellectual ability, if it is humanly possible, then I can do it too. And so
can you. This one I relate to stock car racing; we all have the same basic equipment; we all have a chance of
winning. You just have to want it badly enough.
Sure, there are differences in chemical balances and other obstacles, some more severe than others. But, for most
of us, especially those of us who would even consider such a task as the CCIE; for us, it is not only possible but
very probable.
Remember, your brain needs certain things to work optimally: Proper nutrition, proper rest, and physical
exercise. A good attitude also goes a long way...
Success doesn't just happen, it is planned for. "CCIE Secrets Revealed" will give you a plan, it is up to you to
follow through and make it happen.
Be sure to check out the website www.cciesecrets.net for updates to this e-book.
If you have not yet taken the written exam, do yourself a favor and get the Boson practice labs. I have used them
for every test I have taken in the past 3 years and trust them completely. The accuracy is unbelievable!
This e-book is not sponsored by, endorsed by or affiliated with Cisco Systems, Inc. Cisco®, Cisco Systems®, CCDA™, CCNA™, CCDP™, CCNP™,
CCIE™, CCSI™, the Cisco Systems logo and the CCIE logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cisco Systems, Inc. in the United States and
certain other countries.
CCIE Secrets Revealed, v2.5
September 2003
Free to Distribute
www.cciesecrets.net
Page 2
Set your goals
Decide to do it or not to do it, no middle ground
If you are still undecided as to whether or not you want to continue down this road, then you have decided not to do it. It is
that simple. There can be no wavering and there can be no indeciveness. If you are in that category, please stop reading now.
You are not ready.
Chances are, if you’ve come this far, you have decided to go for it. Believe it or not, you have overcome one of the most
difficult parts of the process. Right now, you know that you will become a CCIE. From here on out, all we have to do is come
up with a plan to make it happen.
You have to want it and you have to want it badly. The "CCIE Gods" will not tolerate anything less than complete and utter
devotion, and ultimate sacrifice!
Create your study schedule
First, you have to decide how many hours you will dedicate to studying. If you can manage to study 12 hours a day for 3 to 6
months, that may suffice. If you can only manage 2 hours a day, it may take a year or more. Remember, this will be a huge
undertaking. Most of the testimonials from people who have passed spend time thanking and apologizing to their families for
spending the last year or so pursuing this goal. You already know that it will take dedication, now you have to put it to paper
and plan on the time to dedicate.
Set your date and schedule the exam
The next step to take is to schedule the exam. Take an inventory of your current knowledge base and then add your study
schedule. Only you know how quickly you can absorb the material and apply the knowledge correctly. Decide right now how
long you need in order to study. Add an additional month to that projected date to account for unexpected events, and then
schedule the date.
Cisco currently tests in:
San Jose, California
Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
Sao Paulo, Brazil
Chatswood, NSW, Australia
Bangalore, India
Johannesburg, South Africa
In order for CCIE candidates to schedule on-line, candidates must have a CCO (Cisco.com) user account. If you do not have
one, all you have to do is register for a guest account. You will also be required to know your VUE or Prometric ID,
qualification exam date, and score.
Go here to create a CCO account:
One site is not included with on-line scheduling. If you need to schedule a lab in South Africa, please contact them at
Source: http://www.ccietrack.com/Free/Articles/CCIE-Secrets-Book/
Page 3
Once you have your CCO account, follow this link to schedule the lab:
In order to login to the CCIE Online Scheduling system, you will need your score report from your written qualification exam
administered by Prometric or VUE. Enter the information below from your score report:
Candidate ID
Test Date (mm/dd/yyyy)
Test Title
Test Score
You will then be allowed to pick dates and locations. The open dates change frequently, so if you don’t see the date you want
there are several options: You can select a date that is the closest to your target date and then keep checking back for the ideal
date, or you can not schedule and keep checking back. If you schedule, you are not allowed to schedule more than one
date/location. If you want to then get another date, you must first release your current date. This is risky because people are
constantly checking the site for open dates and they disappear quickly – so if you decide to drop your current date and grab a
different one, do it quickly – and there is still no guarantee that you will be quick enough. This is the same with people who
say they want to “trade” dates. There is no official way to do this, you must coordinate with the other candidate and be as
quick as possible with the drop and grab – still no guarantee.
My advice is to select the closest date to your projected goal and redefine your goal to be that new date. If you are a month or
two away from the date and your studying has not been on schedule - I mean it has to be way off schedule - then consider
getting another date. If you are off schedule by just a few weeks, then hunker down and get it done. I got pneumonia in March
and could not even get up for almost three weeks. That put me behind schedule, but remember, I had a one-month buffer in the
beginning. I kept my date.
Is one location better than another? I’ve heard many people speculate on the benefits of going to one location over another.
They say, “in San Jose, they don’t have…” or “in RTP, you have a better chance at getting….”. While there may be some
geographical differences in the exams, they are minute and have more to do with one location or another adopting testing
methods at different rates than another. Mostly, these speculations are just that, they are not based on fact. You can receive
the same test on the same equipment at any location.
The following link will take you to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about the CCIE lab scheduling:
If you are taking the lab at RTP in North Carolina, follow the payment instructions that are listed for San Jose. You will be
contacting Shanon Fair; she is very nice and responsive to your emails.
Remind yourself of the goal and the reward
Also Known As - Secret One.
Write your name and the word CCIE with the date of your lab exam on a piece of paper or sticky note and attach it to your PC
monitor. This may sound silly, but believe me it works. You are constantly reminded of the end result and you will
unconsciously make yourself achieve the goal within your set time frame.
Spend a few minutes on www.monster.com looking for jobs that require a CCIE in your area. Many of them will also list
salary amounts for those positions. Most likely, these salaries are somewhat more than you are making right now. Take into
consideration your present salary and experience level, the average salaries for CCIE’s in your city or region (remember,
different parts of the country and different countries pay differently). Figure out what a reasonable amount of money you
should expect to make after getting your 5-digit number (people used to dream of that magic Cisco 4-digit number, now we
have gone over the 10k mark). Write your expected salary on that note on your PC’s monitor.
Source: http://www.ccietrack.com/Free/Articles/CCIE-Secrets-Book/
Page 4
For me, I passed the lab on 6/23/2002. My sticky note read as follows:
Jim Irwin, CCIE
6/23/2002
$100,000
I wrote that note in October of 2001. On the day that I wrote that note, I started buying equipment to create my home lab. The
rest is history.
Within a month after achieving my goal (which occurred on 6/23/2002 as projected), my status went from unemployed (I was
working up until May 2002 at a salary of $85,000) to a great job at a salary better than my projected goal. Yes, I have
surpassed the 6-digit salary dream.
Do not make the mistake of discounting this section!
One of the biggest secrets to a professional athletes success is "Visualization". When a pro basketball player lines up a free
throw, he doesn't think about how hard to throw the ball or the physics involved in making the shot. He visualizes the ball
going into the basket. Somehow, it works.
You need to visualize yourself as a CCIE.
Secret number one is Visualization. This is a proven technique and no one I know uses it, except me. I had also visualized
my new house and my new motorcycle. The house, although an important milestone, was not as key to me as a Harley. I've
been riding motorcycles for over 10 years - all import bikes. I've ridden cross-country 4 times and have attended the bike
rallies in Daytona, Myrtle Beach and Sturgis. For the last ten years, I've wanted that Heritage Softail. It was not until I put my
visualization techniques to use that I finally found a way to get what I wanted.
GroupStudy
Now that you are on your way, here is the next stop for help; www.groupstudy.com
You sign up for free to be on an email distribution list that consists of several hundred CCIE candidates as well as many actual
CCIE’s who stick around to stay sharp on their skills and help others just like they were helped.
GroupStudy has mailing lists for R&S, Security, and C&S. They also have CCNA lists, Jobs/Employment lists, and other great
information.
Please do not subscribe to the mailing list and then proceed to ask questions! This sounds harsh, but believe me, it had to be
said. There is a complete archive that is searchable that is maintained by the site. Go there first and search for the information
you are looking for. Almost any question you can think of pertaining to the CCIE lab has been posted and answered in some
fashion already. If you don’t get the answers you are looking for, post the question to the mailing list.
Archives:
The search function was down for a while, but is up and running now, and it works great! Fast and accurate.
Source: http://www.ccietrack.com/Free/Articles/CCIE-Secrets-Book/
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The list may generate as many as 150 emails a day, so plan accordingly with your ISP or other mail server. As emails came in,
I created folders for each topic and funneled the emails for each subject into it's appropriate folder. I would only go and read
them as needed for each topic I was currently studying. All the BGP stuff was in one folder, all the frame relay stuff was in
another, etc. so I didn't waste time searching through thousands of emails.
More advice about GroupStudy: Some people on the list are not there to help or to learn, just to aggravate. This is true for
most mailing lists. Also, there are people who will give advice they think is true and it may not necessarily be so. Watch a
thread for a while before taking the information as usable; the other members will call out any inaccuracies to the best of their
knowledge as often as possible. And finally, many of the members tend to over-think a problem and offer some kind of
solution that is way too complicated.
Paul Borghese runs the site. He is a great guy and does actually respond to most emails.
CertificationTalk
Here is another website dedicated to helping you become a CCIE. Again, there is no cost to join and there are a wealth of
The CertificationTalk website is very comprehensive and offers free downloads, technical tips, on-line technical support,
recommended books and study material and occasionally free product giveaways!
This site is mostly used to provide engineers who are studying for their CCIE lab exams a place to gather and discuss technical
details concerning the practice labs in the IPexpert Workbooks and e-Scenarios.
Using GroupStudy, it is common to get questions posted about a particular Solie lab (or other popular lab) where the person
wanted more clarification on a task or possibly advise on how to solve it. Wouldn't it be great if you could email Karl Solie
directly and get help from him and a large community of specific Solie labbers?
This is exactly what you get at CertificationTalk! An entire community of people working a specific set of high-quality labs,
helping each other out. I have spent many hours on their website and imagine you will too.
After you log in, you can easily change and manage your user profile on the first page that pops up, as well as send and receive
private messages, post reminders, look at your favorite threads or forums - oh yes, you can save them and look at them anytime
- no bookmarking or trying to find it again when you get hold of that great piece of information - just add it to your favorites -
it's easy! To add a thread to your favorites, you scroll all the way down to "Extra Information" and click "Favorites" in the first
box on the left.
The place you want to go to look at the heart of the site is the "Main Page". This is accessible by a link on the right side of the
screen under "Main Menu". Right there at the top: CCIE R&S Lab posts. Too many to browse? The Main Menu is still there
- choose search. I found the search feature to be very good and an excellent resource. For an example, I searched BGP.
Within minutes, I got alot of great info including this link; http://www.911networks.com/cisco.htm. You seriously want to
check that one out as well as the CertificationTalk website.
Tech Talk
As an extension to CertificationTalk, this section of the IPexpert website is maintained by Triple CCIE Brian Dennis #2210
(R&S, ISP Dial & Security) focusing on some of the most complex issues regarding CCIE prep - Route Redistribution Tags,
ATM, QoS, etc. Brian has been in the networking industry for over 12 years and is one of a select few that holds three CCIE
certifications from Cisco. This will be a monthly newsletter and webpage (archived) that will be located at:
Source: http://www.ccietrack.com/Free/Articles/CCIE-Secrets-Book/
Page 6
NDA
Non-Disclosure Agreement. This is the term commonly used to describe Cisco’s Confidentiality Agreement. Here is a link to
the CCIE NDA:
Loosely construed, it basically says that if I tell you that BGP is on the exam (because they say I can’t discuss any ‘content’ of
the exam…), I am at risk of breaching the agreement. Its intended purpose is obvious. They will not take away my number
and subpoena me to court for my statement on BGP.
What you cannot do is discuss or duplicate the scenarios used in any Cisco exam, or the questions and/or answers to any Cisco
exam material, and definitely not sell any of these things.
The CCIE is too important to risk such things.
Now, that being said, GroupStudy and several publications (by Ciscopress) may offer NDA information. How can that be?
Think of it this way; how many ways are there to configure a router or a switch? There are many, but not so many that other
people besides Cisco would be able to come up with them. The chances are pretty good that if Cisco can think up a scenario,
others can too that will be very close. It is inevitable that somewhere, someplace, there will be a discussion about some
scenario that someone dreamt up in an attempt to be thorough in his or her studies, and that will coincidentally be very similar
to a Cisco CCIE lab.
Use your best judgment.
Books
Do I hit the books first, or go straight for the practice labs? While most people would go to the books, I think there is much to
be learned from getting into the practice labs straight away. The most important lesson is to learn how much you do not know.
While the humbling experience alone is worthwhile, it does have other merits as well, such as allowing us to focus on what we
need as individuals to get through this thing. In a later section, I describe a quick way to get right into the practice labs with
very little time and effort.
At any rate, you will need books one way or another, so listed below are the ones I suggest. Borrow them if you can.
Otherwise, follow the links below to buy them from Amazon. Get them any way you can, you will need them. The books and
resources for R&S and C&S are in some instances the same.
Amazon is one of my sponsors, so if you click on the links and end up buying the book, cciesecrets.net and this publication are
supported. I greatly appreciate it.
Absolute Must-Haves for R&S:
This is actually the best single resource you could buy to complete your preparation.
Free on-line documentation:
Free Internetworking Technology Handbook:
Source: http://www.ccietrack.com/Free/Articles/CCIE-Secrets-Book/
Page 7
Publisher: Cisco Press; 1st edition (September 1998)
ISBN: 1578700418
Routing TCP/IP, Volume II (CCIE Professional Development), by Jeff Doyle, Jennifer DeHaven Carroll
Publisher: Cisco Press; 1st edition (April 11, 2001)
ISBN: 1578700892
Internet Routing Architectures (2nd Edition), by Sam Halabi, Danny McPherson
Publisher: Cisco Press; 2nd edition (January 15, 2000)
ISBN: 157870233X
CCIE Practical Studies, Volume I, by Karl Solie
Publisher: Cisco Press; 1st edition (December 17, 2001)
ISBN: 1587200023
Highly Recommended for R&S:
Publisher: Cisco Press; 1st edition (April 11, 2002)
ISBN: 1587200546
CISCO Certification: Bridges, Routers & Switches for CCIE’s, by Andrew Bruce Caslow, Valeriy Pavlichenko
Publisher: Prentice Hall; 1st edition (January 15, 1999)
ASIN: 0130825379
by Radia Perlman
Publisher: Addison-Wesley Pub Co; 2nd edition (October 1999)
ISBN: 0201634481
by Christian Huitema
Publisher: Prentice Hall PTR; 2nd edition (January 15, 2000)
ISBN: 0130226475
by W. Richard Stevens, Gary R. Wright
Publisher: Addison-Wesley Pub Co; 1st edition (January 15, 2002)
ISBN: 0201776316
Go here to see Cisco's recommended reading list for the R&S exam:
Absolute Must-Haves for Security:
Where else can you get top-quality labs for Security?
Publisher: Cisco Press
ISBN: 1587200651
Source: http://www.ccietrack.com/Free/Articles/CCIE-Secrets-Book/
Page 8
Publisher: Cisco Press; 1st edition (November 15, 2002)
ISBN: 1587050250
by Dmitry Bokotey, Andrew Mason, Raymond Morrow
Publisher: Cisco Press; Book and CD-ROM edition (June 9, 2003)
ISBN: 1587051109
Cisco's for Security:
Absolute Must-Haves for Communications and Services:
Also, a very rare opportunity to get the best practice labs in the industry.
Free on-line documentation:
Free Internetworking Technology Handbook:
by Radia Perlman
Publisher: Addison-Wesley Pub Co; 2nd edition (October 1999)
ISBN: 0201634481
by Gary Kessler, Peter Southwick
Format: Adobe Reader (System Requirements)
File Size: 5683K
Printable: Most publishers do not allow Adobe e-books to be printed. Read more
Mac OS Compatible: Mac OS 10.2 and above. Mac OS 9.x is no longer supported by Adobe.
Windows Compatible: Yes
Handheld Compatible: No. This title is not compatible with Pocket PCs, PDAs, or other handhelds.
Digital: 784 pages
Publisher: McGraw-Hill; ISBN: B00005RI7Z; (October 2001)
by Christian Huitema
Publisher: Prentice Hall PTR; 2nd edition (January 15, 2000)
ISBN: 0130226475
by W. Richard Stevens, Gary R. Wright
Publisher: Addison-Wesley Pub Co; 1st edition (January 15, 2002)
ISBN: 0201776316
Cisco's for Communications and Services:
http://www.ccietrack.com/Free/Articles/CCIE-Secrets-Book/
Page 9
Absolute Must-Haves for Voice:
The very first of it's kind in the industry from the leading source in CCIE prep.
by Jonathan Davidson, James Peters, Brian Gracely (Contributor), Jim Peters
Publisher: Cisco Press; 1st edition (March 27, 2000)
ISBN: 1578701686
by John Alexander (Editor), Chris Pearce, Anne Smith, Delon Whetten
Publisher: Cisco Press; 1st edition (July 31, 2001)
ISBN: 1587050080
by Steve McQuerry (Editor), Kelly McGrew (Editor), Stephen Foy
Publisher: Cisco Press; 1st edition (April 9, 2001)
ISBN: 1578702275
by too many people to list...
Publisher: Cisco Press; 1st edition (December 2001)
ISBN: 1587050307
by Scott Keagy
Publisher: Cisco Press; 1st edition (October 2000)
ISBN: 1578701961
by Paul Giralt, Addis Hallmark, Anne Smith
Publisher: Cisco Press; 1st edition (December 11, 2002)
ISBN: 1587050757
by James F. Durkin
Publisher: Cisco Press; 1st edition (September 25, 2002)
ISBN: 1587050145
Cisco's for the Voice Written and Lab Exams:
Source: http://www.ccietrack.com/Free/Articles/CCIE-Secrets-Book/
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Additional References from Cisco's Website
Access to routers and switches
At work, on-line rack, friend’s lab, your own equipment
You already know this part. Where can you get your hands on routers and switches? Do not mistake your experience with
customer equipment to be anywhere close to what is required for this exam. Fine, you know how to configure routing and
switching. In case you didn’t know, the methods you may employ to configure a real-world scenario are not necessarily those
that can be used on the Cisco CCIE Lab Exam.
Now, where can you get your hands on routers and switches you can create insane scenarios on at all hours of the day and
night?
Bottom line is; you need hands on experience performing actual routing and switching functions in a lab environment.
For me, I had approximately 300 hours of actual practicing on my home lab. I set up and practiced all the labs from the Solie
book as well as the Benjamin book as well as any lab I heard of or could make up on my own. Yes, you can actually make up
labs on your own! Imagine that! I set up scenarios from popular discussion topics on GroupStudy and I set up mini-labs that
were subsets of larger labs just to test one or two functionalities without setting up all the routers. You can use your
imagination - who knows, you may even teach yourself things that will end up being on the Big Lab!
To get the hands-on experience, you need a lab. A home lab is an investment; treat it as one. Try to get a good price, but don’t
expect to get a great price. To be cheap up front only short-changes your future possibility of success. That doesn’t mean go
out and spend top dollar, just don’t be too thrifty or you will never get what you need.
Remember, when you pass the lab you can turn around and sell your lab equipment. Most likely, you will not get what you
paid for it, but you just got yourself a sizable raise that will more than outweigh the loss of a few hundred dollars on lab
equipment. Or keep it, and go for a double CCIE! Some people are Quad-CCIEs! One was plenty for me, for now...
To overcome the loss on the resell, I rented my lab to people I knew in the industry who were studying for their CCIE lab. I
rented out the entire rack for $500 a month for 4 months (to different people). Then I sold the entire rack for a bargain price on
E-Bay. I ended up just about breaking even, although I could have continued to rent it out or even offer Internet access to
several people at once for a good price. You could ship all the equipment to someone or you could offer it remotely to several
people.
Source: http://www.ccietrack.com/Free/Articles/CCIE-Secrets-Book/
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What about virtual racks?
They are a great alternative and can offer many advantages. Among the benefits are; you don't have to deal with weeks or
months of procurement, DOA's, upgrades, IOS hassles, cables - (cabling can be a nightmare all by itself), return on investment
(it can be difficult to get out of it what you paid), keeping up with the new technology (what happens if they decide to change
the requirements before your scheduled lab? Do you have to go and buy new stuff?), much less effort, same result. I could go
on and on, but you get the idea.
The one common misconception about the on-line labs is that people believe it is not a good deal financially. For the most part
this is true.
There is only one company that I have found to be worthwhile in rack rentals. They offer 5.5 hours for only $35! Let's do the
math: I recommended 300 hours of hands on labs. So, 300 hours / 5.5 X $35 = $1909. That's really cheap! You could get
the 300 hours for less than $2k! You get all the results with none of the hassles! Many of us are the type to really get into all
that hands-on building, the hassle becomes part of the learning, but for those who are not, there is a terrific alternative. More
on this company in the next section.
What about Boot Camps?
I highly recommend several including Ccbootcamp, IPexpert and Netmasters. The problem is this; you need to be ready to
undertake an intense CCIE ‘Boot Camp’ program before attempting them otherwise you will waste your time and money.
These classes generally last a week to ten days and do not go easily into the curriculum. They are fast paced, advanced and
will easily send people away frustrated if you are not prepared for them. How do you prepare? About 300 hours of hands-on
experience with your lab. These courses are best used by people who are already more or less prepared to take the CCIE lab
and just need that extra polish to put them over the top.
Not so eager to travel? Need an affordable alternative to the traditional Boot Camp? You are a perfect candidate for the
vClass! There are two available; R&S and Security. The price is about half of what you would pay for a live class and you
also save the expense of travel. Also, if you are studying for C&S, then either of the above vClasses would benefit you
greatly. You will also receive a Gold Membership for FREE and get special access to a "student-only" forum on
CertificationTalk.
One more cool thing about the vClass: After the first few sessions, the Instructor will custom-select three to five 8-hour
simulated lab exams (Mock Labs) specifically to target your areas of need. Since the class is “virtual” you have vRack and
Forum access 24 hours a day for 7 full days. The Instructor will schedule and deliver several hours of distance learning over
those 5 days. All lab equipment is up-to-date; 2600's and better.
Remember to use every resource at your disposal. If you are going to do this, then do it all the way.
My recommendation on putting together the Perfect Lab
Perfect for what? For who? No matter what, you will most likely not be able to replicate all the practice labs exactly. The
perfect solution is the one that works in as many respects possible – including the ‘not-well-known’ eighth layer of the OSI
Model – the Business Layer. Ultimately, most business decisions are made according to the wallet factor. Do the best you can
in this department, use or get more credit if necessary..
You need a lab that has the following, at a bare minimum for R&S/C&S:
Frame Relay
A router with at least 4 serial ports to simulate a frame switch
ISDN
2 routers with ISDN BRI ports and an ISDN simulator
Core
6 routers to constitute the core of the lab (the ISDN routers are part of this set of core routers, frame
& backbone are not)
Backbone
at least1 router to inject routes into the lab (a separate AS – like the ISP connection)
Switch
IOS-based
Source: http://www.ccietrack.com/Free/Articles/CCIE-Secrets-Book/
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Ideally, you would add:
Catalyst 3550-24-EMI switch
A router with at least one Fast Ethernet port (to do inter-VLAN routing), a Voice module and phones
A frame switch with 8 serial ports
ATM switch
2 or 3 more 2500 or 2600 series routers
Terminal Server (2511 or CS516 or equivalent)
For Security, add:
2600 series routers
3600 series routers
Catalyst 3550 series switches
PIX - running Pix software version 6.2
Certificate Authority Support
Cisco Secure Access Control System
Cisco Secure Intrusion Detection System
3700 series routers*
*On July 7 2003, the CCIE Program will be adding the 3700 series router to all CCIE lab locations.
The addition of VPN concentrators and IDS sensors is scheduled as of September 29, 2003.
VPN Concentrator - version 3.x
IDS appliances - version 4.x
For Voice, add:
MCS 7835 Call Manager/CRS Servers
MCS 7835 Unity Server
Catalyst 6503
3725 Routers (WAN, Gatekeeper, Gateway, PSTN Emulation)
2651XM H.323 Gateway
VG248 Analog Phone Gateway
ATA186 Analog Telephone Adapters
Catalyst 3550 with inline power
IP Phones
Analog Phones
FAXCall Manager
Gateway/Gatekeeper
You will need 12.2 IOS (Enterprise version recommended) on all routers, as this is the IOS currently used on the Cisco lab.
The frame switch does not matter, as in the Big Lab you will not have access to the frame switch, so it does not matter what
version it is as long as it switches frame relay.
What about the Catalyst 3550 requirement?
Good question. They are very expensive - $2000 or better even for used – and that does not guarantee you will get the correct
image that does the routing! I would suggest learning the fundamentals of routing and switching with what you can afford in
your home lab, and then renting rack time to get familiar with the 3550 with the EMI (Enhanced Multilayer Image).
Here is a link to a great tutorial on the 3550:
Source: http://www.ccietrack.com/Free/Articles/CCIE-Secrets-Book/
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What about ATM and Voice, and everything else?
Same response. As far as ATM is concerned, you will need to know how to configure ATM on a 2600 or 3600 series router
only. Anything they cannot do, you do not have to configure, period. Anything they can do, you need to know.
Voice products are becoming more available on E-bay. If it is possible to buy a 2620 series router and get a voice module, then
do so. If not, then practice this part with the on-line labs as well.
Setting up your lab equipment to practice the labs
You will most likely not be able to reproduce all the practice labs exactly. The equipment used varies from lab to lab, it would
be impossible to plan and buy for all of them. (This is one more argument for using only on-line labs as listed below.)
Instead, simulate the closest resemblance possible with what you have. If the practice lab calls for ATM and you don’t have
ATM, then either skip that portion, or make a spare serial port point-to-point connection using PPP and IP the interface with
the IP for the ATM interface and include it in routing, etc. Pretend that is the ATM connection for the purposes of that
particular lab.
Can you use one router to pretend that it is two separate routers? Yes, figure it out. You will be a CCIE, it is a good time to
start acting like one and get creative. It is also possible to simulate an ISDN-type connection with a router's Async port,
although I would recommend getting a simulator.
IPexpert's On-Line Labs
If any of the above sections makes you think to yourself that there seems to be a lot of things to do before you even
get started, then you may be an excellent candidate for on-line labs. This is the fastest way to get started on
studying for the CCIE Lab! No waiting for auctions to end or equipment to arrive, no upgrades or cabling! Just
order the lab materials and schedule your time slot!
Of all the options out there, I can only recommend one company, and I will tell you why:
They have 13 CCIE's (including 2 triple CCIE's and 2 double CCIE's) working for them who spend an immense
amount of time creating the labs.
Every single one of their lab scenarios in the Workbooks, as well as any e-Scenario can be performed with their
virtual rack that can be reserved with 4 different 5.5 hr timeslots per day.
The R&S Workbook includes 260+ pages, over 250 hours worth of labs. The other disciplines have similar qualities.
Their R&S Workbook includes 17 complex, multiprotocol (1-day) mock lab scenarios (with an 8 to 10-hour
completion time). Most people would pay hundreds of dollars just for one full-day mock lab, you get 17 of them!!
If you like the mock lab idea, they also offer a "live lab experience" where you are given the material and 3 (8) hour
time-slot with access to a proctor and then you get a score report detailing your grade and what you need to work on.
You get 3 different labs!
You get everything! R&S (or C&S/Security/Voice), 3550, ATM, Voice, Frame, ISDN, etc.... Everything!
The Voice vRack is a Voice-enabled rack w/ CallManager, gateways, etc. - everything you need for CCIE Voice!
Much less expensive than buying equipment: 300 hours on the virtual rack for $1909! Why go through the hassle of
doing anything else? Just buy virtual rack time!
Source: http://www.ccietrack.com/Free/Articles/CCIE-Secrets-Book/
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You get more than just lab materials; you get advice, tech tips, networking tools, great instructional material, 24x7
support, and much, much more.
There is an entire website of IPexpert labbers who help each other out (over 3000 users). The CEO of the company
logs in almost everyday and talks to anyone who needs anything!
Jeff Doyle, CCIE #1919, author of at least one of the books you need to buy, highly recommends their products!
I have the R&S workbook from IPexpert. Not only is it well written and extremely accurate in terms of what to expect on the
Big Lab (some people report that it is over 90% accurate), but the philosophy at IPexpert seems to be along the same lines as
my own. You have to work and you have to work hard - but the most successful people work smart. If you put in the work,
they will make sure you do it the smart way. They will more or less lead you right to my most important secret... more on that
later.
You can choose your level of involvement. They have many offerings. No matter what you buy, you will not go wrong! This
will be the one investment you will never regret.
At a bare minimum, you will want to buy the Workbook - and that is the same whether you own your own lab or rent rack
time:
R&S Workbook Security Workbook C&S Workbook Voice Workbook
If you own your own lab, you will be pleasantly surprised to find out that all of the labs from IPexpert can be performed
without re-cabling anything! How can that be? They are the IP experts!
Or, you can choose to get into a Gold Membership. This is where you get over 80 lab scenarios for instant download in Adobe
format. This is great for people who may want some basics in the lab because you also get over 20 CCNP level labs and over
40 CCNA level labs. Then you get into the over 80 CCIE level labs that are extremely challenging. Each one is from 1 to 4
hours and will more or less cover all topics that can be encountered on the Big Lab! Plus they will give you links to over 150
helpful web pages, 50 networking tools, complete 24x7 support, and the best part is this: if you end up attending one of their
Boot Camps, the entire purchase price of the Gold Membership will be applied towards the price of the Boot Camp - making
the Gold Membership actually FREE! Where have you ever heard of such a thing?
The next level is the Platinum Membership. This is actually the best value - you end up saving alot of money while getting
everything! You get all the stuff listed above in the Gold Membership as well as the highly acclaimed Workbook. You can
choose any of the 4 paths; R&S, Security, C&S, or Voice. And then they do it again! You can put the entire amount of money
spent on the Platinum Membership and apply it towards a Boot Camp - making the Platinum Membership FREE!
Let's look at this logically. Say that you've decided to take a Boot Camp to prepare in the final stages of your studying. How
great would it be to get into a class for a discounted rate? Or see it this way; how great would it be to take a class and get over
80 e-Scenarios and the best Workbook in the industry for FREE! Even more valuable will be the fact that you will be
thoroughly prepared for a Boot Camp after working out all the practice labs from the e-Scenarios and the Workbook!
Check out more details about their Boot Camps: R&S and Security. Not only do you get everything you would expect,
but you also get a FREE one-day Lab Experience and 2 additional days of access to the virtual racks after the class is over!
They do not use the e-Scenarios or Workbooks as the content of the class, they have developed specific lectures and labs to
provide the polish and focus you need to be successful.
Not so eager to travel? Need an affordable alternative to the traditional Boot Camp? You are a perfect candidate for the
vClass! There are two available; R&S and Security. The price is about half of what you would pay for a live class and you
also save the expense of travel. Also, if you are studying for C&S, then either of the above vClasses would benefit you
greatly. You will also receive a Gold Membership for FREE and get special access to a "student-only" forum on
CertificationTalk.
One of the main reasons I recommend IPexpert, besides all that I wrote above, is because they are actually very responsive and
very dedicated, not to mention genuinely friendly. They really do want you to succeed and it shows! This is one of the most
professional companies I have ever had an experience with as a consumer. I have personally spoken with Wayne Lawson, the
Founder and CEO of the company, and have received emails from him the very same day I asked a question. I think that one
of the reasons they are so successful is because they don't think of this company as a job. I think they all really love what they
do and the fact that they get a paycheck for doing it is just the icing on the cake.
Source: http://www.ccietrack.com/Free/Articles/CCIE-Secrets-Book/
Page 15
Check out their website; look around a bit, you will see what I mean when it comes to this company. You know how most
companies, even our heralded Cisco, do not make their complete contact information readily available? You have to search for
it or go through the question and answer session first, then you may get a generic email address if you are lucky. Check out
IPexperts' contacts, you get everything. Go under the Company tab, then About Us, you get even more.
Any other doubts, see their success stories. If you read through some of them, you may be surprised to see how many people
passed on the first try after using IPexpert's materials.
Summary of IPexpert Offerings:
CCIE Secrets Revealed is an Authorized Reseller of IPexpert Labs and materials. Please follow my links to purchase their
products. I would greatly appreciate it.
When I used the products and services they offered, I knew this had to be a part of my Plan to Succeed. After my great
success, I knew I had to become affiliated with them and become a reseller of the best Labs and Training Materials ever
available!
How to buy and setup what you need
Equipment used in the Cisco R&S/C&S Lab exams:
• 2600 series routers
• 3600 series routers
• Catalyst 3550 series switches
To keep pace with the evolution of new technologies in the industry, all CCIE labs worldwide changed to IOS version 12.2,
effective September 1, 2003. Specific features new to IOS version 12.2 can appear on CCIE lab exams starting on that date.
The equipment list for the Communications and Services track is the same equipment as the Routing and Switching track. The
lab component of the Communications and Services track tests only General Knowledge areas - IP and IP Routing (BGP,
OSPF, ISIS, EIGRP, IGRP, and RIP), layer two technologies such as ATM and Frame Relay, Switching, Quality of Service,
Multicast, MPLS, MPLS/VPNs, traffic engineering, and ISDN. The goal of the program is to ensure that candidates have a
reasonable chance of preparing for the lab exam. The General Knowledge topics can be tested using 2500/2600/3600 series
routers or using 7200s and GSRs. We have opted to use equipment that is accessible to the greatest number of potential CCIE
candidates.
For C&S, make sure you are using the 12.2 Service Provider IOS.
Source: http://www.ccietrack.com/Free/Articles/CCIE-Secrets-Book/
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Equipment used in the Cisco Security Lab exam:
• 2600 series routers
• 3600 series routers
• Catalyst 3550 series switches
• PIX - running Pix software version 6.2
• Certificate Authority Support
• Cisco Secure Access Control System
• Cisco Secure Intrusion Detection System
The addition of VPN concentrators and IDS sensors is currently being investigated and will be announced three months before
the actual integration in the lab.
For Security, make sure you have the 12.2 ENTERPRISE/FW/IDS PLUS IPSEC 3DES. IOS "T" trains will be used to provide
security specific features.
Equipment used in the Cisco Voice Lab exam:
• MCS 7835 Call Manager/CRS Servers
• MCS 7837 Unity Server
• Catalyst 6503
• 3725 Routers (WAN, Gatekeeper, Gateway, PSTN Emulation)
• 2651XM H.323 Gateway
• VG248 Analog Phone Gateway
• ATA186 Analog Telephone Adapters
• Catalyst 3550 with inline power
• IP Phones
• Analog Phones
• FAX
Network Interfaces:
• Fast Ethernet
• T1 PRI
• Frame Relay
• ATM
The new CCIE Voice uses IOS version 12.2. IOS "T" trains will be used to provide voice specific features.
Decide what you can buy
What is your overall budget? At the absolute minimum, be able to spend $1500 on equipment. That should be able to get you
two 2500 series ISDN routers and an ISDN simulator. The routers can be used to practice routing with Ethernet or Token
Ring, Serial connections (simulated T1 or frame relay), and ISDN. The bulk of your learning really can be done with a lab that
small as far as basic routing goes.
How is your credit? Where else can you get the funds if they are not readily available? This is an investment! Think of it as
one! What is the payoff when you pass? Is it worth some hardship in the short term to make it to the big payday? Then get
the money and buy a real lab! You will want to be able to reproduce the scenarios in the Solie book as well as the Benjamin
book, and other sources for practice labs. If you can’t build a network similar to the ones in the practice labs, you probably
won’t experience the tricky “gotchas” that exist within each of them.
You will want at least six or seven dedicated routers, a frame relay switch, and ISDN simulator, and a switch (IOS-based).
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Again, when you pass the exam, sell the lab. You will probably lose some money on the sell, but you are a CCIE now, you can
afford to lose a couple hundred bucks. I had to repeat that part because I know how you are feeling about buying the lab. You
have to get over it and just buy what you need with any means possible. If you're going to do this thing, then you better do it
all the way and do it right.
Sources
If you work for a company that is a Silver or Gold Cisco Partner, check with sales to see how much of a discount you can get if
you buy new equipment through them. Even with a significant discount, the costs will be very high for a fully functional lab.
Most people look to E-Bay and other on-line auctions. The typical router for a practice lab is the 2500 series router. This is a
relatively inexpensive router ($80 to $600 depending on the specific model, and the specific deal) and it is widely available.
For a frame-relay switch, use the 2520, 2521, 2522, 2523, 4000 or even the old AGS+ routers. For ISDN, if connecting two
2500 series routers (S/T type), buy a simulator on E-Bay or at www.cheapisdn.com ($499). If you are connecting 2600 or
3600 routers you will need the U BRI port, cheapisdn has one for $689, or go to http://vconsole.net/cgi-
bin/credit/simulator_isdn.pl. I used the cheapisdn simulator for my studying and I currently use the vConsole simulator at my
lab where I work. They are both fine simulators.
Your best buys on E-bay are typically from people who passed their CCIE lab or at least someone who understands what you
need. The person who bought my lab got an incredible deal - a fully functioning lab with 16Mb flash and 16Mb DRAM on the
2500's, the 12.1 IOS that is needed, all the cables and transceivers and everything else that I bought separately and put together.
Otherwise, piecing together miscellaneous routers will ultimately require buying flash and DRAM separately, getting access to
IOS code, and doing all the time-consuming work. It took me two months to put my lab together and get it ready to do the
practice labs.
If you buy at least one router with the 12.2 IOS (or whatever you need at the time), then you can use that to TFTP the image to
your other routers.
Now, having said that, I must say that I learned alot about hardware when I had to buy the pieces and get flash and DRAM
(and in one case another boot rom chip). I got alot of practice working with TFTP servers and installing IOS. While that
experience was helpful in my career, it was not necessary for the CCIE lab. Do it whatever way that works best for you. Don't
want to deal with it at all? See my section on Ipexpert.
For ATM, Voice, and the new 3550 switches, use the Ipexpert on-line labs (I had enough work experience to cover these items
and the 3550 was not used in my Big Lab). These technologies are generally more expensive than most of us can afford for a
home lab. In the lab exam, they play a significant enough role to spend money learning them, but not significant enough to buy
equipment. When you go on-line to use the practice labs, try and focus on just the pieces that you need to learn and cannot
simulate in your own lab. Otherwise, the costs may add up.
Cabling
You may find a number of cables out there to connect two routers together. In the old days (just a year or two ago) people
connected two routers together using two V.35 cables. You can still do this, but why buy two cables when you can buy one?
Buy a DB60 Crossover cable to connect two 2500 series routers. These are very available on E-bay. If you want new ones
from a company, go to www.pacificable.com. They have everything. If they don't, they can make it. Just call them and ask -
they are very knowledgeable and helpful.
Source: http://www.ccietrack.com/Free/Articles/CCIE-Secrets-Book/
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Buy a DB50 to DB60 crossover to connect a 4000 series router to a 2500 series router. Also available on E-bay and from
www.anthonypanda.com . Be careful on E-bay, there are many of these available, but is it what you want? I used the 4000
router as a frame switch, so I wanted the DB50 end (the end that connects to the 4000) to be the DCE. Frame relay switches
are the DCE, so I wanted it that way in my lab. Check them carefully wherever you buy. Anthony Panda knows what you
need and gives it at a good price. He does ship these from Hong Kong, but mine were delivered within a week of my order.
The Solie book has a great chapter on cabling.
Here is a list of common routers and switches found on the on-line auctions:
AGS+ Router – This is the first commercial router manufactured by Cisco. Yes, it is that old! If you need a good Frame-
Relay switch, this is the best value. Typically loaded with 4 to 8 serial ports for $50 to $150. You cannot download AGS+
images from the Cisco website anymore, so make sure it comes with a usable image.
4000 Series Router – This is an oldie, but a goodie. Typically selling for $150 to $400 depending on configuration, flash and
DRAM. The serial cards are widely available and this router can run 12.1 IP Only IOS with 4 Mb flash! Although as a frame
switch, you don’t really need to worry about the IOS as long as the one you use can switch frame relay..
1720/1721 Router – This has one 10/100 Fast Ethernet and two slots for WICs (WAN Interface Cards). These WICs can be
several types of Serial and even ISDN or voice ports! This router runs standard IOS and has support for Inter-VLAN routing
(1721 only), QOS, HSRP, and even VPN and firewall functionality. Expected cost $300 to $1000 used depending on
configuration.
1750 Router - All Cisco 1750 models offer three modular slots for voice and data interface cards, and an autosensing
10/100BaseT Ethernet LAN port. This router runs standard IOS and has support for multiservice voice/fax/data integration,
Frame Relay, ISDN BRI, SMDS, X.25, broadband DSL and cable services, VPNs, and firewall. Expected cost $350 to $1500
used depending on configuration.
2500 Series Routers – This is the most popular router used in home CCIE labs. It runs standard IOS and will require 16 Mb
flash and 16 Mb DRAM in order to run the 12.1 Enterprise IOS that you will need to simulate the actual lab. Expected cost
$100 to $600, used. What will cost you more is; flash and DRAM and configuration.
Generally, the 2501, 2503, 2504, 2509, 2511, and the 2513 routers are the most popular. The 2503 and 2504 will give ISDN
connections. The 2509 and 2511 will provide a terminal server with 8 or 16 Async connections. The 2513 has both Token
Ring and Ethernet connections. The most popular and most economical is the 2501.
Use the table below to understand the different configurations available on the 2500 series routers.
2610/2611 Router - 1 network module slot platform with 1-2 10BaseT Ethernet port(s) and 2 integrated WIC slots.
IMPORTANT!!! This router does not have a Fast Ethernet port! You have to go to the 2620 series to get that in a 2600
series router!
2620/2621 Router - 1 network module slot platform with 1-2 10/100BaseT Ethernet port(s) and 2 integrated WIC slots.
Primary difference between these and the 2610’s is the Fast Ethernet capability (Inter-VLAN routing!).
There are new 2600XM series routers available on the market, but these would not be a first pick for a home lab as they are
quite a bit more expensive than the 2610 and 2620 models. The 2600’s are End of Life and the prices should be coming down.
If you are able to get a 2600 series router and want to load IOS 12.1 Enterprise, but you only have 8Mb of Flash, and cannot
afford more flash, what do you do.
It depends. How much DRAM do you have? Typically, the DRAM is not as expensive as flash, so it is more feasible to add
enough DRAM to run the image. Configure the router to boot from a TFTP server. That’s it, you just got away with a cheap
cheat. The problem is that it is cheap and can become more of a headache than anything else.
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Page 19
This method is painfully slow and problematic. During the course of starting up the router at the beginning of a session or
during a practice lab exercise when you need to reboot, you will hate every minute of it.
If you bought a router, buy the flash and DRAM required to run the 12.1 Enterprise Plus IOS, don’t “cheap out” now. Average
prices for 2600 series 16Mb flash are around $50. Prices for 2500 series routers are even cheaper.
The 2620 series routers require 16Mb Flash and 48Mb DRAM in order to run the 12.1 Enterprise Plus IOS.
2500’s require 16Mb Flash and 16Mb DRAM.
1720’s and 1750’s can’t use Enterprise Plus, but they can use IP/FW/IDS PLUS IPSEC 3DES, which requires 8Mb Flash and
32Mb DRAM.
4000’s require 8Mb Flash and 32Mb DRAM for Enterprise Plus, but if you are using it as a frame switch, 12.1 IP IOS only
needs 4Mb Flash and 16Mb DRAM.
2500 Series Routers
Router
Serial Ethernet TR
ISDN
Async
WIC
Low Price
High Price
2501
2
1
80.00
250.00
2502
2
1
70.00
150.00
2503
2
1
BRI
150.00
350.00
2504
2
1
BRI
110.00
285.00
2505
2
8
100.00
205.00
2507
2
14
No data
No data
2509
2
1
8*
265.00
380.00
2509-RJ
1
1
8
265.00
380.00
2511
2
1
16*
280.00
450.00
2511-RJ
1
1
16
280.00
450.00
2512
2
1
16*
No data
No data
2513
2
1
1
150.00
450.00
2514
2
2
140.00
420.00
2516
2
16
BRI
No data
No data
2517
2
11
BRI
No data
No data
2518
2
23
BRI
No data
No data
2519
2
23
BRI
No data
No data
2520
4
1
BRI
185.00
375.00
2521
4
1
BRI
135.00
330.00
2522
10
1
BRI
180.00
575.00
2523
10
1
BRI
180.00
475.00
2524
1
3
100.00
410.00
2525
1
3
85.00
320.00
* These are in the form of a CAB-OCTAL connection. The CAB-OCTAL Kit is a SCSI type connector to the router and has 8 RJ-45 connectors that go to the
console ports of other equipment. The 2509 has one of these connectors and the 2511and 2512 have two.
Prices were compiled from E-bay with a program called "Deep Analysis" that compiles statistics from auctions based on specific input criteria. The program
was run against 2000 auctions that had taken place between 1/10/03 and 1/20/03.
CCIE Secrets Revealed, v2.5
September 2003
Free to Distribute
www.cciesecrets.net
Page 20
Setting up your Study Space
You need to create a space conducive to studying
You know what your needs are in order to study. Do you need absolute quiet, or do you do better with music or TV, screaming
children, miscellaneous distractions? I’m not going to tell you what is best for you, but I needed a well-lit, quiet room with few
or no distractions.
Simulate the Cisco Testing Environment
At RTP, the Cisco CCIE lab is taken in a large, open room with several rows of pods. Each pod contains a rack of equipment
that is next to a small desk with a PC in a standard low-wall cubicle. You’re cubicle is right next to a cubicle containing
another candidate. You never touch the lab equipment - I didn't even look at it once the exam began.
The test is in a binder on the desk. Each task is numbered. The information needed for the ISDN numbering is on a piece of
laminated paper on the wall of the cubicle. The binder also contains diagrams of the network. It is very clear as to what the
different routing areas were and how the frame DLCIs were set up. Everything was well organized and presented.
The proctor may walk around, but is otherwise seated behind the big desk in the front of the room. No one is hovering over
your shoulder, it is a very good environment for testing – much more comfortable than the Sylvan or Vue testing centers!
The PC is on. Once logged in, the desktop is a standard Windows operating system. The Documentation CD is accessible by
the “Start” menu in the lower left corner. The terminal program they use is very similar to Tera Terminal. It is also accessed
by the “Start” menu. They are listed sequentially and already set up. Click on the selection for R1 and the terminal opens up
the session with R1. It really is that simple.
So, at home, with your lab, simulate as much of this as you can. I had a standard desk and PC. I bought a rack from Graybar
for $110 and racked all my gear (stacking the equipment next to the desk is fine). If you buy a standard rack, how do you
install the rack in your home? Get a 3 foot by 3 foot piece of 1/2 inch plywood, some 2x4s, and carriage bolts with washers
and nuts. Put the rack in the center of the plywood and mark the four holes for the rack. Drill out the holes large enough for
the carriage bolts to go through. Attach the 2x4s to the bottom in a way as not to cover the holes you just made, but in a way as
to provide support for the rack and equipment. I put one on each of the two sides and one down the middle - a total of 3 2x4s.
For an extra fancy build, I put carpet over the plywood (a cheap remnant from a carpet store) and nailed it down. At the time,
it closely matched the carpet of my home office, but since I moved it does not match at all - not a big deal. Then, attach the
rack using the carriage bolts, washers and nuts, and that's it. You have a rack on a stable base. See the appendix for a pictorial
representation.
I already had Tera Term, but if you don’t, it is free:
I already had a Documentation CD – after all, how can you be in the position to think you are going to be a CCIE if you have
never installed Cisco equipment? If you have installed Cisco equipment, then you should have "borrowed" the Doc CD like
the rest of us do. If you forgot, then you can find them on E-Bay. Either way, you absolutely must have one – even if it is a
year or two old!
OK, fine, since I gave you such a hard time about it, here's a freebie:
The Cisco Documentation CD is also available online at:
I bought a Terminal Server – the Cisco CS516, which is just a cheap little dedicated Terminal Server with 16 RJ-45 Async
ports and an Ethernet port. You can do that or combine functions with a 2509 or 2511 - you get a Terminal Server and a fully
functional router. I've seen several terminal server appliances on Ebay recently (August 2003) that sold for as little as $50 and
had quite a bit of functionality.
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I hooked up the Ethernet port on the Terminal Server to the LAN that my PC was on and connected the console ports to each
router and switch. I could then open several telnet sessions with the Terminal Server, each one would then be dedicated to one
device. For ease of configurations, when I was finished opening sessions, the boxes in my task bar at the bottom of the screen
were always in order; task box one was R1, task box 2 was R2, etc. You know what I mean by task box – that bar on the
bottom between the “Start” button and the little icons next to the clock…
That way, when switching back and forth between routers, I knew which router I was selecting by where it was in the task bar.
Remember to do this every time and then do it on the real lab. Believe it or not, many errors in configuration take place
because people type in configurations to the wrong router!
You will be able to have your desktop in the Big Lab exactly that way. Do it this way in your practice labs at home and do it
the same way on the Big Lab. You want to feel as comfortable and familiar as possible on the Big Day, so create that world at
home and live in it for a while. Taking as much of the unknown away as possible will make life much less stressful. Also, you
do not want to use your time trying to figure out new things like how to use the Tera Terminal program or try to formulate a
strategy while your 8 hours are ticking away.
Also, make use of the Notepad program. Go to the start menu, click on Run, type in notepad. You can use this at home and on
the Big Lab. It is very useful, especially when configuring similar things across multiple routers - like OSPF authentication... I
just gave you another invaluable time-saving secret. Use it.
Using creative methods to help you remember
I used large poster board from Wal-Mart ($.42 each) and a variety of markers. Of the things that were important, or I needed to
be reminded of (stuff you know, but continuously forget), I wrote it up on posters and put the posters everywhere in the house
that I could. When I walked in the front door I was reminded not to forget about that thing with ISDN. When I woke up in the
morning I am reminded about that tricky thing with frame relay. I had many reminders in many places of my home and work
place. I’m not the one who looks stupid now.
Again, this is not just another test. You have to live this stuff for a while. Make sure Cisco is in your face as much as you can
possibly stand it.
I always wiped my configurations clean before starting any lab! Why do you want to spend your time configuring things like
“no ip domain-lookup” or setting up the router for telnet or console settings? Practice drills. This is a prime example of why
people fail. You keep parts of configurations on the routers to save yourself time from having to configure the “easy stuff”.
Then you get to the Big Lab and you forget the “easy stuff”. Why? Because you skip them everytime in your practice labs.
Laziness equates to failure. Wipe the configs completely. Start from ground zero everytime.
Seriously, do these things. Everything I am telling you is just another "Secret to my Success". Use them.
Focus on the Fundamentals
Routing and Switching Basics
This is the Big Secret that no one else has figured out yet. Everyone is so scattered with their studying
worrying about so many diverse routing and switching features that they forget about the basics. This
must be one of the most fundamental and classic mistakes ever made, and this is why people fail the
CCIE lab.
In case you missed it, the secret is to Focus on the Fundamentals.
An incredible secret, no. The cause of many and multiple failures, yes.
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Yes, you need to study and master as many of the “lower point” topics that you can. But, the bottom line is that you will most
likely never be able to study or practice everything that you may encounter on the Big Lab.
But, I can guarantee that you will always need to know routing and switching fundamentals. Start with the basics, master the
basics, and then return to the basics often.
The last thing you should study before making the trip: the routing and switching basics!
What the heck are the “Fundamentals”?
I will interchangeably use the term “basics” or “fundamentals”. They are the same in this text.
When I refer to them, what I mean is this:
OSPF
VLANs
Frame Relay
EIGRP
IP
ISDN
BGP
IPX
PPP
RIP
DLSW
Ethernet
These are the basics! And you thought by basic, I meant the easy stuff. Sorry. But at least it is a relatively small list.
Cisco has their own idea of the basics. Follow this link to Cisco’s website page “Blueprint” for the CCIE R&S:
You do not need to know IGRP or Token Ring anymore, although they may still be on the list.
Don't fret too much about that Blueprint. The stuff you will need to know inside and out is the list I wrote above. Remember,
this is not an invitation to skip learning everything on the Blueprint. Also, remember that this is only my opinion and that
Cisco has a much longer list. You must learn and master everything! Again, this secret goes back to the focus on
fundamentals, it is not a shortcut to studying.
I worked on that list relentlessly. Everything else in Cisco's Blueprint is important, but not as important as my "Fundamental"
items.
Some of the more difficult tasks to learn deal with the Redistribution of routes from one routing protocol to another while
keeping the ISDN connection stable in an OSPF network.
"Sub-Secret A of the Fundamentals Secret"
How great would it be if some developer of practice labs shared this philosophy of drilling the fundamentals? Then they would
organize all of their materials towards that end. Well, that is exactly what Ipexpert does. Here is a testimonial from someone
who passed after using the product;
"The book is like an ascending spiral; it keeps coming back to core technologies (fortunately each time with a different
perspective) until you really are able to master the topic. The feeling was that this book was written by guys that "have been
there" and are guiding you -step by step- towards being logical, free-thinking and efficient in configuring stuff." - Marius
Popas, CCIE R&S #10942
Previously, when I mentioned that IPexpert would more or less lead you right to the biggest CCIE Secret, this is it. You don't
even have to consciously make the effort to study the fundamentals, just go through the e-Scenarios and the workbook, and
viola! You will be doing exactly what you need to be doing! Get both for a discounted price here!
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What Else is on the lab?
Some excerpts from the Cisco website concerning the R&S exam:
"Candidates will not be required to configure an ATM switch. However, they may be required to connect to a switch that is
external to their rack using the interfaces on the equipment in the rack.
The candidate should be prepared to configure any ATM interfaces that will operate on the equipment listed on the Routing &
Switching exam Equipment List.
No new routers are being added to the test to support voice - voice questions will use interfaces available on the current
equipment listed on the Routing & Switching CCIE exam Equipment List. Candidates may be required to use analog phones.
The initial emphasis will be on Voice over IP, but Voice over Frame and Voice over ATM are possible.
Do I need to know SS7?
No.
Do I need to know H.323?
Some knowledge of H.323 might be expected for the exam.
A PBX is not directly part of the test, so training is not required. However, some basic knowledge of PBX functionality and
how a PBX functions in a voice environment may be useful."
How do I deal with the unknown?
Answer:
The Cisco Documentation CD-ROM
This is the next Big Secret to passing the CCIE lab. Learn the Documentation CD inside and out and you will have a better
than average chance at passing.
This does not mean that you can slack off on studying or go into the exam without an expert’s knowledge of routing and
switching. But, the Documentation CD is your only defense against the unknown. This is the only resource that Cisco will
allow you access to in the lab (there are stacks of hardcopy manuals, but I doubt they get used much). If Cisco gives you one
tool to use, you need to know that tool completely.
You do not need the most recent version. You are not trying to learn any technology right now, you are trying to learn how to
find the information you need. The organization of the CD has not changed in many years.
Here is a clue: Do not use the “Search” function – EVER!
What do you need info on? IOS. OK, what IOS? 12.2. OK, what specifically; configuration guide…. You find what you
need by knowing what is under each of the links that you come across on the CD. You need to spend days on this, possibly
weeks.
Next Clue: Always start with the drop down menu for “Cisco IOS Software”, then select 12.2, then select “Cisco IOS Release
12.2 Configuration Guides and Command References”. Uncover every single link in that section and know them intimately!
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The Cisco Documentation CD is also available online at:
Every answer to any configuration possibility is illustrated plainly on the Documentation CD, you will most likely fail the
CCIE lab if you do not take this section seriously.
Navigate with confidence
Now, you need to look up everything you come across in the practice labs from this point on using the Documentation CD. I
got to the point where I could find anything within 30 seconds or less.
Challenge your friends, family, or colleagues to test your speed and competence with the Doc CD. Trust me, you
do not want to discount the power of the Doc CD!
Basic Strategy
1. Look for the zinger out of left field that isn't necessarily "official standard". I mean, people don't normally put question
marks in hostnames or filter networks with the third octet divisible by four, do they?
2. Being able to read between the lines of the questions. Deductive reasoning goes a long way. Narrow it down by
eliminating what it is not, then use educated guesses and play out each scenario in your mind - you will find the correct path,
just trust your instincts.
3. Time management skills. You have to practice proper form in order to execute proper form - all practice labs should be
treated as the Big Lab, practice not only the work, practice the time management.
4. Point management/test taking skills. Similar to time management but with a different philosophy. Determine from the test
what points you can get quickly, what high point items will take more time, what the dependencies are. Example: If I can't get
section three working, then I'll lose all of section four because four depends on three. Even though three has a low point value,
it's worth extra time because of the dependency. Also, don't get stuck on a low-value item and sacrifice the big-pointers - a
common mistake!
5. Know how to search the CD, and when to. Do you go to the CD as soon as you're stuck on something (probably not the best
choice), or first get as many points as possible, then go to the CD for something that has dependencies, has high point value, or
your solution is working but it doesn't seem to be what the question asks for.
6. Knowing when to ask the proctor for clarification and how to phrase the question to show that you know how to solve it but
are trying to resolve ambiguities in the question. How can I ask this to get the biggest hint or ensure I'm on the right path
without the appearance of asking for the answer?
7. Keep your configurations manageable and as simple as possible. Keep them neat and tidy, put comments and descriptions
in if that helps you and keep them maintained. You absolutely must treat your practice labs as if they were the real deal every
time. How can you configure one way on a practice lab and then think you will be able to switch gears just for the exam?
Don't even try it. Practice the right way every time and you will do it the right way when it really counts.
8. Save your configurations often! How horrible would it be for you if the routers lost power and re-booted? Or, if you
accidentally reload without thinking? Did you just lose 5 minutes worth of configurations, or the entire day's?
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Strategy in the lab is very close to what is often called "gamesmanship". Play to win, but play fairly
and you will be successful.
Knowing when you are ready
I always know that I am ready when I just can’t stand to look at the material anymore. That works for most written exams
because you can schedule and take them the same day or the next day. This one is different. The date has been selected and
I’m not about to chance losing my current spot by trying to switch for another.
The gauges I used are these:
I timed my configuration abilities on routing and switching basics. When I was able to consistently configure six to eight
routers and a switch in a lab scenario in less than two hours, I was ready. (Note: do not practice the same lab over and over
again until you can type the commands really fast, do this exercise with a variety of labs)
The parts I configured were: Frame-relay, ISDN, PPP, IGPs, BGP, Ethernet, IP and IPX. Then a little more time for things
like DLSW, QOS, and access-lists. Sometimes I could do all of the above within two hours. You have to really want it, and
you have to really do these things to get it!
Where can you get so many diverse labs that are as complex as the real CCIE Lab? You should already know this; Get the
Workbooks! There are 17 full 8-10 hour CCIE Mock Labs in the R&S Workbook!
When I was able to look at a new lab scenario and verbalize what needed to be done, what I needed to look out for, and reasons
why it may or may not work and how to compensate for any abnormalities, I was ready. For instance, pick up the Solie book,
look at the Darth Reid lab, read the requirements, then tell me how to solve everything point by point and why you have to do
it that way. When you get to this level, you are not configuring a router or a switch doing trial and error until it works, you are
actually understanding how to solve a scenario, just like a CCIE.
For some clarification: In my speed trials, I did not count the time it took me to read over the lab and take notes prior to
configuration. Sometimes it would take me up to 30 minutes just to read and re-read the requirements, take notes, and sit and
think of what to do. Most people would probably freak out if they were sitting the actual lab exam and had not even touched
the PC for the first 30 minutes! When I sat for my Big Lab, I did not touch the PC for almost 25 minutes. I read, re-read, took
notes, planned, and thought and thought. Then, I conquered!
Remember, the people who know how will usually have work, the people who know why will always be the boss. In this case,
the CCIE is the Boss.
The night before
Wherever you are going to, get there early. Make a dry run from the hotel to the Cisco office to make sure there are no
surprises in the morning.
The best hotel for RTP is the Wingate. They are very close to Cisco, less than 5 minutes away, the rooms are nice, there is
high-speed Internet for free, and the cost is comparable to the other hotels in the area.
Wingate Inn - RTP/RDU Durham
5223 Page Road
Durham, NC 27703 US
Phone: 919-941-2854 Fax: 919-474-8111
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People on GroupStudy have much to say on where to stay at other locations. Cisco’s website also has many suggestions. The
most important thing is to get a good night’s sleep.
DO NOT TAKE DRUGS OR ALCOHOL the night before. Although you may get tired and go to sleep (pass out), this is not
going to help you get a good night’s sleep. Because when you wake up (come to) you will not feel refreshed and ready for the
day.
Get yourself a good dinner. I ate a good quality steak dinner from a local restaurant. Not a huge dinner where I gorged myself;
just good quality food, enough to satisfy my appetite. Consider it an early celebration.
I scheduled a massage with a local massage therapist. The masseuse came to my room at the Wingate and gave a one-hour
massage for about $70 plus tip. (If you stay elsewhere and want an in-room massage, make sure there is enough room for the
table – they do not give massages on your bed). Please don’t let your minds slip into the gutter on this one. This was explicitly
to relax my neck and back after the long drive in order to get a great night’s sleep and go into the Big Lab mentally and
physically prepared. You can find people and places on the Internet. If your spouse or you are not comfortable with a room
visit, there are health clubs, chiropractor offices, and massage therapy centers all over the RTP and San Jose areas.
This is part of what I mean when I say to use everything at your disposal to ensure your success. If you are married, then
perhaps your spouse would be willing to take the trip with you and find ways for you to relax and set you up for a good night's
sleep.
One thing not to do the night before: Study! If you think you can help yourself with some last minute cramming, you might as
well not even bother getting this far. You need to be finished with studying long before arriving at the test facility. Whether
you feel you are ready or not, do not try to study anything the night before! Your time now is best spent relaxing, eating, and
most of all sleeping.
The preparation on the night before is almost as important as the entire last six months of your studying. You could be the best
networking genius on the planet, but if you mess up the night before by not getting proper rest, you will most likely fail. This
is critical to your success.
Reading things like the above paragraph may put alot of pressure on a person such that they will not be able to sleep at all.
Again, this could be the result of poor planning. Every step of the way you need to set yourself up for success. Plan your trip
ahead of time - every aspect of it. Include in that plan a plan to relax and get to sleep. I used the good meal and massage
method. You need to find your key 'relaxers' and make sure you use them.
If you think you may need a mild sedative, then use it several weeks in advance. See how you feel in the morning. Take it on
several occasions. Is it consistent? Are you really refreshed and able to function 100%? Test it by taking it, getting up in the
morning, and take a full 8-10 hour mock lab. You have to be careful and make sure you know exactly how these things will
affect you - do not take ANY chances!
The day of the Big Lab
Rule #1
RELAX! The worst that could happen is that you fail. You do not die, or get possessed by demons, or become cursed. It’s
just a test, not the end of the world. Thousands have faced it and prevailed, you can too. And it certainly does not mean that
all that work you just did was for nothing! Everything we learn and everything we strive for is an accomplishment of it's own
and you should be proud to have made it this far.
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The physical environment at Cisco
At RTP, the Cisco CCIE lab is taken in a large, open room with several rows of pods. Each pod contains a rack of equipment
that is next to a small desk with a PC in a standard low-wall cubicle. You’re cubicle is right next to a cubicle containing
another candidate. You most likely will not have the same exam as the person next to you, so don't bother looking...
The test is in a binder on the desk. Each task is numbered. The information needed for the ISDN numbering is on a piece of
laminated paper on the wall of the cubicle. The binder also contains diagrams of the network. It is very clear as to what the
different routing areas were and how the frame DLCIs were set up. Everything was well organized and presented. I did not
have any difficulties in understanding which routers and interfaces belonged to which routing domain or area.
The proctor may walk around, but is otherwise seated behind the big desk in the front of the room. No one is hovering over
your shoulder, it is a very good environment for testing – much more comfortable than the Sylvan or Vue testing centers!
The PC is on. Once logged in, the desktop is a standard Windows operating system. The Documentation CD is accessible by
the “Start” menu in the lower left corner. The terminal program they use is very similar to Tera Terminal. It is also accessed
by the “Start” menu. They are listed sequentially and already set up. Click on the selection for R1 and the terminal opens up
the session with R1. It really is that simple.
Food and drink
Proctors vary, even within the same location. When I took the Big Lab, I brought in a Snickers bar, a bottle of Advil and a
bottle of Pepto. There were free soft drinks and bottled water from the kitchen. We were allowed to have food and drink on
our desk during the lab.
No matter what people tell you about a particular location, bring what you want in terms of food and drink. The worst that
could happen is that they ask you to leave the items with them and you can get them at the end of the day. I think you could
probably even get away with bringing your own lunch!
My proctor told me that as long as he doesn’t catch me talking into the Snickers bar, I won’t get into any trouble with it.
I took Advil twice throughout the day as a precautionary medication – just in case a headache may have set in or a lower back
strain from having bad posture for hours at a time. I have taken Advil many times during practice labs and found it to work
great for me. Remember, now is not the time to experiment with anything new.
We had pizza for lunch. I took some Pepto so that I wouldn’t have any upset stomach issues - also a medicine I had taken
many times in the past with no side effects. I actually felt fine and had no issues, but I decided to use everything at my disposal
so that my only focus would be the exam.
UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES take anything that will alter your state of mind or judgment! Prescribed medication that you
take on a regular basis is fine. Taking a bunch of Caffeine pills of other stimulants is NOT. Let me make it clear that I am not
taking this opportunity to “Say No to Drugs”, rather this is a very important test-taking strategy. Do not introduce into your
system anything that will have unpredictable results during a test of this nature. A good friend of mine failed the lab due to the
pills he popped to give himself a little “pick-me-up”.
Read the entire binder cover to cover
Do not touch the PC until you do this at least once! Read the entire binder cover to cover before even thinking about touching
the PC. Remember the practice drills where you looked at a lab requirement and figured out in your head the entire solution
without any configuration? Do it now. You need to understand the big picture before you go and start configuring something
that will cause something else down the road not to work. Read it, re-read it, take notes, sit and think.
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Figure out what they want you to do
The next big secret; do what they ask. That sounds silly, but hear me out. What if they ask you to configure a router for one
thing and you can’t use a specific method that they list. There are several ways to solve the problem, but some of them are
closely related to the thing they told you not to do. Guess what? If it is so very close that it almost is that thing, yet it isn’t that
thing, you can use it. So many people read far too much into the tasks.
I will repeat it: Do exactly what they ask. Do not assume or embellish or otherwise make the mistake of eliminating solutions
because you think the task may have implied that you cannot use something. If they say don’t use “X”, then don’t use “X”,
period. Use of anything not explicitly forbidden is fair game.
But, the tasks are sometimes vague. How do I know what they want me to do? You should have had plenty of practice
deciphering these kinds of problems in the practice labs. I found the Solie labs and some of the on-line labs to be much more
vague than the Cisco lab. The practice labs do this on purpose, to prepare you for this issue.
Asking questions
When you just can’t decipher it, sit and think a few minutes before asking a question. You want to make sure that the question
you ask is answerable by the proctor. They cannot tell you how to configure something. They cannot tell you most things
about the lab. They can provide clarity to the tasks, but only if you present your question properly. How can I ask this to get
the biggest hint or ensure I'm on the right path without the appearance of asking for the answer?
I asked 3 questions for clarification. All 3 were answered in a way that I was able to understand what it was that I needed to
do. Not how to do them, but what the result should be.
For each question, I explained to the proctor what I thought the question was asking for. I also explained that I thought it may
be referring to something else and I explained the other possibilities. The answers I got were more to do with the desired
outcome than the process of how to achieve them. Although they were not specific answers, I was able to eliminate the
incorrect assumptions I made about the question and choose the correct solution.
It may also make sense to make a note of the question and go on to the next task. Often times, a problem or a question will
resolve itself or become more clear over time.
Using the scratch paper
You should not need the paper for figuring out the bits of an IP address’ subnet mask (or at least not too much paper) and you
shouldn’t really need it for too much of anything else technical.
What you do need the paper for is your strategy. Each task in the binder is numbered. I took one piece of paper and made two
big columns down it. The left side said “Complete” and the right side said “Not Complete”. As I came across each task (and I
did go through the binder in order) if I did it, it went into the left column, if I did not it went into the right column. Even if I
had done most of a task, but just didn’t finish it up, it went into the “Not Complete”. That way I would make absolute certain
that I would re-visit that point.
You MUST keep track of what has been done and what has not been done! How stupid would it be to finish up your lab, have
plenty of time before the end of the allotted time, and leave because you knew everything was working properly? Yeah,
everything works. Everything that was configured. What about that section you skipped and forgot about?
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More on Strategy
In the binder, each task is listed and numbered. There is also a point value associated with each one. Notice how some things
are worth more than others? Which ones do you pay more attention to if you had to choose? Obviously, the higher-point tasks,
but not so obvious are perhaps some lower-point tasks that may impact the higher-point ones. This was covered previously,
but is repeated here for emphasis.
The bulk of the configuration will be what? You should know by now: Routing and switching fundamentals. The bulk of the
points will be for what? Routing and switching fundamentals. See why we concentrated our study efforts here?
I skipped over several sections of lower values to configure the fundamentals. I recorded each task as I went, section by
section, number by number. I knew where I was in relation to the big picture every step of the way.
Now, not only am I adding tasks to the “Complete” column, I am adding a point value next to the task number. I can keep a
running tally of my score as well as my progress.
I left the exam knowing that I had missed several points. I also knew I had enough not to worry too much about it.
Also, use the paper to keep track of dependencies. If section 5, number 3 depends on section 6, number 4, then make a note of
that. You could even use the existing numbering scheme and just draw a line between the two points to show a dependency.
I believe Cisco does a good overall job of assigning the tasks in a reasonable order. I followed that order as much as possible.
If there was something I did not know, I marked it in the "Not Complete" column and moved on. Some of the largest point
items are near the end of the binder (in my experience). If I spent time figuring out the unkowns as I came across them, I might
not have gotten to the important stuff.
Whether listed as an initial task or not, I recommend starting with the switch(es). If the switch is not configured, then any
routes and adjacencies over Ethernet connections will not form and you may think there is a problem with the router and spend
alot of wasted time troubleshooting the wrong device.
What you can do without penalty
Any configuration can be added to the equipment without penalty. You are only graded on the requirements asked of you.
They don’t take away points for configurations that are not relevant to the tasks. You could configure almost anything as long
as it does not interfere with the requirements.
I configured such things as to make the console connection not time out on me and to get me into level 15 mode immediately,
and to do synchronous logging so the log messages do not interrupt my configuring. I made sure that all of the routers had the
following:
ip classless
ip subnet-zero
no ip domain-look
line con 0
exec-time 0 0
privilege level 15
logg sync
end
!
Use the notepad feature and create this one time, then copy and paste it into each router the first time you console into it.
Source: http://www.ccietrack.com/Free/Articles/CCIE-Secrets-Book/
Page 30
This is The Plan (not just another 12-step program...)
1. Plan your Success.
A. Figure out your study needs.
B. Schedule the Lab!
C. Remind yourself of the Goal and the Reward.
D. Stay healthy by getting proper nutrition, proper rest, and exercise.
E. Visualize your success.
2. Study everything thoroughly.
A. Use books, GroupStudy, CerticationTalk, IPexpert Workbooks, Cisco website, everything you can get your hands on.
B. Get access to routers and switches!
C. Use the On-line Labs.
D. Use creative methods to help you remember things.
3. Focus on the routing and switching fundamentals.
A. Use the Workbook - it will automatically guide you through this!
4. Become an expert with the Documentation CD.
A. Get one or go to the online resource.
5. Become familiar and comfortable with the physical environment by creating it at home.
A. Use Tera Term, re-create each lab exercise to be like the Big Lab, see this page for more details.
6. Be consistent with your approach to solving scenarios.
A. Always read the entire lab, start to finish, every time - no exceptions.
B. Mentally solve the entire lab before applying any configurations - make notes if necessary to keep you on track.
C. Use scratch paper to keep track of your progress - what is done, what is not.
D. Keep track of points as you go. In some practice labs, make up the points if necessary.
E. Try to find your rhythm. When you begin to solve labs with a relaxed and focused mind, you have found it.
7. Keep your configurations neat and tidy and document as much as possible on each router in your configurations.
A. Always open a separate telnet session for each router - in order - session 1 is RTR1, 2 is RTR2...
B. Do not get fancy - simple, straightforward solutions are the best.
C. Don't cloud the solution by using more than one method to solve a problem.
D. Put descriptions on links to help you remember where you are and what you are doing.
E. Wr mem every 5-10 minutes!
8. Drill, drill, drill!!! Practice setting up routing between six to eight routers with complex requirements.
A. Work on speed of configuration.
B. Work on accuracy of configuration.
C. Work on different scenarios each time.
9. Don't forget your strategies. Keep your wits about you at all times and focus.
10. For the finishing touches; try to get into one of the Boot Camps just a week or two before your scheduled lab.
11. Get to the testing site early the day before - make a dry run from the hotel to Cisco to make sure there are no problems.
A. Get a good quality dinner - some brain food!
B. Get a good night's sleep!
C. Get up early, do some exercise - get the blood pumping!
D. Eat a good breakfast!
E. Get there early, maybe you can get a tour.
12. Before the lab begins, take a moment of tranquility - Visualize yourself the next day, after the Big Lab... you get the email
from Cisco and it says, "Congratulations!"... If you can see it, and you believe it, you will make it happen!
Source: http://www.ccietrack.com/Free/Articles/CCIE-Secrets-Book/
Page 31
Get in there on the day of the Big Lab and become comfortable as soon as possible. Nerves are one of the top reasons people
fail. If you have done the de-sensitization as I suggested, then the physical environment will not be intimidating. The proctors
are usually friendly and try to put everyone at ease. Spend additional time reading the entire lab and going over the solution in
your head. An extra five minutes then may save you hours of re-working an error you made because you didn't think ahead.
Doing it right the first time slowly is better than doing it wrong and then re-doing it.
Many people make the common mistake of being in a hurry as soon as the proctor says, "GO!" Do yourself a favor and do not
go anywhere except to the test book and read it cover to cover. Then, sit and think. Then, take notes. Then, maybe you are
ready to touch the PC and open up some console sessions. Trust me, even though time is not on your side, there is still time
enough to complete the lab - if you keep your wits about you.
On the Big Lab, you will be able to configure all standard routing and switching tasks on all routers before lunch, because you
are a master at the fundamentals and you have drilled relentlessly on speed and accuracy of configuring those fundamentals.
Just get into your rhythm and configure away, keeping track of everything on the scratch paper. Once you relax and get to
work, you will be a CCIE.
After lunch, you have how many hours left? Do you think that will be enough to look up, learn, and master the two or three
“tricks” that they give you? It was for me and several people I taught these methods to.
I had enough time to learn two new things I've never used before, apply them, and then go over the entire lab from start to
finish. I then told the proctor I was finished and left the lab with over an hour to spare.
My lab was not simple and I am not a genius. Other people have done it, I did it, and you can too. The ultimate secret is the
same for this exam as it is for everyday network engineering solutions. The ultimate secret is proper and thorough
planning. Follow my plan, modify as needed for your specific situation, and follow through.
You have to want it badly and you have to make it happen! And, You will be a CCIE!
What I did not need to do
I did not spend time on alias commands or other shortcuts. The actual commands in CLI can be abbreviated by default, I see
no need to create aliases for even shorter commands. If you are proficient with your configurations and understand what you
are doing, you do not need any aliases to give you a speed advantage. If you use them for other personal reasons, then do what
you need to do.
I did not use colored pens or pencils, although many people swear by this method and I think that it is a great way to
differentiate routing areas and tasks on the exam. The Cisco testing binder was very explicit as to what areas belonged to
which routing processes, there was never any question about that aspect of the exam.
Source: http://www.ccietrack.com/Free/Articles/CCIE-Secrets-Book/
Page 32
Tips from my Readers:
Here is some advice from people who have emailed me with good ideas.
Looks like a good plan. I see too many people that want a quick fix. It took me about 10 months to get CCNP/ CCDP. There
is still much I need to know. Now I am in information gathering (CCIE). Beginning of next month: Ipexpert. I looked at
many of them and this seemed the best.
What I do that you don't suggest is:
1. Make flash cards of basics and configurations. ( In case I have down time)
2. Make mind maps of books I read. To review just go over your mind map. ( look up Tony Buzan mind maps if you aren't
familiar with the technique)
take care,
Chuck D.
The day after
You will most likely receive your results the next business day. Sometimes they come in the morning, sometimes late
afternoon. It just depends on the workload of the proctors. It has nothing to do with someone singling out your lab and going
over it and over it to find things that are wrong. I realize that if you are really paranoid, that my previous statement just
confirms for you that they are doing exactly that. But, for the rest of us normal people, getting a result early or late means
absolutely nothing in relation to a pass or fail.
People who fail will receive a score report showing sections and points received in each section. I did not experience that and
neither will you. We get a score report that simply shows our name, date, the test we took, and our CCIE number. We do not
even get an overall score.
Then, 3 months later, you will get a certificate in the mail. I think the ones for the CCNA and CCNP are nicer.
Then, 3 months after that, you will receive your plaque. It is a nice gesture on their part but not the nicest plaque either.
If you want shirts or other apparel with your CCIE number embroidered on them, they can be ordered from Cisco's on-line
store:
Then choose the Cisco Company Store.
Source: http://www.ccietrack.com/Free/Articles/CCIE-Secrets-Book/
Page 33
Final Words
Whatever will be, will be. All things in life have a way of working out the way they are supposed to. Sometimes in ways we
hope for and sometimes in ways we cringe.
Often times, the things that do not work out for us as we had hoped will ultimately put us on a path to something that would
otherwise not come to fruition. Perhaps the person who tried hard yet failed the Big Lab was not meant for that in life.
Perhaps that person goes on to something completely different (or even very similar, but different) and that life leads to much
more happiness in the long run.
Perhaps destiny is what you make of it. Perhaps not.
Only you can decide. But one thing is very important: you are not stupid or unworthy. You can rationalize many reasons why
you may or may not pass the Big Lab, but the only reason I will not accept, and you shouldn’t either, is that you are not good
enough.
Feedback
It may be virtually impossible to give appropriate advice to everyone about this exam in a way that fulfills everyone's needs. I
will, however, attempt to add content to address as many requests as possible that are relevant to the intended audience. I will
not be able to answer specific questions about the exam.
If there is a specific item you would like to have more information on, or have questions or suggestions for strategy, please
email them to me. I may include them in this text for future editions.
Email me at jim@cciesecrets.net, subject: CCIE Feedback.
Privacy
Your information will not be sold or given away to marketers, EVER!
Source: http://www.ccietrack.com/Free/Articles/CCIE-Secrets-Book/
Page 34
Now, Please help support the CCIE Secrets Website and FREE E-Book, by visiting my
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Page 35
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Page 36
Appendices:
Source: http://www.ccietrack.com/Free/Articles/CCIE-Secrets-Book/
Page 37
This page is from Cisco’s website:
Standard Break Key Sequence Combinations During Password Recovery
Software
Platform
Operating
System
Try This
Hyperterminal
IBM
Compatible
Windows 2000 Ctrl-Break
Hyperterminal
(version 595160)
IBM
Compatible
Windows 95
Ctrl-F6-Break
Ctrl-\l
Kermit
Sun
Workstation
UNIX
Ctrl-\b
MicroPhone Pro
IBM
Compatible
Windows
Ctrl-Break
Minicom
IBM
Compatible
Linux
Ctrl-a f
ProComm Plus
IBM
Compatible
DOS or
Windows
Alt-b
Telix
IBM
Compatible
DOS
Ctrl-End
Telnet to Cisco
IBM
Compatible
N/A
Ctrl-]
Teraterm
IBM
Compatible
Windows
Alt-b
Break
Terminal
IBM
Compatible
Windows
Ctrl-Break
Ctrl-], then Break or
Ctrl-c
Tip
Sun
Workstation
UNIX #
VT 100 Emulation
Data General N/A
F16
Break-F5
Shift-F5
Windows NT
IBM
Compatible
Windows
Shift-6 Shift-4 Shift-b
(^$B)
Z-TERMINAL
Mac
Apple
Command-b
Break-Out Box N/A
Connect pin 2 (X-mit) to
+V for half a second
Cisco to aux
port
N/A
Control-Shft-6, then b
N/A
IBM
Compatible
N/A
Ctrl-Break
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Page 38
Troubleshooting Tips
Problems encountered during password recovery often occur because users do not know what the break key
sequence is for the (non-Cisco) software they are using. For software not listed above and for additional
information, users should refer to the documentation of their individual software packages.
The auxiliary (AUX) port is not active during the boot sequence of a router. Therefore, sending a break through the
AUX port does not work. You need to be connected to the console port, and have the following settings:
9600 baud rate
No parity
8 data bits
1 stop bit
No flow control
Some versions of Windows NT have hyperterminal software that have a problem with sending the correct break
key signal. You might consider visiting http://www.hilgraeve.com/htpe/index.html for an upgrade of the
hyperterminal software.
How to Simulate a Break Key Sequence
This is useful if your terminal emulator doesn't support the break key, or if a bug prevents it from sending the
correct signal (the hyperterminal under Windows NT used to suffer from this behavior):
Connect to the router with the following terminal settings:
1200 baud rate
No parity
8 data bits
1 stop bit
No flow control
You will no longer be able to see any output on your screen. This is normal.
Power cycle (switch off and then on) the router and press the spacebar for 10-15 seconds. This generates a signal
similar to the break sequence.
Disconnect your terminal and reconnect with a 9600 baud rate. You should now be in ROM Monitor mode.
Related Information
•
Source: http://www.ccietrack.com/Free/Articles/CCIE-Secrets-Book/
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Cisco 2500 Flash Upgrade
Another page from Cisco’s website:
Overview
This document provides information on how to upgrade the Cisco 2500 router system software and detailed information on
RxBoot image, a key element needed to perform the Cisco 2500 system software Flash upgrade.
What Is RxBoot?
Some Cisco routers, including the Cisco 2500, are designed to run from Flash memory and can only boot from the first file in
Flash. Therefore, to upgrade the system image, the following events must take place:
1. The Flash memory must be erased so the new system image can be written as the first file.
2. Because of the requirements stated in item 1), the upgrade must be performed while running from a different media.
A ROM-based image called RxBoot is used for this purpose.
Because of the limited ROM size on the Cisco 2500, RxBoot will have only a limited subset of the functionality of a complete
router system image.
What RxBoot supports:
Telnet/TFTP operation
In any WAN encapsulation mode (Frame Relay/X.25/SMDS/HDLC/PPP), an IP default gateway must be manually added for
correct operation. Otherwise, RxBoot-mode routers will lose routes to the network to which they are connected, and TFTP
servers may not be able to reach them.
What RxBoot does not support:
• Routing—No packets are routed or forwarded.
• SNMP—The CiscoWorks 2.0 Device Software Manager application cannot be used at this stage. The capability to
upgrade the system image using CiscoWorks is under development.
• Multiple Serial Links Support—When in RxBoot mode, IP packets will only go through the first port initialized. If the
TFTP server is not on this path, connectivity to the TFTP server is lost. To ensure connectivity to the TFTP server,
shut down all interfaces except the one serial port that has the optimal path to the TFTP server.
• AUX port SLIP operation—This has been DDTSed. (CSCdi16944)
• TACACS—TACACS is not supported.
• IP unnumbered option—If there are any interfaces with this option enabled, IP routes will not be complete between
the TFTP server and the router to be upgraded. Explicit IP numbers must be completed before the upgrade. Otherwise
you will be locked out of the in-band connection to your router. If that happens, the only way to get back to the router
is to use the console port via a modem.
Availability of TFTP Server
A TFTP server is required to download the new system image. This server can also hold original system images for backup
purposes. A route must be established between this server and the router to be upgraded.
Source: http://www.ccietrack.com/Free/Articles/CCIE-Secrets-Book/
Page 40
A Sample Network Diagram
The sample diagram shown in Figure 1 assumes the following:
1. 144.254.0.0 is a class B network.
2. An 8-bit subnet scheme is used with netmask 255.255.255.0.
3. 144.254.20.0 is subnet 20 with Token Ring media.
4. 144.254.10.0 is subnet 10 with Ethernet media.
5. Lahonda is the TFTP server with IP address 144.254.10.10.
6. HQ_Cisco_1 is the Cisco router on subnet 10.
7. Cancun is the remote Cisco 2500 router that needs to be upgraded.
8. The two sites are connected via a WAN cloud with serial interfaces IP numbered as shown below.
Figure 1.:
A Sample Network Map
Cancun System Image Upgrade Procedure
The following conventions are assumed:
Text in boldface are commands that users type in.
Step 1
Log in on the router Cancun via Telnet or console port via a modem.
cancun> en
Password: < type in your password>
cancun#
Step 2
Add in an IP default gateway and allow only one serial link enabled.
cancun# config terminal
Enter configuration commands, one per line.
Edit with DELETE, CTRL/W, and CTRL/U; end with CTRL/Z
int ser 1
shutdown
int t 0
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Page 41
shutdown
ip default-gateway 144.254.100.1
^Z
cancun# write memory
[ok]
cancun#
This procedure will guarantee that a route is established between a TFTP server and Cancun when forced into RxBoot mode. In
this example, serial 0 is assumed as the best path to Lahonda, so serial 1 is shut down.
Step 3
Change Cancun into RxBoot mode.
Write down the configuration register value and original system image name in the "show version" command output as shown
below. You need this configuration register value to restore the router to its normal operation status later.
cancun# show version
System image file is "igs-bfpx.914-3.1", booted via Flash.
Configuration register is 0x2102
Note: If you do not have this system image on your TFTP server, copy it to your TFTP server before proceeding any farther.
This way, you have a backup image in case you need it. Reference the Cisco Router Products Configuration and Reference
Manual for instructions.
cancun# config terminal
Enter configuration commands, one per line.
Edit with DELETE, CTRL/W, and CTRL/U; end with CTRL/Z
config-reg 0x2101
^Z
cancun#
%SYS-5-CONFIG_I: Configured from console by console ()
Note: The X in "0x2101" is significant to indicate hex input to the router. Omitting the X will have an unexpected effect on the
router. You can verify that you are entering it correctly by using the "show version" command.
cancun# show version
System image file is "igs-bfpx.914-3.1", booted via Flash
Configuration register is 0x2102 (will be at 0x2101 next reboot)
If the output is different from that shown above, stop here and repeat the previous step until it is correct. When verification is
done, proceed as follows:
cancun# reload
[confirm]
If you are on a console port, an error message like:
Bad arguments to line command
will be displayed, because RxBoot will only initialize the first five vty ports. The rest of the lines are ignored in the RxBoot
mode. You can safely ignore these messages.
Step 4
Telnet back to RxBoot mode Cancun.
If you Telneted into the router, your Telnet session will be disconnected after router is reloaded. Wait for the router reload
completion and log in on Cancun again either via Telnet or console port and proceed as follows:
cancun(boot)> en
password>
cancun(boot)#
Now Cancun is in RxBoot mode.
If Telnet is not successful, make sure the serial link to Cancun is up and operational. If the link is down, troubleshoot the link
problem first and then continue from here.
During RxBoot mode operation, it is highly recommended that you do NOT change any of your configuration file. If you have
to change something, either go back to the router's normal operation mode to perform the change or change in RxBoot mode
WITHOUT saving to NVRAM. Saving to NVRAM in RxBoot will erase your original router configuration file.
Step 5
TFTP copy.
It is always a good practice to ping the TFTP server before you proceed any farther to make sure that the server is reachable. If
you have problems, stop here and fix the problem, because the following step will erase your existing Flash image!
cancun(boot)# copy tftp flash
x
File name/status
0 igs-bfpx.914-3.1
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Page 42
1 igs-bfpx.914-3.5 [deleted] [invalid cksum]
[0/4194304 bytes free/total]
IP address or name of remote host [255.255.255.255]? 144.254.10.10
x
Name of file to copy ? igs-bfpx.914-3.5
Copy igs-bfpx.914-3.5 from144.254.10.10 into Flash address space ? [confirm] y
Flash address space is filled to capacity.
Erasure is needed before Flash address space may be written.
Erase Flash address space before writing? [confirm] y
Flash: verify/erasing bank 0 .. 00/01/02/03/04/05/06/07/08/09/10/11/12/13/14/15/
Loading from 192.150.42.245:
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! [OK - 2301632/4194240
bytes]
x
Verify checksum...vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv
x
Verification successful: Length = 2301632, checksum = 0x28F5
This completes the actual TFTP download. Now you need to change Cancun from Rxboot mode back to the normal mode of
operation.
Step 6
Change the configuration register back to original and reload.
cancun(boot)# config terminal
Enter configuration commands, one per line.
Edit with DELETE, CTRL/W, and CTRL/U; end with CTRL/Z
config-reg 0x2102
^Z
cancun(boot)# reload
[confirm]
Step 7
Test the new upgraded image.
cancun> en
Password:
cancun# show version
3000 Software (IGS-BFPX), Version 9.14(3.5), MAINTENANCE TEST SOFTWARE
Copyright (c) 1986-1993 by Cisco Systems, Inc.
Compiled Mon 15-Nov-93 13:26 by mlw
System Bootstrap, Version (2.1), SOFTWARE
cancun uptime is 0 minutes
System restarted by reload
System image file is "igs-bfpx.914-3.5", booted via Flash
Cisco 3000 (68030) processor (revision A) with 1024K/1024K bytes of memory.
Processor board serial number 00782152
DDN X.25 software, Version 2.0, NET2 and BFE compliant.
ISDN software, Version 1.0.
Bridging software.
SuperLAT software (copyright 1990 by Meridian Technology Corp).
1 Ethernet/IEEE 802.3 interface.
2 Serial network interfaces.
1 ISDN Basic Rate interface.
32K bytes of non-volatile configuration memory.
4096K bytes of Flash address space sized on CPU board.
Configuration register is 0x2102
Notice the words in italics that confirm that the upgrade is successful. Delete "ip default-gateway" from the -configuration and
re-enable those ports that were turned off during the RxBoot. This completes the upgrade of the Cisco 2500 system image.
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Page 43
Conclusion
Upgrading the Cisco 2500 requires understanding of RxBoot mode operation and availability of a TFTP
server.
References
1. Router Products Release Notes for Software Release 9.14, Doc. No.78-1156-05
2. Cisco Router Products Configuration and Reference, Vol I, II, III, DOC-R9.1
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Page 44
How to make the Documentation CD work with IE
Windows 2000 and Doc CD:
According to Cisco and Microsoft, “Pre-July 2000 Documentation CDs do not work on Windows 2000 out of box”, what they don’t tell you is
that most other releases do not work either.
They will cause "Search.exe" to crash when run under Win2k.
There is a fix that sometimes works for these CDs at:
The fix is shown below, or you may reference the link above.
This fix MUST be done BEFORE you install the CD. If the CD has already been installed, then uninstall it, delete c:\cisco,
make this registry change, then re-install the Doc CD. Make sure the folder c:\cisco does not exist.
1. In Start --> Run, type regedit and press Enter.
2. Locate the following key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/IE4/Setup/Path.
3. Change the value from "%programfiles%\Internet Explorer" to the location where Microsoft Internet Explorer
is installed on your computer, for example "C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer". Close the regedit window.
4. Install the IOS Documentation CD.
Other fixes:
The Doc CD starts up to about:blank
There are two alternate fixes for this:
1. After launching the Doc CD, put in:
for the address, and then add it to your favorites. Check the box that makes this available off-line.
-
OR
-
2. This is a 4-step fix:
A. Ensure that search.exe is not running.
B. Edit the installed search.ini (c:\CISCO\search.ini).
C. Change the line 'Browser=c:\program files\internet explorer\iexplore.exe' to 'Browser=msie'
D. Launch the CD.
If Doc CD Content appears garbled:
The Doc CD content is compressed - it requires Verity to decompress it.
First, click on "Launch CD."
Then in the browser, access documentation at:
The Cisco Documentation CD is also available online at:
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Page 45
If you buy a standard rack, how do you install the rack in your home?
1. Get a 3 foot by 3 foot piece of 1/2 inch plywood, some 2x4s, and carriage bolts with washers and nuts.
2. Put the rack in the center of the plywood and mark the four holes for the rack.
3. Drill out the holes large enough for the carriage bolts to go through.
4. Attach the 2x4s to the bottom in a way as not to cover the holes you just made, but in a way as to provide
support for the rack and equipment.
5. I put one on each of the two sides and one down the middle - a total of 3 2x4s.
6. For an extra fancy build, I put carpet over the plywood (a cheap remnant from a carpet store) and nailed it down.
At the time, it closely matched the carpet of my home office, but since I moved it does not match at all - not a big
deal.
7. Then, attach the rack using the carriage bolts, washers and nuts, and that's it. You have a rack on a stable
base.
This is a drawing of the basic construction of your Rack Base.
(Not to Scale)
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Page 46
Assembly
Make sure there is sufficient ceiling clearance prior to attempting this configuration.
Attach the rack as in the "Assembly" drawing with the rack lying on the floor and
propped up with something so that it lines up with the holes in the plywood.
This way, you will be able to tighten the bolts while holding the nuts with pliars or a wrench.
Then, carefully watching the ceiling and anything else that may be in the way, stand the rack and base up.
Check for stability prior to racking equipment.
I chose 3 ft x 3 ft for the base. That seemed a good size for stability.
Depending on the thickness of the plywood, you may need more or less in terms of the size of the base.
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