CCIE #7146
I don't have a whole lot to say and would rather not go on and on for 20 pages. I pretty much just usedwww.ccbootcamp.com labs. I briefly looked at some Fatkid and SolutionLabs also. A few months of study and lab work was all it took. Thanks to the group and a special thanks to Marc Rusell and Brad Ellis. If you need any hardware for your home lab be sure to check outwww.optsys.net. Good luck everyone. John Kaberna
CCIE #7145
Well I guess it is my turn this time. One my 3rd attempt in RTP this Tuesday with Alan Lanier as proctor I was fortunate enough to earn the CCIE #7145. Alan is a fine proctor who knows what it means to be a CCIE. Also unlike some proctors you get a more detailed explanation of your results. Not to say you get the answers but you know were you need to work if you do not make it. The stress waiting for the final grade was unbearable. I just knew I had failed it again by a few points...All in all my experience is not unlike any other you may read about on this list. 9 months of study between work, family, and customers plus 3 tries at the lab it is now done. (It feels like a weight has come off my shoulders) I have been reflecting as so many on what I'm going to do with my time now??? CCIE Security comes out this summer barring global meltdown, maybe my boss will let me do that one but my wife??? I would like to thank my wonderful wife Janine and my daughter Sydney for putting up with me, especially the last few days before this attempt. . Also I would like to thank my boss Glenn at SBC for all the help and understanding, without it I probably would still be studying for the lab. I guess I cannot use studying late as an excuse for not making the monthly engineers meeting anymore... I also would like to thank the many list members who work together to help each other in the pursuit of CCIE. Especially Dana S., Pavel R. (Pavel and Dana you are the reason I'm here). I will stay on the list and try to help from time to time but right now I have some family business to take care of like I promised my wife I would after finishing this endeavor :) Good luck to all. Alan Basinger
CCIE #7144
Hi All, Just passed on the first attempt in Brussels. The lab has to be experienced to be believed. The pressure is immense. I had a 3.5 hour wait for my day one result, a 2.5 hour wait for my day 2 morning result, and the longest 45 minute wait of my life for my number! Needless to say I have no nails left and I have aged 20 years! I studied long and hard for over six months spending the last six weeks at home studying day and night. I also attended the two week long MTS-Horizon course in England taught by Gerry Kelly. This was superb and I am sure that I would not have passed without it. Speak to you all later. Andrew G. Mason
CCIE #7137
Folks: I guess its my turn to write this e-mail to say that I passed my CCIE R/S lab at RTP last Sat. with Alan as my Day 1 proctor and Brian Stanford on my Day 2. Both were fair. Didn't get much chance to talk to Alan, but Brian seems to a real nice guy. He encouraged me all thru my day 2. I felt it important as I know it very well that proctor factor does play a role in this exam because of the problems I had with my proctor on my first attempt. This was my second attempt within little over one month. Thanks to Melody at RTP for giving me an earlier date. Short Story: I was done with my day 1 work by 11.30 and scored perfect on Day 1 which gave me lot of confidence going onto next day since I needed only 10 points to make it to troubleshooting. Lost 3 points on Day 2 work which I stll feel was a code issue. Went into troubleshooting (wait is terrible when they inserts faults!!) knowing that I am going to make it and it might seems funny, but I was actually enjoying troubleshooting. I was finally done fixing all faults within one and a half hour. After about 20 minutes I got that yellow sticky with my number on it and man...I was so delighted to see it. I won't go into the prep tips because they are already there in the archives. Again, everyone have their own way of doing things, but I would suggest that before going in to take the actual test make sure that you have a plan in your mind and test it when you are practicing with scenarios. This way you will feel comfortable when its time to do it. I would like to thank Paul for running this list which really helped a lot preparing for this exam and reminding of the topics that I needed to work on. Keep it up Paul..You are great! I would also like to thank all my family and friends for supporting me thru this difficult journey. Thanks all, Vikas
CCIE #7132
Third Time is a Charm. I passed Friday in RTP after a grueling two days. Even on the third try it was no less pressure. Alan was a great proctor, and very fair. As long as you get his humor, He is a really good person to sit the lab with. At the very end it was actually fun. This has been quite an adventure, and I consider myself a far better engineer after this experience. I couldn't have done it without the help and support of a lot of friends, family, and most importantly my understanding wife. I passed the written a few days before our wedding last summer, and have since been studying A LOT. Thanks especially to "FTP" for getting me through this. This is definitely an achievable goal, but not for the weak. You have to be dedicated to join this elite group. Anyone who just thinks they will give it a try is wasting their time. You either go all the way, or you don't get your number. I tried the first two attempts before (what I consider now) thoroughly studying all the material. I thought I might be ready on the second attempt, but I didn't have the depth of knowledge that it took. Practice, practice, practice, and study everything you can get your hands on. I can't say enough for hands on experience and lab scenarios on the equipment. If you aren't ready for it, wait. You know when you're a CCIE, and then its just a matter of keeping your cool in the lab to prove it. THEN they give you that magic number. Good luck to all that are coming after, and thanks to all that have come before. It's an honor to be a part of this group. Erik Snyder |
