So soon?

Well, it's official. I will be attempting version 4 before the end of the year. My employer has a need for another CCIE before years-end. I was one of the ones asked to take on this endeavor. I was asked because I've already attempted once, and I am one of the few in such a situation to take the 4.0 lab(I just re-attended Narbik's latest bootcamp).

My lab date is scheduled for December 22nd. Now although I was never anticipating taking the lab this soon, I feel pretty good about it. The configuration portion is still there. I just need to really focus on VPNv4, BGP, MPLS and troubleshooting. I think if I can nail those down, I've got a good shot. I can't forget though that the 4 OEQ's are still there.

So I am spending about 6-8 hours a day banging out Narbik's new workbooks (which are excellent). Hopefully he releases his troubleshooting workbook soon so that I may work on that as well. I intend to take a few graded mock labs before my exam, to see what different vendors can throw at me.

Well, that is my big news! Wish me luck, and maybe the proctors will be a christmas giving mood ;-)

Micronics Training Alumni

To anyone who has completed Narbik's bootcamp, there is now an alumni group on LinkedIn. Just search for 'Micronics Training' under group in LinkedIn.

Back again with a vengence...

Well, my free time is over once again....after a comfortable three months away from my CCIE studies, I am back at it again. I really enjoyed my three months off. It made me realize what "free time" was and also gave me an opportunity to spend time with my family. Most of all though, I am refreshed and ready to attack this again.

I decided to kick off phase two with Narbik's bootcamp which I am attempting this week. I purchased Narbik's latest workbooks which are excellent as always. The addition of v4.0 stuff was worth the cost alone. Additionally, you receive two versions of the book. One version is a LockLizard secured PDF file which can be installed on your laptop or desktop. The other version is a printed book with questions only. The PDF file has both questions and answers. This combination makes things VERY portable. I no longer have to pick and choose which workbooks to take with me out of town.

Well, that is it for now. I have a rough estimate of when I want to take the lab, but I am not going to announce it to anyone except my close family and friends. With my previous attempt, I felt I had too much pressure brought on by other people ask about my studies and when I would attempt/pass. Hopefully, I will just post a nice 5-digit number on here one day....

Enjoy folks. If you are reading this, please follow me. The more people I know that are following, the more inclined I will be to post here frequently.

_matt