1. Become familiar with the Cisco web site (CCO). It is your friend, n ow and forever, amen. Read often and thoroughly in the Service and Sup port sections. Take a look at the CCIE program description. Think about which CCIE certifica tion you would like. Back when I took it, only the Routing and Switchi ng Expert certification was available (and it was called the CCIE). Most of my r ecommendations are prepared for someone pursuing that certification.
2. Become familiar with Cisco's view of the networking world. Go to CC O's Technology Information page and read everything (well, except mayb e the Site Planning Guide).
3. Read the configuration guides for the latest Cisco hardware and sof tware:
Cisco IOS (latest release)
Catalyst software for the biggest Catalyst (latest release)
The entire product configuration for one of the high-end routers
4. Congratulate yourself. You now have a great general understanding o f networking and the capabilities available in Cisco products.
5. Memorize the contents of the Internetworking Technologies Overview.
6. Take the written qualification test. If you fail, go back to step # 2 and study harder. Supplement with books from my reference page for i tems that you know were difficult for you. When you pass, immediately call Cisco and schedule your Certification Lab exam (there's a several month waiting list).
7. Now start to prepare for the Certification Lab portion. My best adv ice is:
(a) Know how to configure the basics for every major Cisco feature.
(b) Know the technical problem solved by every Cisco feature and when you'd need to apply it.
(c) Know how to design and build a network from the ground-up for ever y network protocol.
This advice sounds pedantic. Tough. If you want a Cisco certification, then you'll need to know Cisco products at a deep, fundamental level.
8. Re-read the documents on the Technology Information page and the so ftware configuration guides from item #3. Keep re-reading until you me et the requirements in #7.
9. Add Halabi's book from Cisco Press on Internetworking with BGP. The configuration guides are pretty thin on BGP topics.
10. For most networking technologies (like bridging, frame-relay, etc) , the Internetworking Technologies Overview should give you most of wh at you need to know.
If you're having difficulty determining how something works or why a c ertain Cisco feature was created then refer to my Books page for refer ence material on that topic
11. Experiment if you have access to a lab with available routers and/ or switches. Create two or three network scenarios that each implement a couple dozen Cisco features (as many as your equipment and your imagination can support). Implement everything from scratch (hardware mounted, but not cabled-u p or configured).
Verify that everything works as expected via pings, show commands and debug commands. You should be able to do all this stuff from memory. T he Lab is closed-book.
12. Take the exam. Dress comfortably. Work calmly. DON'T PANIC. Panic will hurt you. It's tough with a short deadline and a lot of things to do. However it is possible if you keep working methodically. If you fail the first time (and most people do), schedule again ASAP. I know alot of people that took it twice. But nobody that failed it twice. Your experience in the first exam should serve y ou well. If you pass, send me EMail!
