Writing about exams that have clear non-disclosure agreements can be a bit of a challenge. So, in this lab series, I've been taking the published information about the exams at face value, looking for the words "configure", "verify", and "troubleshoot" in the exam topics to state what hands-on skills will be tested on the ONT exam - and it makes me wonder like the old lady in the old Wendy's commercials, "Where's the Beef"?
Here's why: roughly 75% of the ONT exam topics related to QoS on routers, with the remaining 25% on wireless. Ignoring wireless for now, there are only 3 QoS exam topics that use those three keywords (config, verify, t'shoot):
So, it got me thinking - surely there's more than those three topics as hands-on topics on the ONT exam! I almost went and took the exam just to find out - and then the issue of non-disclosure came to mind, so if I took the exam, it'd be inappropriate to turn around and tell the details of what I saw.
So, I wondered what other clues might be useful, so I turned to the official authorized ONT course, specifically to the lab guide. Beyond the three topics above, the ONT course's lab guide also teaches the students about how to implement the following features:
Considering all that, in this ongoing effort to choose gear for a CCNP lab, I've decided that I'd scope the ONT QoS lab coverage with this larger list of features - those hands-on topics from the exam topic list, plus those in the authorize course lab guide.
Now, to the good news: you've got a lot of good router models and IOS versions to choose from. I couldn't find QoS Preclassify in the feature navigator (www.cisco.com/go/fn), but I found the rest of the features listed above. These features are supported on 2600's - both non-XM's and XM's, 3640's, and of course the currently-sold router models as well. I'm just mentioning these particular models because in the CCNA lab series, the general consensus was that these were the best price-performers in the used market these days.
While you can use the pretty cheap (less than $100 on Ebay buy-it-now) non-XM 2600's, there is some QoS study benefit to using the XM's, 3640's and other routers that support IOS version 12.4. Regardless of router, you'll want at least 12.2(15)T/12.3 IOS. Additionally, these features are all in the IP feature set, so whatever the feature set you have, you should have these QoS features. Additionally, Cisco has been steadily updating and adding QoS features during the last 5-6 years, so for routers that can handle a later IOS, you'd be able to support additional QoS features as need be. That's helpful for CCIE prep as well.
I'll wrap up the analysis of the ONT QoS coverage by saying that just for CCNP, 2600 non-XMs, 12.2(15)T or beyond, is probably good enough.
Finally, I'll close with a question, and as usual, your answers will help me for the next posts. ONT covers wireless (see the exam topics here). If you had to spend say... $150 on a Cisco AP and WLAN card (not Linksys), and that let you try maybe 30-50% of the hands-on skills tested for ONT, would you spend the $$? I'm seriously considering leaving Wireless out of the CCNP lab mix, but I'm looking for your thoughts. Thanks!!
Wendell
Odom, CCIE No, 1624, splits time between writing books for Cisco Press and teaching classes for Skyline ATS. In his 25-ish years in the networking industry, he has worked as as a pre-sale and post-sale SE for a few networking vendors, as well as a network engineer implementing network technology. Wendell has spent the majority of the last 15 years teaching, consulting, and writing about networking technologies, most of which in some way relate to Cisco products. His books include titles on QoS, CCIE R/S, as well as several titles related to CCNA certification, including the September 2007 book CCNA Official Exam Certification Library (CCNA Exam 640-802) (Read a sneak peek of chapter 7). Click for the list of current titles by Wendell.
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Wireless
You get stuck with Wireless in BCMSN as well.
Just how much is there, I'm not sure, but the CNAP BCMSN wireless section is extremely involved, as it is pretty much the old CNAP Wireless course in a single chapter.
Bottom line, there is no escaping wireless these days, despite any innate misgivings any of us might have about using wireless in the first place. :)
CNAP Wireless... interesting
Shaun,
Interesting that there's a lot in the CNAP BCMSN coverage on wireless. Is that mostly conceptual, or is there a lot of configuration as well? I would characterize the wireless configuration in the authorized BCMSN course and in the Cisco Press BCMSN ECG as sparse - probably 80%+ conceptual. Interesting...
CCNP Home Lab
Hi Wendell
I enjoyed your CCNA lab series and am now enjoying your CCNP Lab series. I would have no problem spending the money mentioned on a AP and wireless card.
I am actually thing of picking up a Cisco 1242 AP for $395 (see http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/CISCO-1242-AIRONET-WIRELESS-ACCESS-POINT_W0QQitemZ310027803050QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item310027803050&_trksid=p3286.c38.m63.l1177)
and a wireless card for my lab to go with the 1220 AP I have already. And if I found a wireless controller for a decent price I would pick that up also.
I am probably in the minority, but I see the expenditure as an investment in my future.
Some people would have no problem spending that cash on cigarettes, alcohol, their car or on foreign holidays etc, I'd spend it on equipment for my lab.
A diagram of my lab is here http://homepage.eircom.net/~keeleym/home-Lab2.jpg though since I made this diagram I have added the following
1 x 3750 Metro 24 port
1 x 3550 EMI
1 x 877W with Adv IP Services
1 x LightStream 10101
1 x 1220 Wireless AP
Over the last 2 years I have probably spent between $3500 adn $4500 on my home lab and have used it to sucessfull pass my CCNA & BSCI and have started into my BCMSN.
I would also like to voice my appreciation for your CCIE Routing and Switching book, which I use for my NP studies. I find it easy to read and understand and a great source of information.
If you are ever looking for another topic to cover, could I suggest MPLS. As it would be nice to have a readable and understandable book on this topic. I find it strange that there seems to be so little books available on MPLS and it seems to be the thing of future if it is not already the thing of the present.
Best Regards & Sorry for the long post,
Michael
I agree
That's not a long post ;)
Anyhow, I agree with Michael
Up to date MPLS books that focus on Cisco Hardware don't exist as far as I'm aware, at least not from Cisco Press.
Also, with the new Nexus & ASR platforms, how is this going to affect the material people are prepared to consider when deciding what new books are written?
;-)
Shaun,
Interesting question on the ASR and Nexus platforms versus books. There was never a 6500-centric book, so I'd guess that it's unlikely to see a Nexus-centric book. I'll ask "the man", and see if there's more spectives I can offer.
W
Good perspective
Michael,
Thanks for the post. It's good perspective to show the difference between a "spend as little as possible" - which may frankly be the finiancial reality for many folks - versus spending more but wisely, expecting to use the gear far beyond just passing CCNP. That might be worth a brief break from the details of the lab - maybe I'll blog about that very fact soon...
I'll talk to my editor about the MPLS thing at our weekly call, and give you some more response on it. I stay committed to about 9-12 months of writing work, but I'm always looking for the next project!
Glad you liked the CCIE book. That was the most difficult I've ever written - it required a ridiculous economy of words (I lobbied for two volumes), and of course the most experienced networkers would be reading it. Thanks again.
Wendell
The How-To's of an ONT Lab
I understand the why's and what's of setting up an ONT lab so far as the equipment goes. The issue I'm facing in my own home lab is knowing how to test my configurations without a traffic generator, which seems impossible to purchase on a budget.
I'd be interested to hear what you recommend as well as how other students have overcome this hurdle in their own ONT setups. There has got to be a way to make sure what you've configured is really working as you intended as far as QoS goes as well as to practice those important show commands!
Caught me here catching up on the blog
Red,
I happened to be here catching up on my blog stuff when you posted. I can give you my thoughts off the top of my head, and maybe we'll get a few others to offer ideas.
My favorite is the TTCP tool. Free, runs in Dos window, works remarkably well generating TCP and pretty good for UDP. Find it at http://www.pcausa.com/Utilities/pcattcp.htm.
You can use IOS's Service Assurance Agent, more lately bundled as part of The IP SLA feature. you config the routers with probes to test numbers for SLAs if you use it like you're supposed to, but you can pick numbers that essentially generate the same amount of traffic as a single voice call. In my experience, however, the SLA feature's voice probes slow down in reaction to packet loss, even on Voice (UDP) flows, so it's not my favorite.
If your IOS supports CME, then get a couple of phones, configure CME, and make some voice calls. I've used Cisco's softphone (IP Communicator) as well, with CME, which removes the need for any hardware cost when testing.
I've gotten large figures, created a little/free web server on my PC, and then browsed that URL from another PC, to generate TCP traffic. You can even do racing web browsers, matching one browser session as one class, the other in a second, and see which downloads faster. (I typically use NBAR in that case).
I've also put video on my little test web server, and played streaming video over my lab - again just to generate traffic. Or, use any video conference software, set up two PCs with two cameras, to generate video.
pings of death can be helpful occasionally as well.
OK, that's a ramble, but maybe a few useful nuggets. Anyone else? Thanks for the post.