THE BLOG

Fundamentals of the Internet of Things (IoT) career success ccie r/s ccna r/s ccnp r/s Feb 02, 2017

It's another one of those buzzwords we're hearing a ton these days, the Internet of Things, or IoT for short.

But what exactly is it, and how's it going to impact us as networking professionals?...

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Understanding EIGRP – Part 4 (Passive Interfaces) ccie r/s ccna r/s ccnp r/s Jan 31, 2017

Sometimes, we might want a router interface to participate in an EIGRP routing process (in order to advertise that interface's network) without that interface sending out EIGRP Hello messages....

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Intermediate System to Intermediate System (IS-IS) Routing Protocol Fundamentals ccie r/s ccna r/s ccnp r/s Jan 20, 2017

In our Cisco routing and switching studies, we commonly study routing protocols such as RIP, OSPF, EIGRP, and BGP. However, there's a very scalable, fast converging, link-state routing...

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Understanding EIGRP – Part 3 (EIGRP Timers) ccie r/s ccna r/s ccnp r/s Jan 09, 2017

Once of EIGRP’s claims to fame is its fast convergence in the event of a link failure. However, one thing that might slow down this convergence is timer configuration. That's the focus of...

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What is Cisco IWAN (Intelligent WAN)? ccie r/s ccnp r/s Jan 05, 2017

One of the buzzwords you hear a lot in our industry these days is Cisco IWAN. But, what exactly is Cisco IWAN, and what can it do for us? That's what you'll learn in this video.

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It's Time to Pivot Jan 01, 2017

One of the big buzzwords you hear surrounding tech startups is pivot, which is what happens when a company is moving in one direction and makes a strategic decision to go in another direction. For...

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Understanding EIGRP – Part 2 ccie r/s ccna r/s ccnp r/s Dec 02, 2016

In the first blog post in our Understanding EIGRP series, we were introduced to EIGRP’s features, in addition to a basic configuration example, and a collection of verification commands....

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Understanding EIGRP – Part 1 ccie r/s ccna r/s ccnp r/s Nov 18, 2016

I used to work as a Network Design Specialist at Walt Disney World, in Florida. Their massive network contained over 500 Cisco routers (and thousands of Cisco Catalyst switches). What was the...

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Accessing the Cisco DevNet Sandbox ccna collaboration Nov 11, 2016

If you’re studying for a Cisco certification, you might be debating what to do for your hands-on practice. Will you buy a home lab? What about using a simulator or an emulator?

Well, before...

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Your Framework for Cisco Exam Preparation ccie collaboration ccie r/s ccna collaboration ccna r/s ccnp collaboration ccnp r/s Sep 20, 2016

You want to get your first (or next) Cisco certification, but do you have a specific preparation strategy, or are you just winging it? If you do have a structured framework you’re confidently...

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BPDUGuard: A Spanning Tree Protocol Enhancement ccie r/s ccna r/s ccnp r/s Aug 30, 2016

Yet another new topic on the new CCNA R/S v3 exam is BPDUGuard, which is an enhancement to Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) available on our Cisco Catalyst switches. Specifically, BPDUGuard can help...

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QoS Traffic Markings ccie collaboration ccie r/s ccna collaboration ccna r/s ccnp collaboration Aug 16, 2016

One of the new topics on the new CCNA R/S v3 exam is Quality of Service (QoS). Having taught QoS for many years, I’ve noticed that one of the topics students find most challenging is QoS...

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5 Tips for Your Technical Resume career success Aug 09, 2016

You’ve earned your certifications. Maybe you have a college degree, and hopefully some technical experience. Now, it’s time to sell yourself to a prospective employer. We all know...

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APIC-EM Path Trace ACL Analysis Tool Aug 02, 2016

When you’re reviewing the list of topics on the new CCNA R/S version 3 exam, one topic that’s sure to stand out is the APIC-EM Path Trace ACL Analysis Tool. That’s a very long...

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Software Defined Networking (SDN) Simplified ccna r/s Jul 26, 2016

The recently announced CCNA R/S version 3 includes a collection of topics falling under the category of Network Programmability. The underlying technology here is Software Defined Network (SDN),...

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WAN Topologies ccna r/s Jul 19, 2016

A Wide Area Network (WAN) is a network with geographically separate locations, and these locations can be interconnected in a variety of topologies. This video shows you the three WAN topologies...

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IPv4 Static Routing ccna r/s Jul 05, 2016

The new CCNA R/S version 3 exam requires you to know how to configure static routing, for both IPv4 and IPv6 networks.

This video, which is a sample from my upcoming CCNA R/S v3 Complete Video...

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Your Learning Calendar career success Jun 28, 2016

There are lots of things that I intend to get around to, sooner or later. One day, I’m going to clean out a bunch of old clothes from my closet. One day, I’m going to clean out my...

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2 of the Most Misunderstood QoS Topics ccie r/s ccna collaboration ccna r/s ccnp collaboration Jun 21, 2016

For me, the addition of QoS to the list of topic areas for the new CCNA R&S version 3 exam was a great thing. The reason is, QoS is my absolute favorite Cisco topic. So, I couldn’t wait...

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The “Job – Experience” Paradox career success Jun 14, 2016

It’s a timeless paradox… “How can I get a job without experience, and how can I get experience without a job?” If you find yourself in such a situation, this blog post is...

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Configuring VRF-Lite ccie r/s ccnp r/s Jun 07, 2016

You’re probably familiar with the concept of virtualization, where you can run multiple virtual servers on a single physical server. However, did you know that you can run multiple virtual...

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WEBINAR REPLAY – Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM): The Star of the Collaboration Show ccna collaboration May 31, 2016

Earlier this month, I did a live webinar covering the theory and configuration of a CUCM server. If you missed it, you can check out a replay below.

Also, at the end of the webinar, I offered a big...

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BREAKING NEWS – CCNA R/S Updated May 17, 2016

It happens about every three years or so; Cisco updates its flagship certification, the CCNA in Routing and Switching. Today (May 17, 2016) is such a day, and current and future certification...

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Cisco Unity Express (CUE) Module Configuration ccie collaboration ccnp collaboration May 16, 2016

Are you preparing for your CCNA, CCNP, or CCIE in Collaboration? If so, check out this video that gives you a step-by-step demonstration of a Cisco Unity Express (CUE) module configuration. And...

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5 Essential Books for Your Cisco Career career success May 12, 2016

When I was around 20 years old, I used to go into bookstores and look for a book (something on a technical topic, a business biography, or on personal development) that I could afford. However, I...

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The Fundamentals of IP, ICMP, UDP, & TCP ccna r/s network plus May 03, 2016

In this video we’re covering the fundamental concepts surrounding the IP, ICMP, UDP, and TCP networking protocols. Having a solid understanding of these protocols is critical to just...

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Video Fundamentals ccna collaboration Apr 26, 2016

You might have seen some of my recent Cisco Collaboration videos. Interestingly, the big difference between Cisco’s new Collaboration track than its prior Voice track is the addition of video...

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Multicast Routing on Cisco Routers ccie r/s Apr 19, 2016

In this new video, you’ll get a simplified, yet comprehensive, look at multicast routing on Cisco routers. This video is appropriate if you work with multicasting in the real world or if...

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T1 and E1 Circuits on Cisco Routers ccie collaboration ccna collaboration ccnp collaboration Apr 14, 2016

In this new video, you’ll learn the theory behind T1 and E1 circuits and how to configure them on your Cisco routers. This is a key technology to master for Cisco CCNA Collaboration, CCNP...

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6 Core Cisco Collaboration Systems You’ve Gotta Know ccna collaboration Mar 30, 2016

For the past few months, I’ve been immersed in Cisco collaboration technologies, and I created a video for you to introduce you to the 6 core systems that make up a Cisco collaboration...

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Your Route to Cisco Career Success – Part 7: A Certified Success career success Mar 07, 2016

Having the appropriate Cisco initials after your name (e.g. CCNA, CCNP, or CCIE) is a shortcut way of letting someone know your relative skill level. Even if you’ve got the skills and are at...

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Fundamentals of VRF-Lite ccie r/s ccnp r/s Feb 24, 2016

Have you ever used some sort of virtualization software (e.g. vmware) to get multiple virtualized servers running on a single physical server? It’s a great way to save resources, by...

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Your Route to Cisco Career Success – Part 6: Getting Your Hands Dirty career success Feb 17, 2016

While documentation is indispensable in your mastery of Cisco technologies, at some point you have to “get your hands dirty.” In other words, you have to actually configure the...

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How to Calculate an EUI-64 Address ccna r/s network plus Feb 09, 2016

An IPv6 address is 128 bits in length, and like an IPv4 address, it’s divided into prefix bits (representing the network segment) and host bits (uniquely identifying a host on that network...

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Your Route to Cisco Career Success – Part 5: Tomes of Wisdom career success Jan 31, 2016

In high school, I really, really disliked reading. My reading speed was slow, and I found most of the assigned books were boring to me. Since this was back in the 1980s, before audio books really...

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Book Review: CCIE Routing and Switching v5.0 Official Cert Guide Library (5th Edition) ccie r/s Jan 28, 2016

If you’re preparing for the CCIE R&S Written Exam or Lab, you need a collection of training materials. Perhaps you watch some training videos; you download a few whitepapers from...

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CCIE Lab Builder – Review ccie r/s Jan 12, 2016

Amajor challenge for CCIE R/S Lab candidates is getting their hands on a huge topology, similar to what they’ll face in the actual lab. One option is to use the CCIE Lab Builder,...

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Cisco Learning Labs – Review ccna r/s ccnp r/s Jan 12, 2016

How do you get hands-on experience when you’re preparing for your CCNA R/S or CCNP R/S certifications? One option is using the Cisco Learning Labs. You can check out my review here.

Links to...

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Your Route to Cisco Career Success – Part 4: Time Alchemy career success Dec 20, 2015

While having lofty goals is key to propelling your career into the stratosphere, if you don’t have time to take action on your goals, what good are they? I shouldn’t say that you...

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The 3 Things I Do To Start My Day career success Dec 07, 2015

The way you start your day can have a huge impact on your productivity. Over the past few months, I’ve been experimenting with creating a “morning ritual,” which is a collection...

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Troubleshooting – The “Deal Breaker” (CCIE Collaboration Lab) ccie collaboration Nov 18, 2015

Even if you know how to setup every technology on the CCIE Collaboration Lab, you can still fail if you don’t troubleshoot effectively. Not only will you need to troubleshoot any...

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Your Route to Cisco Career Success – Part 3: The Curiosity Key career success Nov 18, 2015

Walt Disney is one of my personal heroes, and the following quote from him beautifully sets the stage for this blog post’s topic, curiosity:

We keep moving forward, opening new doors,...

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Your Framework for CCIE Collaboration Lab Success ccie collaboration Nov 10, 2015

Are you preparing for the CCIE Collaboration Lab? If so, this new video can dramatically improve your odds of passing the lab. 

Kevin Wallace, CCIEx2 (Collab. & R/S) #7945

If you...

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Overview of Cisco’s CCNA Collaboration Certification ccna collaboration Oct 18, 2015

Cisco recently retired their CCNA Voice and CCNP Voice tracks, and have replaced those telephony-centric tracks with the new CCNA Collaboration and CCNP Collaboration tracks. While these tracks do...

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Your Route to Cisco Career Success – Part 2: When Life Gets In The Way career success Oct 09, 2015

In a previous blog post we considered how to effectively set our goals to reach our “destination address.” However, no matter how well we plan, it seems that occasionally, life gets in...

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Enhanced Locations in CUCM ccie collaboration ccnp collaboration Oct 02, 2015

This video shows you how the Enhanced Locations feature of CUCM operates, and is one of the many bonus videos included as part of the upcoming CCIE Collaboration Lab Walkthrough...

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Lessons I Learned from Disney – Part 5: Dreams Come True career success Sep 29, 2015

When you see an advertisement for Disney Parks, and they show their tag line, The Place Where Dreams Come True, you might conjure up images of children meeting their favorite pirate or...

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Your Route to Cisco Career Success – Part 1 Goals: Your Destination Address career success Aug 25, 2015

About three years ago, I wrote a little e-book entitled Your Route to Cisco Career Success. Although it’s available in Kindle format from Amazon, you can download a free PDF of the...

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CCIE Collaboration Lab Lessons – Part 3: Your Framework of Success ccie collaboration Aug 23, 2015

The thought of attaining a CCIE in Collaboration might seem like a daunting task. After passing the CCIE Voice Lab (the predecessor to the CCIE Collaboration Lab), I remember making the statement...

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Introduction to Storage Area Network (SAN) Technologies network plus Aug 20, 2015

Storage Area Networks (SANs) allow devices (e.g. PCs or servers) to store and retrieve data from hard drives that are attached somewhere on a network, as opposed to being directly attached to the...

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