CCIP???
Posted by Aragoen Celtdra on May 25th, 2011
I’m starting to contemplate taking the CCIP track. I’ve been having a lot of fun with MPLS and BGP lately that I have this compelling urge to go all the way with the IP track. The only thing that really holds me back is QoS. LOL! For some weird reason, QoS can’t seem to sit well with me. I don’t think it’s way more complicated than either MPLS or BGP, in terms of understanding the concepts. It’s just that it doesn’t seem to arouse interest in me. But then again, frame relay used to suck for me, but now we’re coo. 
So CCIP or not? If I do, it would push back my goal of getting the CCIE R&S. On the upside, I’ll probably know BGP well enough to get it out of the way in my CCIE studies. MPLS doesn’t go much in depth in CCIE R&S but taking the CCIP MPLS exam should give me that much more command of the technology.
We shall see where it leads me. For now, to more MPLS fun…
July 2nd, 2011 at 10:31 am
There is absolutely no harm getting your CCIP . All the material covered in CCIP is directly relevant to CCIE RS. BGP , MPLS , QOS all of these technologies are tested in the RS lab now.
Qos is awesome. Its so much fun being able to control traffic as it is moving through your routers. You just have to get some hands on practice.Sure just reading about qos can be little dry but actually applying Qos configuration and seeing that it works is so much fun.
July 27th, 2011 at 4:14 pm
I may actually try to just study for it but not take the exams. In the end, R&S will have to be my bread and butter for now. I don’t wnat to take my focus away too far from my main goal (and that is the CCIE R&S). Otherwise, I’d just be swayed by every interests I have but never really accomplishing an end goal.
July 31st, 2011 at 2:25 pm
I agree with GebraiL on this one. CCIE is of course valuable. But when it comes to certifications I think about them this way: We reach for certifications to prove what we know, and to follow a specified path to that knowledge. If you’ll study for CCIP now, as you say yourself, you’d gain that knowledge that can be used for CCIE later on. In the long run, the actual knowledge ranks better than the certification paper. I say you should at least study for CCIP and decide once you’re done if it’s actually worth it to get the cert. If CCIE is your goal, you’re probably best off just setting up step-by-step goals. CCIP could be one of those goals.
August 1st, 2011 at 11:14 am
Aragoen,
it’s good to see you resume your studies. Your website helped motivate me during my BSCI studies.
As for CCIP, go for it. Don’t hesitate any longer. First, because CCIP knowledge helps you towards CCIE R&S. Second, because if you rationalize too much, you’ll create excuses not to dot it and you’ll find yourself banging your head off the wall for not doing it this year.
Anyway, I wish you good luck my friend,
Wassim
August 1st, 2011 at 12:48 pm
@Michael: Thanks for your thoughts. And good luck with the CCNA. And of course, you’re welcome to use this site as a resource, if anything, just to gauge your progress with my past experience.
@Wassim: How you doin? It’s been a while. Glad to know that this blog has been some sort of motivation for you. Good luck to your studies as well.
August 4th, 2011 at 3:26 am
@Aragoen: I actually already am! You’ve done well for yourself documenting everything like this. I’d like to do something similar with my own blog, as soon as my studies take off for real.