The command to write down is show cable-diagnostics tdr interface gi1/0/1 (replace gi1/0/1 with the actual port that you need to test). From what I have been able to find out, this command appears to be only on gigabit capable switches. I have only been able to try this on a 3750, so it “might” be available on 3560, 6500 and possibly Nexus switches. There are a couple of things to remember when using this command. You can use this on a cable that is plugged into a switch port and not to a server but the tests may not really tell you anything useful. When using this command on a port that you are having problems with, remember it is an intrusive test, so the connection will temporarily go down while the connection is being tested. You will get a warning on the console when using this command. Unfortunately, you get it after pressing Enter on the command line with no way to stop the test. Maybe in a future release, Cisco will put an additional step in to require you to press enter to proceed with the test and if any other key is pressed, the test will abort.

Normally the test should take less than 15 to 30 seconds from the experience I have had with it. To see the results, use sh cable-diagnostics tdr interface gi1/0/1 (with the earlier command, replace gi1/0/1 with the actual port being tested). While you wont get a lot of detail, the thing to watch for is the results of the tests on the four different cable pairs. If you are having a potential cable problem, one or more of the pairs will show some type of problem, usually with a fail or problem indication on the specific cable pair. Do let the cable length test be definitive as a general rule. With differences in the cabling such as impedance, resistance, connectors, etc, the length of the cable may be a little different from the true cable length. An exception to this would be if one pair shows a significant difference in length. That might indicate a break or other significant problem at a point in the cable prior to terminating at the connector.

While not as detailed as a commercial cable tester, this at least gives you an indication of a problem without having to get equipment on site or with someone who knows how to use it.

ip flow-export source loopback0
ip flow-export version 5
ip flow-export destination server_ip

Depending on what software you are using, you might use version 9 or 5 of netflow. The source interface can either be a loopback or a SVI such as a vlan interface on the switch or router that you are setting up Netflow on. When troubleshooting Netflow issues, the first command that it is good to use is clear ip flow stats. This will clear the counters for Netflow so that you can see if it is working or not.

The next command to use is sh ip cache flow. This will show you the traffic that is currently being seen by Netflow on the device you are working on. If you are seeing traffic here, the next step is to use sh ip flow export. This will show you that traffic is being sent to your Netflow collection point. If this is incrementing and you arent seeing any info on the collector software interface, double check the configuration of the collection software. Another good troubleshooting step is to run Wireshark on the system running the collection software to verify that you are receiving data from the device that Netflow is configured on.

I began the study process by reviewing my notes from the SWITCH class and the text from the course material that I had highlighted. I had mentioned in an earlier post that I also had the ExSim-Max Practice Exam and NetSim for CCNP from the good folks at BOSON. While I had used it some in my followup prep for the ROUTE exam, I plan on using it substantially for the SWITCH exam. I have already spent part of the afternoon working my way through the NetSim labs for HSRP and VRRP. Since there is a lot of info on the screen when using NetSim, I printed out each of the lab instructions and worked my way through it. That allowed me to have a larger font to better be able to see what I was looking at on the terminal screens. Although I have enough lab equipment to be able to mock this up in hardware, I elected to make my initial pass by using NetSim. This gets me more familiar with NetSim than I might have been otherwise. The other benefit is that it will give me a controlled exposure to all of the technology using a known methodology before I try it on my own hardware. I have run into a few question with NetSim that I have sent of to the contact I have a BOSON. Will share that with you once I hear back.

I will also make use of ExSim-Max as well to get me in the mindset of the types of questions I can expect to see on the exam. Since I have already made one attempt at the exam, I have seen one set of questions but would like to be prepared as best I can to be able to put this exam in the done column when I take it next week.

I will spend this weekend working on a series of posts that I will be using for my studying for the SWITCH exam. Since I have already taken one pass at this during my recent CCNP Bootcamp experience, I will be working on where I need to build up my knowledge before I make my next attempt at the exam. Due to my work schedule, my plans currently call for me to take the exam in two weeks. I will be going over the SIMS that may show up on the exam based on what I have seen on publicly available websites.

My study habits changed significantly between TSHOOT AND ROUTE. Based on what I have learned on those two exams, I have a couple of tweaks planned for the SWITCH exam in the hopes that I can get it passed when I take it in two weeks from now.

In interviewing several candidates at a previous employer for an architect or senior level position, I was shocked at the number of applicants that we talked to that couldnt answer the most basic of subnetting questions. I dont do this a lot but I try to keep fluent in subnetting. You never know when you may need to do it, so keeping your skills sharp is a good thing to do. When I took the CCNP Security (then CCSP) exams, I could count on one hand the number of questions I had that required some degree of subnetting skill. I wasnt surprised on each of the CCNP R/S exams to see the number of questions where you needed to subnet raised significantly. You can check out his subnetting oriented site at – http://www.subnetting-secrets.com. One of the tools he has is a bit of java code that will generate a series of questions to help you keep fluent and honest.

I have come across some of Keith Barker’s YouTube video’s. Not only does he do a great job on explaining how to setup the automatic 6to4 tunnel but came out with a secondary video on running dynamic routing protocols over the tunnel. Both of these are good to watch and keep on my reference list. I have watched these once already and plan on watching them several more times to get a firm handle on everything that Keith talks about.

Keith Barker – Automatic 6to4 Tunnel configuration

Keith Barker – Dynamic Routing with IPv6 6to4 Tunnels

Although my normal case of choice is some flavor of the Pelican line, it just wasnt practical in this situation because I was trying to travel as light as possible. I had found a good case for my MacBook Pro from the folks at SFbags. They have a great little case that will handle the CTR35, it’s power supply and both broadband adapters. I havent found a better case for my Mac laptop and I have yet to be disappointed with the Small gear pouch that I carry the CTR35 in. I already had that and while it does fit everything, it is a big snug. If I were going to get a new gear pouch, I would probably step up to a medium case that would leave just a skosh more room to carry a network cable, just in case. Now that I am back from Bootcamp, I will keep the case setup as it is.

Even without having a slight bigger case, I would also suggest carrying s small inverter for use when I am in the car or at a location that only has DC power. This allows me to power up the CTR35 and get onto the internet without waiting to get to a source of AC power. If you dont mind a little big of engineering, you might just be able to come up with a power cable that can plug directly into the DC connector in a car. If you do create this kind of cable make sure to put a fuse on both the positive and negative wires just in case there is a problem and you have a little more protection. I would probably stick with the inverter as it would have some other potential uses that I havent thought of yet.

I have been going over my notes from the past couple of weeks. Some of what I have to say, I would really like to talk to someone in Cisco Education because of some of the concerns I have. Unfortunately, I don’t know if that is going to happen. I spent over 5 years on Novell’s Certification Advisory Council many years ago and felt that during my time on the Council that I was able to help get changes implemented that benefited the others that were certified or were going through the program. Although not all the changes that were suggested by the Council were implemented, in several cases because of the tenure of some of those on the Council exceeded that length of service of some that we worked with in the Novell Education Group, we were able to help them avoid going down a road they had gone down before that didn’t work.

My first concern is the lack of IPv6 material in the CCNP R/S courseware. With the importance that Cisco has placed on IPv6, I was surprised at the lack of material on that subject in any of the courseware. All that we got was a CD/DVD which pretty much didnt work on a Mac which was interesting considering the number of individuals I know within and outside of Cisco that use Mac’s that this wouldn’t have been tested. I don’t get the impression that the CCNP manuals are printed very far in advance, so I think a revision to them to include IPv6 would well worth the time and effort required.

For those that have been reading my blog know the time I spent getting a IPv6 Tunnel Broker connection working so I could get more experience with that technology that I felt sure would be tested. What caught me off guard was that there is an automatic mode version of the IP6to4 gateway that I didn’t know existed from everything I read which I believe caused me to answer several questions wrong on the exam based on my experience with only dealing with the manually configured portion of the gateway. I know that in the past that Cisco, according to rumor, has had one group write the tests and another group that writes the courseware and other documentation. I would like to suggest that Cisco rethink that process as it is doing more of a disservice to the class participants and those doing self study that I see it doing any good.

Normally at the past Bootcamp I attended, I pretty much kept to myself after class because I was there to learn and get certified which left no time for eating out and seeing the sites. Fortunately this time, I managed to strike up a relationship with a couple of folks in class that ended up forming a sort of study group since we were staying at the same hotel. That really helped especially on the TSHOOT exam where I had to make significant changes to my normally troubleshooting methodology in order to pass the exam. I don’t know that I would have had the success I did on TSHOOT without the support and guidance from the two that were in the study group. That kind of dynamic or process doesn’t always happen but in this case, it would have appeared to help at least for the last exam I took.

Although more and more folks pursuing various Cisco certifications use GNS3 to help with the study/learning process, it lacks one major feature with not being able to run the IOS for a cisco switch so you can use it for more of the study process. I understand from what is on the GNS3 website why they cant emulate a Cisco switch. Cisco has a product called Packet Tracer that offers most of the functionality that you would benefit from being able to use it. Having seen a copy of Packet Tracer, I can see where it would be beneficial. Unfortunately, it is only available to those going through the Cisco Network Academy program. I would challenge Cisco to rethink that and either include it as a part of the Cisco Learning Partner program, make it directly purchasable from a website with support available through the Cisco Support forums only or just make it publicly available for download like they have done for the network topology drawings for the TSHOOT exams.

I would have preferred that there had been more lecture on the topics that we covered since some of that I hadn’t used before going to class and it might be something before I would be comfortable with using them in a production situation with having a better understanding. Some of those topics I plan on talking about here after I get both ROUTE and SWITCH passed and have more time to devote digging into some of these topics. Guess I got a little spoiled with the CCNP Security Bootcamp that I went through with Steve Means when he was at CCBootcamp. Each instructor has their own style.

I ran into one problem in the SWITCH exam where one switch would accept the trunk encapsulation command and another one in the same simulation would surprised me. From talking with others who have taken the exam and they ran into the same problem. This would appear to indicate a problem in the same and not a problem with a particular testing center’s computers. Fortunately, the sh etherchannel summary command verified that the command had worked but even with that I wasn’t sure that I would get credit for the exam. I understand that Cisco has deprecated the write mem command that a few of us have used over the years but ran into several situations where copy run start also didn’t work really concerned me since how would Cisco know that we had properly completed a question when the very command that we have been told to use during the test to get credit for a question and also use in every day life wasn’t working. I would have though from the amount of time that Cisco has been using this type of simulation engine that this would be a working function.

Thanks to everyone who has followed me through this series. Will provide a few more updates as I get past the ROUTE and SWITCH exams. If you are also going through the CCNP Certification process, please let me know if I can help you as you move along and I will be glad do what I can.

If you don’t have a good command of the technologies covered by the different types of tickets, you will not have enough time to work through all the tickets. With the increased level of complexity that I have found on the newer CCNP exams, you need every question right that you can to have the best chances of passing the exam the first time. Keeping track of what problems you have worked will help save time by not looking for the same problem that you have already worked. While I did use a couple of troubleshooting commands such as sh commands unique to specific routing protocols, the commands that told me the most of where the problem might be was ping and sh run, While I like using tracert, dont plan on it being there on all devices.

With some of the large networks I have worked on over the years, I have a tendency to go down into the weeds almost immediately because of the level of complexity I am accustomed to. That has the potential of being a big time waster. You need to look at things from something like a 10,000 ft level view or you may be so far down in the trenches that you may not be able to see the forest for the trees because of the level of details that you will be looking at. I am really grateful to those that were in my study group helping me to break myself of a habit that could have very well cost me the chance of passing the exam on the first try. While Cisco doesnt like exam scores being posted, I will say that while I didnt have a perfect score, it was close enough to not matter. The side benefit is the renewal/expiration date of my existing certifications to be 3 years out instead of being less than 6 months. Gives me a little more time to get the ROUTE and SWITCH exams passed.

I am doing some last minute packing before getting on a plane to return home. Once I get home, I will continue this series, albeit under a slightly different name as I still have to take the ROUTE and SWITCH exams. I will go into more detail on what I did to pass the TSHOOT exam to help others in this quest. Thanks to the kind people at BOSON, I will be bringing some different options to the table for your consideration.

While I would have preferred to have passed all three exams, I did complete one of my goals which was to pass at least one of the exams so that my existing Cisco credentials would be renewed and reset the clock on when they would come up for renewal. I still want to get my CCNP Route/Switch to enhance my skills and marketability.