ICND1 Take one

When you wake up from a dream and you want to write down every thought or random fleeting memory right away, but it evaporates in front of you too quickly. Here's my list: ARP vs DNS, default clock rate set? DTE/ DCE interface, cell switched? PVC, ATM, wiring solutions between midpoints, DSLAM, TCP headers, sequence numbers, HELLO, NAT, service password-encryption, WAN, T1.

I had enough time to do the exam, but it was one of those things where I wished I could go back and change the answer to a previous question. You can't do that on these exams.

About four questions in, on the first router simulation question I didn't realize that you had to click on the console computer graphic to launch the CLI of the router to access the running-config. I kept looking through all the windows for the console login, but I just didn`t clue in. Well duh, how else would you answer the questions. Anywayz I messed up that question probably worth 30 marks and made a guess on the int fa 0/1 address and the multi-part answers were all based on that first assumption which I probably got wrong.

I only practised subnetting questions in Class C, but in real time I had to do subnetting for Class B. Not a big deal because I think I got that part right but still a bit stressful under time pressure.

Another random fact - Routers breakup broadcast domains; each interface on the router is a separate network.  Routers breakup collision domains too but a layer 2 switch can do that too.
WAN is an important topic. Frame relay is not supposed to be part of ICND1 but you still had to know enough about it to get some facts straight. I will need to clarify some aspects of Permanent Virtual Circuits.

Here's the breakdown of the modules tested and my score.
Describe the operation of data networks - 71%
* Implement a small switched network - 60%
Implement an IP addressing scheme and IP services to meet network requirements for a small branch office 80%
Implement a small routed network - 67%
* Explain and select the appropriate administrative tasks required for a WLAN - 0%
Identify security threats to a network and describe general methods to mitigate those threats - 100%
Implement and verify WAN links - 75%

So I end the exam with my score of 787 out of 1000. You need 804 to pass which means I missed it by a margin of 17. That makes me knowledgeable enough to be dangerous.

It is my own fault for not passing I`m sure, but I will still launch a complaint because I noticed a couple of peculiarities with my exam experience. I felt like I was doing question 9 and then I clicked the mouse one too many times and I was on question 13. So I probably missed a four part question. I was a bit perplexed, probably should`ve said something at the time but I was like whatever. I`m wondering if those are the WLAN questions I completely skipped over. I only remember doing two questions on that whole subject and they did not adequately cover the topic of Explain and select the appropriate administrative tasks required for a WLAN.

I have the Pearson Vue 1 800 number so I may lodge a complaint and try to ask Cisco for a rebate on the retake of the exam. But do I really want to do this again after 10 days. Do I really want to re certify in 3 years and do this again. Right now though, I just feel like I want to crawl under a rock and die, but I can`t help but pulling my books to... restudy! All the kids are napping so I have 2 hours!!!

I have the difficult task of explaining to my boss that I didn't pass the exam. Hopefully if I show him the report card with the marks broken down he can see that I passed the important stuff and even got a 100% on the network security portion (comforting). However I feel that I have temporarily lost my geek status so the blog will not be named Barbie Geek Tech Bytes for now...