We’re pleased to announce that 8 new Mock Labs (and Detailed Solution Guides) have been released (8 of the 15 labs for Volume 2). These new lab scenarios have been through a major overhaul and have been updated to include new 4.0 topics and technologies. These labs will be added to your account today if you’re an existing customer – if you do not see them, please contact our support team at support@ipexpert.com.

Thanks! – Wayne

CCIE Voice Candidates,

The 5th lab for Vol 2 (5 out of 10) has been completed and uploaded to your members area. If you do not see it – please contact support@ipexpert.com.

Thanks! – Wayne

Thanks! – Wayne

I just wanted to say, “Happy Friday!” – and “I’m pleased to announce that our new Voice and Security VOD products have started shipping!“…..I ask for your patience – we have nearly 700 orders that been placed already and our fulfillment team (and a few temp workers) are working on getting these orders out ASAP – in the order in which they were received.

Thanks and have a great weekend! – Wayne

Also – Just an FYI – The IPexpert HQ (Michigan) will be closed Monday due to the Labor Day holiday – however our support team is on call and various Training Advisors will be online and available via live chat.

The 4th (of 10) lab and Solution have been released (added to your members area).  The snapshot will be active on Proctor Labs Monday.  If you don’t see the mock lab – you know the routine! (email support@ipexpert.com) ;-)

Thanks! – Wayne

UPDATE FOR ALL VPNs – PLEASE READ IF YOU USE Proctor Labs vRacks

Four things have been changed to give everyone a much better experience when renting Voice vRacks from Proctor Labs. I’ll list each of them briefly here, and then go into more detail on each one of them regarding what each enhancement means for you as well as what you need to do to take advantage of the new changes.

1. There is only ONE vpn group that is still functional.
2. You can now connect your VPN (Hardware or Software) over TCP port 80 or 443.
3. Network Extension Mode (NEM) is now supported for every Voice vRack.
4. ASA5505 Users VPN’s *should* now work.

Details:

1) There is only ONE vpn group that is still functional

Everyone that connects to Proctor Labs Voice vRacks and thus our VPNs, should by now, have downloaded the latest VPN configuration file (either hardware or software) from your Voice vRack VPN webpage. This is the page you come to after you login to ProctorLabs.com, and before you get to your actual vRack webpage (the page where you Load Lab Configs, Telnet to routers, Link to CUCM servers, etc).

This configuration file hasn’t changed for a long number of months now – but just to be sure – you might want to check it.

This does two things for our clients:

• Gives you a much simpler configuration. There is only 1 VPN configuration file that you will ever need to connect to our Voice vRacks – regardless of which Pod you are assigned from session to session.
• This gives every client of ours peace of mine that when they rent a vRack session from us, that they not only will they be guaranteed to connect to the correct Pod#, but there is no chance that someone else could possibly also connect to your pod and accidentally overwrite your configuration. We do this by checking each login UserID against the timeslot and pod# rented, and then place you dynamically in the proper VRF where traffic from another vRack Pod can never route to yours.

Most of you (99%) will still be able to connect to VPN just fine – as you always have. However, if for some reason you cannot connect to your VPN session, take 2 minutes to simply check the “VPN Group Authentication Name” in your Software client to make sure the name and password are exactly as follows (respectively):

vpodgroup

proctorvoice

For you hardware VPN users – I have provided the configuration below:

crypto ipsec client ezvpn IPx-Voice-vRack

group vpodgroup key proctorvoice

2) You can now connect your VPN (Hardware or Software) over TCP port 80 or 443.

Many people have reported not being able to connect their software or hardware client VPN to Proctor Labs. This most normally occurs due to a over-restrictive corporate or hotel firewall that stands in their way, not allowing UDP 500 or UDP 4500 to pass through.

We have fixed this issue from our side and have now allowed users with Software (or Hardware) VPN clients to “Tunnel” all traffic (both the IKE Phase 1 and the ESP Phase 2) over You can now connect to your Voice vRack VPN using TCP port 80 or TCP port 443 – either of these ports should allow you to connect with us.

For software VPN users, see somewhere about 3/4 of the way down on this page for a screenshot of “Tunneling” your VPN connection over TCP Port 80 or 443.

(This link shows TCP port 10001. Just change that to 80 or 443. Almost all firewalls allow web traffic – so unless they are doing DPI – you should connect).

http://tinyurl.com/VPN-Port-80-443

For hardware IOS VPN users, make the following change:

crypto ipsec client ezvpn IPx-Voice-vRack

ctcp port 80

3) Network Extension Mode (NEM) is now supported for every Voice vRack.

I have now enabled (and tested thoroughly today) NEM for those of you using hardware-based VPN to connect your hardware IP phones to our Proctor Labs Voice vRacks. This will not work with software based VPNs.

This means that none of your traffic will have to NAT or PAT any longer to reach us – and all of these issues with phones not registering correctly, or registering and then when a call is made – potentially unregistering the phone from the cluster.

For hardware VPN users, make the following change:

crypto ipsec client ezvpn IPx-Voice-vRack

mode network-extension

In order to use the Network Extension Mode, and also not to override any of the internal subnets for the Voice vRack Pod you are on, I have enabled a small set of subnets that you may use for your *inside* interface on your IOS Router or ASA.

They are:

192.168.X.0/24   Where X can equal any number 0 – 16.

so 192.168.0.0 , 192.168.1.0 , you get the picture.

Any other network on your inside – and we don’t redistribute it through the vRack (i.e. – No route back to you :)

If anyone “needs” any other networks – email support and let us know about them.

4) ASA5505 Users VPN’s *should* now work.

After having troubleshot people’s ASA 5505 connection problems multiple times – we always came back to the issue being a bug – since it was the ASA that was failing to PAT the traffic – since the ASA packet tracer would always tell us it was at that step that the ASA would drop the traffic. However with the previous announcement that NEM is supported, this means no more NATing/PATing! Thus it *should* work fine with NEM enabled. (Read the “NOTE ABOUT SUBNETS FOR INSIDE INTERFACES” above!)

We say *should* because we don’t have an ASA5505 to test out the client side with. (anyone care to donate one?)

Also – every hardware VPN user – PLEASE CHECK your config to make sure that this line is in there:

crypto ipsec client ezvpn IPx-Voice-vRack

connect manual

If you don’t have “connect manual” in there, then your router constantly tries to connect its VPN with us – but will always fail because its not always your time to rent a rack, and in effect, performs a sort of mild DoS on our router.

As soon as we notice that type of repetitive traffic over a long period of time (not one or two or three failures when you are testing) – we have no choice but to block your source IP.

So all together – hardware IOS VPN users should have this config:

crypto ipsec client ezvpn IPx-Voice-vRack

connect manual

ctcp port 80

group vpodgroup key proctorvoice

mode network-extension

peer 74.126.20.247

xauth userid mode interactive

So all together – hardware ASA5505 VPN users should have this config:

vpnclient enable

vpnclient ipsec-over-tcp port 80

vpnclient mode network-extension-mode

vpnclient server 74.126.20.247

vpnclient vpodgroup password proctorvoice

In the (slightly modified) words of Napolean Dynamite:

I hope your wildest [CCIE studying] dreams come true,

Mark Snow

We are releasing the first 4 labs – of our CCIE Security 3.0 Volume 2 – today. These are full 8-hour (3.0) mock labs including OEQ, troubleshooting and detailed solutions.  Labs 11, 13 and 14 have been uploaded and there will be a 4th lab uploaded within the next day. These are extremely challenging labs, so it should keep you guys busy for a little while! Good Luck! If you don’t have these labs in your account by 8 PM EST today – please contact support@ipexpert.com.

Tyson Scott

Below are the two links to the new Voice 3.0 and Security 3.0 Video on Demand products.  We are planning a new website launch sometime next week, therefore I did not get into extreme detail on the description – just know that these new products will be as good, (actually better! ;-) as our previously-released, industry-leading versions of the same product(s).  The pricing has gone up (for new clients) to reflect the new blueprint / content changes – and are as follows:

• CCIE Voice 3.0 VOD: $1,499.00
• CCIE Security 3.0 VOD $1,299.00

Existing customers get a free upgrade (to this entirely new, recreated product), however – they are required to cover the DVD costs, shipping and handling.  (DVD cost is $50.00.  The shipping charges are $25.00 for U.S. shipments and $55.00 for International.)

These products will begin shipping on or before 9/4/2009, and we’re taking pre-orders.

Product / Upgrade Links for Existing Customers:

• New 3.0 Voice Lab Video on Demand Lecture
• New 3.0 Security Lab Video on Demand Lecture Series

I know that most of you are anticipating the new products I’m about to announce – so here you go…

Monday (actually, probably this weekend) - I will be updating our website to show the new CCIE Security 3.0 Video on Demand Course and new CCIE Voice 3.0 Video on Demand Course.  All information for existing customers will be on those respected pages (we will also make a post on the OSL support list, Twitter and our Facebook Group to notify you as soon as the website has been updated).

Also, this weekend 4 CCIE Security 3.0 Volume 2 Workbook Labs (4 full 8-hour mock labs) will be added to your members area.  If you do not see them Monday, contact support@ipexpert.com to request them.  *As an FYI – our new mock labs will include Open Ended Questions as well as Troubleshooting.

As many of you know – we’re staying extremely busy cranking out new CCIE Voice 3.0 products, CCIE Security 3.0 products and CCIE R&S 4.0 products – so thanks for your patience!  Also, As always – if there’s anything I can assist you with – please contact me directly at wlawson@ipexpert.com – or feel free to contact your designated Training Advisor at sales@ipexpert.com, via chat at www.ipexpert.com/chat or via telephone at +1.810.326.1444.

Thanks! – Wayne

We’re pleased to announce that we have finished Labs 1 and 2 (with extremely detailed solutions) for our Voice 3.0 Volume 2 Workbook.  Within the next few weeks, our new site will launch displaying all timelines for the new Voice 3.0 products (as well as R&S 4.0 and Security 3.0).  These new 3.0 Mock Labs are already added into existing client accounts (if you have trouble finding them – email support@ipexpert.com) and will be available for purchase if you contact our sales team at +1.810.326.1444, sales@ipexpert.com or via live chat at www.ipexpert.com/chat.

Thanks and enjoy! – Wayne