Exciting promotions that are scheduled to expire October 31st, 2012. We are offering $999 CCIE Live Instructor Led courses (select dates only), 40% off CCNA Video on Demand Courses, and discounts on all of our NEW flexible online CCIE Security, CCIE Data Center, and CCIE Wireless Bootcamp courses.

October 2012 Promotions – Expire 10/31/2012

*$999 CCIE Bootcamp – R&S & Voice 1 time chance! Register Now!	Troubleshooting Class Recording Save $500! Don’t Miss	2013 CCIE Bootcamp Schedule Reserve your seat
Operation & Troubleshooting Box Set Get ALL 4 Guides for ONLY $399	CCIE R&S Written & Lab Fund Bundle Only $699 with Bootcamp Seat!	CCIE Troubleshooting Bundle Only $999 with Bootcamp Seat
CCIE Data Center Lab Workbook Save $100. Now Available – Chap 1- 5	CCNA VOD – 40% Off Use Coupon Code NA40PRO	Online CCIE Security Bootcamp Use Code SECOLBC – Save $250
Online CCIE Data Center Bootcamp Use Code CCIEOLBC – Save $599	Online CCIE Wireless Bootcamp Use Code CCIEOLBC – Save $599!	This Month’s Promotions View All Promotions

One of the topics that we will focus on in great detail in the upcoming CCIE Voice Troubleshooting class is MGCP call setup and teardown.  The information below is a capture from a trace (using deb mgcp packet and deb isdn q931) taken from an IOS MGCP gateway with the endpoint being a T1 PRI. The trace begins when an incoming call from the PSTN arrives and the destination is an IP phone that is registered to the UCM. Comments are provided above and within each message. Enjoy!

Q931 SETUP

Q931 SETUP message arrives. The destination is 2025552002. The bearer channel is channel #1 . The D channel which is used for signaling is the last channel (Serial 0/0/0:23). The SETUP message will be packetized by the gateway and sent to the “mgcp call agent” (the first choice Unified Communications Manager). This is process of taking the ISDN messages arriving on the PRI and packetizing them and sending them to the UCM is known as Q931 backhaul. The UCM listens on TCP port 2428- the gateway uses an ephemeral port that is dynamically selected.
Read Full Entry »

Knowing how to configure everything in the CCIE Voice Lab blueprint isn’t quite enough to pass. You also need to be able to troubleshoot issues that already exist in your topology (and any troubleshooting issues you might introduce). So, I’ve created a video that discusses troubleshooting several common trouble spots:

• Endpoint registration
• Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM) availability
• Database replication
• Call setup with gatekeepers
• Call setup with a Cisco Unified Border Element (CUBE)
• One-way audio
• Cisco Unity Connection (CUC) integration
• Cisco Unified Contact Center Express (UCCX) integration
• Cisco Unified Presence Server (CUPS) integration

Read Full Entry »

In my last blog posting, I shared with you my 12-Step CCIE Voice Alchemy strategy. If you missed it, you can check it out here: http://bit.ly/KDo9qb

In this posting, I want to give you answers to some common CCIE Voice lab questions. Have you ever asked any of the following:

• Do proctors access your equipment and introduce troubleshooting issues DURING your lab?
• What is the pass rate of the CCIE Voice Lab?
• How do you ask an effective question to a proctor?
• Is the lab you get random or hand-picked?
• How is your lab graded?
• When should you expect to get your lab results?
• What terminal emulator is used in the lab?

Answers to these questions were given to me by a Cisco CCIE Lab Proctor. They asked that I not identify them, and I certainly want to respect that. After all, the answers they provided are their opinion, and they are not officially speaking for Cisco. However, the information they provide is packed full of valuable nuggets.

Here’s the video where I share the proctor’s responses to these questions:

I hope you find this information valuable. Also, be on the lookout for my next blog posting, where I’ll show you (in a one hour video!) troubleshooting tips for a wide variety of CCIE Voice Lab topics.

By the way, remember IPexpert’s CCIE Voice Alchemy – LIVE class coming up next month. In this live on-line event, we meet on Thursday evenings for two and a half hours. During that time, we go through a brand new mock lab I’ve written, by following the twelve CCIE Voice Alchemy strategies. We’ll also encounter (and overcome) multiple troubleshooting issues along the way.

For specific information about class dates and all of the bonuses you receive, check out the following link: http://www.ipexpert.com/Cisco/CCIE/Voice/Online-Bootcamp

Enjoy your studies!

Kevin Wallace, CCIEx2 (Voice and R/S) #7945

In March of this year, I passed my CCIE Voice lab, on my second attempt. To give you a bit of history, I learned on my first attempt that time management was a critical skill for the lab. In fact, after my first attempt, I told the proctor that I could have finished given another three hours. Obviously, I poorly managed my time.

Part of my poor time management was spending too much time on troubleshooting tasks. Part of it was spending too much time verifying my work, and part of it time was spent performing tasks inefficiently.

So, while gearing up for my second attempt, I developed a set of strategies that served me well. In this blog posting, I’d like to share those strategies with you at a high level.
Read Full Entry »