Announcement that we have added all the Cisco Visio Stencils to our site. 

Free for Download. Please comment or let us know which we can add and from where.  Enjoy!

Cisco Stencils

CCIE Certification Exam Pointers and Tips- 

Here CCIEAdvisor.com will come and peridically give tips and pointers for CCIE Exam Candidates.  We will happily post comments with questions of CCIE Candidates for the Exam and Pointers from other CCIE wannabe's left as comments as well. 

We will try to revisit and post anything that is helpful, inspiring, constructive.  What we will not post is NDA breaking or rude, and otherwise unhelpul comments. We hope this is useful towards your certification goals.

~CCIEAdvisor

• Just about the time you are about to give up, that’s when you need to try harder
• CCIE is a journey not a destination
• 1st bit of advice for the Future CCIE Candidate of 2011. Most fail the 1st time, no shame in that. The shame is not trying again
• When at CCIE Lab, after finding your seat, get a cup of coffee or tea, relax and then READ your Lab Book from beginning to END, then start
• Must use Colored Pencils in the Lab, A different color per protocol (RTP had them on the desk)
• Prepare yourself for Hardware/IOS Software issues in the CCIE Lab.  The Hardware does indeed break and incorrect IOS versions DO APPEAR from time to time.  If in Doubt about the Hardware of Software ask a Proctor, that is their Job.
• Begin Study by sizing up your skills in Routing and Switching for the LAB.  If after reviewing the Lab Blueprint, you think you will need a year, then plan on closer to two.  Basically, double the expected study time.

Cisco Anyconnect-  Cisco VPN Client Download and 64 bit Windows 7 Solution

So we have discovered that 64 bit operating systems like windows 7 are not necessarily supported by the traditional Cisco VPN client Download that we are all used to using.  So what do we do now?  We are going to realize that Cisco is no longer going to support the older ipsec client we are used to having.  That is being phased out.
What will replace it?  AnyConnect.
Cisco anyconnect will be and is available to download from your server.  The server being the ASA 5505, 5510, 5520 etc, or any of the Cisco VPN compatible Cisco Routers: 2800, 3800, etc.
You will need to upload the Cisco anyconnect package to the "Server."  Then upon connection from the client you will be prompted to download the client on your machine.  This will also be using TLS, Transport Layer Security instead of our traditional IPSec.
This will be more secure meaning the "client" can not make changes to it from the laptop or what have you.  It will be handed out via the server with the connection methods and ruleset.
Good luck with this new solution and if you want more information just ask CCIEAdvisor.com we will be happy to reply to your comments.
Also, the old vpn client licensing is not transferable and the new Anyconnect licensing is quite expensive. If you are moving to Windows 7 64 bit then you will need to be prepared to deploy this solution.  Especially if you are trying to use your Cisco vpn over 3g as one of our Cisco Networking forum posters found out..

How any of each type are active?

Here are the Statistics realeased today from Cisco Systems: Note: Since the CCIEv4 or Version 4 it seems that successful ccie attempts have slowed....

Total of Worldwide CCIEs:		20810 (last updated 1/6/2010)
Total of Routing and Switching CCIEs:		17781
Total of Security CCIEs:		2347
Total of Service Provider CCIEs:		1742
Total of Storage Networking CCIEs:		149
Total of Voice CCIEs:		1132
Total of Wireless CCIEs:		17

Multiple Certifications:

The new numbers are out from Cisco and here are the basic counts:

(Taken From: http://www.cisco.com/web/learning/le3/ccie/certified_ccies/worldwide.html)

Total of Worldwide CCIEs:		20800 (last updated 12/1/2009)
Total of Routing and Switching CCIEs:		17843
Total of Security CCIEs:		2347
Total of Service Provider CCIEs:		1696
Total of Storage Networking CCIEs:		149
Total of Voice CCIEs:		1101
Total of Wireless CCIEs:		16