Before You Chase the CCIE, Read This

So You’re Thinking About the CCIE?

The moment you start thinking about the CCIE, your journey begins — but not where you think.

You’ve passed your CCNP, or maybe you’re just finishing it.

You’ve been in the CLI long enough to stop fearing it.

You’ve handled BGP, OSPF, redistribution, and a few tricky troubleshooting scenarios at work.

And now, the idea creeps in:

“Maybe I should go for the CCIE.”

It starts small — maybe from a LinkedIn post, maybe from someone at work who just passed, maybe from the thrill of chasing a legendary title.

You’re not alone.

Every year, thousands of network engineers get this thought.

But here’s what separates those who actually become CCIEs from those who just talk about it:

They understand that the CCIE isn’t a destination.

It’s a transformation.

The Myth vs. The Truth

Let’s clear up a common misconception right now:

Myth: The CCIE is just a really hard exam.

Truth: The CCIE is a brutal mirror. It shows you exactly who you are as an engineer.

It’s not about “being smart.”

It’s not about “memorizing everything.”

It’s not even about how much you study.

It’s about how deeply you understand.

How instinctively you troubleshoot.

How relentlessly you push forward — even when nothing is working.

The Real Prerequisite: 1,000 Hours of Focused Practice

You’ve probably heard of Malcolm Gladwell’s 10,000-hour rule.

The idea that mastery in any field takes about 10,000 hours of deliberate practice.

Let’s be real — you’re not trying to become the Yo-Yo Ma of routing protocols.

But here’s the thing: to even stand a chance at the CCIE, you need at least 1,000 hours of hands-on, focused CLI work.

Let’s do the math:

• 2 hours a day × 6 days a week = 12 hours/week
• 12 hours/week × ~52 weeks = ~624 hours/year
• If you push a bit harder, do longer weekend sessions, take some time off distractions — you can hit 1,000 in 12–15 months

Not watching videos.

Not reading books.

Real lab time.

Building networks.

Breaking them.

Fixing them.

Designing new ones from scratch.

Practicing until the commands become part of your muscle memory.

This is what separates CCIEs from CCNPs — instinct.

You Can’t Shortcut This

There’s no course, no book, no bootcamp that can replace those 1,000 hours.

They can guide you.

They can help you organize.

But they can’t do the work for you.

This is why so many talented, smart, well-intentioned engineers fail.

Because deep down, they’re hoping to shortcut their way in.

But the lab doesn’t lie.

The lab doesn’t care about your intentions.

The lab cares if you can deliver.

What the CCIE Really Represents (and Why It’s Worth It Anyway)

It’s not about the number. It’s about who you become getting there.

When someone says “I want to get the CCIE,” what do they really mean?

For some, it’s about career growth.

For others, it’s the challenge.

For a few, it’s the prestige.

But behind all that, whether they admit it or not, most people are chasing something deeper:

• Confidence
• Mastery
• Validation
• Freedom

And they think the CCIE will give them that.

Here’s the truth:

The CCIE doesn’t give you those things.

It forces you to earn them.

It’s a Transformation, Not a Title

You don’t “get” the CCIE.

You become a CCIE.

And there’s a world of difference between the two.

You can’t fake it.

You can’t wing it.

You can’t bluff your way through an 8-hour lab full of pressure, pain, and precision.

The lab is designed to break you — and rebuild you.

By the time you pass, you’ve already changed.

• You’ve learned how to think under pressure.
• You’ve developed a sixth sense for network behavior.
• You’ve gained the mental toughness to work through total technical chaos.

And no one can take that from you.

The Blueprint Doesn’t Care About You

Roger Perkin (CCIE #50038) says it perfectly in his book:

“The CCIE lab did what it said on the tin – it found my weaknesses and exploited them.”

That’s not failure.

That’s feedback.

The CCIE isn’t just testing your knowledge.

It’s revealing your gaps.

Every time you mess up redistribution, forget a filtering rule, or run out of time during config — it’s the blueprint telling you:

“You’re not ready. Keep going.”

But Why Is It Still Worth It?

Because this isn’t just about passing an exam.

It’s about:

• Becoming the kind of engineer that companies fight to hire.
• Earning the respect of peers, not because of a number — but because of your skills.
• Standing in a high-stakes outage and knowing you can fix it.
• Getting paid what you’re worth — because you’ve proven it.

And honestly?

It’s about finishing what you started.

Proving to yourself that you can do hard things — really hard things.

Because once you’ve passed the CCIE, the world starts to look a little different.

Not because the world changed.

But because you did.

The 1,000-Hour Plan

How to Train Like a Real Engineer — Not Just a Certification Collector

So, we’ve established this:

The CCIE is earned through deep, focused, relentless practice.

Not through binge-watching courses. Not through flashcards. Not through “test dumps.”

But here’s the real challenge:

“How the heck do I structure 1,000 hours of study without burning out or wasting time?”

Great question.

Because without a clear plan, even the most motivated engineers drift into chaos.

This section is your blueprint for turning those 1,000 hours into real, measurable progress.

Part 1: Divide and Conquer — The Phases of Preparation

Break the 1,000 hours into four main phases:

Phase 1: Foundation Review (100–150 hours)

Even if you’ve passed your CCNP, don’t assume your foundations are solid.

• Revisit switching and routing basics
• Deep dive into IPv6, QoS, multicast — topics you might’ve skipped
• Review the technologies as they interact, not in isolation

Goal: No topic feels like new territory.

Phase 2: Skill Building (300–350 hours)

This is your “muscle memory” phase.

You spend hours in the CLI. You rebuild labs from scratch. You make mistakes. You fix them.

• Build labs with increasing complexity
• Practice scenarios blindfolded (no internet, no notes)
• Focus on core protocols, redistribution, filtering, path control
• Simulate small outages and troubleshoot them cold

Goal: Confidence and control in CLI — under pressure.

Phase 3: Mock Labs (300–350 hours)

You now simulate the real exam environment.

Full 8-hour labs. Time pressure. No help.

• Use INE, Cisco 360, or custom labs in EVE-NG
• Time every section
• Review and score your performance brutally

Track:

• What slowed you down?
• What confused you?
• Where did you lose time?

Goal: Build lab-day stamina, speed, and strategy.

Phase 4: Final Sprint (100–200 hours)

The polish phase.

You don’t learn anything new here — you refine what you already know.

• Quick lab drills
• Rapid-fire troubleshooting
• Optimization (screen management, CLI speed, verification shortcuts)

You treat your brain like an athlete treats their body before competition.

Goal: Go into the exam with the feeling:
“There’s nothing more I could’ve done.”

Part 2: The Hidden Curriculum

There are things that no workbook will teach you — but will absolutely affect your success.

CLI Navigation Mastery

You should be able to:

• Configure a router from scratch with zero hesitation
• Move across devices in seconds
• Save/restore configs blindfolded
• Copy-paste at ninja speed

Screen Management

Have a clean, optimized workspace.

Tabs, colors, notes — set up like a cockpit.

Time Discipline

Train with a timer. Every single time.

No timer = no pressure = false confidence.

Part 3: Scheduling Your 1,000 Hours

Let’s get practical.

Want it faster?

You’ll need time off, focus sprints, or even mini “study sabbaticals.”

Pro tip: Consistency beats intensity.
Burnout is your biggest enemy — not time.

Bonus: Track Everything

Use a simple spreadsheet or Notion template to log:

• Hours studied
• Topics covered
• Labs completed
• Weak areas noticed

You’ll see progress. You’ll build momentum. And you’ll know when you’re actually ready.

What to Practice — and What to Ignore

Because not all topics (or tools) are worth your time.

When you’re staring at the CCIE blueprint, it’s overwhelming.

So many topics. So many protocols. So many possible scenarios.

And everything looks important.

But here’s a truth no one tells you:

Trying to study everything equally is a recipe for failure.

The real strategy?

Double down on what matters the most — and ruthlessly cut what doesn’t.

Let’s break it down.

What to Practice (Relentlessly)

1. Core Routing Protocols

• OSPF (single and multi-area, NSSA, redistribution, route filtering)
• EIGRP (with and without named mode)
• BGP (iBGP, eBGP, route reflectors, policy control)
• Redistribution between any of the above, including filtering and loop prevention

These protocols are the foundation of most real labs. Master them until they’re boring.

2. Layer 2 and Switching

• STP variants (PVST, RPVST, MST)
• VLANs, Trunking, EtherChannels
• Layer 2 security (BPDU Guard, Root Guard, etc.)
• VLAN hopping, misconfig scenarios

This is where a lot of candidates lose stupid points. Build clean, fast configs every time.

3. Troubleshooting Scenarios

• Broken adjacencies
• Asymmetric routing
• Redistribution gone wrong
• Misconfigured ACLs
• DHCP, NAT, and reachability blackholes

This is where the lab tries to break you. Make it your strongest weapon.

4. Verification and Time Management

• Knowing how to verify your work is just as important as doing the config
• Practice quick end-to-end pings, trace routes, show command combos
• Train yourself to think “Did I break anything else?” after every change

The lab rewards engineers who think ahead — and check their work.

5. Mental Agility and CLI Speed

• Get faster at typing
• Use keyboard shortcuts like a pro
• Don’t use the mouse unless absolutely needed
• Build small configs from scratch — quickly and under pressure

The faster you are at small things, the more time you have for big thinking.

What to Ignore (or Minimize)

1. Obscure Protocols and Rare Use Cases

• Don’t spend 20 hours studying Frame Relay.
• DMVPN is worth learning, but don’t lose sleep over GRE tunneling syntax.

Focus on what actually shows up in the lab — not what “might” show up.

2. Over-Theorizing

• Don’t fall into the trap of trying to memorize every RFC or every timer
• Understand why things work the way they do — not just the raw facts

You’re being tested as an engineer, not an encyclopedia.

3. Over-Studying Non-Interactive Materials

• Videos are helpful, but only to introduce a topic
• Books are useful, but only to deepen what you’ve already practiced

Your real study happens at the keyboard — not on the couch.

4. Endless Lab Hopping Without Mastery

• Jumping from one workbook to another without mastering one is self-sabotage
• Stick with a solid lab guide (INE, CCIE Enterprise Pack, Cisco 360)
• Track your labs. Re-do them with variations. Fix what went wrong.

Don’t confuse activity with progress.

The 80/20 of CCIE Preparation

80% of your lab success will come from 20% of topics:
Routing, Switching, Troubleshooting, and CLI mastery.

Get world-class at those, and you can afford to be average at the rest.

The Emotional Side of the CCIE Journey

You’re not just building configs. You’re building yourself.

The CCIE is not just a technical exam.

It’s a psychological marathon.

And no one tells you this when you start.

They talk about routing protocols.

They talk about lab hardware.

They talk about INE and workbooks.

But they don’t talk about:

• The days you’ll feel like quitting
• The isolation that creeps in
• The guilt of missing time with family
• The anxiety of failing (again)
• The silent war inside your head

And yet — this is the real exam.

“Am I even good enough for this?”

Everyone hears this voice eventually.

It usually shows up after your first big failure.

Or after the third mock lab you didn’t finish.

Or when your coworker passes and you’re still stuck on redistribution.

And the worst part?

It’s not just about networking anymore.

It feels like a reflection of you.

But let me be crystal clear:

Struggling with the CCIE doesn’t mean you’re not good.
It means you’re doing something hard — and doing it right.

The Importance of Your Environment

Roger Perkin said it best in his book:

“I could not have done it without the support of my wife and daughter.”

You need a support system. Period.

Whether it’s:

• A spouse who understands your crazy schedule
• A friend who listens when you vent
• A mentor who reminds you why you started

This is not a solo journey.

Trying to do it all alone is how people burn out — not just as engineers, but as humans.

Training Your Mind Like You Train for the Lab

You build technical habits through repetition.

You build mental resilience the same way.

Here’s how:

1. Define Your “Why”

This has to be personal. Deeper than just a job or a raise.

Something like:

• “I want to prove I can do this.”
• “I want to build a better future for my family.”
• “I want to be the person who finishes what they start.”

Write it down. Stick it above your monitor. Read it when you want to quit.

2. Accept the Dip

There will be low points. That’s normal.

• You’ll hit plateaus.
• You’ll forget things you thought you mastered.
• You’ll doubt the process.

But that’s not failure — that’s friction.

And friction is what sharpens the blade.

3. Celebrate Tiny Wins

You won’t get daily trophies.

So you need to build your own.

• Did you finish a full lab today?
• Solved a nasty redistribution bug?
• Configured DMVPN from scratch without looking?

Celebrate.

These are the building blocks of passing.

What To Watch Out For

The emotional dangers are real. So here are your red flags:

• Studying out of guilt, not purpose
• Avoiding labs because of fear
• Comparing your progress to others
• Thinking “maybe I’m not meant for this”

When these pop up — pause. Step back. Reset.

You’re human first, engineer second.

The CCIE is not a test of perfection.

It’s a test of persistence.

Most people don’t fail because they’re not smart enough.

They fail because they stop showing up.

So keep showing up.

Even when it sucks.

Especially when it sucks.

Because that’s when you’re actually growing.

Tools, Labs, and the Right Study Environment

Your lab is your dojo. Set it up like it matters — because it does.

By now, you know this journey is serious.

You’re committing to 1,000+ hours of focused work.

You’re preparing for one of the most challenging technical exams in IT.

And you can’t do that on a shaky setup.

Let’s talk about the gear, tools, and environment that can make or break your CCIE prep.

Your Lab Is Your Battlefield

You don’t need racks of physical gear anymore. That era is gone.

Modern CCIE candidates are using:

• EVE-NG
• Cisco Modeling Labs (CML)
• GNS3
• And a few still use VIRL or physical gear

But for serious, scalable, blueprint-aligned labs?

EVE-NG is the gold standard.

It’s flexible, powerful, and built for advanced scenarios.

A Quick Word on GNS3 vs EVE-NG

If you’re still using GNS3 for CCIE-level labs, it’s time to rethink.

GNS3 is great for lightweight labs or early-stage learning.

But at the CCIE level — especially with SD-WAN, automation, and multi-site topologies — it just can’t keep up.

That’s why EVE-NG is the go-to platform for serious candidates.

Want a full breakdown of why? Check out this comparison:

GNS3 vs EVE-NG: Which One Is Best for CCIE?

Make the switch early. It’ll save you hours of frustration later.

Lab Hosting: Local vs Cloud

Running complex CCIE labs on a basic laptop is a recipe for frustration.

You need power. Stability. Access from anywhere.

Here are your real options:

Option 1: Local Machine

• Full control
• Needs expensive hardware (at least 32–64GB RAM, strong CPU)
• Limited scalability (especially with SD-WAN or large topologies)

Option 2: Rent a Server (Recommended)

• Run EVE-NG on a remote server with high specs
• Access it via RDP or browser from anywhere
• No need to worry about overheating your laptop or running out of RAM

This is what most serious candidates do.

Pro tip: You can rent a server for ~$40–$100/month with enough RAM/CPU to run a full CCIE lab without issues.
Pair it with our EVE-NG Lab Pack and you’ve got a rock-solid setup.

Your Lab Should Match the Real Exam

Here’s the biggest mistake candidates make:

They practice with simplified labs that don’t reflect the complexity of the real CCIE lab.

If your practice lab doesn’t include:

• Complex topologies
• SD-WAN
• DMVPN
• BGP, OSPF, redistribution combos
• Real troubleshooting challenges

…then you’re training with rubber knives.

That’s why we built this: EVE-NG Lab for CCIE EI v1.1 + SD-WAN

It’s a ready-to-go, enterprise-grade topology based on the CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure blueprint, complete with:

• SD-WAN
• Multi-site routing
• Realistic control/data plane issues
• Scenarios that simulate the pressure of the actual lab

If you want to build skills — not just configs — this is the environment you need.

The Mental Side of Your Environment

Your setup is not just technical — it’s psychological.

Here’s how to optimize for deep, focused work:

Have a dedicated study space

• Same desk. Same time. Same mindset.
• Every time you sit down, your brain knows: “This is lab time.”

Use noise control

• Noise-canceling headphones
• Lo-fi beats or silence — whatever keeps you in flow
• Turn off notifications. Seriously.

Have a routine

• Study → short break → study
• Use the Pomodoro technique (25/5 or 50/10) to stay sharp
• End sessions with a quick debrief: What worked? What didn’t?

Track Everything

Use tools like:

• Notion for organizing topics, tracking hours, logging labs
• Google Sheets to visualize your weak spots
• Obsidian / OneNote for quick config notes, CLI tricks, “gotchas”

These aren’t just notes — they’re your second brain during prep.

A great lab setup won’t make you pass.
But a bad one will almost certainly make you fail.

So invest in your environment.

It’s not a luxury — it’s part of the grind.

How to Know You’re Actually Ready for the Lab

Don’t trust your feelings. Trust your performance.

There’s a moment in every CCIE journey where this question hits hard:

“Should I finally book the lab?”

It’s exciting. Terrifying. And confusing as hell.

You feel ready.

You’ve studied for months.

You’ve built labs.

You’ve watched all the videos.

You’ve even started dreaming in CLI.

But here’s the problem:

The CCIE lab doesn’t care how you feel.
It only cares what you can do — under pressure, without help, in one shot.

So let’s remove the guesswork.
Here’s a brutally honest readiness checklist to help you decide.

The 10 Signs You’re (Probably) Ready

1. You’ve done at least 2–3 full 8-hour mock labs.

And you completed them end-to-end — troubleshooting, diagnostics, and config.

2. You passed at least one of those mock labs realistically.

Not “I think I did okay.”

But “I scored myself and I’d actually pass.”

3. You finish troubleshooting in under 90 minutes — consistently.

This is your first exam section. If you burn out here, the rest will collapse.

4. You can build a full routing topology (OSPF, BGP, redistribution) from scratch — from memory.

No docs. No Google. Just you, the CLI, and your brain.

5. You’ve built and verified complex labs — more than once.

Building is one thing. Debugging and verifying under time pressure is another.

6. You’ve practiced diagnostics — and actually enjoy them.

If you hate reading tickets or analyzing log snippets, you’re not ready.

7. You’ve trained in “exam conditions” — full focus, no interruptions, strict timing.

You don’t check your phone. You don’t take long breaks. You simulate the real thing.

8. You can explain “why” behind every decision you make.

Why use this redistribution strategy?

Why choose this STP mode?

Why filter this route?

If you can’t explain it, you’re not ready.

9. You’ve verified your setup is stable — tools, server, internet, backup plan.

No tech surprises on exam day.

10. You’re emotionally neutral about passing or failing.

If your whole identity is tied to passing, your mindset isn’t ready yet.

But if you’re thinking: “I’ve done the work. Let’s go.” — that’s your sign.

And If You’re Not Ready? That’s OK.

It doesn’t mean you’re failing.

It means you’re respecting the process.

Don’t use the lab as a warm-up.

It’s not a field trip. It’s the main event.

Train until you can’t get it wrong.

Then book it.

The Confidence Gap

Most people either:

• Book too early out of excitement
• Or wait too long out of fear

Your job is to find the sweet spot:

Not when you feel ready — but when your performance proves it.

You don’t have to be perfect.

But you do have to be dangerous.

What the CCIE Teaches You (Even If You Never Pass)

Sometimes, the real prize isn’t the number — it’s who you become along the way.

Let’s get real for a minute.

Not everyone who starts the CCIE journey finishes it.

Some people burn out.

Some shift careers.

Some run out of time, energy, money — or motivation.

And yeah… some people give up.

But here’s what most of them don’t realize until much later:

Even if you don’t pass… you’ve already won.

How?

Because the person you became chasing the CCIE —

the habits you built,

the skills you developed,

the discipline you forged —

those don’t disappear.

You Learned to Think Like an Engineer

Not just how to configure a router.

But how to analyze problems under pressure.

How to break complex systems into parts.

How to stay calm in chaos.

This is not “certification knowledge.”

This is life knowledge.

You Built a Mindset Most People Don’t Have

• You showed up every day when no one was watching.
• You studied after work when you were tired.
• You practiced even when it was boring.
• You kept going after failing — maybe more than once.

That’s grit.

And grit compounds.

You Proved You’re the Type Who Finishes What They Start

Even if it took years.

Even if it drained you.

Even if it broke you a few times along the way.

• That’s rare.
• That’s valuable.
• That’s what makes you dangerous — with or without the digits.

Final Words

Passing the CCIE is incredible.

But chasing it with full intensity — giving it everything you’ve got — is even more powerful.

Whether you walk away with a number or not, here’s what truly matters:

• You dared to aim high.
• You showed up for yourself.
• And you learned what you’re really capable of.

That’s the kind of person who wins — not just in networking, but in life.

See you at the top.

And when you get there, don’t forget to help the next person climb.

That’s what this community is really about.

Written by Ali Mansouri — Founder of Dynamips

Helping Network Engineers Build Real Skills. One Lab at a Time.