Great New Link Alert!

A friend just found a great link for those studying up on Cisco, the Internetworking Technology Handbook.  This page contains links to explanations of everything from Banyan Vines to MPLS and should be on anyone studying for CCNA or CCNP’s bookmark list, if only for a good place to get a quick overview of various technologies.

TTL becomes “Hop Limit” in IPv6? How Anticlimatic?!

I just got my new “Routing TCP/IP” book yesterday…it’s still all new and with that “new Cisco Press book smell.” Ahhh! I’m reading through the first chapter, which is basically just a review of TCP/IP in general and I stumble upon this when they’re talking about how traceroute and extended ping (which is oh so cool) use TTL:

“…the equivalent field in the IPv6 header has been renamed Hop Limit to more accurately reflect its true usage.”

You have got to be kidding. I mean, seriously, folks, Time To Live sounds much more dramatic and way cooler than Hop Limit. I want to think of that poor packet dying a nasty death once the count reaches 0, dropping off the face of the internet as a router cruelly denies to pass it on, like a Paris Hilton wannabe turned away at a dance club door by a gruff bouncer. I want to see myself as a superhero sent to prevent this kind of harsh death and allow those poor little packets to safely reach their destinations. Hop Limit? That just sounds like the router politely denies the packet to pass, like a bouncer cutting off a drunken patron. “Sorry, packet, you’ve had too many hops tonight, now go outside the network and sleep it off.” Where’s the drama there? Time To Live really expresses the urgency of all this…these packets will DIE if they don’t get where they are going in 30 hops or less! They only have so much time on this network to live and they want to make the most of it. They want to see their destination before they die! Don’t send them to packet **** where they will never reach the host they were intended for!

Ok, maybe I need more sleep. It’s been a long week and by the end of yesterday I’d already put in a week’s worth of hours…but still, you’d think the people who make these kinds of decisions would think about the egos of us lowly protectors of packets!

Promotion! (If only it was at work!)

I’m proud and happy to announce that I’ve taken on the position of moderator at www.proprofs.com, a great site for those collaboratively studying for certifications.  The community there was incredibly supportive and helpful as I worked on my Network+ and CCNA certs as well as my Microsoft studies, so I’m flattered that they considered me worthy of joining the moderation team.  I hope to help grow the Cisco and other networking forums and help others work their way into the networking field.

My Tax Refund = 1 Pug Puppy + 4 New Tires + 1 Cisco Book

My tax refund came at the end of last week, bringing me a wonderful influx of income. For the most part, we did well at keeping things practical, like maintenance for our 1 vehicle, paying off some of the loan for my certs and such. My 2 frivolous purchases? An adorable pug puppy named Clyde and the (in)famous Cisco book, Routing TCP/IP, Volume 1. I know it may sound a little geeky, but I can’t wait to crack this one open and dig in. From all accounts, this plus it’s parasitic twin, Volume 2, are the most definitive guide on TCP/IP routing out there and a must-read for anyone studying Cisco.

I’m still waiting to hear back on the proposal I made to the company I am contracting for. With the encouragement of my supervisor and coworkers, I wrote up a proposal for them to pay for my CCNP exams should I pass them and purchase books for my studies with the stipulation that following attaining my NP I would stay here and work for at least a year. I am really hoping they accept as it would be a great help to me taking the next step in my studies, but only time will tell. In this economic climate, I can’t help but feel fortunate that my contract has been extended and I’m not job hunting! I chose the CCNP over the CCSP for my proposal because it seemed to fit the company’s needs better. It would mean taking a break from some of my other studies, but I had hoped to go for m CCNP at some point anyway and I know it would add value here.