gradedlabs.com tech bits » rack rental http://www.gradedlabs.com/blog Your Token To Success Tue, 12 Apr 2011 20:27:09 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Active Support – We’ve got you covered on your CCIE Rack http://www.gradedlabs.com/blog/2009/09/30/active-support-weve-got-you-covered-on-your-ccie-rack/ http://www.gradedlabs.com/blog/2009/09/30/active-support-weve-got-you-covered-on-your-ccie-rack/#comments Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:14:37 +0000 Richard McLain http://www.gradedlabs.com/blog/?p=213

Studying for the CCIE exam is a challenge in itself,  and is even more difficult since most of the studying is done on actual hardware.  From time-to-time unforeseen issues will arise that require support.  We are here to help.  This article helps to assist you in what kind of support we offer and how to troubleshoot different issues.

Types of support.

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If you are having a product support question regarding a Internetwork Expert CCIE product, you will need to contact Internetwork Expert [link].  For configuration issues please visit the Internetwork Expert Online Community [link]. If you are having trouble with a learning capsule or a question regarding the gradedlabs.com website then please contact us directly. [link] If you do not have a current session and have questions about our equipment please contact us. [link] Otherwise, your support question is for our Active Support.

Determining your problem.

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The first step in determining where your problem lies is logging into your gradedlabs.com members account. [link] (Login Required)

Access Problems

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Access guides are available for each track to help you connect to the devices on the rack. We have posted guides for CCIE Routing & Switching [link], CCIE Security [link], CCIE Service Provider [link], and CCIE Voice [link].  These guides are free and are available for download in our online store.

Login

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You will need to provide your gradedlabs.com user name and password to continue with active support.  If you already have an account with INE, please use your INE credentials to login.

Account Dashboard

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On the left of the Account Dashboard you will need to click the link marked “My Support” [link].

Active Support

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There are several things listed on the active support page to assist you getting your problem resolved. This is only available with active rack sessions. As with the email that is sent to you before your session, you can also see the access methods to the rack listed at the top of the page. (1) is the username to login is and (2) is the password to be used.

Diagnostics

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Before your session begins we run a diagnostic test on the equipment in the CCIE rack.  The results of this test are displayed on the “My Support” page.  As you can see from the photo above, all the devices in CCIE RSRACK19 have passed the diagnostics. If this fails for you, then please issue a ticket.

“Line In Use”

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If you are receiving a error saying “line in use” then we have a automated solution that will assist you clear the lines. If this does not resolve your issue, try one more time and wait a few minutes before submitting a ticket.

Password Failure?

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If your password doesn’t seem to be working, you can reset it using our online tools.

Accessing other Devices

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Trouble accessing a device or even multiple devices on the rack. Before you submit a ticket, try power cycling the rack and wait 15 minutes before submitting a ticket.

Configuration or Workbook Lab problems?

Unfortunately, we can not assist with your lab.  If you have lab or configuration related issues, please try submitting your question to ieoc.com.  INE has a very active online community and their developers are very active as well.

That didn’t work, what now?

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So, you’ve tried one or more of the options above and still having trouble. Now it’s time to submit a support ticket. This Active Support System comes with every rack rental. Regardless if you purchased tokens from gradedlabs.com or INE.com we provide you with this service at no cost. Submitting a ticket immediately alerts our support staff, day or night, 24/7. We will then assist you getting your problem resolved. If your issue cannot be resolved on your current rack we will make every effort to try and switch your rack or if necessary refund your session. If an operator is available for live chat then please feel free to use our live chat instead of submitting a ticket.

What to expect

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So I have a hardware issue regarding R2 and I am submitting this ticket.

Open Support Tickets

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Now at the bottom there is a Open Support Tickets table which shows that my ticket is in the queue. Also, you should notice a e-mail with the credentials for logging directly into our support suite.

Email Notification

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Clicking this link let’s us view the details of the ticket and see any replies from one of our support staff. Be sure to notice that the login for this support site is different than your gradedlabs.com login. The password is included in the notification email.

Support Suite

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Here you can check the status of your ticket and make futher comments or questions about your current session.

Everything else.

If you have any further questions about our support or this blog, please contact us. [link] When it comes to rack rentals, look no further than gradedlabs.com.  We offer the best rack rentals at very competitive prices.  What are you waiting for, get your token to success now [link].

Follow Us on Twitter [link]

Friend Us on Facebook [link]

]]> http://www.gradedlabs.com/blog/2009/09/30/active-support-weve-got-you-covered-on-your-ccie-rack/feed/ 0 Steps to Take When Preparing for a 8 and 1/2 Hour Exam http://www.gradedlabs.com/blog/2009/08/19/steps-to-take-when-preparing-for-a-8-and-12-hour-exam/ http://www.gradedlabs.com/blog/2009/08/19/steps-to-take-when-preparing-for-a-8-and-12-hour-exam/#comments Wed, 19 Aug 2009 15:27:00 +0000 Richard McLain http://www.gradedlabs.com/blog/?p=111 Not many people take a long exam, so preparations might be hard to think of other than studying. Here are some basics for people getting ready to take a long exam that covers preparations that you might have overlooked.

When taking special exams for certifications, some of them can take over eight hours and it is a good idea to be prepared for such a long exam. Each exam that takes this much time will have different rules for breaks, so this article will simply cover the basics of what is to be expected, and how to handle things in case you don’t get a long break during the exam.
Most long exams will work one of two ways. They can have separate sections, such as a written exam and a hands on exam, and you can take a break in between the sections to get food and take time to use the bathroom if need be. Other exams don’t allow for these breaks because they have to be careful about people studying for the exam during the break. It will be a good idea for you to learn what the policy is for the exam you are taking.
Exams that let you take breaks are ideal because it puts less stress on you. You will need to know if food will be provided, which is the case for many long exams, or if you will have to bring your own meal. Some places will give you the option of bringing a meal even if food is provided, while other will require that you eat what they serve. These exams are so strict because they don’t want anyone bringing in outside materials that could have studying tools in them. Bathroom breaks may be given at designated times, probably during the time between each section.
An exam that doesn’t give breaks will be a bit more complicated and require more preparation on your part. The morning of the exam, you will want to make sure you eat a big breakfast at least one hour before the test. Also make sure you limit how much you drink during that same hour because you don’t know when you’ll be able to get a bathroom break. You want to eat and drink early before the test so that you have time to use the bathroom before you go to the exam. You may be able to pack some snacks as well for during the exam, but again you will need to check on the policies for that specific test.
Besides prepping for being confined in a room for eight hours, you also need to be ready for the test itself. You should have already been studying for the exam, but have you been preparing for sitting that long? If you can, take a practice exam so you get a feel for the long hours. When you go to the test, make sure you take extra pens or pencils so that if one breaks or stops working you’ll be able to continue with the test. Having both types of utensils will let you be prepared if they require one or the other for taking the test. You may also want to bring other supplies such as a ruler and a pencil sharpener, or extra lead if you use mechanical pencils. By doing all of this you should be ready for a very long exam.

When taking special exams for certifications, some of them can take over eight hours and it is a good idea to be prepared for such a long exam. Each exam that takes this much time will have different rules for breaks, so this article will simply cover the basics of what is to be expected, and how to handle things in case you don’t get a long break during the exam.

Most long exams will work one of two ways. They can have separate sections, such as a written exam and a hands on exam, and you can take a break in between the sections to get food and take time to use the bathroom if need be. Other exams don’t allow for these breaks because they have to be careful about people studying for the exam during the break. It will be a good idea for you to learn what the policy is for the exam you are taking.

Exams that let you take breaks are ideal because it puts less stress on you. You will need to know if food will be provided, which is the case for many long exams, or if you will have to bring your own meal. Some places will give you the option of bringing a meal even if food is provided, while other will require that you eat what they serve. These exams are so strict because they don’t want anyone bringing in outside materials that could have studying tools in them. Bathroom breaks may be given at designated times, probably during the time between each section.

An exam that doesn’t give breaks will be a bit more complicated and require more preparation on your part. The morning of the exam, you will want to make sure you eat a big breakfast at least one hour before the test. Also make sure you limit how much you drink during that same hour because you don’t know when you’ll be able to get a bathroom break. You want to eat and drink early before the test so that you have time to use the bathroom before you go to the exam. You may be able to pack some snacks as well for during the exam, but again you will need to check on the policies for that specific test.

Besides prepping for being confined in a room for eight hours, you also need to be ready for the test itself. You should have already been studying for the exam, but have you been preparing for sitting that long? If you can, take a practice exam so you get a feel for the long hours. When you go to the test, make sure you take extra pens or pencils so that if one breaks or stops working you’ll be able to continue with the test. Having both types of utensils will let you be prepared if they require one or the other for taking the test. You may also want to bring other supplies such as a ruler and a pencil sharpener, or extra lead if you use mechanical pencils. By doing all of this you should be ready for a very long exam.

When preparing for the CCIE Exam, there is only one way to see if you are truly ready to pass.  That is to take a mock lab exam.  This exam simulates the 8 1/2 hour Cisco exam and is graded by a actual CCIE.  Currently the mock lab is only available for CCIE Routing & Switching Candidates.  To learn more about the CCIE Routing & Switching Mock Lab click here.  Save $30 by entering discount code: AMIREADY
]]> http://www.gradedlabs.com/blog/2009/08/19/steps-to-take-when-preparing-for-a-8-and-12-hour-exam/feed/ 2 Scheduling CCIE Security Rack Rentals http://www.gradedlabs.com/blog/2009/06/24/scheduling-ccie-security-rack-rentals/ http://www.gradedlabs.com/blog/2009/06/24/scheduling-ccie-security-rack-rentals/#comments Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:11:01 +0000 Richard McLain http://www.gradedlabs.com/blog/?p=23 This gradedlabs tech bit demonstrates how to schedule and unscheduled a CCIE Security rack rental from the Internetwork Expert Members Site.

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]]> http://www.gradedlabs.com/blog/2009/06/24/scheduling-ccie-security-rack-rentals/feed/ 0 Scheduling CCIE Service Provider Rack Rentals http://www.gradedlabs.com/blog/2009/06/23/scheduling-ccie-service-provider-rack-rentals/ http://www.gradedlabs.com/blog/2009/06/23/scheduling-ccie-service-provider-rack-rentals/#comments Wed, 24 Jun 2009 02:47:06 +0000 Richard McLain http://www.gradedlabs.com/blog/?p=11 This gradedlabs tech bit demonstrates how to schedule and unscheduled a ccie service provider rack rental from the Internetwork Expert Members Site.

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