Network+ Study Guide, 4th Edition

Amazon.com

The Network+ Study Guide explains all you need to know about computer networking to pass CompTIA's Network+ exam. The book covers the fundamentals of local area networks (LANs), the seven-layer Open Systems Interconnect (OSI) network model, and network operating systems (including NetWare, Windows NT, and to a lesser degree Unix variants). Readers will find considerable coverage of the TCP/IP protocol suite, including some of the utility programs used to configure it locally and remotely. There's also a lot of "softer" material about the duties of a network administrator, good troubleshooting practices, and the issues involved in network security. Organized to match CompTIA's stated objectives for the Network+ exam, this guide will prepare you for that test as well as Microsoft's Networking Essentials exam (70-058).

The presentation style is dense with prose, and tables are inserted where there are options or variations to memorize. More and larger conceptual diagrams would make this book better, since networking concepts are sometimes hard to grasp. There are quite a few stepped procedures though--most of them geared toward networked Windows machines. Each chapter concludes with a selection of multiple-choice review questions, the answers to which appear--without discussion, unfortunately--in an appendix. Additional questions appear in a drill program on the companion CD-ROM. --David Wall

Book Description

Here's the book you need to prepare for CompTIA's updated Network+ exam, N10-003. This revised edition of the best-selling Network+ Study Guide was developed to meet the exacting requirements of today's certification candidates. In addition to the focused and accessible instructional approach that has earned Sybex the reputation as the leading publisher for certification self-study guides, this book provides:

Clear and concise information on networking essentials.
Practical examples and insights drawn from real-world experience.
Leading-edge exam preparation software, including a test engine and electronic flashcards.

You'll also find authoritative coverage of key exam topics, including:

Media and Topologies
Protocols and Standards
Network Implementation
Network Support

Reviewed and approved as CompTIA Authorized Quality Curriculum (CAQC), this book provides numerous study advantages with CAQC materials, including coverage of all exam objectives, implementation of important instructional design principles, and instructional reviews that help students assess their learning comprehension and readiness for the exam.

Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.

Customer Reviews:

mis spellings throughout and very poor grammar.......2007-09-19

When reading the first 100 pages of this book, I spent most of the time trying to correct the poor grammar of the authors. I find that when I am trying to understand the concepts that incorrect grammar, poor sentence construction, and continued run on sentences are a major distraction. Not to mention endless spelling errors made this book a torture to read. I have therefore abandoned this book as a result of this terrible writing. I am disappointed, Mr. Groth wrote the book to my CCNA course, and that was very impressive. Obviously, not one of his best works.

Author needs editor.......2007-09-10

This book may be substantive and very relevant to a certification but it is not well written. Author makes assumptions that the reader is knowledgeable of a subject in one part of the book than explains those concepts in detail later. I found double negatives, senseless sentence structures, and misspelled words throughout the book.

Function A+
Form C-

Very Good Test Prep.......2007-06-21

I used only this book to study for the CompTIA N10-003 Network + exam. I passed the test on the first try. Questions on the test followed closely the study material presented in the book. Had no trouble using the included virtual lab CD and practice test CD. I am very satisfied with the results from studying using this book.

Not bad, but lacking.......2007-02-03

The book seems a bit basic in that it tries to cover only topics you will see on the exam. Despite that fact, I found that a fair number of questions on the exam were not covered in the book... at least not well enough. If you want to actually get some hands on practice, this is not the book for it. With the exception of a few commands, the book has nothing for you to try out.

The practice tests on the CD are decent. Don't expect to see all the Network+ questions on the CD. Some explanations for wrong answers are helpful, others are trivial/useless.

If you plan to take the Network+ exam this book should work for you if you already have a fair amount of networking knowledge and/or you use it in addition to another book to supplement what's not covered.

Good to very good study guide.......2007-01-19

As with any certification test, one should study from several sources. This book provided basic to advanced information and will remain on my shelf for reference.

I did pass the test though, and this book definitely played a big part in that!

Building Cisco Multilayer Switched Networks (BCMSN) (Authorized Self-Study Guide) (4th Edition) (Self-Study Guide)

Average customer rating:

so far so good...
Poorly written
Would not reccomend for studying for the BCMSN
MUST Have for any Cisco Network Administrator
A Review for the Exam and a Reference Book

Building Cisco Multilayer Switched Networks (BCMSN) (Authorized Self-Study Guide) (4th Edition) (Self-Study Guide)
Richard Froom , Balaji Sivasubramanian , and Erum Frahim
Manufacturer: Cisco Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1587052733

Book Description

Building Cisco Multilayer Switched Networks (BCMSN)

Fourth Edition

Foundation learning for CCNP 642-812 BCMSN

Richard Froom, CCIE® No. 5102

Balaji Sivasubramanian

Erum Frahim, CCIE No. 7549

Authorized Self-Study Guide: Building Cisco Multilayer Switched Networks (BCMSN), Fourth Edition, is a Cisco® authorized, self-paced learning tool for CCNP® switching foundation learning. You will learn how to create scalable multilayer switched networks by installing, configuring, monitoring, and troubleshooting network infrastructure equipment for a campus switched network and integrate advanced technologies such as VoIP and wireless.

This comprehensive book provides detailed information and easy-to-grasp tutorials on advanced skills in design, configuration, operation, and troubleshooting of enterprise level switched networks, including converged IP data, voice, and Airespace wireless LAN (WLAN) connectivity. The book assumes only a basic understanding of networking so it provides a great deal of detail on the topics covered.

This book is ideal for certification candidates who are seeking a self-paced tool to learn the material covered in the latest BCMSN exam.

Each chapter opens with the list of topics covered to clearly identify the focus of that chapter. At the end of each chapter, Study Tips list the main points related to the BCMSN exam. A summary of key concepts for quick study and review questions provide you with an opportunity to assess and reinforce your understanding of the material. Real-world case studies help illuminate theoretical concepts.

In addition, chapters that cover Catalyst configurations also include configuration exercises. Most of these are small-scale exercises that can be performed on a single switch. The goal of using small-scale exercises is to enable network professionals to practice the configuration exercises with only a single switch.

Richard Froom, CCIE® No. 5102, is a technical leader for the Data Center, Switching and Wireless (DSW), and Storage Area Networking (SAN) Test Lab at Cisco.

Balaji Sivasubramanian, CCNP, is an escalation engineer for the Gigabit Switching Business Unit (GSBU) at Cisco.

Erum Frahim, CCIE No. 7549, is a senior support engineer working for the Data Center, DSW, and SAN Test Lab at Cisco.

Provides a thorough introduction to campus switched network construction, support, and security
Explains the fundamentals of multilayer switched network design and specific design features such as Spanning Tree Protocol, quality of service (QoS), and high availability
Covers virtual LAN (VLAN) and InterVLAN Routing implementation
Incorporates wireless client access and configuring campus switches to support voice technologies
Uses extensive configuration examples and diagrams to solidify the explanations of topics
Presents self-assessment review questions, configuration exercises, chapter objectives and summaries, and study tips to ensure information recall

Foreword

Introduction

Chapter 1 Introduction to Building Cisco Multilayer Switched Networks
Chapter 2 The Roles of Switches in Designing Cisco Multilayer Switched Networks

Chapter 3 Initial Configuration and Troubleshooting of Cisco Multilayer Switches

Chapter 4 Implementing and Configuring VLANs

Chapter 5 Understanding and Configuring the 802.1D, 802.1s, and 802.1w Spanning Tree

Chapter 6 Adding Resiliency to Spanning Tree Using Advanced Features and Troubleshooting STP Issues

Chapter 7 Enhancing Network Stability, Functionality, Reliability, and Performance Using Advanced Features

Chapter 8 Understanding and Configuring Inter-VLAN Routing

Chapter 9 Understanding and Configuring Multilayer Switching

Chapter 10 Understanding and Implementing Quality of Service in Cisco Multilayer Switched Networks

Chapter 11 Deploying Multicast in the Multilayer Switched Network

Chapter 12 Design Network Resiliency, Redundancy, and High Availability in Multilayer Switched Networks

Chapter 13 Best Practices for Deploying Cisco IP Telephony Using Cisco Catalyst Switches

Chapter 14 Securing Your Multilayer Switched Network to Minimize Service Loss and Data Theft

Chapter 15 Introduction to the Catalyst Switching Architectures

Chapter 16 Designing, Building, and Connecting Cisco Multilayer Switched Networks Using Metro Solutions

Chapter 17 Performance and Connectivity Troubleshooting Tools for Multilayer Switches

Chapter 18 Introducing Wireless into the Campus Network

Review Questions

Appendix A

Answers to Review Questions

Index

This volume is in the Certification Self-Study Series offered by Cisco Press®. Books in this series provide officially developed self-study solutions to help networking professionals understand technology implementations and prepare for the Cisco Career Certifications examinations.

Category: Cisco Certification

Covers: CCNP BCMSN Exam 642-812

$65.00 USA / $81.00 CAN

Customer Reviews:

so far so good..........2007-09-28

I bought this book to start studying for CCNP however Ive been to busy to use it for that. however I do use it as a daily reference for work related issues. Its a great basic guide for anyone who uses multilayer switching in their network.

Poorly written.......2007-09-27

I'm sure the authors know the material inside and out. Unfortunately, they don't do a good job of communicating that knowledge to the reader. The book is poorly written. The authors go in for very long sentences. Sentences are typically 30 to 60 words long. Many of those sentences could have been bulleted lists. That would have greatly enhanced the readability of the book. Sentence structure is not the only problem. Many of the explanations are confusing and vague. I often had to read paragraphs several times before they made sense to me. Terms are used before they are defined. The authors are needlessly repetitive, with slightly different information in each repetition. I don't recommend this book. If you can, find an alternative.

Would not reccomend for studying for the BCMSN.......2007-06-04

I purchased this book 3 weeks ago to begin studying for the BCMSN. This book is not written with any flow at all. The authors will spend 4 or 5 pages previewing the chapter and using terms they haven't even defined yet. This is very frustrating when studying. I have also found technical errors so far through the first 4 chapters. I thought I was going crazy at first but I went back and found where they described one thing one way in the chapter and described it another way later in the chapter.

I would not reccommend this book.

MUST Have for any Cisco Network Administrator.......2007-06-04

This book clearly demonstrates that the authors have "been there, done that."
Liberal sets of both CatOS and IOS examples should appeal to admins at sites where 65xx Hybrid and/or Native OS are being used, and where 45xx's with older and/or newer supervisor modules are being used. The chapter on IP Telephony was quite insightful.

A Review for the Exam and a Reference Book.......2007-03-07

This is the fourth edition of this book. With each edition of the book major changes have been required to keep up with the rapid changes in the switches themselves. Originally the switches were relatively simple things that handled Layer 3 switching only. Since then they have added layers 4, 5, 6, and 7. Now they are including wireless. Further, the progress of switching has moved from large enterprises and service providers down to even the consumer level. Switching was part of the network infrastructure. As this book says, switching is now the network.

This book obviously concentrates on the Cisco approach to multilayer switching. This is not a particular problem since it is hard to image a network that doesn't contain at least some Cisco equipment. While the book is intended as primarily a self paced study guide to preparing for the BCMSN certification exam, it goes beyond the 'cram for the test' approach to provide the reader with a true understanding of building a network. The book is also designed to serve as a reference book for people looking to solve some particular problem as they establish the network.

The authors believe that readers should have a basic understanding of networking before starting this book. They suggest that having a CCNA or equivalent level of knowledge would help in taking full advantage of the topics covered.

CCNA Cisco Certified Network Associate Study Guide, 4th Edition (640-801)

Average customer rating:

4th edition doesn't cut it
Great Book
Get the "5th" Edition, not the "4th" edition...
Todd Lammale CCNA Fifth Edition
Great CCNA Study Book

CCNA Cisco Certified Network Associate Study Guide, 4th Edition (640-801)
Todd Lammle , and Sybex
Manufacturer: Sybex
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0782143113

Book Description

Updated for the Latest CCNA Exam
Here's the book you need to prepare for Cisco's revised CCNA exam, 640-801. This new edition of the best-selling CCNA Study Guide provides:
* In-depth coverage of every CCNA exam objective
* Practical information on Cisco internetworking solutions
* Hundreds of challenging review questions
* Leading-edge exam preparation software, including a test engine, sample simulation questions, and electronic flashcards
Authoritative coverage of all exam objectives, including:
* Network planning & designing
* Implementation & operation
* LAN and WAN troubleshooting

Customer Reviews:

4th edition doesn't cut it.......2005-12-12

I ordered the 4th edition, because it was cheaper. I've never seen the 5th edition though. In the 4th edition, they spend too much time talking about 1900 series routers, Pre IOS Version 12 and Pre Y2K stuff. When I studied for the CCNA exam, this book was only 10% useful. It's an OK reference book if you don't have anything else though.

Great Book.......2005-07-14

This is the 1 and only source I used to study for the exam and I passed it on my first attempt scoring just over 900. I found nothing in the book that ran counter to my experience and found it to be thorough and detailed. I did however have 2 years of working with Cisco Routers/Switches behind me before I began studying, so my learning curve was nowhere near that of someone trying to get a "Book Cert" with no hands on experience.

Get the "5th" Edition, not the "4th" edition..........2005-06-23

I just was looking through the books and noticed that this it the 4th edition. The 5th edition has the latest info, and Sybex finally has updates on the web site. Great concept for continually changing tests....

Todd Lammale CCNA Fifth Edition.......2005-06-14

I read the book...All of it,
When I start solving exams,,,,,I was disappointed...Its good that I didnt take the exams depending on the book and the 4 bouns exams included in the CD.Now I start to review most of the topics from :
CCNA Self-Study
CCNA ICND
Exam Certification Guide
Wendell Odom, CCIE No.1624

That made me need more days before going to the exams.

Great CCNA Study Book.......2005-04-21

A great book for the aspiring CCNA. This is the #1 CCNA book on the market today. Grab the latest edition for the most up-to-date test coverage.

The only thing that would have made this book better, would have been error correction. Be sure to check Sybex's website for all the errata corrections.

Business Data Networks and Telecommunications (4th Edition)

Average customer rating:

Terrible Book
Six Stars!
Great Book, using in my PSU networking class
Great Book, but Check Author's Web Site for Corrections
Great Overview of Data Communications

Business Data Networks and Telecommunications (4th Edition)
Raymond R. Panko
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0130359149

Book Description

This cutting-edge exploration of data communications features 11 core chapters of essential material and 6 advanced modules—allowing readers at all levels of expertise to get up to speed and keep pace with the latest developments in the field. Real-world case studies, hands-on exercises, and a Market Realities section give readers a feel of—and prepare them for—the broad range of situations they are likely to encounter on the job. Core Network Concepts. Standards. Physical Layer Propagation. A Small Ethernet PC Network. Other LAN Technologies. Telephony: Internal and External. Wide Area Networks (WANS). Internetworking. Security. Network Management and Systems Administration. Networked Applications. For Network administrators.

Customer Reviews:

Terrible Book.......2005-01-22

This book is awful. The revisions to it are updated, but to follow the book in order is nearly impossible. This is a text book being used at a college. The information in this book is scattered and makes learning the concepts difficult. I do not recommend this book for use at colleges/universities. There has to be another book out there that allows users to learn the concepts and terminology in an easier fashion.

Six Stars!.......2004-03-03

I've recently completed a course using this textbook. Excellent!!! It has been a long time (if ever) since I have actually enjoyed reading a textbook. I feel it should be mandatory reading for all authors and potential authors who will ever feel the need to publish a textbook for undergraduate level work in a technical field.

Most of the many corrections on the online corrections page are minor and insignificant (i.e. typos) and would probably go unnoticed by the reader. With press deadlines in technologies being what they are, it is fully understandable. The choice to include those corrections (a) gave me a sense of security in that it demonstrated the author's thoroughness and (b) proves that you don't have to cut a new edition of your work every six months (which can be quite annoying for anyone who is looking to get a specific edition for class).

I was pretty much convinced that it was impossible to design and publish a textbook in a technical field of a caliber such as this. In general, technical authors either confuse the reader by over complicating the layout and material or they put the reader to sleep by being overly shallow and overly redundant. This is not the case for this book. In the words of Goldilocks, this one is "just right". I strongly recommend it to anyone, whether they have a class requirement for it or not.

Great Book, using in my PSU networking class.......2003-03-02

This book is great, it starts from the beginning of the networking age and goes through all the newest technologies and ideas about networking. Covers the business aspects of networking, wireless, how TCP/IP works and pretty muct the 802 standars. Book covers everything, this is one book I won't be selling back. A really good reference book for the basics of networking and rules to follow as well when getting into the networking field.

Great Book, but Check Author's Web Site for Corrections.......2002-12-24

I just finished a semester with this book. Loved it! I didn't think I'd every say that about a textbook, but this one really makes it easy to remember the material. It does so by quizzing you at the end of every section instead of just waiting until the end of the chapter. I found that it significantly improved my retention rate.

I will however caution you that there are errors present in many of the chapters. The errors I came across looked like they were mainly due to poor editing and validation of the technical material. I STRONGLY recommend that you go to the author's web site as he quickly posts any and all corrections by chapter.

For ... dollars, you'd think that the book's publisher, Prentice Hall, would have reviewed the book a bit more thoroughly before publication.

Errors aside, this is a great book that will mostly likely improve further with the next edition.

Great Overview of Data Communications.......2000-12-05

We used this book in my graduate MIS course, and it was a great tool for learning the basics about data communications and networking. Many of my classmates thought that Panko did a great job of explaining data comm concepts, whether it was something as simple as an ethernet LAN, or as complex as an ATM network. Everyone in my class seemed to enjoy the text (both highly technical students with a background in data comms, and students who were learning the material for the first time).

The book is designed to give readers a general overview of a subject, then drill down into the details in later chapters. He starts with the basics (layers, encapsulation, protocols, etc), and then gets into how networks are built from the ground up. Panko has included numerous modules at the end of the book if you want to learn even more about a specific topic.

The author has also put together slides for each chapter which were very helpful in explaining difficult concepts, or emphasizing certain chapters in the text. If you can get a copy of them, I highly recommend using them.

I recommend this book for anyone looking for a way to learn a lot about data communications and networking. This book covers the gamut from LAN to WAN technology, packet switching, ATM networks, frames, IP addresses, etc. It can also serve as a tremendous reference if you need to review a topic later on down the road.

Average customer rating:

most comprehensive self-study

Everything You Need to Know, Updated to Current Tests

Good value, good books

Excellent

Up-to-date information but with a lot of typos

CCNP Certification Library, 4th Edition, (Cisco Systems CCNP Self-Study)
Clare Gough , David Hucaby , Neil Lovering , Craig Dennis , Brian Morgan , and Amir Ranjbar
Manufacturer: Cisco Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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CCNP Flash Cards and Exam Practice Pack (CCNP Self-Study)

CCDP Self-Study: Designing Cisco Network Architectures (ARCH) (Self-Study Guide)

CCNP: Complete Study Guide (642-801, 642-811, 642-821, 642-831)

CCDA Self-Study: Designing for Cisco Internetwork Solutions (DESGN) 640-861, First Edition

CCNA Certification Library (CCNA Self-Study, Exam #640-801) (Self Study)

ASIN: 1587201496

Amazon.com

The Cisco CCNP Certification Library is a set of four technically-correct books written as course materials. They all have the same strengths and weaknesses: they're technologically accurate and make passing the exam a no-brainer, but the dense, no-frills nature of the writing means that every sentence must be read thoroughly and completely to guarantee your CCNP.

First of all, the good points: By and large, these books are highly accurate and reasonably error-free, which is not at all surprising, since these are official course guides straight from Cisco's mouth. They get their facts across directly and succinctly, and are unlike most other certification books in that they're all deeply concerned with teaching you how to do your job properly. They're packed with on-the-job examples, and the experience shines through when it comes to teaching you the important bits, for not only do they show you the "how" and the "why," but quite often they also show you the "where"--how each technology and protocol fits into the larger picture.

The writing, unfortunately, is much the same from book to book--they're all extremely textbooky, as if each book was written by Joe Friday from Dragnet. There isn't a wasted sentence to be found here; every word counts, making the information-to-text ratio higher than almost any other certification book you're likely to find on the market. Skim a page of a topic that you think you already know, and you may miss two or three important smaller points that become quite important in later chapters. If you're used to chattier books like Sybex or Macmillan, the lack of handholding can be abrupt and startling.

The information density and real-world experience comes at a cost: Although the end goal of every test-taker is ultimately to put that experience to work on a live system, every CCNP wannabe has to get over the hurdle of taking the exam--and none of the books are true exam practice. Admittedly, each of them gives you tons of useful knowledge, but there are a lot of meanderings where they go into detail on something that never gets tested. Furthermore, they don't tell you that these are rarely-tested topics, so you may spend a lot of time struggling with some abstract concept that never comes up on the exam, and ignoring a subject that almost always is on the exam.

Moreover, the questions at the end of each chapter are essay-style, not multiple-choice. Cisco has made it quite clear what their teaching objectives are: If you know the material well enough, says Cisco, you don't need us to tell you what's on the exam--you'll know. As such, each book has to be read and thoroughly understood in its entirety in order to guarantee a passing score. This means that if you're willing to devote the time and effort, you'll pass without a hitch--exam slackers can look elsewhere.

The books themselves are remarkably consistent, and pleasantly free from the "two good books and a crappy one" syndrome so common in large, expensive boxed sets. Each book pulls its own weight, although the CCNP Routing Guide--even though it's the thickest and deals with some of the toughest concepts--is probably the weakest in the set, since some of the writing is obtuse even by Cisco's standards and may confuse those not intimately familiar with routing concepts. On the other hand, the CCNP Support guide is sterling by anyone's standards and is even a useful read for non-CCNP candidates, as it hands out real-world troubleshooting advice by the barrelful.

In short, this set isn't an easy read--not even close. It isn't for those who barely passed their CCNA or people who don't routinely work with networks. But it is astoundingly comprehensive and error-free by certification guide standards, and the effort you put into grinding through here will be richly rewarded by a high passing score and a good foundation of CCNP concepts that will set you up for an excellent job--and perhaps even your CCIE. Highly recommended. --William Steinmetz

Book Description

The complete Cisco self-study exam prepartion library for CCNP Certification

The only Cisco authorized self-study exam certification guides for CCNP test preparation

Includes the third edition of CCNP BCMSN Exam Certification Guide

Pre- and post-chapter quizzes help readers identify and master areas of weakness

Includes 4 CD-ROMs with PC test engines and complete text in electronic format

CCNP Certification Library is a comprehensive, value-priced review and practice self-study package for the four CCNP exams: BSCI, BCMSN, BCRAN, and CIT. The four books contained in this package, CCNP BSCI Exam Certification Guide, CCNP BCMSN Exam Certification Guide, CCNP BCRAN Exam Certification Guide, and CCNP CIT Exam Certification Guide, present complete reviews and ample opportunity to test your knowledge of CCNP exam topics. These authorized Cisco CCNP self-study guides are written by CCIE certified individuals and certified Cisco Systems instructors, bringing years of teaching and consulting experience together in an ideal test preparation format.

Every chapter in each Cisco Press Exam Certification Guide focuses your study and tests your knowledge of the subject through specially designed assessment features. "Do I Know This Already?" quizzes assess your knowledge and help you decide how much time you need to spend on each section. The detailed Foundation Topics sections review the exam topics you will need to master. Each chapter includes a Foundation Summary section full of tables and concise reviews for quick reference. Challenging chapter-ending review questions and scenario-based exercises test your knowledge of the subject matter, reinforce key concepts, and ensure that you understand how all the technologies work together in a real-world environment. Finally, each book's companion CD-ROM has a robust, customizable test engine with simulation-based question types that allows you to take practice exams that mimic the real testing environment. You can take a full sample exam, focus on particular topic areas, randomize answers for reusability, track your progress, examine your strengths and weaknesses, and refer to an electronic version of the book to review concepts.

This new fourth edition replaces CCNP Certification Library, Third Ed. (1587201046).

Customer Reviews:

most comprehensive self-study.......2006-11-04

It was one of the best self-study books and of course, from an online service that is best in service and delivery.

Everything You Need to Know, Updated to Current Tests.......2005-11-09

Cisco Press has re-issued the complete Certification Library in a Third Edition. These four books cover:
BSCI Exam 642-801
BCMSN Exam 642-811
BCRAN Exam 642-821
CIT Exam 642-831
which are the current versions of the exams as listed on Cisco's web site (November 8, 2005).

The set of four books contains updated copies of:
CCNP Self-Study CCNP CIT Exam Certification Guide
CCNP Self-Study CCNP BSCI Exam Certification Guide
CCNP Self-Study CCNP BCRAN Exam Certification Guide
CCNP Self-Study CCNP BCMSM Exam Certification Guide. It includes four companion CD-ROMs that contain test banks with a total of more than 800 practice questions.

Although this is a somewhat intimidating amount of material, buying it in a bundle like this gives you everything you need in one storage box and at a good cost savings over buying the books separately.

Good value, good books.......2005-06-21

Overall, thought the BCMSN was best, then BSCI, then BCRAN, then CIT.

BCMSN is an excellent book, well written and comprehensive. It some nice practice scenarios at the end that are tough and really test your knowledge. Almost everything on the exam was in the book.

BCSI book is also excellent. There are nice practice scenarios at the end of each chapter that test your knowledge. It's a thick book (~900 pages!) and there were very few unpleasant surprises on the exam. Only quibble is that the ISIS chapters could've been easier to understand.

BCRAN is good, but there are a few holes. In particular, there are 2 topics that are woefully inadequate for the exam. Also, no practice scenarios.

CIT is definitely the weakest. It's the shortest book, unnecessarily IMO. It pretty much assumes that you remember all of the "show" and "debug" commands from the previous 3 tests (plus the CCNA) and doesn't really give any examples. The three practice scenarios (only 3 scenarios for a troubleshooting exam!!!) are so-so and there aren't enough of them. To pass the CIT, you definitely need supplmentary materials.

Excellent.......2004-02-18

Once you have achieved the CCNA certification, your natural path points toward the Cisco Certified Network Professional certification. This title from Cisco Press is a set consisting of one book for each of the four exams specific to the CCNP certification. This set includes the following books:

--CCNP BSCI Exam Certification Guide, Third Edition, by Claire Gough
--CCNP BCMSN Exam Certification Guide, by David Hucaby
--CCNP BCRAN Exam Certification Guide, Second Edition, by Brian Morgan and Craig Dennis
--CCNP CIT Exam Certification Guide, Second Edition, by Amir S. Ranjbar

This set, covering diverse topics in significant detail, is an excellent CCNP preparation tool. The material in the books focuses on Cisco's published objectives for the CCNP exams, and covers them well. The longest and most unique book in this collection is the volume on routing (BSCI). It's structured to cover the objectives for the 642-801 exam using several tools common to all the books in the set-namely detailed but highly readable text, graphical, tabular, and router configuration examples, Q&A and "Do I Know This Already?" quizzes, and the bundled CDROM. The graphics are first-rate and illustrate key concepts clearly.

What sets the BSCI book apart from the others in the set, and other Cisco Press books I've read, is the series of lab exercises at the end of each chapter. The BSCI labs provide comprehensive scenarios that take in all the concepts taught in each chapter, in step-by-step form. Answers are provided following each example so that you can check your work. This book is particularly well-suited to self-study. This level of detail and the inclusion of labs is key, since in my opinion, the CCNP routing exam (642-801) is the most difficult one in all of Cisco's Professional-level certifications. It's appropriate that the routing book, at 950 pages, contains about a third of the pages of the entire set!

The labs in the routing book cover concepts that Cisco hits hard on the exam questions and simulations, including OSPF, BGP and IS-IS. You'll need a fair amount of Cisco equipment to do the lab work, but it's obtainable on-line and is worth the investment if you want to do well on the exams and really understand the topics. For a book of this size, the routing text is remarkably consistent and error-free. Although I found a few minor errors here and there, the book is well-suited to self-study-in part because it is so accurate. The overall structure and content of this book make it the strongest learning tool I've seen for the BSCI exam.

Although the other three books in the set don't include this comprehensive level of configuration exercises, they do provide some scenario-based material to reinforce concepts.

All the texts are good for instructor-led training, or as a text for web-based training. Although the other three books are all significantly shorter than the routing text, they share many of the excellent traits that makes this set such a strong preparation tool for the CCNP certification exams. I tried to use Exam Cram 2 texts in addition to this Cisco Press set while preparing for the BSCI and BCMSN exams, and quickly found that the Cisco Press set offers by far the clearest, most easily digested, error-free and relevant information.

Each book in this set comes with a CD that contains a high-quality practice exam engine (sourced by Boson), as well as the PDF text of the book and some sample material from other Cisco Press titles. I found the CDs very useful-especially the test engines, since a key part of studying for certification exams that are as difficult as Cisco's CCNP exams is assessing what you've learned and how well you can apply it. The self-tests include questions of each type that appear on the exams, including basic simulation-type questions that are probably best called scenarios; they don't have the look and feel of an actual router or switch interface during configuration, as the exams do. They do, however, show you clearly whether you understand the command syntax and topics being covered. The practice test questions are harder and less forgiving, overall, than what's on the exams. I found that if I could make 75% or better on the sample tests, my scores were significantly better on the CCNP exams.

The weakest book in this set is the CIT text, which sticks strictly to Cisco's published objectives for the exam. As such, it's a bit simplistic and doesn't exercise your mind much when it comes to troubleshooting for results-it's oriented toward procedure rather than outcome. The author lets you know to expect this going in, and I appreciated his honesty. The three scenarios offered at the end of the book are rather weak; I was hoping for substantial troubleshooting exercises. But all of the topics on the CIT exam are fully covered in this book.

The BCMSN and BCRAN books are both excellent long-term references, along with the BSCI text, and cover not only the core topics of the exams but also a lot of information useful to networking people after the exams are distant memories. This trait is the core strength of this set. The layout, graphics, quality writing and editing, and extra learning tools make for an outstanding value. Overall, I can't recommend this set highly enough. The highly motivated learner will find everything in this set that's needed to pass the CCNP exams. That said, however, it is important to have either professional experience, a set of readily available routers and switches, or both, to make it over the CCNP hurdles.

These books have a prominent place on my bookshelf at work and at home. I have two sets because I think the books are that good. Anyone interested in networking at the geek level of detail will be well-served by this set.

Up-to-date information but with a lot of typos.......2004-01-19

I bought the CCNP Certification Library for recertifying my CCNP and CCDP. I have just finished reading the BSCI book. Although the book has some up-to-date information such as IS-IS, there are a lot of typing errors which I hope Cisco Press will fix in the second edition.

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