1. 

   Anonymous
   December 29th, 2009 - 23:55

   I never rely on a single book when preparing for a certification exam. CCNA was my 29th. Pass them all on the first try.

   At work I have access to some production Cisco routers so I can get some hands on. But of course I can’t make any configuration changes. And I’ve been intimately involved with half-a-dozen Cisco installations. But to be good at configuring Cisco routers from scratch, you really as much hands on as possible. So thank you Todd for your simulator. Even though the its only good for following the built-in labs (only a subset of the CLI commands are implemented), it’s the next best thing to having your own router lab.

   The book, on the other hand, is a waste. Todd must have been paid by the word. There were far to many screen dumps (he even tells you that two command produce the same output, then shows you the two identical screen dumps to prove it.) and far to few illustrations. And when it comes to screen dumps, there needed to be a lot more bolding or highlighting to bring out the areas of interest.

   I know from other posts, that people have used this book exclusively to prepare for the exam, and that’s fine, if all you’re looking for out of a book is passing the exam. For me getting certified is a mute point. I’ll pass any certification exam I’m after. So what I’m looking for in a study guide(s) that provide a knowledge base (foundation) that I can build upon to improve my job performance.

   As I said I never rely on just a single book for exam preparation. Usually each book provides some benefit: a different prospective, or greater detail in one area or another. But in this case, I should have saved some money and purchased only the simulator instead of the combo.

   PS: Don’t be fooled into thinking that the simulator and book go together. They were written as two totally separate products. You can’t read the book while trying out the commands on the simulator. Too many of the commands just aren’t there, or only some of the parameters are supported. And for the same reason, you can’t perform the book’s labs on the simulator. The commands have to be entered in exactly as they are presented in the simulator’s labs. It’s simply the difference between how a real router works and how the simulator works. The simulator is still a great learing tool, but as a stand-a-lone product.
   Rating: 3 / 5
2. 

   Anonymous
   December 30th, 2009 - 00:10

   Lammle generalizes a great deal in this text. Yes, he covers the fundamentals, but fails to give more detail information concerning LAN design, LAN Switching, and WAN protocol compatibility.

   A text for beginners, but I would not rely on it alone for the examination…It is the details that will make you or break you on the exam…
   Rating: 3 / 5
3. 

   LHG
   December 30th, 2009 - 03:01

   I managed to pass the CCNA exam on my second try with this book. The explanations and examples are clear and straight to the point. The chapters are also arranged in a very systematic way which makes study enjoyable. Trust Todd if you want to pass your CCNA.
   Rating: 5 / 5
4. 

   Anonymous
   December 30th, 2009 - 04:56

   This book is … ..Full STOP!!

   it has not enough info.
   Info it has is not in enough detail
   +
   It contains wrong info and they are in alot of detail too

   The way it explains wild card in access list is just confusing… He doesn’t even mention that it works in binary fomat which 0 represents checking and 1 means ignor..instead he made up this formula that are just impractical..

   He talks VLAN and ISL but no where does he mention how you can set up a vlan and ISL on routers and switches…

   I recommend Cisco press’ ICND and certification guide…I bought this cert library which had those two books and internetworkikng tech hand book…it’s awesome..

   with Sybex I failed by alot and with cisco books i got 95x..
   Rating: 1 / 5
5. 

   Kevin R. Huffman
   December 30th, 2009 - 06:06

   So far this has been an excellent book to learn about the CISCO certification process.
   Rating: 4 / 5

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