Catherine Paquet | Diane Teare
Designed to help a student prepare for the Routing exam (640-503) en route to Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) certification,
Building Scalable Cisco Networks explains the three main routing protocols and provides exercises that will give readers practical experience on Cisco Systems equipment. This is an excellent, generally comprehensive guide to routed data networks that's as well suited to on-the-job reference as to test preparation. Authors Catherine Paquet and Diane Teare assume readers have somewhat less than CCNA-level knowledge of Cisco routing (probably a considerately conservative assumption), and explain Open Shortest Path First (OSPF), Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (EIGRP), and Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) in terms tailored to people who configure Cisco routers for a living.
Routing, like object-oriented programming, is one of the topics everyone must think about and conceptualize individually. Paquet and Teare use conceptual drawings, feature-comparison tables, and Internetwork Operating System (IOS) input-and-output listings--as well as lucid writing--to explain complex protocols as simply as possible. They also make use of a case study in which a company must integrate several acquired companies, each with different internetworking and routing schemes, into an efficient whole. More obviously test-preppish material includes configuration exercises (assigned and then separately explained) and review questions at each chapter's conclusion. --David Wall
Topics covered:
- Scalable routing protocols, as implemented on Cisco Systems routers
- Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) in single and multiple areas
- Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (EIGRP)
- Border Gateway Protocol (BGP)
- Techniques for optimizing routing-table updates
1 Bound to leave you confused!
I would save yourself some time by looking for other books. I was also daunted by this book's size and determined to master the material solely based on earlier reviews. So I read this book several times and have the following comments:
The organization of OSPF material has the following drawbacks: a) lack of context, the commands are covered only after some theory is given in a dry definition form. This is great, you may say, but to me it was not easy to put the definitions into context. The material for OSPF is mostly from the Cisco OSPF Design Guide (read those skimpy pages to get the most understanding of OSPF). So it looks like from the OSPF design guide, they seperated the theory and interspersed it with some other text and moved the configuration towards the chapter end. The second OSPF chapter requires serious apology to the readers: inter area routing and external routing are impossible to describe and make students understand without introducing redistribution(this is introduced only at the end). However, this makes the material extremely difficult to understand.
EIGRP is OK.
BGP is another complex set of definitions, and several reads are needed before even trying to piece together the definition and understand how to put everything together.
So: for OSPF start from OSPF design guide by Cisco. Not sure about where to go for EIGRP and BGP: I got a hang of those material by several reads of the Paquet and Teare material.
2 Building Scalable Cisco Networks
Please note that this book is for a retired exam. The new exam replacing this one is Building Scalable Cisco Internetworks (BSCI) 640-901
Don't waste your money!
3 A good book for the material it presents.
There are, I believe, at least two benchmarks against which one could rate this book. They are:
1) Does the book provide good coverage of the topics presented in the book, and
2) Does the book provide good coverage for all the topics you'll be tested for in BSCI (640-901).
I also believe that it would be a mistake to judge this book against a benchmark it wasn't designed for, hence, I'll confine my comments and rating from perspective 1.
The authors have done a good job with the topics presented in the book. I would recommend this book to anyone who is considering studying for the CCNP/CCIP certification and doesn't know where to begin. That said, I would suggest you look below at the list of books and testing software I found useful and necessary to prepare for the BSCI test.
Base guide: This book
Supplement for IS-IS: Lammel's BSCI book
MUST REFERENCES: Jeff Doyle's Vol 1 and 2
Testing software: Companion CD with Lammel's book, and Boson BSCI exam #2.
A few words about the test itself and how I fared. The test was tougher than I had anticipated. I say tough because, I felt that the questions and the choices were loosely worded to leave me with some doubt of my choices. So far, I've always completed the tests in somewhere between half and two-thirds the time-limit, however, it took me almost the allotted duration to complete this exam. To be candid, I felt I got lucky to have scored 907.
Note: Perhaps this review might be put in a better perspective if I said, that I've been away from hands-on experience with networks for the last five months. Prior to the break, I had worked in the internetworking industry for about five years(effectively) out of six.
I wish the best of luck to other pursuers!
4 Good enough to pass...
This book is good enough to pass the test. However, it does not go deep enough into covering IP routing protocols. If you want to take it a step (or two) further, check out "Cisco IOS for IP Routing" by Andrew Colton. That book should give you a lot more information on dynamic IP routing (RIP, EIGRP, OSPF, IS-IS, and BGP).
5 Great!!
Very good for the exam; you have to read this if you want to pass Cisco's Routing Exam.
6 Excellent
I have just started reading this book and, already, I see that is superb. It is far and away better than any tech book I have read.
7 Good enough for the exam
I passed 503 this morning with score 900. This book is not easy to read, but it does cover almost all the exam topics. Read it two or three times, you should be able to pass the exam with high score.
8 no hands-on experience and passed with the book
This book covers almost everything you will need at your exam. Read the book carefully 2 times minimum, write the commands, read extra material about BGP on CCO e-learning plus a test from Boson and you will be prepared for the exam.
I have given 4 stars because some places in the book are very difficult to read and understand, and lack of info on BGP.
Success!
9 Excellant material for BSCN
try this BSCN book from Cisco press by Catherine Paquet and Diane Teare. Excellant one with lots of pictorial illustrations router outputs with ofcourse less of errors. I could find only couple of error throughout the book. The authors are real trainers at Cisco authorised Global Knowledge Training partners,Canada eloborately covers the EIGRP,OSPF and BGP. It is highly recommended because the labs in this gives you good hands on experience. I used for my BSCN and enjoyed every bit of the reading. No need to say that most of the exam questions appeared from this book!
thanks suresh www.sureshhomepage.com
10 6 Stars
Very good book for BSCN. Just by reading this book (if you don't understand just read it again) and doing some boson exams you should be able to pass the exam.
11 Only book needed to pass BSCN
This book was better than a Sybex on the same subject and covered everything needed. Some theory was not as in-depth or clear as it should be, but this book should take you through everything needed to pass.
12 Great Book for BSCN...
The authors of this book did a great job of getting to the point and sticking to it. There is no wasted reading here. If you are studying for the BSCN, this is the best book out there. I read three others while preparing for the BSCN 2.0 exam, and they didn't even compare. Although, if you are looking to go in very deep to each subject, this book probably lacks.
13 Definitely more than enough to help pass your exam!
This book is the only book that you need to pass your Routing exam. The information in the book is very well layed out and covered in enough detail to explain the concepts to you, but not overbore you to sleep.
If you read this book cover to cover twice (I did), then you will be more than well prepared to pass the exam. It helped me pass the exam with a score of 936.
It's well worth your money and a lot better than buying a "cram" or braindump, because after reading this book, everything will become crystal clear to you. Besides - everything you learn towards attaining your CCNP will be applied to studying for your CCIE. Don't cheat your way out with imitation books or exam crams. The test is totally based on this book and if it only takes knowing 70% of the material to pass, then this book will provide you with 120% of what you need to know.
14 This is a vwery excellent book
I passed the test with a 873 out of 1000, needed 690 to pass. very good book, excellent! This book along with hands-on, the ccprep.com and cert21.com/cisco web sites . Their practice test simulates the real thing. There is also some very good white papers on the documentation homepage of cisco's website. A lot of questions on OSPF, BGP and EIGRP, know your commands.
Good Luck!
An excellent book Catherine, keep up the good work!
15 This with practice software.....passed first time.
Great book that covers all routing protocols needed to pass the exam and apply to real world scenarios. This book does give a lot of debug command outputs so one would not need equipment however it is recommended because the labs in this give you good hands on experience. This with practice test software like boson was all I needed.
16 Good Book for CCNA
I have been using this book to study for the CCNA. It seems all books have technical errors however I have found none so far. Hats off to the technical editor. The book does give enough detail to pass the routing exam, but it does not fully cover the details of IGP's or BGP.
17 A very good book for the Switching test
I read this book a few months ago, and it certainly hits on all of the points that you need to sucessfully pass the Cisco Switching test. It is also a good book for taking someone with little (or no) experience with Cisco switches, and taking them to a point of competency. The book by Clark and Hamilton is also very good.
18 Great Book!!!
This book is all that you need for the new Routing 2.0 exam. Get this book with a couple of routers and you're all set. Used this book with a pod of 6 routers and blasted the exam on the first attempt. The book has excellent labs at the end of every chapter so you get real hand on experience configuring EIGRP,OSPF,BGP, and a real profound understanding of all these routing protocols. Get this book if you really want to know the stuff and pass the exam also. Real great desktop resource for references. Let this book be your hunny for the next month and you can not fail the exam. Good book Catherine!! Really deserves 5 stars!!
19 Great book! read it and pass the routing 2.0 exam
The Routing 2.0 exam is 40% OSPF, 30% BGP, 20 % EIGRP and 10% general internetworking questions. This book has it all. It is easy to understand with excellent diagrams and config examples. It's the only book I needed to pass the exam. It's even a good reference book to have on the job for all those commands you can't remember 6 months after taking the test! Yes, Jeff Doyles book is fantastic, but if your main objective is to obtain your CCNP, then get this book.
20 Pass BSCN in one attempt
Very good book and detailed about NBMA OSPF EIGRP BGP and Route Distribution with examples. Every thing you need to pass CCNP 2.0 EXAM is available in this book.
21 A better Cisco Press..
I'm not usually happy with Cisco Press books. This is one of their better ones. I used this and the Mcgraw hill/Osbourne. This was well written, covered everything on the exam. Read the two and scored 900. Recommend this one highly.
22 Depends on what your goal is
I read the courseware that this book was extracted from. If your goal is to pass the CCNP 2.0 Routing exam, this book coupled with the Coriolis Exam Cram is the way to go. I used both of them and got an 875 on the exam. I also learned quite a bit.
If your goal is to get in depth knowledge of routing protocols and a good overview of TCP/IP, the Doyle book "Routing TCP/IP" is the way to go.
23 Good Book
This book is not bad. It is detailed with the exception of the BGP section, but the CCNP does not require one to know BGP inside and out. I found it hard to use this book because I already read Jeff Doyle's Routing TCP/IP, which is very detailed. I intended to use this book as supplement for the BGP, which was a disappointment because of its lack of breadth. Still recommend the book, but not if you read Jeff's already.
24 book I am waiting
This is the book I am waiting for a long time, they said it is gonna be oct 12, but I waited until today.
need to buy one for the CCNP and CCDP.
25 Mostly Excellent - recommend for all ccnp/ccdp candidates
Very well written, high marks for accuracy and clarity. BGP section could use come augmentation.
