Mark A. Poplar | Jason Waters | Shawn D. McNutt | David Stabenaw | Mark Poplar | Jason Waters
1 The Cram has more that the Prep
No doubt this CCNA book is very easy to read, unlike the ones from Cisco Press. I am reading it alongside with the Exam Cram & found out that this Prep book actually has less info on Switching & VLANs as compared to the smaller size Cram, which is ODD.
The 1st edition CCNA Exam Cram which I got, actually shows what the IOS looks like when booting Cisco switches, it also shows how to enter the IP address & netmask, but none of that in the Prep. I don't have the newer 2nd edition CCNA Exam Cram, therefore I can't comment.
I notice that the CCNA for Dummies also left out the IOS part in Switches & maybe it's not that important in the exam, but "Less in Prep & More in Cram"... goodness, the "Less is more" sounds about right.
To conclude, I think the CCNA focus more on routing than switching, it is better to get the CCNP or the new CCIP to get you a job.
Hope the Exam Prep series can find a new home soon...
The Exam Cram is now owned by QUE & called it Exam Cram 2.
2 Coriolis CCNA Exam Prep is an Excellent Prep book for CCNA
I highly recommend all Coriolis Exam Prep and Exam Cram books and the Exam Prep "Routing and Switching" is no different. I just passed the CCNA exam today after reading both the Exam Cram and Exam Prep books. They were a tremendous help.I have used this series of books to acquire 3 certifications in the IT field.
Coriolis has designed these books to work as a 2-part system. Step 1, read the larger and more detailed Exam Prep book to gain a thorough understanding of the material. Step 2, read the Exam Cram book to prepare you for the test itself. Reading both books gives you a solid foundation of understanding and excellent preparation for the exams themselves.
I feel skipping either book is cheating yourself of knowledge and will make obtaining the certification more difficult.
I have heard that Coriolis is having problems and maybe going out of production. I hope not. Their Exam Prep and Exam Cram books are some of the best on the market and been a valuable resource in my career development.
3 Great Book...
I used this book and the Exam Cram series only to study for my CCNA 2.0 exam and passed with little trouble. The Exam Cram has a few errors but nothing that will cause you much grief. I highly recommend the Exam Prep Series to all test takers.
4 Good Foundation Needed For Further Cisco Certs
I used this book and Cisco Press's ICND to prepare for my NA exam and passed it with a nearly perfect score. This book covered the details needed for the exam well. When I was taking my NP/DP, I came back to this book to review details needed for the Remote Access portion of the NP track. This is where this book really shines. WAN protocols are covered in great detail. Use this book for the WAN protocols and ICND for the switching portion. With both of these books, the routing portion of the NA exam will be covered sufficently.
5 Very good book, but many typos
Using this book as my primary study source, I passed CCNA with 967/1000. It's a terrific book - well organized, has all the information that was on CCNA and more. I would have given this book a 5, but there were many minor errors in it (which you can easily catch once you know your stuff very well). I'd recommend this book to anyone with at least basic networking knowledge, who'd like to pass CCNA, or would just like to learn more about Cisco hardware & IOS syntax, TCP/IP & IPX, routing, LAN/WAN hardware, etc.
6 Crisp and engaging
Read the second chapter and you've been exposed to one of the cleanest descriptions of the OSI model you're likely to find anywhere (although if you have a better example, hook me up!)
The Exam Prep is totally unlike the Exam Cram and well worth the additional money. Even if you know the topic cold, the practice questions are far more varied. And the text itself is sufficiently balanced between tutorial and reference that it can be a great memory jogger for those obscure functional quirks that respond to a well worded, in-context nudge.
What's lacking: Sex, nudity, and any references to Zen, world issues, or Albert Schwitzer. I'm a CNE that used the Novell books extensively to learn much of the same material. I would have to say that this book will supplement the studies of anyone that needs to have a basic understanding of internetworking. It might just serve as a good guide for the Novell Fundamentals of Internetworking examination. Regrettably, there are also no references to cavies.
Be aware that no single teaching book can contain all of the funky little details that exam writers love to glom upon, but this one does far better than most.
Combine this with a decent test prep software, and some committed time to the CISCO pubs that go with your network gear, and you definitely have a fighting chance.
7 Counting on this book
Well organized and written. I'm counting on this book to get me a passing score. I have read other CCNA books but fell short of a passing score by just a few points. When I heard the CCNA 1.0 was no longer going to be offered, I rushed to study and take the test. Big mistake #1. I didn't think there was much of a difference between 1.0 and 2.0 so I rescheduled (since I do have industry experience with switches and plus I was so close). Big mistake #2 (totally different test, I felt "green" like a MCSE in a CCIE's world). Out of $200 I was like...BUMMER. I invested in Exam Prep to fill in what I was missing. Now that I have finished this book I feel confident that I am equipped with the real deal. I am eager to take the test, it will be a great way to bring in the New Year. The review questions and hands-on projects are great (providing you have access to equipment). The coverage in WAN Protocols is awsome which happend to be one of my weak points. I understand ISDN now. EXAM PREP is the tool to put me over the top. Buy it, read it, and welcome aboard the fantastic world of "real" networking.
8 ALotOfGoodStuff
This book has a ton of good information about Cisco devices, the IOS and the many routed and routing protocols. Most of it is covered in real detail and is not really for those (who are) new to computer networking. I'd say this is a little of the advanced course although it does start with the beginning Cisco information you do need to have some decent backround in computer networking to be able to read this and pass the exam. All the different protocols which are on the exam were covered in detail here. It covered the IOS real well, the different parts of Cisco switches and routers and troubleshooting. The chapter on Access Lists covered the exam questions real well. I felt real comfortable and passed with a 92%. Warning though: The test is not easy and if you don't understand the material in the book, you won't pass. If you know the book and do the questions and exercises you'll pass. It's all in there.
9 BOOK READS VERY WELL, A MUST HAVE FOR CCNA
The key to learning any subject is to be able to read and understand it. This book takes some very complex topics and makes it easy to read and understand. I give it 5 thumbs up. I used this book along with Todd Lammle and Transcender Exams for CCNA. It was a combination of all three which gave you the well rounded approach to pass the exam. No book is the answer to all, its the matter of author view point. This book is no exception, but it is a very good, easy to read easy to understand book that makes it its strength. The combination of all 3 should make you pass the exam. Best of Luck.
10 Well-Written Study-Guide
This book is the definitive study-guide for the CCNA2.0 next only to Todd Lammle's Sybex book. After reading both I can confidently say that each book covers off where the other misses. I found the accuracy in this book to be lacking at times in the lab sections (e.g. diagrams that didn't match the question) but the raw curriculum (i.e. 95% of the book) was bang on. This book does a much better job than the Sybex equivalent of explaining some concepts (OSI model, access lists) but falls short(er) than the Sybex in other areas (IPX, security). As with the Sybex, a good 30% of this book deals with routing, from base concepts to protocol specifics. I found this book dragged it out over a few more chapters and, as a result, was able to explain everything in a much more readable fashion. If you can afford both books, go for it. A single book is rarely enough to pass an exam of this magnitude, and the above mentioned 2 make the perfect combo.
11 You need to get your Network + Certification first
Like all the Exam Cram series of books it will AID you with the CCNA certification test. I was mad though spending $40 for a book and the author telling me in the introduction that you need to get your Network + Certification first, and take a $2,500 class, and the book was another stepping stone to get you towards certification. This book is not for a novice, you need to have a background in network communication first. Good luck on the CCNA!
nospam_crescue@swbell.net
12 Excellent for passing the CCNA 640-507 exam and more!
Every time a certification comes out Coriolis is right there with a learning tool to help you in passing the certification exam. I have found Coriolis to a trusted name and their books are complete, accurate and highly detailed. Coriolis is a publisher of the first order.
In this exam prep for exam 640-507 you have the entire exam covered and a little more. Having taken the exam I found this book to right in line with the objectives and the information presented is not only first rate but also put in a understandable language.
While this book requires working knowledge of networking and TCP/IP, for the most part you can learn all other concepts with very little exposure. Topics like internetworking concepts, the OSI model, LAN segmentation and routing and switching solutions are but the start of the learning experience.
Moving into the IOS, TCP/IP, IPX/SPX, basic routing, dynamic routing, RIP and IGRP, WAN and WAN Protocols and security round out this book. There are review question along the way to make sure you are understanding the concepts.
Also included are tables, figures, diagrams, router screen shots and a cd-rom with over a 100 practice questions given in four formats. You get to test in the Fixed, Random, Review and Test all formats, each giving a different look and learning. Overall including the price, this book is the perfect companion to the test.
13 Best book for the test
I first bought the Sybex book which covered things too briefly, then I got this one. This was the best one of the books. Just buy this book and it will give you all the knowledge you need to pass the exam. Now that I passed,I still find this book is very useful in explaining problems I have encountered in setting up these devices.
You'll also find that most questions come from the book or the CD are close to the real exam although worded differently.
If you want to buy only one book, this is it.
14 Very Good for Exam Preparation
I really liked this book. It was really informative and I could tell the writers had real world experience with routers. The book flowed well with each section well explained. I would recommend this book to anyone that wants to study Cisco devices and routing protocols. It gave an exam approach but also explains thing so it can be a reference guide if you run into a real problem setting up routers. It even has a good section on the types of routers and switches Cisco makes and how to pick the right one for the type of job you need. It's a good book to study for the exam and a good one for reference. The exam on the CD was excellent too, that's worth the price of the book itself.
15 Best book to Buy!!!
I finally passed thanks to this one. I had bought the Sybex book which was OK but I failed, then I got the simulator which was a real waste of money. I finally got this one because I used the Exam Cram to pass the Network+. This book is great and it had a lot more info than the others and I really felt confident by the time I was finished. The test was still tough but I passed with the information I finally got in this book. The CD is great too, study all the questions and answers and you should pass too. Many thanks for a book well done!!
16 You need this book
This book is very in-depth. It is a good book to read to get familiar with the information that is on the test. Warning...do not take this test lightly. I was a CNE and MCSE before I took this test the first time. I felt that the MCSE tests were a walk in the park compared to this test. I used another book to prepare for the first test and failed with a 784. I bought this book read it in 2 days studied for 3 more and passed the test. Although I found a few mistakes in the book it was a very valuable reference. Just make sure you have at least one more reference.
17 My step up from the MCSE
I thought after finishing my MCSE last year I knew all about computer networks. This book sure opened my eyes. It's a smooth path from that curriculum to the Cisco networking world. It starts with the OSI model and moves into network structure then has a real good chapter on the different Cisco products: switches, routers, modular devices, DSL, ATM etc. Then it explains the Cisco IOS, how to program the router copy and transfer images, NVRAM, Flash etc. This was all well explained so I could move on with confidence. Next came the protocols, IP, IPX and routing protocols which I never knew existed, but learned well. The book finishes with lots of coverage on WANs particularly Frame Relay which was heavily covered on the exam. Then came access lists which were well explained and also covered on the exam. Simply put, this book had all the coverage for the exam and only having unrelated A+ and Microsoft training I was able to pass the CCNA on the first try. Word of warning though, don't take it lightly, study hard, the test is hard but the material is all in here. The CD is great to determine if your ready too.
18 Best book for the CCNA!
I bought the Sybex book last year and almost passed. This exam is harder and longer than the Microsoft ones. I even used the notes book and it didn't help much. (300 pages of appendixes in the first book). This is the third book I bought on the CCNA and by far the best. It is 700 pages and packed cover to cover with detailed information. Great sections on TCP/IP, router setup and configuration and easy to understand chapters on access lists and routing protocols. This book covered the exam real well on each topic. I finally passed last week thanks to this one. If I had only one book to buy this would have been it. I used the Exam Preps for the MCSE and the Network+ and once again they got me through another exam.
19 All I needed to pass
This book was great. It moved well from chapter to chapter and always held my interest. I answered the questions and some of the labs (good but kinda long for me) and learned a lot in a short time. I passed with time to spare. Best of all, there were no surprises, everything I needed to know was in the book. If you you want to pass and not spend a lot of bucks, here's the book to buy.
20 All you need to pass
I used this book alone to study for the CCNA exam and found it to be more than enough to pass. I found it covered all the areas that were on the test and explained them in an exceptional manner. In a lot of ways it went beyond the exam and really helped in some of the configuration problems I have been having. Its a great book and I'll use it plenty even though the exams over. Thanks all for a great book!
21 Great Book!
Now here is a book that rocks. I like this stuff and I couldn't put it down. It has lots of good information that the Microsoft MSCE training never touched. Now I'm sure Cisco is the next step for me. It's easy reading but the material is real in-depth so I've decided to read it again before I blow a hundred bucks on the exam. I also found I didn't need to spend the big bucks on a router either, all the command print outs and stuff are in here. Go for it with this one, it's a lot to learn but a great book to learn it from. BTW The CD is great too, works just like the sylvan exams.
