Robert Padjen | Todd Lammle | Wade Edwards
1 Ok but not good enough...............
Todd Lammle did wonders with the CCNA study guide, and if your studying for the CCNA his book is the only one you need. This one how ever needs proof reading and accuracy on his part. The included "simulated review questions" which we all are looking for are a JOKE. 8 questions are all you get (even though you get to do it on two separate simulated routers..oh joy!).The review questions on the CD are not in-line with what you read. Use this and something else if you really want to pass the exam...I plan too.
It may be DDDRRRYYY reading, but try a book from CISCO press
2 A Very Poor Study Guide - Do not purchase for exam prep.
Before I explain my evaluation of this text I would like to state that I have used the Sybex study guides, for the most part also authored in part or in total by Todd Lammle, to successfully complete the MCSE, CCNA, and the CCNP Router & Switching exams. I have consistently found the texts to be extremely helpful and in many cases they were the only references I used in preparation for the tests.
Unfortunately, as a study guide for a test something went horribly wrong with this text. The quality control is atrocious and this is, by a huge margin, the absolute worst Sybex study guide I have viewed to data. A study guide for a test is essentially an educational text so the technical quality of a book like this must meet a high standard to maintain credibility. If a study guide for a technical field does not maintain technical credibility, correctness, and accuracy it becomes useless as a study aid.
This text does not maintain a sufficiently high level of technical correctness, technical accuracy, or credibility. Explanations in several technical areas are imprecise and confusing. Even worse is the large number of typos, incorrect command syntax usage, and conflicting statements. To support my claims I've appended a partial listing of errors found in Ch 7 (see below). There were additional errors in this chapter; however, I did not begin maintaining a list for publication until I became frustrated with the text near the end of the chapter. After reading seven chapters I know longer feel that this study guide is usable or trustworthy enough to continue to use in preparation for the CCNP Remote Access test.
A. Text states "X.25 can support any legal configuration of SVCs and PVCs over the same circuit" (309) but never explained what the legal configurations are and how they are derived.
B. Example of the x25 map command usage (314-315)
1. Command statement on pg. 314 uses incorrect IP Address when compared to Fig 7.9 on pg. 315.
2. A 2d example of the command's usage is displayed at the bottom of pg. 315 in which a 2d router's IP and x.121 addresses are mapped; however, the hostname used for both examples are the same. Because the technique and reasoning behind the mapping command is never explained this hostname duplication leads to the incorrect implication that the x25 map command must be used to map all routers that SVCs might be created with to include the host router the programming is being done on. This is incorrect.
C. Normal example usage of commands includes italics and bracketed options to make the usage and syntax of the command under discussion clear. Ex:
X25 map protocol address x.121-address [option] (314)
Beginning on page 316 this technique is dropped, I doubt this was done intentionally, and the syntactical examples of the commands are demonstrated entirely in bold case. Ex:
x25 pvc circuit protocol address [protocol2 address2] x.121-address [options] (318)
This is not an entirely incomprehensible technique; however, it is much less helpful, descriptive, and is totally inconsistent with all preceding examples throughout the text.
D. Text refers to communication across an "X.256 link". It should refer to an "X.25 link". (316)
E. Review Questions
1. Question # 9
a. According to the text, pg. 299, the PTI field of a PLP packet header is used to identify "1 of the 17 individual packet types" and "whether the packet is for DTE or DCE interfaces".
b. Answer key indicates that the PTI filed does not indicate if the packet is headed for a DTE or DCE.
2. Question # 13
a. According to the text, pg. 299, the PLP packet header includes an LCI (Logical Channel Identifier).
b. Answer key indicates that the PLP packet header does not include an LCI.
3. Question # 16
a. According to the text, pg. 324, "To view X.25 mapping problems, use the show running-config command" which implies this technique should be used when troubleshooting x.25 mapping. No other techniques for troubleshooting this area are explained in the text in the chapter.
b. Answer key indicates that the commands "show running-config" and "debug x25 events" should be used to troubleshoot an X.25 map.
PJZ
3 3/4 CCNP
Todd Lammle's books have helped me pass my MCSE and my CCNA. I always buy his books, because I trust the scope and depth of the material. This book does not meet my expectations. It lacks the details needed to pass the Remote Access test. If I had to pass the BCRAN again, I would have chosen one of the Cisco Press Books.
4 Repetitive - Better safe than sorry!
This book could have been half as thick. Every chapter seems to re-hash the previous chapter. I do not blame the book since this test really should have been part of the routing test. There just isn't as much information to cover as the routing or the switching test.
Even still I am glad the authors overstated rather than understated. I passed the test the first time and that is what counts. Most importantly, I trust Sybex. Other books may or may not be good for a particular test, Sybex always seems to be good.
5 too many errors
ugh, i barely passed this test (796). this book had too many noticable errors, and really didn't prepare me for the exam like other lammle books. for my last ccnp test, i've decided to try cisco press instead of sybex because of this. contrast this with switching (clearly, an easier exam) where the lammle book was well focused and flowed well.
6 3 outta 5 ain't bad....but it ain't great
Honestly, this book seems to be a product of a hurried effort. I give much praise to Todd Lammle for being one of the best writers Sybex Publishers has, but this is rife with typos/inaccuracies which can easily trip a reader up. Repetition of subject matter can be annoying, but because of the numerous errors, it's almost critical - for correction! As for the exam, I passed it without too much hassle using this book ALMOST exclusively - which IS testament to the overall quality of the information in the text. However, I found fully 1/4+ of the subject matter on the test was UNRELATED to the question banks on the included CD, and that shakes me, Todd.
7 Not the only source for the CCNP 640-505 Exam
This book is too wordy, even include topics which is not covered in the exam and keep repeating it every chapter, not to mention typos in the laboratory hands-on exercises. This book should be re-written and make it thinner. Using only this book makes the Remote Access Exam 640-505 difficult to pass.
8 An Error Filled, Poorly Written, Inaccurate Mess
This book stinks. I know that's not high-flown prose, but the book is terrible. Filled with inaccuracies, typos, confusing text and undefined terms, this book has proven to be as much of a stumbling block as it has a study aid. To be honest, I and the five colleagues I am studying with have found so many mistakes that we no longer have any confidence or trust in the accuracy of this book for test preparation. I'll be driving over to the bookstore this afternoon to pick up the Cisco version, simply to use as a cross-reference and fact-checker. I'm considering abandoning the Lammle book altogether. Buy and use at your own risk.
9 Barely adequate
After buying the Support and Switching books from Sybex, I was disappointed in their Remote Access book. It is not up to the same quality. The Authors have a tendency to repeat themselves from one sentence to the next. I found at least a dozen mistakes in both the text and the end-of-chapter quizzes. I did pass the Remote Access exam by using this book and on-the-job training. I can't believe anyone could pass the test by using this book alone. I have not read any other of the CCNP Remote Access books, but I would think there is something better available. I don't even recommend it as a reference book. There is just not enough detail nor is it clearly explained.
10 Not a Lammle book
Every book I own related to Cisco is by Mr. Lammle. But this is one so confusing and not a Lammle quality. Many examples are from "show config" or in debug mode that only a very experient Cisco person could figure out. This may be a good reference book but not a good studing guide. I hope Mr. Lammle would review any book that bear his name more thoroughly before releasing it.
11 A great way to pass the exam
I recently took the exam and passed it using this book. This book has everything you need to pass the exam and more. It covers every major aspect of the exam from routers and its recommended use to the different wan technologies that can be used for each. ISDN, PPP, X.25, and Frame-Relay were all sufficiently covered. Command lines were also appropriately explained without complexity. If you're first concern is to pass the exam I highly recommend using this text.
12 Using this book I passed the BCRAN but...........
........... there are too many omissions & mistakes in the book to be a top-notch study guide.
I passed the BCRAN with a 853/1000 (706: pass mark) in December of 2000 using this book as the study guide and Boson's practice tests.
However, there were questions in the exam that weren't even covered in this book. An example would be chat-scripts or certain dialer commands.
Plus there were too many syntactical mistakes in the book which got bloody annoying after a while! An example of this would be where they would display the dialer string command sometimes as 'dialer-string' and other times as 'dialer string'. To truly teach a subject (especially one where an incorrect command could cause you to fail the cert exam) you need to have the basics correct. To do so otherwise is inept.
I will not be buying any more of Lammle's Cisco books. I'll be sticking with the CiscoPress series of books which I've found to be excellent.
13 A very shallow attempt !! Do not waste your time on this one
For those who wish to 'pass' an exam I guess this serves the purpose. For those who wish to 'understand' and 'deploy' technology - this book is terrible !! The authors have treated major subject areas like Frame Relay and ISDN with such callousness ... its really frustrating !! Do not stop to pick this one up - its not worthy of a place on your shelf !! - Lamelle has done better in his earlier CCNA books - this was a royal let-down !!
14 Terrible
This book is terrible. Those who rated this book 5 stars must have multiple years of on the job experience, becuase that is what you need if you expect this book to help. This is a hard exam, and the level of detail and quality of descriptions within this book are no where near good enough to help you. X25 and PPP especially need much more detail if you hope to pass this test. And don't even bother with the CD. The questions there are so pathetic and off topic compared to the test.
15 Passed the Remote Access using this book.
This book is informative, well written and just like Todd Lammle's other books. I recommend them all. I read the whole book twice, went through the written labs and review quesitons, as well as the extra quesitons on the CD and the flashcards. Whew! It was a lot of work, but it paid off because this book prepared me fully for the Remote Access exam. Study hard and you will pass the exam using this book.
16 Don't buy this book
I recently bought this book believing several recent 5 STAR reviews. I thought these were reviews from recent test takers. I just completed chapter 5 and so far have found this book to be very confusing with lot of errors. This book appear to be written by people who lack the technical depth in Remote Access. Anytime the book tries to explain technical details such as call setup procedure, it gets very confusing. I have had to refer to CCO publications to understand majority of technical explanations so far. I recommend a differnt book.
17 Great Study Guide
This book has almost everything on the test. It covers topics better than the Cisco Exam Outline listed in the Cisco Website.
18 Could be better
You can evaluate smth only comparing it to smth else. In this case CiscoPress book has much better layout and visualization of the subject. If I give 4 stars to Cisco book, then this one I can give only 3 stars.
19 I really like this book and all of Lammle's books.
I don't know Todd Lammle, but I have heard of him and have also purchased all of his books. I recommend this book as well because it is easy to read, matched the exam I took perfectly and is a great addition to my Cisco book collection. I was amazed at some of the petty remarks in the review section and am upset that Amazon allows this. Can't everyone just get along? The poor reviews on this page are terrible, just terrible, and totally wrong. This book is nothing like the bad review state and is everything like the good reviews state. I don't know who wrote the reviews, but the good ones are right on. I like the book and passed the exam. What else matters? Nothing to me.
20 Very disturbing comments
I looked at various books as I do quite often and one of the most disturbing things to me is when I see other authors making the comments such as the ones that were stated below. I understand that Mr. Qiggle and Mr. Thomas want to out sell Sybex with their BCRAN book but putting down someone elses book unjustly is not the way to go about it. Although I never personally recommend any books, the Sybex Remote Access book covers all the objectives in the course very well.
21 Very easy to read, I recommend it.
I took this test as the second of four on the way to my CCNP. I used only this book and a couple of routers in a lab to pass this test. Well, that and a few years experience.
This book is well written, and is easy to read. The examples are good, and it convered everything that was on the test. I couldnt ask for more!
22 Save your money
I am a Cisco instructor at one of the colleges in Dallas. It is a known fact that there is no single book , which covers the subject both thorough and in an easy to read manner. Every Remote Access book has its cons and pros. BUT why would you buy the worst study guide? I recommend to my students to start with McGraw Hill's BCRAN (very easy and clear explanation) and then use Cisco's Remote Access (more detailed and very good labs, but boring to read) or Remote Access for Cisco Networks by Bill Burton (which is an exellent source, but lacks some basic info) If your goal is to become a good network specialist (not just paper certified), try to avoid Sybex's guides. I can make one exception for CCNA book, because of good labs and router simulator software.
23 Waste of paper
Making meaningful sense out of the content of this book is impossibily hard. It's like a lot of info in a garbage can. Authors did not even try to sort it or clarify things. I borrowed BCRN book from a friend. Easy to read, eveything is in place. It looks like Sybex's only successfull CISCO book is CCNA course.
24 Total failure!
If compared to 3 other Remote Access books, this one is a total failure! For my exam preparation I used all 4 books: BCRN (McGraw Hill), CiscoPress book, Remote Access by R.Rossi and this Sybex's "masterpiece". To my opinion the best is BCRN. CiscoPress is more like a very good manual. And if you want to polish your remote access knowledge - use Rossi's book. But if you want to spend your time filtering info, trying to define, what is useful (like 3 pages of Cisco700 router commands!- who needs to memorize it),filling termilogy gaps and translating in plain English authors attempts to explain some remote access subjects - go with Sybex's newest "masterpiece".
25 Author?s references are weak.
Author's references are weak. As I was reading through this book, I found an error regarding a service provider's limitation on one of it's Frame Relay Platforms. I sent an email to Sybex about this incorrect information. Robert Padjen , co-author, sent me an email stating the information was correct based on his latest information six months ago. I replied to his email and informed him that his resource had given him incorrect information. As of this date, I still have not received a follow-up from my last email.
26 This book is a mess
I picked the book, looking at the 5 star rating in Amazon.com. What a mess! Absolutely unreadable, authors use terminology without explaining, what terms or CISCO commands mean. Look at page 219, for example. What is a Channel type, Linecode, Time slot? And it is like this througout the book! Welcome to Sybex's amateur writers club. I exchanged it to Building Cisco Remote Access Networks from Ciscopress ISBN1578700914. This is a beauty! Very solidly written. Has continuous explanation of everything you need for real life and passing paper test. Strongly recommend.
27 Great Book
This is a great book. Clear, comprehensive, helpful - as a Cisco guide it's got it all. I've read some pretty dire books while studying for my CCDP - Birkner's CID book being the worst, and what a pleasure to get hold of this one. You spend so long with your head in these books that if they're not properly written it 'does your nut in' as they say over here. My exam's in a couple of days, and having read this book thoroughly I'm feeling pretty confident.
28 Perfect! Passed the new exam with a 940!
I passed the new Remote Access exam on the first try using only this book as my study guide! Todd Lammle has cornered the market on Cisco books and this is one of his best!
