Wendell Odom
It's almost a prerequisite for employment in the data networking industry (and, if you believe the voice-over-IP people, the voice networking industry as well): The Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) proves that you know your way up and down a protocol stack, can tell a bridge from a repeater, and can configure a packet filter. It has some emphasis on Cisco Systems products, naturally, but the CCNA's scope is so broad as to be relevant no matter whose gear you use.
Cisco CCNA Exam #640-607 Certification Guide is the definitive work on the CCNA subjects and is one of the two best values among the training aids available (the other is Todd Lammle's
CCNA: Cisco Certified Network Associate Study Guide, Deluxe Edition). This book distinguishes itself with the quality of its practice questions and lab exercises, its knowledge-assessment quizzes that help you decide how to use your study time, and its clear and numerous conceptual diagrams.
Wendell Odom, both a Cisco Certified Internetwork Engineer (CCIE) and a Cisco-rated trainer, doesn't spend too much time on test-preparation gewgaws, as do many books with CCNA in their titles. This is a reference and tutorial book through and through, and you'll use it long after you've passed the test (and you will pass the test, if you study Odom's work hard enough). He's a master at combining explanatory text (and graphics) with reference materials (like tables of commands and their modifiers). Plus, there's a CD-ROM containing exam simulations in the newly revised format. --David Wall
Topics covered: Those topics Cisco Systems expects you to understand in order to become a Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) by passing exam 640-607. These include network theory, devices, protocols, and other technologies. There's an emphasis on IP addressing, routing, and security, and plenty of coverage of how to do things at the Internetwork Operating System (IOS) command line. Frame Relay and Novell IPX get covered, too.
1 More of the same from Cisco
I'm sorry but this book is not a comprehensive review for the CCNA exam. It offers some material that is not included in other cisco books but that's all. This seems to be the pattern for all cisco books. Info is spread out among many sources and not summarized in any one place. Combine that with poor indexes and incomplete glossaries and you get the picture. I suspect to get a complete high-points review for the CCNA exam you will have to seek a non-cisco publications to do it.
2 Obsolete
Don't buy this book for the CCNA exam as the test has changed. Buy the Cisco CCNA Exam #640-801 Certification Guide instead.
3 great book, cd is trash
this review won't matter anyway since cisco retired this exam, but i think the problem with this publication may be symptomatic with other similar titles. the book itself is great. the cd however has a lot of problems with it. i am refering to the test engine. the answers are wrong, the simulations crash a regular pc, and unless you take it with a huge grain of salt, the test with wrong answers seriously makes you doubt your knowledge and shakes your self-confidence. proceed with caution!
4 This is the book for the 640-607
I have been studying for the CCNA for about 2 years and have read many good books in preparation for the test. However, specific content relevant to the 640-607 is simply not included in the older books. Of course, I don't think I could have passed without the wonderful books by Todd Lammle who seems to have a knack for making impossible concepts understandable. Heather Osterloh and Anthony Chiarella are other good authors who provide relevant, practical information. And many others. But, for me, this was the book with the current, relevant information needed to pass the test. The current test will be unavailable at the end of September, so it is impossible to determine how well this information will relate to the new exam. Nonetheless, the practical, understandable material will certainly overlap all of the objectives. Thanks Wendell Odom.
5 just ok
This book is pretty complete, but its a bit overwrought. It makes things seem more complicated than they really are and at times goes beyond the scope of the CCNA exam. As a few other reviewers already stated, its a good reference book, but not the best study guide. The Todd Lammel study guide from Sybex is better suited to preparing you for the CCNA exam in my opinion.
6 An excellent book for all the network engineers
Though I am a ccnp now,but I often review wendell's ccna certification guide.The content in this book is very detailed and complete,and the explanation is so clear.When you finish reading this book and understand the content in it,you are a good network engineer who have real network knowledge and not a paper ccna. Wendell Odom, a real network master,thank you very much,this is one of my most favorite and important books.
And I have a question to ask Mr.Odom,when will you publish your book about ccie,you will do it,right? I'll be looking for your new book!
7 Good Reference Guide ,but Bad Study Guide
This book makes the CCNA test seem harder than it is.
While it has all the information in it you need, it is not layed out very well to present it. Suggestions for future additions would be to use a bigger font for the text.
The Sybex study guide for the CCNA test is the best. Easy to ready and if you have expereince with routers and switches you will not have a problem passing the test with this guide
8 Great book, horrible CD
I found the book to be very informative. Odom's style of writing gives the material a flow and interest that is pleasantly surprising. If you don't feel particularly comfortable with IP addressing and subnetting, chapter 6 will definitely change that.
The CD is another story. I'm amazed that such a good book provides such a bad CD. The practice questions are loaded with incorrect answers and I never did figure out how to view the answers on the Router Sim questions. Do yourself a favour: get the book, but TOSS THE CD.
9 Simply just good enough
A good reference for study but it is far to be a good guide for pass CCNA Exam. Book and CD Exams have several errors.
If you have a lot of experience on the field you will find this book as a good reference, Only that
I enjoy reading it
10 Simply just good enough
A good reference for study but it is far to be a good guide for pass CCNA Exam. Book and CD Exams have several errors.
If you have a lot of experience on the field you will find this book as a good reference, Only that
I enjoy reading it
11 The CCNA bible
This book is without a doubt the best way to get prepared for taking the ccna. It was well written and concise in its delivery of the information. A book for laymen and beginners alike. The author (Wendell Odom) brings the information with a zeal and passion not found in many of the other books covering the exam. He truly prepares you for all of the ends and outs of the exam. Buy it and buy it quickly if you plan on taking the exam. Believe me, I've taken the exam and attended the Cisco Networking Academy. The academy didn't give me half of what this book brings to the table.
12 More than enough...
Not much else to add to the previous reviews. If you study for the CCNA certification, this guide would probably be all you need to pass the test. I would also get the Lammle's book as well to cover any blank spots... If you are ready to take it beyond the CCNA level, I would also look into getting the following books:
1. "Cisco IOS for IP Routing" by Andrew Colton. A lot of information on IP routing protocols (EIGRP, OSPF, IS-IS, BGP, etc.).
2. "Routing TCP/IP, volume I" by Jeff Doyle. Covers just as much as the Colton's book.
3. "Interconnections: Routers, Bridges..." by Radia Perlman. Good academic info on routing and bridging. Overkill for the CCNA to CCNP level though.
13 A great book to buy
This was the only book I used and passed the exam with 950!!
Read it page to page and use the CD, you will pass the exam.
14 Save your Money - This book stinks
I've worked on the maintenance and installation of networking and communicaion equipment for nearly 20 years and never have I seen such a poor quality instructional aid. The book has unbelievably poor structure for an exam guide - nearly unusable.
The book has numerous errors, typos and inconsistancies. Section quizzes frustrate with questions on topics not covered.
The included CD with practice exams is so terrible that timed sessions expire before they're up, answers are incorrectly graded, and questions are not rotated for exposure to different topics. The CD is nearly useless it's soooo bad. NO Quality control on this item what so ever !!!
I am a professional trainer and I purchased this book as point of reference in use for preparing field engineers to install routers and qualify for the CCNA exam certification. From an professional instructional consideration, the overall effect is one that frustrates and itimidates rather than provide an effective learning environment - which is exactly what the book was intended to provide. This completely misses the mark.
There is a great deal of information presented in a hap hazzard disorganized flow that overwhelms instead of instructs - save your money - but something, almost anything else. THIS HAS TO BE ONE OF THE WORST INSTRUCTIONAL AIDS I'VE EVER SEEN.
For better organization and relevant material, see Todd Lammle's Study Guides (they're not as current but they're at least usable). Cisco Press's Interconnecting Cisco Network Devices is also useful, but after my experience with the CCNA Exam Cert Guide, I'm very,very leary of anything Cisco Press has published.
15 Errors and Inconsistancies
You would think that going to the source for exam preparation materials would be the best possible scenario. While this book has a wealth of information, there are numerous errors and inconsistancies which make this a very difficult tool to use. The included CD which features pactice tests and study guides has numerous flaws, typos, and downright bugs.
The topics covered are accurate for exam preparation, but the Q&A portions feature questions relating to the section with subject matter that wasn't covered.
If you want to be frustrated with a poor structure - this is definitely the manual for you. This would make a good reference source, but it's a poor preparation study guide - you can do much, much better.
16 Verbose but complete
This book does an adequate, but verbose, job of covering the material used to create the CCNA 640-607 exam.
The section on subnetting needs the most work if a new addition is released. The author is redundant in his explanations. If you are new to subnetting, look to supplement this section with other materials, and take notes to break down the author's ideas. It isn't as difficult as the number of pages suggest.
The demarcation of Extra Credit versus exam bait is good, but the author digresses too many times in the regular body of the text, making it sometimes difficult to determine if some bit of minutia is fair game for the test or not. Granted, the information is helpful in your understanding of Cisco's products, but can cause you to miss a few more important details that are exam covered material.
Also, the companion CD is buggy and its sample questions are not nearly representative of the level of difficulty on the actual exam. Just because you pass the book exam, do not assume you are ready for the real thing. I don't hold this against the author though, since he probably didn't create it, and the in-text questions are helpful in ensuring you understand the information.
Overall the book is an easy, if longwinded, explanation of the material, and I recommend it to any taking the CCNA exam.
17 InDepth coverage of CCNA exam
This book covers every aspect of the CCNA exam thoroughly. If you are one of these people who like to have every little detail explained to you right down to the most miniscule concept then Wendell Odom's book is for you. Great buy to prepare for the exam. If I have one negative thing to say about this book is that it weighs a ton.
18 Good preparation guide for the CCNA exam.
This book does a good job in explaining the basics of Cisco routing. Just about enough to get you to the CCNA level as far as theory. The language is a little drier than in the Lammle's book. Therefore, a complete beginner may find it more difficult to comprehend the material. I would also check out "Cisco IOS for IP Routing" by Andrew Colton for more information on Cisco routing and dynamic routing protocols. Once you digest that, Perlman's and Doyle's books would take you further.
19 Good Practice
This book was very helpful for test preparation. I recommend you start reading it about a month before the test, and do about two chapters a week. There are examples and questions that are very helpful if you don't have access to actual routers and switches.
The book covers MORE THAN YOU NEED to know to pass the test, and several sections are marked "extra credit" to denote where you do and don't have to read. All in all very helpful
20 Poorly written.
Typo's and spelling errors abound. Examples are poorly outlined and often terms used are left undefined. The book even lacks a glossary to look them up. An instructional / Study aides should be written in a clear easy to follow fashion. This is not. "Mastering Cisco Routers" by Brenton Hamilton Kessler is Far better.
21 I'd expected more from this book. Too Much Pages!!
As i said in the title, I purchased this book with the hope of find, at least, the same good material of the CCDA Certification Guide (I'm CCDA, of course because of this book among others), but, sadly, what i'd find with this book, was a very big amount of pages that makes the most confusing explanation that was possible, with a very big amount of open questions that the real answer to those was the Odom's thinking finally, instead of making questions more precise, like the questions of the exam. I apologize to purchase this book.
22 Too many errors, too hard to read...
Man, is this stuff dry! I did buy Todd Lammle's book (who hasn't?) and this is so hard to read after reading that book.
Although this has a lot of technical information, it is hard to gleen it from the text without falling a sleep.
Plus, too many errors on the practice exams to make them worth while.
23 VERY GOOD, BUT.....
Wendel l Odom's book is excellent in that it gives you a lot more information than you need to pass the CCNA exam. However it is let down horribly by the extremely poor quality of the test CD. Many of the answers he gives are wrong, and there are even questions that don't make sense. Other than this, I would have given it 5 stars. Considering that the book has been out for a few months and several reviewers have obviously complained, I am surprised that the author hasn't responded to the feedback by publishing a revised edition. The simulation questions (introduced in 640-607) on the CD are particularly good. In short an excellent book which will serve you well even after the CCNA exam, but with the big gotcha of a terrible CD.
24 Not for starter in Cisco, wrong answers on CD test questions
As mentioned by some other readers that this book is not for beginners. The author take the start from directly the cisco operating system instead of first building the ground for a new commer to understand the networks, its topologies and some other terms. Some of the chapters are explained very well like 'OSI Data Link Layer Functions', 'LANs Bridges and Switches', 'Spanning Trees, VLANs and Trunking'. Most of the time author goes in so much details that at least at a CCNA level you don't need it.
Another big issue is the test questions on the CD. There are many questions with wrong answers. For example correct answers shows for one of the questions is "line-vty 0 4". Infact there is no command in Cisco IOS with the dash in between 'Line' and 'vty'. The correct answer 'line vty 0 4' also listed in the options for the same questions but when you click on the button to show the right answers it will select the wrong one and score you on the same. There are issues with the drag and drop items. You drop the items correctly, you saw them that they are correct by clicking the button to see the result, yet when you complete the test the result shows that you never selected the answer rather you skipped the question. The test engine has certain issues that will not give the student the right score. There are spelling mistakes on the question. Another question that asks that how many bits in node section of the IPX has all the options listed for Apple Talk protocol. Non of the options for this questions can bs seleceted for IPX. These are only the few I mentioned and I am sure that there are many more.
The reader who said that he teahces the classes for Cisco and the CD is excellent has to review it before writing any comments and misleading the new reader.
If you need to pass the exam you need to get two books. This book and Sybex book written by Todd lammle for CCNA. Read the material that you think you can digest from it and read the rest from another book.
25 terrific book, with lots of detail
This is a well-written book by an author who is obviously an expert in his field. It covers much more than you need to know for CCNA, but that's OK. It will help you prepare for the more advanced tests also. I used it as the textbook for a class that I taught and was very pleased with its quality, accuracy, and detail. The Foundation Summaries at the end of each chapter were especially helpful for the students. There are a few minor errors, mostly caused by formatting. (For example, in the LAN Headers diagrams, the Control field is not shown to be part of LLC.) There's a serious error with regards to FTP behavior on page 295.
I like the computer names (Faith, Love, Charity, etc.) ;-)
26 One of the best CCNA books out there
I found the book to be very helpful. It covers more material than you're required to know to pass the exam. I found it a little frustrating to get used to the author's style at first. He talks about terms and acronyms that are chapters ahead and doesn't bother to explain their meaning. After one pass of the whole book, I got comfortable with the style. I personally took a chance and skipped technologies that are almost obsolete such as Novell IPX and Appletalk. This is the only book I used to study for the CCNA and passed with a 949. Read it cover-to-cover, do the practice CD and the exam should be a breeze.
27 IS IT TOO LATE TO RETURN THIS BOOK???
That's it! I have tried several times to keep focused and read this book but it's a very poor training guide. If I didn't have a background in networking it would be impossible to learn anything new. I have read several certification guides with no complaints. I am very disappointed and ready to order a different book. Time to auction this baby off!
28 Good Preparation Guide, but ...
I realized the following:
- This book covers only 80% of what will appear on the exam; you are on your own for the rest 20% (other books, practical experience, tests, classes etc.) - Of course, no book will cover all topics on the exam; Just that, be aware of it.
- The attached CDROM contains a test with good questions, but simply too many errors to be considered reliable. I suppose they didnt do quality control check on the CDROM material, before publishing ... which is bad.
- Despite the limitations, the book is well organized and written, provides a good strong foundation to both taking the exam and also a good reference.
29 Good, but the test engine ...
Prior to taking and passing the test I read through last years Cisco Press CCNA study guide, the Sybex CCNA book and the ICND. I'd recommend using this book and the ICND for the test and not using the practice exam on the cd. This revision is much better than the 2nd edition. The organization is better and the explanations are not nearly as painful to decipher.
I was very disappointed by the practice exam on the CD. There were to many mistakes in the answers (nonexistant commands referenced as correct answers, configuration syntax incorrect, not allowing you to select the proper number of answers, exam not recognizing correct answers, etc). However the test engine is still far ahead of Sybex's. You can see areas where you are weak in and it will pop up with simulations where you have to diagnose and repair network problems. ....
30 The Best Preparation Book for 640-607
Wendell Odom has, yet again, created an excellent study guide for the latest CCNA exam.
I teach Cisco courses at a large, Chicago based training center. Since we are not a Cisco authorized training center, we do not have access to the Cisco course materials. I use this book since it is as close as you are going to get to the Cisco course material. No one is going to write a book that compliments the exam material as closely as Cisco Press. As an instructor, I appreciate the depth in which the material is covered. This book does not cover exactly what is required for the exam. It covers significantly more. Given the competitive nature of the industry today, enough is not enough. You can't enter this industry and be average if you want to succeed. In the past, I have used the Sybex material for our training courses. Regularly, I had students that learned enough from the book to have questions the book didn't answer. The one complaint I have about this book is the speed in which the material gets deep. There is little ramp up time for a newbie to the material. If you are brand new to the IT industry and Cisco, you may want to start with a more watered down book, such as the Sybex 607 book and graduate to this book for additional detail.
This book has an excellent assortment of charts, graphs and pictures for the visual learner. Read, see and do are all required parts of the learning process. I find I learn best when I read about a concept, refer to a diagram to solidify the detail, and then, if possible, do it.
Lastly, the CD that comes with the book is excellent. In the past, Cisco's CCNA CDs have been mediocre at best. The new CD has the complete book in PDF format and a separate "topic focused" study guide for the last step of exam preparation. The practice exams on the CD are as close as you will come to the real thing (without paying).
If you want to learn about Cisco, understand their products and get your CCNA certification. Stop here. You have found your book.
31 Second try on the cd gives better results.
CCNA 640-607 is Cisco's newest exam and with that you are sure to find the amount of information plentiful. This book is another shining example of how Wendell Odom is taking the forefront and giving you the best possible chance to pass the exam on the first try.
In the 1,000 pages you'll cover the exam objectives and then some and the material does exceed the exam. This book is more than a study guide it is a great reference manual to have. With over 25 scenarios, 35 tasks, 8 labs and an appendix with 25 subnetting questions. The subnetting questions are difficult but if you use the manual to learn the techniques you should have no problem.
This book is natural progression for the classroom instruction but can be used in a self study mode as well. The cd-rom included has over 300 questions in the new exam format so you have a chance to see the exam before going live. The cd I tested is an updated to the original that comes with the book. The questions seemed to be better tested and the results should be more accurate.
Installing the cd, I found that I needed to disable the virus program. Other than that it worked with Windows 98, NT Workstation, 2000 Professional and XP Professional. I found the questions to be tougher than the actual exam, coupled with the book you should a very good chance the first time around.
32 The best thing I found
I passed the CCNA easily first time. I used basically this book to prepare.
Each chapter consists of a pretest, foundation summaries, the main exposition, essay style study questions, and some scenarios. The book also includes a CD. The CD contains a PDF of the whole book plus a quizzer engine.
Complaints: The quizzer questions were generally useful though there were a few errors. There were also a few annoying errors in the book. I wish the quizzer would refer you to a specific page of the pdf and/or a URL on Cisco's website. When you know you're studying chapter four and you miss a study question in chapter four, it's not helpful to be referred to chapter four.
Praise: The writing style is dry and dense, but understandable as long as you read slowly and follow the examples. He drew real-world analogies whenever possible and I found these useful for mastering the concepts. I think this is the best material out there for self study for the CCNA, especially if you will be going for more advanced certifications afterwards.
The competition: Specifically comparing this to Todd Lammle's book/Simulator: I found that although Lammle's book told you the answers, I didn't really understand it as well as I did with this book.
Bonus: The book has open-ended essay style questions for each of the chapters. Most of them required a little synthesis on the part of the student, as opposed to just finding the answer and copying it down. You remember better if forced to summarize in your own words and educational research backs this up. If you answer in complete sentences, you'll end up with useful review notes for three years down the pike when you have to recertify.
The bottom line: I didn't see anything better out there.
33 Excellent Book
I found this to be an excellent book in preparing for the 640-607 CCNA exam. The CD-ROM contains many errors (no the authors fault) but will give you a good idea / simulation of the actual test. I passed the test on the first try with a 962. This book is all you need for sucess.
Robert S Garrison, CCNA
34 Great book!!!!
This book was wonderful. It helped me to pass my CCNA certification exam with flying colors. It was very well written and explained things in the detail that I was looking for. The rewiew question at the end of the book helped to to rember what I needed to know. If you are thinking about taking the CCN this is the book to buy to get ready for the test.
35 Very nice
A very nice study guide with the full text available on its CD-ROM. Should be enough for experienced users to tackle the CCNA exam. Being the 3rd edition it is very well polished, with hardly any typos.
36 Solid information, good representation of topics on test
This text summarized with just the right amount of detail the entire breadth of knowledge required for to pass the CCNA exam. While a book like this is no substitute for hands on experience. It helped fill in my knowledge in areas I had not worked with for a while, to the level that with just 5 full days of intent study using only this book, I was able to pass the CCNA with a 949 on the first try. While a fair amount of technical errors, specifically on the CD based practice test questions keep this title from 5 stars. I would recommend this as a core component to any strategy for passing the CCNA.
Good Luck.
37 Edited?????
The editors of this book did a horrible job. The book has many errors. A lot of questions and answers in this book but the answers don't necessarily match the question. The CDROM is very frustrating since it is not possible to get several of the questions correct since the answer format doesn't allow it. I also had trouble with the flashforms which represent the practical experience questions. After I would finish configuring the routers and clicked on "done" I would go to the next question but then the test engine would get stuck on that question and couldn't go forward. I'm completing the Network Academy and I wanted this book to get experience on the hands on questions. It's just too bad that the editors didn't catch all the errors in the book and CD.
38 This is your Cisco Bible!
I am a Cisco Networking Academy Program student, but between semesters, and in my free time, I'm reading this book. The concepts covered in this book are SO important to know, in order to work with Cisco routers (and networking in general) I call this book next to my Cisco Bible.
I think that more, in-depth coverage should be given to the OSI Reference Model, as was done in the CNAP courses... (most of the first semester covers the OSI model!) Knowing the OSI model in and out is your KEY to understanding networking concepts, and if they gave more pages to that, that would make this book better than it already is. :)
39 Good book, not so good test engine in first release edition
I bought this book to use as a primary study reference for passing the new #640-607 test. I do not own any other Cisco Press study materials but feel that the quality control that went in to this initial release is not up to par with what I would expect from this publisher.
The book has a lot of good technical information but a number of typographical and grammatical errors. I was perfectly content overlooking those until I started to use the practice exams included on the companion CD. The test engine has problems. Aside from the typos, a significant portion of the practice questions are impossible to answer correctly for scoring, or even to grade to see what the correct answer should be. By way of example, there are several questions that are multiple choice but have radio buttons on the answers so that you can only select one. There are fill in the blank answers that expect verbatim answers such as 'store-and-forward' (with the hyphens), answers that simply don't display any highlighted answer at all when graded and simply score as incorrect.
5/29/2002 - Cisco Press did promptly send me a replacement CD that contains corrections to the tests, test grading, etc. I have spent some time going through 4 or 5 of the sections and can say it is a very marked improvement over the release version.
40 Excellent book, BUT . . . .
I will agree with others that this book covers everything you will need to pass the exam, BUT..... as with the practice exam and the eSim (supplementary study tool), the exams are questionable. I received a 77% on a test which was false. After review of every question, I found 6 questions that the exam said was wrong, but were in fact correct. Also, the practical simulations graded wrong as well. I accomplished the goal that the question asked, but the exam interpreted the answer as wrong.
Again, as far as the book is concerned, the knowledge included is incredible. As for the tests.... well you make the call.
41 Very Poor
I am a beginner to Cisco IOS and their products but have an extensive background in networking. I guess I have been spoiled by well written training guides from Microsoft press. This book is extremely hard to use as a training guide. There seems to be no method or structure as peices and topics of information jump at you. I find myself wasting too much time having to read paragraphs over again because they are unclear. Wish I has purchased a different book!
42 Can we say - RUSHED TO PRESS!
When I started studing for the Cisco CCNA exam. I started with the older 640-507 book, and then purchased this book to make sure I had the latest info. I have to give kudos to the author who makes everything easy to understand - but you can easily tell this book was rushed. The testing software is useless. And the book has MANY inconsistancies. I took and passed the CCNA test today. I was totaly unable to use this book for my last minute studying and resorted to the old 640-507 book.
In short this author is awesome so DEFINITELY get this book but! WAIT FOR THE FIXED REVISION!
43 Test Engine [Stinks]
I bought the book for reference during the coming years and to get the practice test engine to pass my CCNA. The book is OK but the practice test are a joke. There was no grammer check. A couple of questions made absolutly no sence. Questions are marked wrong during grading, but when you review then, the yellow line say they were right. Some questions would not let me answer them, others had circles where there should have been boxes and vis versa. When I emailed Cisco there answer was to down load the test engine for 507...big help Cisco. If I wanted the 507 test I would have bought a 507 book. Bottom line is that you can't trust Cisco to proof read and test thier own product. Get help from somebody else that has better quality control.
44 Great Sudy Tool
With this book and my knowledge of cisco through their networking acadamy it helped me solidify my knowledge. With this book I passed the CCNA exam, and it was my only study guide. Also, I passed the exam the first time, with a 930. I recomend this book for all the people who are goning to take the CCNA exam.
Clarence H. Cannon IV
CCNA
45 Done in a rush....
If you want a study guide to become a CCNA then this book offers more than you will actually need for the exam. But be warned about taking the practice exam. It might shake your confidence a bit. The score you get on the practice exams is often misleading. The exam itself needs a lot of editing. A lot of the items on the practice exam are gibberish. To make matters worst, it seems that no one bothered to publish an errata yet. An update on the practice exam is in order.
46 This book needs serious editorial attention!
This has to be the worst book released since the first edition of the McGraw Hill CCIE Study Guide. It's jam packed with technical errors, questions without proper answers, and explainations without context. I made the terrible mistake of waiting to offer a CCNA course until this book became available so my students would have the benefit of the latest material. Bad idea folks. Don't even bother with the practice exam, even if you pass... the test won't know it! This book needs to be recalled and a corrected version made available ASAP. I can only assume they were in a rush. I feel sorry for the author, who otherwise has an extremely good track record.
I'm sure the next release will be much better and I seriously recommend waiting for it.
- Dan Stachowiak
dan@its-inc.biz
47 Odom Does it again.
Having taught the CCNA course with Cisco Press providing the books I found that the Wendell Odom certainly goes far beyond the exam. With the new 640-607 exam out it is important to make sure that the material you study from is up to date and this book takes care of that.
What you have is over 1,000 pages that cover the exam objectives and then some. Odom has taken a great deal of time to ensure that the material does exceed the exam. This book is more than a study guide it is a great reference manual to have.
The book includes over 25 scenarios, 35 tasks, 8 labs and an appendix with 25 subnetting questions. The subnetting questions are difficult but if you use the manual to learn the techniques you should have no problem. Also each chapter has review questions and answers included.
This book is natural progression for the classroom instruction but can be used in a self study mode as well. The cd-rom included has over 300 questions in the new exam format so you have a chance to see the exam before going live. Overall Odom has once again proven that he knows what you need to pass.
48 Best CCNA Study Guide Available
I was privileged to be one of the technical editors again for this book. It was reworked to match the new 640-607 exam. I've edited nearly a dozen books for Cisco Press and Wendell's work is among the best I've ever seen.
Each chapter starts with a "do you know this" quiz, complete with answers. Depending on how you score, you might want to skip, skim or study the chapter. There's an end of chapter quiz, too, to let you know how you did.
In between, the text is straightforward and the graphics are clear.
Finally, there is a CD included with practice exams in the new format.
If you're only going to get one book, get this one.
49 Excellent
I haven't finished reading this yet but feel confident that I will pass my CCNA on the first attempt. After reading the Sybex CCNA study guide I did not feel as confident, especially when I started finding numerous contradictions within the text and between the CD flashcards and the book. This text is very in depth but very readable as well. After looking at several CCNA study guides I believe this one is the best. As it should be considering it is from Cisco Press!
50 640-607 Exam not the old 640-507 Exam
All the reviews for this book are irrelevant. This book is focused on 640-607 and the readers' reviews and comments are based on the 640-507.
