Cisco CCNP Preparation Library - Hardcover

Chappell, Laura; Gough, Clare

9781578702077: Cisco CCNP Preparation Library

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1578702070 ISBN 13: 9781578702077

Publisher: Cisco Press, 1999

This specific ISBN edition is currently not available.

Cisco Systems has established levels of certifications to recognize different levels of expertise in the careers of networking professionals. Supporting Cisco's long-standing Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) certification are the various Cisco Career Certifications. Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) certification is the professional-level Cisco Career Certification for network support, following the associate-level Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) certification. CCNA has been a tremendously popular certification since its inception in May 1998, and many networking professionals who have attained CCNA certification plan to attempt CCNP certification.

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Review

A fine set for the experienced professional (or an intermediate who's willing to do his or her homework), the Cisco CCNP Preparation Library delivers the goods when it comes to technical specs.

But first, note the name of this bookset first: it is the CCNP Preparation Library, not the CCNP Certification Library (which is a separate set). If you're looking for something that will help you pass the exam easily, this isn't the place for you; the text in these books requires intense study, and it isn't always forgiving when it comes to learning tough concepts. If, however, you're looking to gain a solid understanding of how to build, maintain, and troubleshoot networks the Cisco way, this is an excellent place to start. And when you're done, you'll have the nice bonus of being within a hair's breadth of passing anyway.

You'll start off with the Cisco Internetwork Troubleshooting Guide, which teaches you the fundamentals--basic maintenance and problem-solving methodologies. Along the way, it also goes into some good ground-level detail on how the Cisco technologies work. This book is extremely good and probably the best written of the bunch, although technically speaking it's also the weakest, with a couple of glaring technical errors. But the topics all mesh together nicely, it's packed with examples that will come in handy in the real world--and most importantly, it provides you with a skill set of troubleshooting skills that will come in handy when you're reading all of the other books.

Building Scalable Cisco Internetworks delves into detail on routing and switching, and makes up for some of the lingering confusion that you may still have after the Troubleshooting Guide. Routing concepts are always a headache, requiring both visual and intellectual skills to properly process, but this book does a workman's job of walking you through the various routing protocols in easily digestible detail.

Building Cisco Remote Access Networks is technically accurate, but it's definitely the hardest slog in the entire set in that it's dense and oddly structured, and it lacks the solid flow that Troubleshooting has. The information's all there, of course, but you'll have to ferret it out yourself, and if you're a beginner to dial-ups you may well find yourself wandering in the woods.

Building Cisco Multilayer Switched Networks is almost as good as the Internetworking guide; it's thorough, thoughtful, and well written. The concepts are fairly heavyweight, of course, but upon useful study you'll find them all coming clear.

Which is a problem with all of the books. Most people will be buying them to pass an exam, but they're not written as exam-prep guides--even if some of them are official coursework. These books ladle out information in great heaped spoonfuls, but none of them tells you, for example, which of these topics are heavily tested and which are usually ignored. It could be easy to lose the signal among all of this noise--and it doesn't help that all of the end-of-chapter test questions are open-ended, essay-style quizzes as opposed to the multiple-choice monstrosities you'll find on the actual exams. This turns the nature of this set into an all-in-one exercise; either you slurp down enough information that you can successfully pass, or you don't get anything.

But once you get through this sometimes gruelling set, you'll be well prepared for the real world and probably set up nicely to pass the exam too. Much like real tech work, this isn't always easy--but it does come with some nice rewards. --William Steinmetz

From the Back Cover

Cisco authorized self-study books for CCNP foundation learning

Prepare for the CCNP certification exams with Cisco authorized self-study materials. You'll learn how to:

Build and scale complex, routed networks. Simplify IP address management, minimize overhead traffic with access lists, and interconnect your network to ISPs with the Border Gateway Protocol.
Build and manage switched campus networks offering a combination of Layer 2 and Layer 3 services. Improve IP performance, manage redundant links, implement multicast groups, and control network traffic in multilayer switched networks.
Build, manage, and scale remote access networks. Assemble and cable WAN components, enable on-demand connections, enhance on-demand connectivity with ISDN and DDR, and manage permanent connections with X.25, Frame Relay backups, queuing, and compression.
Support complex networks by isolating network failures and restoring proper operation. Apply a general problem-solving model to identify communication and configuration errors, and utilize diagnostic commands and tools to resolve problems with Cisco routers, Catalyst(r) switches, VLAN communication, Frame Relay, and ISDN BRI WAN technologies.

Cisco CCNP Preparation Library is a comprehensive study preparation package for the Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) exams, the professional-level Cisco Career Certification for network support. The four books contained in this package, Building Scalable Cisco Networks, Building Cisco Multilayer Switched Networks, Building Cisco Remote Access Networks, and Cisco Internetwork Troubleshooting, are Cisco authorized self-study learning tools. They present complete foundation coverage of all the topics found on the CCNP exams. Whether you are interested in preparing for the CCNP exams or you are simply interested in gaining a better understanding of intermediate-level routing, switching, remote access, and support topics, you will find these top-rate self-study guides to be an invaluable resource.

Building Scalable Cisco Networks teaches you how to design, configure, maintain, and scale routed networks that are growing in size and complexity. This book focuses on using Cisco routers connected in LANs and WANs typically found at medium to large network sites. Upon completion of this book you will be able to select and implement the appropriate Cisco IOS(r) services required to control traffic over LANs and WANs and connect your network to Internet service providers. This book covers all the topics on the CCNP BSCI exam #640-901, except for IS-IS. A free download of an IS-IS supplement is available on the Cisco Press website that will make coverage of the BSCI exam topics complete. To download the IS-IS supplement, go to www.ciscopress.com/ccnp.

Building Cisco Multilayer Switched Networks teaches you how to build and manage campus networks using multilayer switching technologies over high-speed Ethernet. The book presents detailed information on how routing and switching technologies work together by defining Cisco recommended campus network design methodologies. You will receive an in-depth analysis of Layer 2 switching technologies, Layer 3 routing services provided in the campus network, and securing the switched campus network model.

Building Cisco Remote Access Networks teaches you how to design, configure, maintain, and scale a remote access network using Cisco products. This book helps you enable and enhance the on-demand connectivity of a branch office, small office, home office, or telecommuter site to a central site.

Cisco Internetwork Troubleshooting teaches you how to perform fundamental hardware maintenance and troubleshooting on many different Cisco routers and switches. Divided into four sections-Troubleshooting Tools and Methodology, Routing and Routed Protocol Troubleshooting, Campus Switch and VLAN Troubleshooting, and WAN Troubleshooting-this book provides you with a systematic and logical approach to keep today's complex networks running smoothly.

Cisco CCNP Preparation Library is part of a recommended learning path from Cisco Systems that can include simulation and hands-on training from authorized Cisco Learning Partners and self-study products from Cisco Press. To find out more about instructor-led training, e-learning, and hands-on instruction offered by authorized Cisco Learning Partners worldwide, please visit www.cisco.com/go/authorizedtraining.

Cisco Systems, Inc., is the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet. Cisco hardware, software, and service offerings are used to create Internet solutions so that individuals, companies, and countries have easy access to information-regardless of differences in time and place.

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