Customer Reviews

CCNP Building Scalable Internetworks (BSCI 642-901) Lab Portfolio (Cisco Networking Academy)

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First let me say that I was NOT impressed w/ Cisco Press's Exam Certification Guide. Lots of material was not covered in detail, and it wasn't until I went through this book that those gaps were filled.

NOTE: I'm actually just started the CCIE R&S 360 program, and in addition to having used this book for my BSCI, I'm currently using it for my CCIE practice labs. This is hands down the best CCNP book you will ever buy.

The exercises are well thought out and very detail oriented. The command outputs from various show & debug commands are explained in detail. The variety of network topologies used is another point worth mentioning; one of my own difficulties studying for this exam was really grasping routing behavior on NBMA networks. Going through and configuring a Frame-Relay switch [and yes, they give you commands], and then seeing for yourself the difference between Frame-Relay multipoint vs. a series of logical point-to-points w/ OSPF routing...absolutely INVALUABLE.

If you're using the BSCI Exam Certification Guide, this will ABSOLUTELY help you fill in the missing pieces from Multicast, esp. if you plan on going for your CCIE afterwards. This is the ONLY Cisco Press book I've read where I can finally say I "get" multicast configuration.

On a final note, the test had several questions whose topics were ONLY addressed in this book. #1 was dealing w/ EIGRP over Frame Relay multipoint going out the same S0/0 interface; no sub-interfaces. Split-horizion alerts should be going off in your brain, because it's learning about all networks from the SAME PHYSICAL interface. Cisco Press's Exam Certification guide did NOT cover this. #2 Was discussing using IP Prefix Lists to filter route updates in a much more granular manner than an ACL. I.e. filtering based on subnet masks so the specific routes you plan on summarizing will NOT be redistributed, but the single summarized route WILL be. ACL's will block everything due to wildcard masks.

Enough ranting. Do yourself a favor and get this book

I bought this lab book after realizing that my other CCNP study resources offered very little in the way of guided hands-on practice. Sure you can always dive into your home lab hardware off the cuff, but time is much better spent using guided, methodical activities.

For the price, this book is a steal. If you are serious about learning for the BCSI this book should be an essential part of your study. A word of caution though: you will need at least 3 routers with 1 FE and 1 serial interface each. If you can't spring for real router try [...]. (You need to find the IOS images from "somewhere"...)

Keep in mind that unlike the CCNA, it is very unlikely that you can pass all of the exams using a single resource. I am also using CCNP Official Exam Certification Library (5th Edition), CBT Nuggets, Transcender, CCNP Portable Command Guide Library and this corresponding Cisco Lab Portfolio for each exam. The books add up but my employer is generous to purchase books for corporal use so it helps defray the cost. Bring on the BCSI!

I've only worked through a couple of chapters but am utterly amazed that this book was only $35. There are labs for OSPF, ISIS, BGP, and more. I'm talking about real-world labs which simulate actual working environments. One specific lab covers EIGRP, BGP MEDs, communities, and how to traffic engineer a network. Another simulates a corporation with multiple sites connecting to an ISP.

Each lab is practical, real-world, and teaches an actual skill. The labs are easy to read, easy to follow, and easy to perform. Each lab includes a topology diagram that shows how each router is connected -- including IP addresses used, loopbacks used, routing protocols, and the speed of the links.

Plus...PLUS...you only need a couple of Cisco 2800 routers to perform these labs. You can even get by with a couple of Cisco 2620s if they have enough RAM/flash to run Cisco IOS 12.4.

Every time I open this book I learn or refresh my networking skills. This book would be worth twice or even three times the price.

If you work on Cisco equipment and need to refresh your skills...or learn a new protocol/skill, this book is for you. It will also prepare you for the BSCI exam.

This portfolio addresses all BSCI topics in a well written, well organized, and extremely thorough manner. I can comfortably hand these labs to my students without concerns about typos, understandability, or having to explain why particular steps are taken. The objectives for each exercise are clearly stated and clearly addressed. Highly recommended.

As is typical of just about every Ciscopress book I have ever opened there are many errors. Now to be fair I just cracked this thing open, However, it didn't take me long to start finding the mistakes. Lab #2 covers EIGRP. The diagram depicts a picture with 3 routers and a switch with the IP addressing for the interfaces laid out. Next, you will be given the configuration for the 3 routers. What you find is the actual configuration uses a different IP addressing scheme than the topology diagram. Just plain confusing! Is it that difficult to match the diagram with the actual configuration? Cisco books are always laced with errors and of course there is no errata for this book.

This is a great book for everyone who self-study and needs practice to achive the bsci.