36 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Finally a title with very few typos and errors!, February 29, 2000
I was very impressed with the layout and content of this book. I was even more impressed with the lack of typos (except for a couple), normally found in so many Cisco Certification books.
I have read the Sybex "CCDA" book and the Cisco Press "Designing Cisco Networks" book cover to cover. This new CCDA book is straight to the point, clear and concise. I highly recommend it for CCDA exam preparation. The exam objectives are listed in each chapter, and the material follows the format nicely.
I can only hope that Cisco Press continues to put out books like this...clear and to the point!
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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
It will get you started and/or a great review, January 18, 2004
This review is from: CCDA(R) Exam Certification Guide (CCDA Self-Study, 640-861) (2nd Edition) (Hardcover)
Having recently taken the CCDA exam I was interested in seeing how the CCDA Self-Study Exam Certification Guide would have helped me in my preparations. What I found is that authors Bruno and Kim do a good job in covering most if not all the exam objectives. However, they lack in providing the depth of knowledge needed to adequately prepare an individual for the exam.
Typical of most Cisco Press self-study exam prep guides each chapter starts off with a "Do I Know This Already?" quiz. These do a wonderful job in providing the reader a quick way to gauge what they know in that particular area.
The chapters then proceed to the Foundation Topics, a Foundation Summary, and finally a Q&A section. I found that the majority of chapters do an adequate job in presenting the information you will need to not be totally lost on the exam.
Ok, now the crux of my evaluation. I don't believe I could use this book solely to study and pass the CCDA exam. The book provides an excellent introduction to all of the topics covered on the exam but just does not do so in as much depth as the exam requires.
One particular area is the area of network design and also network design methodology (chapters 1 and 2). The authors spend about 30 pages of text describing what about a third of the exams consist. Let me be honest here, those areas were ones that I struggled with, particularly discerning between a technical/business goal/restraint, so maybe I am jaded.
To be balanced, the material covering IPv6 was excellent in its minimalist approach. It was much easier to read than the 30 or so page whitepaper, "The ABC's of IPv6". Also the section on the Enterprise Composite Network model was concise and the diagrams were wonderful.
In general I think this book would be great to read as both an introduction to the material and also as a review the weekend before the exam. The case study in the last chapter gives you plenty of review material and a way to model what you might find in the real world. The CD containing the entire book in PDF format and 200 practice questions would also be helpfully in reviewing/preparing for the exam. The diagrams and illustrations are clear and help in digesting the material.
For my money, I don't think you can buy enough material to prepare for the CCDA exam. I am a CCNA, a CCDP, and a Cisco Voice specialist and found the CCDA exam to be one of the harder exams that I have taken from Cisco (Biochemistry has them all beat). This guide won't solely get you through the exam it will certainly help get you started and/or help you review.
I would also suggest Diane Teare's Cisco Press book CCDA Self-Study, Designing for Cisco Internetwork Solutions (ISBN 1587051419) and Priscilla Oppenheimer's Top-Down Network Design (ISBN 1578700698) as books to also use in studying for the CCDA exam. They provide a much more in-depth coverage of most of the material.
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Well Worth The Price Of Admission..., April 10, 2000
By A Customer
This book is concise & well written, although you may want to read another book first (i.e. Todd Lammle's CCDA book) to get the in depth exposure, and then use this one to fine tune what you learned.
The CD was a great overview, although I didn't see many of the CD questions on the actual test. But then, that's not the way Cisco operates...use this book to learn the material, "apply" what you've learned on the test, and you'll do just fine.
And, yes...I did pass the test on my first try!
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