Customer Reviews

CISCO Certification: Bridges, Routers & Switches for Ccies

5 star:		(38)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

That guy gives every book a 5. He is a paid jerk to rate all books 5 stars. Please make him stop posting reviews! He wouldn't know a csu/dsu if it hit him in the head.

I have just finished the first of several readings I'm sure I'll be giving this book, and my hat is off to Mr. Caslow. A tremendous work and very helpful in planning the hard work ahead to becoming a CCIE. After all, doing the work is great, but you have to have a plan first!

I've noticed several reviews remarking that this isn't a good book for the IE written. Having just passed that exam, I respectfully disagree. While that is certainly not the focus of the book, I saw several topics addressed that cleared up some questions I had while taking the written.

I would highly recommend that if you're planning for the written IE, go ahead and purchase this book now. After all, if you're serious about IE lab prep, you'll be buying the book anyway. Put it to work for you sooner than later.

As a qualified CCNP/CCDP gearing up to take the CCIE lab, I have found that this book is invaluable. Sitting next to a CCIE that used this book to help prepare for the lab I am confident that I can also benefit from the book.

I have noticed that there are a few reviews that don't recommend this book at all. The main concern is the fact that it appears not to go into enough depth with regard to packet structure, handshaking processes etc. However, by the time you come to taking the CCIE certifications you will already have passed the CCNP and CCDP. By this time you will be profocient with the theory behind the technologies the book deals with. Therefore the book can focus on pointing you in the right direction with regards to the thought process you should exhibit when facing the lab and real-world scenarios.

The format of the book is such that it shows you key point and configuration issues, and gives you tips on those things to look out for and bear in mind when dealing with each of the technologies put forward in each chapter. At the end of each chapter I have found that it is a good idea to set up your own scenarios and try as many different configurations as possible. This will reinforce all the information put forward in the text. This is important as the main foe that we will face in the lab is time. If you know how to configure everything initially, without spending time searching the CD in the lab, then you should be onto a winner. This book can prepare you for this but only in conjunction with a fair amount of initial knowledge and a lot of hours spent in the evening tinkering with configurations and make and break scenarios.

With this book you will need a little less luck to take the CCIE lab as you will be a lot better prepared.

Caslow's "spot the issue" technique and thorugh checklists are absolutely a necessary requirement to passing the lab the "first" time.

Those who go to the lab without it, simply buy a ticket for the second round. Simple as that!

The only comparable books by my estimation are Solie, Doyle, and Halabi.
I have over 150 volumes by nearly every publisher and now that I'm prepping for my lab. I DEPEND on Caslow and his "technique".

The scientific method and the absolute other possibilities are excellent.

I've seen "real labs" and I've seen Caslow/Solie. I would not even try the lab without them.

I have probably over 100+ labs to draw a firm conclusion that Caslow's incremental methodical approach to the lab is the only way to go. He builds on the layer by layer philosophy (not OSI, Technologies starting with Layer 2 Technologies).

I want you to think about that seriously. Go to groupstudy and review most of the comments of previous lab-takers and note that the thing they have in common as to why they failed was that the overall approach was lacking... Maybe they were not structured in their approach, maybe they had not developed a complete checklist, time-management, etc.

Face it: if you cannot configure all layer 2 tasks in 10-15 minutes then you will probably have a good chance of not passing.
If you notice most of the people who have re-taken the lab, they will tell you that they had taken 30+ minutes at this level.

Caslow develops a winning strategy. Let's face it each technology is a finite subject. Learn what happens when you do x, then be aware of y, if you ever really want Z to work...

He calls them "issues". And if you don't the issues properly addressed maybe its time for a second booking...

My experience level is such that I take all of the CNAP Exams per semester in less than 30 minutes each including the final (that's about 300Q / 30minutes), CCNP, CCDP, MCNS, CSE, and GPS-AVVID.

Other good books include Hutnik and Satterlee v1/v2, Cisco Network Designa and Case Studies, Cisco Lan Switching, Advanced IP Network Design, Cisco Secure Internet Solutions, Giles, etc.

Combine these with a few good practice labs from CCBootcamp, Solutions Labs, Hello Computers, and IPExpert.net and you just can't lose...

Go to your local Cisco office and use their lab (space available basis).

Read Caslow and Solie.
Make Checklist. Make a growing list of caveats.
Read Specialist Books - DLSW+/DOYLE/BGP-HALABI/ROSSI-Switching/Net_Protocols v2/Cisco ATM Solutions/IP Access Lists/VoIP/MCNS/ISDN Handbook
Practice, Practice, Practice...
Evaluate Progress
Read Caslow
Practice, Practice, Practice...
Schedule Lab
Read Calsow
Practice, Practice, Practice...
That week before the lab - Read Caslow and Solie...
Read Caslow
Beat the Lab -> Simple as that!

I recently passed my CCIE Qualification exam using this book and my existing knowledge as a CCNP. This is a great book to use if you've already had exposure to most of the material. The author does an excellelent job of tying all the different technologies together and showing you how they're supposed to work in the real world. This one's highly recommended for all you CCNPs out there.

If you have a lot of experience with InterNetworking, you will appreciate this book. Don't count on this book to pass your written exam. This one is for LAB preperation and troubleshooting skills developement. The author take for grant that you have reached the required level to read beetween the lines. His approch for troubleshooting is simply THE WAY to resolve problems.

I started my CCIE lab studies with this book in 2000, it was an easy read and I really liked this book, specifically the Frame Relay section which still applies to today's lab. But, I had to put a hold on studies for a while.
I started my CCIE studies again in 2002 and passed the lab in 2003. During that time I glanced at this book for a total of 20 minutes. There are simply so many other books by CiscoPress that are better than this one, although, again, the Frame Relay section very well done. But certain sections, such as switching, token ring, and quite a few others simply don't apply anymore. Also, the Lab exam is so different now, with 3550's, QoS, Multicast galore, that this book falls of the required reading list.
I do think the author did a great job on this book initially, but it needs a facelift of major proportions.

This is an excellent book to start your CCIE certication process, but this won't be enough to pass the lab. Not even close. Once you feel comfortable with concepts and material presented in the book, you are about 1/3 way there. If you are unable to grasp the concepts in the book, quit and save yourself some time. This book is very popular among CCIE candidates. People who have not gone farther than this book have been making early exits though.

....future and past Cisco reference will be judged against. In fact, I couldn't resist writing this second review after reading his incredibily written frame-relay chapter. I had misconception about MAP, inverse ARP, subinterface but am not even realising it! Caslow book organised the topic in such incredible manner as if he knows you have all these misconception and perform a surgical operation to correct them all! And at this moment of revelation did I realise that this ultraordinary "ROADMAP" will bring you out of that jungle of cisco material that so many mere mortal would-be-ccie eventually surrender their fight. Enough emotional outburst, I guess - here is some observation : 1. This book is not for beginner - unless you have 3 digit IQ. Although the first 3 chapters pretend to lead a beginner through - it just doesn't work. Beginner please pick up Chris Lewis amazing book. 2. Very few diagrams - I guess there is just no space for them with these much solid material pack in - beginner will find it hard. 3. Powerful material starts at chapter 4 - frame relay. I suspect if I did not gone through Chris Lewis book I will find myself struggling and not appreciate it's clarity. This is followed by equally well written ISDN chapter - without a single diagram - unless you think show command is a diagram! Perhaps Bruce want to consider coming out with a sequeal of this book - we outside of the US has no such luxury of attending your fine CCIE class. One for the 3rd world, Bruce. I still don't see myself as CCIE material, but just may be, that with Caslow's book, one day I might have a chance to tell my grandson that old grandpa's been there, done that.

Caslow and Pavlichenko have written quite possibly the definitive CCIE preparation book. Unlike most books in the field they focus not just on the relevant technologies, but also strategies for getting straight to the heart of the problems you will face both in the written and practical exams.

The second edition is dated now. The written exam has changed as of August '02, with the practical test due to change in November '02, but this does not render the book completely out of date. No CCIE study guide pretends that it can cover the subject completely without other references, and this is no exception. If you keep an eye on the Cisco CCIE blueprint and supplement your reading with more specific tomes on the recent additions to the exam you will find the methodologies in this book become the core of your exam strategy.

The 3rd edition of this book is currently being prepared and should be available by the end of 2002.