Amazon.com Review
Cisco designed the Internetwork Operating System (IOS) to adapt to many different situations, which is part of the reason it has so many commands--the official documentation fills more than a foot of shelf space!
Cisco Field Manual: Router Configuration extracts the most widely used router commands from that body of documentation and, without dumbing them down at all, presents them in a way that's extremely helpful to people who want straightforward answers about what they need to do in order to make their equipment do what they want. The best way to use this book--and it's a great value for everyone short of a very experienced IOS expert--is to look in the index for the subject that interests you (configuring access lists around NetBIOS names, for example, or setting up Quality of Service for voice traffic), then flip to the pages that explain what you need to do.
For the purpose of exploring a typical example of this book's coverage, suppose you want to provide Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) services with your Cisco router. This book, in a three-page spread that combines explicit command listings with explanatory text and background information, tells you exactly what to do at the IOS command line. Where you have a choice to make, such as whether you want to specify a Domain Name Service (DNS) server in your DHCP broadcast, it's clear what your options are and how to implement all possible choices. After the step-by-step procedure that covers all typical cases, there's a complete example--in the form of a complete input and output listing from the IOS command line--that shows the configuration process from start to finish. --David Wall
Topics covered: Assuming very little about the background of the reader, this book explains how to make Cisco Systems routers do what most people need them to do. Bridging, virtual LANs (VLANs), Quality of Service (QoS), access lists and other aspects of security, and routing-protocol tweaks are all covered here.
From the Back Cover
A concise command reference for the most popular Cisco router features
- Review the basics of Cisco IOS Software user interfaces and the fundamentals of router file management, router system management and monitoring, interface configuration (including LAN, WAN, serial, and logical interfaces), and dial-based solutions
- Configure transparent bridging, concurrent routing and bridging (CRB), integrated routing and bridging (IRB), and commonly used IBM networking features
- Enable Layer 3 protocols, including IP-based features (NAT, HSRP, DHCP, TFTP, and mobile IP), IP routing protocols (RIP, IGRP, EIGRP, OSPF, IS-IS, BGP, MBGP, and IP Multicast routing), and non-IP routing protocols (AppleTalk(r) and Novell(r) IPX)
- Implement packet processing features such as quality of service and Cisco IOS Software switching services
- Establish the building blocks that can be used to implement a fully functional Voice over IP, ATM, or Frame Relay network
- Understand the procedures for securing routers and enable AAA, traffic filtering and firewalls, IPSec and encryption, and standard and extended access lists
While there are numerous sources of information and documentation detailing every feature you can implement in a Cisco network and the commands needed to enable those features, the breadth and depth of this data makes it difficult to find the exact information you want, to call up the information quickly, or to carry it with you in the field. Cisco Field Manual: Router Configuration is designed to be a quick, portable solution for networking professionals, providing an easily accessible reference to the most commonly used features that can be configured on Cisco routers.
Derived from the authors' notes about how to configure a variety of Cisco router features during the course of their preparation for the CCIE(r) exam, Cisco Field Manual: Router Configuration is an indispensable tool that helps you perform the most popular support tasks. From the first page, the authors zero in on quick facts, configuration steps, and explanations of configuration options in each Cisco IOS(r) Software feature. Divided into six major parts, the book presents concise implementation advice for families of Cisco IOS Software features, including configuration fundamentals, Layer 2 networking, network protocols, packet processing, voice and telephony, and security. Additional appendixes provide you with critical details on Cisco IOS Software filenames, password recovery, configuration registers, well-known network numbers, SNMP MIB structure, and a cabling guide. The quick reference format allows you to easily locate just the information you need without searching through thousands of pages of documentation. Each feature presents a bulleted list of quick facts to review how the feature, technology, or protocol works. This list is followed by step-by-step configuration details that walk you through the required and optional commands and examples that illustrate how to implement the commands and options.
Whether you are looking for a handy, portable reference to more easily configure Cisco routers in the field or you are preparing for CCNA(r), CCNP(r), or CCIE, you will find Cisco Field Manual: Router Configuration an essential resource that will save you hours of research time.
This book is part of the Cisco Press Networking Technologies Series, which offers networking professionals valuable information for constructing efficient networks, understanding new technologies, and building successful careers.
