Customer Reviews

Interconnecting Cisco Network Devices, Part 1 (ICND1): CCNA Exam 640-802 and ICND1 Exam 640-822 (2nd Edition)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

My background so you have some idea that I know of the subject I speak on:
- MCSE 2003/2000/NT CNE 6/5/3 CNA 4 (obviously, I've studied for over 20 exams)
- My mother is a retired English professor with 30+ publications to her name (I've been shown manuscripts as well as the review and correction processes).

Current Status: I read this book, credited to Stephen McQuery, in the past four days. I have begun using the Boson NetSim and ExamSim software to prepare for the exam which I plan to take in 1-2 weeks.

Book:
The book repeats itself unnecessarily in several locations. It's almost as if there were different authors with no coordination between authors and no single reviewer to catch the needless redundancy of information.

On occasion (I counted 2-3 instances), the author references an acronym, protocol, or other such important information for the first time, but the writing clearly expects that the reader have prior knowledge of the material. In these cases, the "assumed knowledge" is above entry-level and should have been presented prior to beginning the topic at hand.

Acronyms: sadly, many, such as EIGRP, are missing from the Index. This means that, when you forget what it stands for and the author references it by acronym only, you're at a loss as you don't have an index to tell you where to find information on that acronym. No, the spelled-out version wasn't in the index either.

Glossary: missing; doesn't exist. Readers would have found having a glossary beneficial as a quick reference for terms and acronyms.

From what I've seen of the NetSim and ExamSim, the book itself is missing some of the information you'll want to know for the actual CCENT exam. It's probably best to have some hands-on experience (through Simulators if you don't have access to the real thing).

Review Questions:
I found five errors in the review questions. One such error is so astoundingly obvious, one has to wonder if anyone actually checked the answers. P 478, Chapter 6 Review, Question 6. The posted answer is C, but, per the text on page 429, the correct answer is B.
There are a total of 258 review questions. Perhaps 5 wrong answers out of 258 (2.1% of the total) doesn't seem *that* bad, however, I expect better.

Overall thoughts: this book is a good stepping stone to get you towards CCENT certification. You'll need a little hands-on exposure to shore up the holes in knowledge and working knowledge.

I'll have a better understanding of how much actual exam material was addressed by the book after I take the exam.

Do you have one to three years of internetworking experience, are familiar with basic internetworking concepts, and have basic experience with TCP/IP? If you do, then this book is for you. Author Stephen McQuerry, has done an outstanding job of writing a self-study book for those who are pursuing the CCNA certification.

McQuerry, begins by describing the principles on which basic networks operate. Then, the author explores the operation and configuration of LANs. The author also describes how to extend the boundaries of network connectivity through wireless connectivity. He continues by looking at how a router provides connectivity between the different networks in an internetwork. Then, the author discusses the connectivity required for sites that are across wide geographic areas. Finally, the author discusses how to use Cisco IOS commands to determine the layout of a Cisco network topology.

This most excellent book is intended as a self-study resource that covers the subjects on the 640-822 (ICNDI) exam as well as the ICNDI material of the 640-802 (CCNA) exam. Perhaps more importantly, this book should help you become literate in the use of switches, routers, and the associated protocols and technologies.

All in all a good book on networking. The book could be organized better, 6 chapters over 463 pages makes for a little rough reading, they could have broken it into more, less broad chapters.

The end of chapter quizzes are AWFUL. I scored about 70% on the first chapter, but some of their explanations we're glaringly wrong. I went to the Cisco press website and downloaded the errata for this book, and there are 8 MISTAKES IN THE FIRST CHAPTER'S QUIZ ALONE! There are only 50 questions, COME ON! 5 more mistakes in the second chapter quiz...you get the picture.

[...]

I am Cisco certified and found this book very informative. The content is clear and easy to understand as well as useful. Highly recommend!

The book arrived in excellent condition and within only a few days instead of within 14 days. This was sooner than I expected since I did not put a rush on it and the free shipping to students with an edu account really helps lower the cost. Throughout the book complex terminology in computers is explained in a clear manner with pictures to explain in detail what the different network devices look like. The review questions in the back of each chapter are extremely useful. Originally I missed half of the information covered in the review questions and after rereading information throughout the chapter to answer the review questions, I became better prepared for class rereading the material and discovering the relevant information within the chapter that I was missing.
I was able to easily check my answers through the appendix at the back of the book, rather than waiting for the instructor to verify whether the answers are correct.

Even if you are not taking a networking class, if you want to understand the basics of TCP/IP, Ethernet LANs, Wireless LANs,subnetting, and how routers, switches, and servers work together on the network, I highly recommend this book and highly recommend that you use this seller. The seller sold it to me at a very good price, which is a great investment in my education.

I used CCNA: Cisco Certified Network Associate Study Guide: Exam 640-802 to 60% prepare for the exam. I used this book for the boson test engine because for some reason the author's ability to get information to stick in my brain was tough. I used CCNA 640-802 Network Simulator to prepare for hands-on which was about 30% of my time. If you can use this to pass instead of Todd's book, that's great, but the more books the better in my mind.

Interconnecting Cisco Network Devices, Part 1 (ICND1).

So I thought this book was a well laid out book for what I was trying to get out of it. I am trying to get my first Cisco Certification and wanted something from CiscoPress - as I feel that they have the best book to study from.

I liked how the book was organized and how it progress through the information. I thought the clarity on subjects was excellent.

I wanted the book to have current information for me to study from and I surely does. This is a book on Cisco routing and it reads as such.

I will continue to purchase CiscoPress books as I progress through my certifications - In my opinion they are just better books to learn from.

I purchased this book towards preparation for the CCNA exam, and for my own learning purposes, to help me in
configuring my own network set-ups and installations.
I liked it so much, its clarity and detail, that I enrolled at SUNY Farmingdale, Cisco Networking Academy and
Computer Science Dept. to learn even more, and prepare myself for a new trade or occupation as a computer net-
working technician; with website programming, design and maintainence as a minor. I already am a hardware and
electronic technician, and this would round out my skill set and enable me to achieve my goals.
I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn the nuts and bolts of computer networking, exam or not. It
will be money well-spent by you if you can apply the concepts in the real world, at home and/or elsewhere.

As a first step toward achieving the CCNA, the new Cisco certification CCENT tests basics (using Cisco equipment)expected of entry-level technicians entering the networking field. The title of the book states exactly what is: SELF-STUDY GUIDE TO INTERCONNECTING CISCO NETWORK DEVICES, PART 1, ICND1. This is the second edition; no CD was included.

Even though this text is for the new entry-level CCENT exam, I think the candidate should have a solid computer background coming into this. Any self-study text will introduce the topics, but prior knowledge will be necessary to "integrate" this into practice.

The text is up to date and well-organized in a logical forma. It is designed to be read in sequence to build the knowledge base for more advanced topics. It is not designed to be a reference manual, but covers troubleshooting throughout the chapters. It includes LANs, wireless, security, IP addressing, WANs, NAT, and router configurations. The IOS examples are current; sample IOS is helpful for someone using this to study for the test because for the most part each result shown in the example is explained. Graphics are well-done and representative of concepts. Reading level takes into consideration learner capability. Chapter summaries are skimpy. Chapter questions are all multiple-choice. A sample exam at the end would be nice. Understanding, rather than memorizing, should be the result of any self-study material.

Acronyms are "fleeting" for some of us who need reminders of what they stand for and how they pertain to networking tasks. Most of these are spelled out in the Index with references to the pages, but I did notice some are not included. A glossary might be nice; or combine a glossary with the index for quick reference. I would recommend a student create their own glossary to help them study if using this book. The CCENT (ICND1)is for many the very first Cisco test they will take and a foundation in terminology as it applies to networking is essential.

As an instructor for the Cisco Networking Academy at the CCNP level, I am always critical of "Self-Study" materials without simulators--which is the main fault with this book. End of chapter questions are good, but the certification exam has multiple format questions and simulations which are not mentioned in this book. Fill in the blank, click and drag, multiple answer, situational troubleshooting, topologies, and configurations using a simulator are how the test is delivered. The information in this book is complete, but I am not sure it prepares someone for the test.

Obviously the person writing the material did not bother to create the quizes. There are dozens of errors if not more. I trusted in myself and took the test anyway.

I failed with a 70% no because I didn't know the material, it was my fist Cisco test and wasn't speedy enough with the subnetting. The author should have really stressed how important timing was and at least gave a summary of what the official test was like and gave some tips.

I would not recommend buying this book, other than for reference for a newbie.