Customer Reviews

Networking Essentials: MCSE Self-Paced Kit (Microsoft Training Product)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(12)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I think this book was written by a committee.

First, though generally well written, the text has its share of typos and several badly edited paragraphs. I had to read some particularly confusing passages way too many times to understand what the writers were getting at.

Second, there are question and answer sections after each section - that's good - but they were apparently written by a technical writer with limited knowledge of the material - that's bad. Answering the fill-in-the-blank questions turns into little more than hunting for random sentences in the text.

Third, the book is really out of date; does anybody on the Internet still use "Gopher?"

Despite these problems, I do recommend this book as a brief introduction to network concepts. But I cannot recommend it as study material for Microsoft's Networking Essentials exam; it just isn't complete.

Going by memory here, one question on the exam asked for the definitions of NDIS and ODI. These are briefly mentioned in the glossary at the back of the book, but nowhere in the general text. Another rather lengthy scenario question dealt with broadcast storms on a network that contains brouters. The text devotes exactly 11 small sentences to brouters and, of course, no mention of how to solve the particular problem given on the exam (turn off bridging).

I feel sorry for those who would rely on this book to pass the exam.

This book is unbelievably poor. Even for complete newbies, it's ploddingly elementary, disorganized and repetitive. And if you're already in the biz and looking to brush up for the exam, it will make you nuts. The review questions are matching or fill-in-the-blank, whereas the MS questions are generally multiple choice. The so-called labs and demos on the CD-ROM are comically useless. If you're a newbie, try Sybex. If you already pretty much know the real stuff and just want to get ready for the exam, get O'Reilly's MCSE: The Core Exams in a Nutshell.

This book provides a good overview. I used this book and the MCSE Core Exams in a Nutshell and passed the test the first time. The book is easy to read and understand, with good chapter questions for review. The text provides the vast majority of the information to pass the test in a straight forward manner. I found the book to be quite accurate. The book could have used a few more Situation Scenarios. If you're looking for a highly in depth book about networking this is a good start. However, if you're looking to pass the EXAM, buy the book.

I used this kit and passed the exam easily. I agree that it could be updated with better end of chapter questions. It is an essentials book, so I didn't expect it to be The Authority on networking; just the basics to help me pass an exam. It delivered what it said it would. Of all the resources that I've used for various certification exams, there is not one that I have found that has the ability to be the only one to use. And no book is a substitute for practice/experience.

I thought this book was a good overview. I used this book and the Transcenders and passed the Net Essetials test the first time. The book is relatively easy reading, and the chapter questions are a good reinforcement to the text. They definately let you know how much you absorbed while you were reading. Overall, I found the text to be pretty accuate. I however, felt like the book was not very effective in teaching trouble shooting (of course this is the area I fell down on during the test). I would recommend it for any beginner, but use something else too!

Good Luck!

An adequate book, in the tradition of other Microsoft Press offerings, but clearly insufficient as a sole resource for exam preparation. Also not nearly enough information to be practical in a real-life situation! Better test prep materials can be had from the Exam Cram series. Another hint for prosepective MCSE test-takers: take the Networking Essentials exam last, after the other core subjects and after the electives. The material by then will all be familiar and you won't have to study much of anything in order to pass the exam!

As an MCSE and a trainer, I've seen lots of people in classrooms who did use this book for self-study without much success.

This book is too long, boring and "dry" for people who're just starting their networking career. When I teach classes, I use OSI as the main theme and "link" all subjects to it.

The book just crosses through all of this without properly directing readers. It doesn't give you a central "theme". Readers need guidance, not a randomly grouped assortment of subjects. This typically leads to confusion.

Typical mistakes in the book: Routers vs. bridges, people don't see the difference. Also people don't learn how essential these apparatus are in practice. Nothing about switches, collision domain vs. broadcast domain! Too much about outdated technologies (ArcNEt, Appletalk, VGAnyLAN)

To sum it up: MS Press needs to rewrite the book so that it's easier to read (central theme, better style). Also it needs to be updated to reflect current networking technologies and concepts.

it is not a bad book, but first of all it is not enough for passing the test.Second the book is not really clear and the information sometimes contradicts other informaton on the same book. For a beginner like me it wasn't a good book, and hence I dont recommend it.

This is one of the best books about networking ever written. Filled out of ilustrations, charts and examples, it also comes with a usefull CD-ROM with animations (Avi files) of the examples given in the book. The language used is simple and goes straight to the point. Excellent to those who are studying to the MCSE certification, and also 100% useful to all people who wants to learn more about networking.

I passed but only because I also read Exam Cram and Que. This book was simply inadequate. To pass using it as the only study tool, you would have to be very fortunate in the selection of exam questions you were asked to answer. The back cover says "...you get complete preparation for Microsoft ... exam 70-058." My feeling is that this statement is far from being true.

Its also aggravating, as other reviewers have noted, that the sample questions are generally trivial compared to those appearing on the exam itself.