WAN Technologies CCNA 4 Companion Guide (Cisco Networking Academy) [Hardcover]

Allan Reid (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1587131722 | ISBN-13: 978-1587131721 | Publication Date: September 1, 2006

WAN Technologies CCNA 4 Companion Guide is the official supplemental textbook for the CCNA 4 course of the Cisco Networking Academy Program. Completely revised from the previous edition with new examples and explanations, this textbook includes original material developed by the author, yet it fully aligns with the CCNA 4 curriculum. Written by an experienced author who present material in a comprehensive manner--using his own voice and own examples--this new edition augments student understanding of course material. The new edition incorporates improved features to aid instructors and enhance student comprehension. For example, chapters align with course modules in both name and number, and chapter objectives are stated as questions to encourage students to think about and find answers as they read chapters. End-of-chapter questions and summaries align with chapter objectives to emphasize key topics, while key terms are listed in each chapter opener in the order of occurrence to alert students to upcoming vocabulary words.In addition, new features include "How To" quick references for step-by-step tasks; real-world examples and all-new illustrations; concise explanations with a focus on word usage and sentence structure for improved readability; and correlations to the CCNA exam in Chapter Objectives, Check Your Understanding questions, and new Challenge Activities.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

WAN Technologies

CCNA 4 Companion Guide

 

The only authorized Companion Guide for the Cisco Networking Academy Program

 

Allan Reid

 

WAN Technologies CCNA 4 Companion Guide is the official supplemental textbook for version 3.1.1 of the CCNA® 4 course in the Cisco® Networking Academy® Program. The author has completely rewritten the Companion Guide to provide a fresh, complementary perspective on the online course content. The book covers all the topics in the course and then provides additional examples and alternative approaches to individual topics–all to aid the learning process and lock in your understanding of basic networking concepts and technologies.

 

New and improved features help you study and succeed in this course:

• Chapter objectives: Review core concepts by answering the questions at the beginning of each chapter.
• Key terms: Refer to the updated lists of networking vocabulary introduced in each chapter and turn to the highlighted terms in context.
• Glossary: Consult the all-new glossary with more than 300 terms.

• Check Your Understanding questions and answer key: Evaluate your readiness with the updated end-of-chapter questions that match the style of questions that you see in the online course assessments. The answer appendix explains each answer.
• Challenge questions: Challenge yourself with review questions designed to be similar to the complex questions you might see on the CCNA exam. The answer appendix explains each answer.

 

Allan Reid is the curriculum lead for CCNA and a CCNA / CCNP® instructor at Centennial College CATC in Toronto, Canada. He has been teaching the CCNA curriculum to both students and instructors since CCNA version 1.1 and has been instrumental in the development and implementation of numerous certificate, diploma, and degree programs in networking. Outside of his academic responsibilities, Allan has been active in the computer and networking fields for more than 25 years and is currently a principle in a company involved in the design, installation, and management of network solutions for small and medium-sized businesses.

 

Packet Tracer Activities: Create simulated networks and visualize how packets flow in the network using Packet Tracer v3.2 developed by Cisco Systems®.

 

Lab References: Stop when you see this icon and perform the related labs from the online curriculum.

 

Brand new Comprehensive Labs and Challenge Labs: Look for these labs and study materials in the supplementary book

WAN Technologies CCNA 4 Labs and Study Guide by John Rullan (ISBN: 1-58713-173-0).

 

Companion CD-ROM

 

The CD-ROM includes:

Additional Topics of Interest: Beneficial to becoming a well-rounded networker

 

Interactive Media Activities: More than 25 activities that visually demonstrate key topics

 

Packet Tracer v3.2: A Flash-based simulation and visualization learning tool

 

Student Resources on the Web

Cisco Press provides additional content that you can access by registering your book at ciscopress.com. Membership and registration are free and give you access to Packet Tracer configuration files, additional content from Cisco Press books, and exclusive deals on other resources from Cisco Press.

 

This book is part of the Cisco Networking Academy Program Series from Cisco Press®. The products in this series support and complement the Cisco Networking Academy Program onlinecurriculum.

About the Author

Allan Reid is the Cisco Academy Main Contact and Curriculum Lead for the Centennial College CATC in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He has taught cabling, routing and switching, remote access, troubleshooting, wireless networking, and IT essentials to instructors from uni­versities, colleges, and high schools throughout Canada. He has been working in the IT indus­try for more than 20 years and is currently a principal in a company specializing in network design, management, and security. He is a professor and program supervisor at Centennial College, teaching students in various areas of networking and IT. He is responsible for the col-lege’s CE offerings in IT. In addition, he works as a contractor for Cisco Systems, working on curriculum development and the creation of assessment questions for the Cisco Networking Academy Program courses. He has also served as a technical reviewer for other Cisco Press publications.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Cisco Press (September 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1587131722
• ISBN-13: 978-1587131721
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 7.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #212,945 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Even more Disappointing that CCNA 3, January 29, 2007

By 

P. Szabo "P. Sz" (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: WAN Technologies CCNA 4 Companion Guide (Cisco Networking Academy) (Hardcover)

I have to say that although the first two books in the CCNA Companion Guide series were good (CCNA 1 Networking Basics and CCNA 2 Routers and Routing Basics), each being 400-500+ pages long with detailed information, the last two companion books (CCNA 3 Switching Basics and Intermediate Routing and CCNA 4 WAN Technologies) have been stripped down to 200+ pages each but still at the same price as the first two!

This is in stark contrast to the actual course material which can be seen in the CCNA ICND self study book is much more rigorous and detailed than the CCNA Intro self study book. This tells me that the 3,4 companion guides should also be much more detailed in order to prepare the candidate adequately.

I'm not certain if the above review used the first two books but they were much better.

Not worth the money.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Poorest of the CCNA 4 companion guides, August 18, 2007

By 

Tech Reader - See all my reviews

This review is from: WAN Technologies CCNA 4 Companion Guide (Cisco Networking Academy) (Hardcover)

This Review is being written 8-18-2007 for WAN Technologies CCNA4 Companion Guide, by Allan Reid.

This textbook was the worst one of the four companion guides provided in the Cisco Academy courses for CCNA. The text does not adequately cover the topics that are in the CCNA ICND exam. There is not enough detail on the topics introduced. Neither does it cover the topics in the Cisco online Academy course. If you use this book, you can't answer the question in Cisco's own online chapter tests. For some reason, this book diverges from the online curriculum. My classmates, and the instructor, universally agreed that this book is poor.

Note: CCNA Academy courses Version 3.1 use this book. The entire curriculum is rewritten, making this book obsolete, EXCEPT for Academy use, as they may still take the old CCNA exams after the announced expiration date in November of this year. The version of the CCNA course being taught varies by Academy during this transition time.

2 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Companion to the Online Course, November 6, 2006

By 

John Matlock "Gunny" (Winnemucca, NV) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: WAN Technologies CCNA 4 Companion Guide (Cisco Networking Academy) (Hardcover)

This bookis the official supplemental textbook for version 3.1.1 of the CCNA 4 course in the Cisco Networking Academy Program. The book is a ready reference for the material covered in the online curriculum. As a book rather than being online it offers several advantages such as the ability to use it when an online connection is not available, and of course, the book format is more convenient for many people when compared to reading from a screen.

As this book was written by a different person than the online material, it provides a different but complementary perspective. It is often a help to have things worded from a different angle even though the basic information being conveyed is the same.

This book is recommended for anyone studing for the fourth CCNA course. Likewise it compatible with and you should also get the WAN Technologies CCNA 4 Labs and Study Guide by John Rullan (ISBN: 1-58713-173-0). The two books work together with this book suggesting that you perform certain experiments out of the lab book from time to time.

Using the material along with the online course is easily the best way to study for the test.