CCNP Building Cisco Multilayer Switched Networks

Thoroughly prepare yourself for Cisco's revised Switching exam (643-811) with this Study Guide from Sybex, leader in Cisco certification study guides and winner of CertCities.com 2002 Readers' Choice Award. Switching is one of four core exams required for the mid-level Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) certification. Packed with in-depth coverage of all official Cisco exam objectives, plus real world scenarios and exam essentials, this comprehensive guide takes you beyond the basics and reinforces key subject areas. The accompanying CD includes testing engine with two bonus sample exams, electronic flashcards for PCs and Palm handhelds, and a searchable electronic version of the entire book.

User review
Needs to be updated, not enough information
This seems to have been written for the previous iteration of the BCMSN. There are some inaccuracies and I'd say that 40% of what's covered on the test is not in here. You will NOT be prepared for the test if you have only this. The Cisco Press and Exam Cram 2 are good but some practical knowledge is also required with the new test.

User review
A Great Book!
This is the second book from the Sybex Cisco Certification series I have purchased (after Todd Lammle's excellent CCNA book), and I was equally impressed with this work.

The layout was up to the standard I expected, and I found the text flowed along nicely with sound explanations that were easy to understand. Some of the labs use CatOS-based switches, and I am told that Cisco is removing these from the exam, but they were useful to me as we still have some in our network.

I particularly liked the chapters on QoS and switch operation, which I thought were covered in good detail, and I found studying from this book to be a rewarding experience, both in exam success and educational terms.

Based on the quality of this book I shall be buying more from the same series when I prepare for the next exams in the CCNP certification.

User review
A sloppy production
I used the Cisco Press CCNA Certification Guide to pass the CCNA exam and then used the Sybex BCMSN Study Guide to study for the exams. Not only I found big different between the contents, I also found the production quite sloppy. Found some misprint in the book but according to sybex.com, there are no updates to this book, while there is a 4 page errata to the Cisco Press BCMSN Certification Guide, which I eventually pay an extra $50 for. Did the exam and found some terms which I have never found in the Sybex book while some of the chapters were not in the exam at all. Very surprised.

All in all the Cisco Press books are a much better candidate for CCNP and this book did not closely match the exam topics published by Cisco. I would not recommend this book to anyone studying for CCNP.