CCNA Practical Studies

Practice for the new CCNA exam #640-801, as well as #640-607, with hands-on networking lab scenarios

Build your own home internetworking lab from the ground up and use it to master essential internetworking skillsSelect Cisco router components and navigate within Cisco IOS(r) SoftwareGain access to Cisco routers and switches and configure a terminal server to access each lab routerConfigure hostnames and set passwordsConfigure router interfaces such as Ethernet, Token Ring, Loopback, and SerialConfigure multiple routing protocols, including RIP, IGRP, and EIGRPImplement route redistribution to share routing information between routing domainsConnect remote offices to the main network with ISDN DDRIntegrate IPX into the networkControl access with standard and extended access listsTroubleshoot common network failures

Understanding the concepts covered on the Cisco Certified Network Associate exam is no longer sufficient to succeed on the test. In order to be completely prepared to succeed on the exam, as well as in your daily job as a CCNA engineer, you must be able to apply conceptual knowledge effectively in a production environment. CCNA Practical Studies is the first book of its kind, providing you with a series of detailed lab scenarios that illustrate the application of key internetworking topics.

CCNA Practical Studies is a comprehensive reference that helps you gain essential hands-on experience in home-, work-, or remote access-based lab environments. An equally effective supplement to concept-based study guides or stand-alone reference for applying CCNA knowledge pre- or post-test, this book presents numerous examples that cover the entire range of CCNA topics. Starting at the physical layer of the OSI model, you use a layered approach to learn how to build a small network.

Each chapter tackles a major subject area such as router configuration, routing protocols, bridging and switching, ISDN, access lists, IPX, and more. Each subject presents a mini-lab, walking you through the lab scenario and explaining in detail the commands used, why the authors chose the specific commands, and the resulting configurations. Comprehensive configuration and troubleshooting labs are added to the end of the book, allowing you to understand how routing technologies interact. This step-by-step lab scenario approach is designed to teach you how to apply the knowledge acquired in the process of becoming a CCNA. Whether you are preparing for the CCNA exam, seeking to enhance your on the job skills, or looking to gain confidence before your next job interview, you will find the lessons laid out in this book invaluable.

This book is part of the Cisco Press Practical Studies Series, which offers readers a means to apply theoretical knowledge through hands-on lab scenarios for key networking technologies. This unique approach enables readers to practice and hone their internetworking skills while preparing for Cisco certification exams.

User review
Love this book. wish there was an updated version of it.
CCNA Practical Studies is an excellent technical guide for CCNA's and other higher level Cisco Professionals alike.

I'm very pleased with this book. I refer to it as a resource and recommend it still today (2008) to students and co-workers as an excellent source of material to get real hands-on experience that is `real-world`. Some of the material is dated as of this year and this review.

I'm a CCNP and as such I modify to make up the difference.

I'd hope the author or the publisher would consider a current up to date version if this book.

Cisco students everywhere need this kind of book to become effective Network Administrators.

Good job Gary and Lynn.

Sincerely,

Darby Weaver

User review
CCNA Exam Review
Excellent overall buying experience. Item shipped quickly and arrived in short order way over here in Iraq. Item was in better shape than described, in fact it appears to be new, unused. I am very happy with this purchase. GmC


User review
Needs an update, plus corrections of misconceptions
Bottom line: This book is only recommended for people who intend on going further than CCNA as a guid for building a serious home lab, or else those CCNA candidates who already own good router simulator software.

For everyone else, you can pretty much ignore this book until they update it to be fully conformed to the CCNA 640-801 exam.

Read why, below:

This is a decent lab guide on how to set up your Cisco home lab, detailing what sorts of gear you need, how to configure it, and some challenge problems that will not only prepare you for the CCNA, but for real-world work.

By the time you work through the book, you will get setup practice, switching and VLAN configuration practice, routing practice, and even some insight into network design. You will get hands-on experience that reinforces the conceptual learning from the Cisco Press CCNA books and the various CCNA study guides. This lab guide and the hardware will be invaluable in making the IOS commands `second nature` by the time you take your CCNA exam.

Measured against that standard, this book is nearly a 5-star book. It gets `points off` for using the menu based configuration for the 1924 switch instead of the IOS/CLI approach used by the 2950 series switch (the latter is what is on the CCNA 640-801 test).

But there are two very important flaws the potential purchaser of this book should be aware of: The book gets 1 star knocked off because it still has a lot of reference to Token Ring LAN technology, which is practically extinct. It loses another star for having a lot of the content on routing for Novell IPX/SPX, which is seldom seen anymore.

By basing so much material on these two obsolete (and non-exam) technologies, this book loses much of its value. These archaic technologies can be worked around and `converted` to TCP/IP, but this requires a depth that most CCNA candidates will not have - after all, that's why you are looking at this CCNA lab book!

So the biggest cumulative deficiency is that the book is in dire need of an update the entire text from the old 607 exam to the current CCNA 640-801 test standard. This involves dropping all the Token Ring and IPX/SPX activities, and adding more on 802.3 Ethernet LANs, and 802.1q VLAN trunking with an additional switch via the CLI (not the menu!).

As mentioned by others, this book does require access to a lot of lab gear, which is cost prohibitive for someone just starting out in networking. But it's not nearly as expensive anymore. In a pinch, you can use a commercial router/network simulator to do almost all of the labs if you don't mind the limitations such software has. Search Amazon or EBay, there are plenty of software based CCNA/CCNP simulators available, just be aware of the limitations.

If you are just grabbing a book and equipment for long enough to pass the CCNA exams and intend to do no further Cisco certification work, then you probably do not need this book. The most use you could do would be to read it for the examples and solutions, and maybe set up all this in a simulator environment (like the Boson router sim). If instead of a simulator, you want actual hardware that's simply adequate to pass the CCNA exam, then go to Amazon [,,.], and grab a pair of cheap 2501 routers (with AUI adapters and back to back cables), and a cheap 1924-EN switch, and use them to create scenarios from your CCNA training books.

However, if you are in the networking business to stay, then this book and the gear involved will be the basis for your continuing professional education, providing you with a source for plenty of hands-on experience across a broad range of problems.

[,,.] I know because I bought one and use it myself in my lab; it connects a pair of 2503 routers, just as the lab says.

Another correction is that you can pick up almost all the 2500 series routers needed to build the home lag for well less than $100 each. The exceptions to this are the 2511-Access router (usually about $200-260) and the 2520-Frame router (about $150-200).

The main switch involved (a 1924-EN) frequently sells for less than $50. Search Amazon and EBay for `Cisco 2501` and similar routers or `Cisco 1924` for the switch.

Note that a Cisco 4500M (sells for about $40 typically) can replace the $200 Cisco 2520 as the frame router/switch, and a 2509 (costs usually near $100) can replace the 2511 model for the purposes of this lab, providing the needed 8 serial console connections.

Just be sure to buy the Ethernet versions of the 2500 series routers, not the token ring versions. And remember you will need crossover cables to connect the WAN serial ports, and AUI transceivers to connect the AUI ethernet ports to your RJ-45 Cat5 network cables.

So, yes, by the time all is said and done, you will have laid out some cash to build the lab. But the cost is not nearly as much as some have said. And remember, this lab will also support you quite well in achieving not only your CCNA, but is a solid basis for your CCNP with the addition of more switching equipment (for VLAN trunking exercises), and will be adequate for most tasks all the way up through the CCIE tests. And you can use it to set up and explore network scenarios as a job aid for your day to day work as a network engineer.

User review
Starting hands-on, just what the doctor ordered
I believe the Cisco Practical series, CCNA, CCNP, CCIE is perfect. I need lots of hands on, over and over again.

Yes I can understand from 2 earlier reviewers that in order to really get the maximum use out of these practicals you need access to Cisco equipment. So a great deal of $$ equipment commitment is required. But unlike MCSE, where you can put 2 PCs together and you are off to the races, that is a major decision, no doubt about that.

I have CCNA, CCNP, CCDP and looking at someday doing the CCIE :) :), tougue in cheek. I am not sure how REALLY serious I am but I have spent a fair amount of $$ on Cisco gear. So unless I get a lot of hands on at work, getting the necessary hands on, the amount of practice needed is GONNA be on my own time. So I have brought as many Cisco Practical books as I can afford, and SLOWLY will work my way thru the books/hands on labs.

So I am slowly working my way thru the labs/hands on, and it definitely helps me at work from CCNA PRactical thru CCNP Practicals.

User review
Maamoun El-Khalil (CCNA)
This is a must if you really want to deepen your knowledge of
the CCNA equirements.It goes beyond the basics and presents you
with a real life lab environment where you can apply what you
have learned in theory and see it in practice.
The book deserves 5 stars.