Rating: 
Summary: Commendable hard-work, but inadequate for CCNP success.
Review: I've completed my CCNP last June of 2001 but without this product's help. I grabbed this product last christmas just so I could hone while away from my setup, but disappointed not to be able to do what I need to do.The bugs are not the major drawback of this product, as the patch provided on their site actually did fixed those problems, but rather its' very limited ability to do the task of supposedly helping you with the lab. Not only that it is very limited (it is a program, and the contents are limited to the programming contained), but certainly not enough to pass the 4 core CCNP exams. You'd certainly be able to do the lab which it wants you to do, but try doing the Cisco required labs as requisite towards CCNP track and you're out of luck. Save your money on this, I suggest you buy yourself a used hardware (routers/switches) instead on ebay. Better suggestion: (1) Grab yourself the "Cisco CCNP Preparation Library" which is 4 course books covering all CCNP exam topics, these textbooks are exactly same contents as those 2-volume spring-bound text given at Cisco CEC, I kid you not. There is nothing on the exam that you won't find on the suggested book, then (2) follow-along the lab exercises on a piece of paper or much better yet directly on the hardware itself (the money you save on buying this software can be put to better use if you buy yourself a used routers/switches instead). If you are short of cash and cannot afford the hardware, there are numerous sites, which offer timed-lab where you ftp to their complete hardware setup and be able to utilize them to perform your lab exercises. I'll still give this product a 2 star --- it is still an honest hard-work attempt to create a product, although very limited, would allow a user to investigate some command functionality of routers/switches. But I caution you not to rely on it to help you pass your CCNP exams or to mimic your more intricate enterprise environment. Good Luck!
Rating: 
Summary: Poor man's Cisco router
Review: If you don't have an access to a Cisco router, this tool is the way to go. Although it only offers a limited number of commands. Also, there are books that cover the Cisco IOS extensively: "Cisco IOS for IP Routing" by Andrew Colton and "Cisco IOS in a Nutshell" by James Boney. These two should take a long way to a very good understanding of Cisco routing.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent for Non-experienced users
Review: If you don't have hardware to play with, I recommend this lab. It gives you a feel of configuring the routers/switches and make them actually talk to each other.
It also gets you familiar to Visio/CiscoWorks diagrams of network topology.
All supported commands enough to pass all CCNP exams.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent for Non-experienced users
Review: If you don't have hardware to play with, I recommend this lab. It gives you a feel of configuring the routers/switches and make them actually talk to each other.
It also gets you familiar to Visio/CiscoWorks diagrams of network topology.
All supported commands enough to pass all CCNP exams.
Rating: 
Summary: CCNP Virtual Lab
Review: It's not a substitute for a real world environment but this is pretty good learning tool. Didn't have any problems installing on a windows2000 system. Installed the update from Sybex. (...)
Rating:
Summary: Simple , but not enough !!
Review: The lab has a little bug on Windows 2000 . So you must to download the update file from sybex website. Then It's work!!
CCNP Virtual lab include most of important labs , but not complete. If you are not a networking engineer or desinger , I think the software is a good tool as real. But if you are a networking professional guy , prepare the simulative lab is the best way. Depends on your choice !!
Rating:
Summary: Good Value...Several bugs
Review: This product gives you the ability to try your hand at configuring OSPF, BGP, Frame Relay, & even troubleshooting labs. The lab manual guides you step by step through the configs. The manual says that you may try your own configs, but keep in mind you must use the commands that are supported. Plus I found that some labs don't work properly (even with the latest patches). In short, this lab is great if you don't have cash to buy your own. But you will be limited to pretty much only a handful of commands and all test topics are not covered. Where's NAT?....
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointed
Review: Very disappointed. All the bad coments below are true, although I think Todd Lammle tried to do a good work. You only have 33 very basic "chopped" commands in routing, no "show ip protocol", no "show ip ospf", etc. Someone knows if this is the most "advanced simulator" in the market?
If this is it, better to buy second-hand equipments.
I don't know how difficult it is to simulate a real environment . It is necessary to pay more, OK no problem, but overcoming the limitations (minimun 100 full-enabled IOS commands by device in any lab!!)
Rating:
Summary: Perfect after you get the Patch from Sybex
Review: Why would 2 of you write a review about it crashing before you even check to see if there is an available patch? Whew!!!! Well, simply put... if you don't have the chedda to purchase routers for home use... its perfect. I'm taking courses that offer hands on router use. This virtual lab is great for practice at home. GET THE PATCH B4 U REVIEW THIS!!!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: If you have no experience at all
Review: with Cisco products then by all means purchase the software to assist you with your preparation for the exams. So far, I have only taken (and passed) the switching exam, and I am quite disappointed with the lab. There was a lot missing - ATM,FDDI,Troubleshooting MLS, and the worst was the lack of commands for the router when configuring Inter-VLAN routing. But, like I said before, if you have no "real" experience with switches and the like, this is the product to get you there.
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