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Summary: Good book , But not a methodology !
Review: A good book to find the right things to do in a new or current (remodel) network project. But be careful, it's not enough to produce a methodology !
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Summary: Do you want your CCDA? Read this book!!!
Review: Although this book was not made as a study guide for the CCDA, I strongly recommend adding it to your study list. The book covers all but a few of the Exam topics listed in the guidlines for the 640-861 DESGN Exam.The book seems, in a way, angled toward the consultant who would be designing a solution to a customers needs. It guides you through the collection of data and how to apply your findings. Great book, and a must for any reference library.
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Summary: Etiquette for first dates as a network designer
Review: As a teenager, one's first date is always rather special -- and also frightening. You will have ideas about what to do, but it's just not the same as having the experience.
This book prepares a new network designer, as well as anything short of real experience, for that all-important first date with network requirements and architecture. The ideal reader is one who has operational experience with networking devices, and understands the general principles of protocols, but who has not yet broken out of the mold of reacting to crises and installing equipment in a way someone else has thought up.
When the book deals with practical issues such as cabling, its focus remains with capabilities and choices, not the hands-on installation practices covered elsewhere. Again walking a delicate line of targeting the new user, it avoids the detailed protocol characteristics and mathematical techniques that are needed for large service provider and enterprise networks. The focus remains on the more common small to medium enterprise networks that new designers are most likely to work on.
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Summary: Written by a Real Network Architect
Review: As an avid tech reader, I found "Top-Down Network Design" to be very refreshing. The voice always remains that of the author - an experienced network architect and instructor. Having read a lot of books on design, I can always tell when the marketing mafia are standing behind the author ensuring that a quota of product plugs is met. Not at all so with this book. Although a Cisco Press title, you could apply the Top-down approach to any network design project. Overall, this is my favorite Cisco Press book (and I have read plenty). Disclaimer: I don't "know" Pricilla but we both participate in a common forum dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge (not allowed to include URLs according to the policy of this page so I can't be more specific).
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Summary: Written by a Real Network Architect
Review: As an avid tech reader, I found "Top-Down Network Design" to be very refreshing. The voice always remains that of the author - an experienced network architect and instructor. Having read a lot of books on design, I can always tell when the marketing mafia are standing behind the author ensuring that a quota of product plugs is met. Not at all so with this book. Although a Cisco Press title, you could apply the Top-down approach to any network design project. Overall, this is my favorite Cisco Press book (and I have read plenty). Disclaimer: I don't "know" Pricilla but we both participate in a common forum dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge (not allowed to include URLs according to the policy of this page so I can't be more specific).
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Summary: Great reference
Review: Besides being perfectly useful for the CCDA exam, you'll find yourself going back to this book in your future consulting.
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Summary: The right book for any Data Network Design Engineer
Review: I bought this book according to the recommendations and comments of some readers.After reading the book ,I would say that this book is essential for any engineer want to learn the right way to suggest excellent design for any types of Date network (LAN,MAN,WAN).This book also useful for engineers who worked as a technical engineers and want to be design engineers.
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Summary: For Cisco Design you need to read this first.
Review: I passed the extremely difficult CCDA exam about a month ago, I used several books and practice exams to help in the study process, my wish is that I could have had this book before it all began than I sure I would have had an easier time with the exam. In just over 560 pages, this book will help with the CCDA and CCDP exams. Broken down into 4 parts, each part building the previous section, Part 1 is the Identifying needs and goals by showing you how to set business goals, policies, politics, staffing and budgeting. Also you get information on creating networks maps, analyzing traffic and QOS. Part 2 then moves to the logical network design talking about the Cisco hierarchical model, redundancy, load balancing, VLANs, IP addressing schemes and planning. Discussion of when to use classful vs. classless routing, bridging, switching and routing protocol choices as well as security finish out the section. Part 3 is the actual physical network design which includes cabling, LAN and WAN technologies like Ethernet and token ring, PPP, ISDN and authentication techniques. Finally part 4 the very important testing, optimizing and documentation of the network, with tool, setting baselines, measuring bandwidth and creating and implementing a Cisco Network Design Document. Overall if you are planning to take the CCDA exam, currently studying the for the exam or are in the job of designing the networks you might want to get a hold of this book and make life a little easier.
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Summary: Designing Cisco Networks
Review: If you are looking study material to take the Sylvan exam for CCDA, this is the book. Read it twice.
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Summary: Measure Twice, Cut Once
Review: Like the carpenter, the network designer does well to develop a plan before purchase. The title, Top-Down Network Design, is accurate because the author's key approach throughout the book is to consider what works best for the end user and meet the goals of a Request for Proposal. Priscilla Oppenheimer has presented a well structured textbook that covers every facet of networking in general with the intent of training the reader in the best practices of network design. The point of this book is to discourage going straight to product catalogs and picking out hardware when assigned a network project. Even if the customer is not given an RFP, the designer should present an overview of the project that includes the goals and how those goals will be measured.
The reader should have some basic knowledge of networking. However, this would make an excellent text book at a university or trade school since Oppenheimer covers all of the logical concepts and physical aspects of modern networking. The well read and experienced network engineer will find it a good review with a unique insight or tip sprinkled just often enough to make it worth the read. Except for the CCDP exam, the book is primarily a supplement to the student, but a must have reference for the consulting and design professional.
Oppenheimer gives well thought through, easy to read descriptions of technologies. For example, page 208 gives the most succinct explanation of how IPv6 works I have ever read. Another practical lesson is her definition of the "Heisenberg uncertainty principle" as "the act of observing something can alter what is observed." Consultants should be careful that their analysis doesn't become a problem in itself. Top-Down Network Design is a reference you will want to check yourself and those you hire.
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