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Rating: 
Summary: A very long and detailed read
Review: If you crave information, you've got the right book.
There is an absolute mountain of information in this book. At times you will feel like you're trapped in the last excruciating hour of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, when it drags on and on.
Some of the chapters are too long. The author would have benefited by breaking the chapters into smaller pieces or providing some sort of outline at the beginning. It is easy to get lost in a morass of details three quarters the way through the chapter, and having to flip back to find out what the information has any relation to.
I used this book as the basis for passing the CCDA, and supplanted (or in some cases summarized) the information using the second edition book and Todd Lammle's CCDA book. You probably only need one tenth of all the information to pass, but the difficult part is knowing which tenth that is.
The scenarios in Chapter 11 do a good job of giving you a sneak peek at the scenarios on the actual exam. You can expect several of them.
I gave the book four stars simply because of the sheer volume of information. The writing style is average to good. Considering Cisco's horriffic record with editing their own titles, this book is exceptionally error free.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Book! Must have for CCDA Candidate
Review: It came time to recertify my CCDA and I went in search of appropriate study guides to help me on my way. I used the previous book "Designing Cisco Networks" for my first test and found it very helpful. I can say that Cisco has raised the bar on the current version of the CCDA exam. Now the test is as difficult as the old CCNP test, CID. This new CCDA self study book does an exceptional job of covering the exam objectives listed on CCO. This book is very well organized and does an exceptional job of introducing topics in an order that build well. The depth of coverage in each of the chapters is very good and includes links to the appropriate page on CCO for that extra attention to detail. What can I say, this book actually covers all of the objectives. The coverage on the Enterprise composite model, QOS, Voice, and Security were great, giving the right amount of depth to get a really good idea of how it works. I used this book and the listed CCO links as my sole study resource for my CCDA recertification. With my experience level being limited in Voice and Security, this book gave me what I needed to pass my test well above the passing mark. I also use this book as an on the job reference and training aid for other engineers. I do not hesitate to give this book 5 stars. It is worth every penny and is a valuable addition to any engineers' library. You will find yourself going back to it very day.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book! Must have for CCDA Candidate
Review: It came time to recertify my CCDA and I went in search of appropriate study guides to help me on my way. I used the previous book "Designing Cisco Networks" for my first test and found it very helpful. I can say that Cisco has raised the bar on the current version of the CCDA exam. Now the test is as difficult as the old CCNP test, CID. This new CCDA self study book does an exceptional job of covering the exam objectives listed on CCO. This book is very well organized and does an exceptional job of introducing topics in an order that build well. The depth of coverage in each of the chapters is very good and includes links to the appropriate page on CCO for that extra attention to detail. What can I say, this book actually covers all of the objectives. The coverage on the Enterprise composite model, QOS, Voice, and Security were great, giving the right amount of depth to get a really good idea of how it works. I used this book and the listed CCO links as my sole study resource for my CCDA recertification. With my experience level being limited in Voice and Security, this book gave me what I needed to pass my test well above the passing mark. I also use this book as an on the job reference and training aid for other engineers. I do not hesitate to give this book 5 stars. It is worth every penny and is a valuable addition to any engineers' library. You will find yourself going back to it very day.
Rating:
Summary: The book includes most everything you need to pass 640-861.
Review: This book is very comprehensive and meets all the objectives of the Cisco CCDA 640-861 exam. The author is knowledgeable, thorough, and has the ability to help bring design technology into perspective. This book does not include additional test prep software typically found in most certification self-study guides. What I found helpful within this book is the level of detail. Nothing is more frustrating than having to spend hours of time locating the right information on the Cisco web site to prepare for their exams and then actually prepare! This single book brings everything into perspective for the CCDA candidate. Each chapter includes questions and answers for reinforcement. The diagrams and design scenarios are also a big help. Perhaps in the next revision the author or publisher will invest in additional test prep software. Most of the time, this book's printed text clear and concise--the book's layout is comprehensive and flows from cover to cover. This self-study guide is thorough! This allows you to study for the exam with one resource. Chapter 11 adds a nice touch with a single case study and how all the Cisco design technology covered in chapters 1-10 apply. The appendices add even more value to this book. There is everything from an appendix on IPv4 Addressing Job Aids to a summary of CCNA-level IOS commands every CCDA must know. With this book and popular exam prep software, you'll be ready for the exam in no time! I was only able to locate a few small technical inaccuracies in this book. I have never found a technical book without errors! The few errors I found were in defined acronyms and may have been a result of the book's copy edit process. Refreshingly, this book focuses not only on preparing you to pass the CCDA exam but helps you to understand the technology involved. This book's author and technical reviewers have done an excellent job at bringing all the obscure CCDA network design topics together in one location with technical accuracy. For the self-study candidate on a limited budget, who really wants to understand what's required to be a successful CCDA, this book offers a well readable format. When you want to prepare to pass the new CCDA exam, this book along with popular exam prep software is all you need!
Rating:
Summary: Overall Weel suited for the CCDA Exam.
Review: When Cisco revised the CCDA Exam from 640-441 to 640-861, I thought that is was simple upgrade. After taking the beta and live exams, I found that the material on the new exam far exceeds what the old exam had and therefore finding the right material to use will be a real task. Fortunately Cisco Press has done all the work for you and this release is a real help for the new exam. Knowing that formal training for the CCDA exam is hard to come by since the classes are few and far between. So if you are going to self study you will need the best material to study from and this book should fill that need. As with most books on CCDA certification the material is a little dry and sometime long. However the material does in fact cover the exam and cover it well. I found the author to be thorough and detail in the explanations and technically accurate in the presentation of information. The author ability to convey the exam material in straight forward manner is just one of the things I like about this book. I was impressed by the extras the book provides, for example Chapter 11 is a review of the entire book along with a case study. The examples appear to be taken form real life situations. There is a great 11 page appendix covering the OSI model and 20 pages for router and switch commands. At first glance I thought there were no answers to the review questions until I found them all in the Appendix G. Overall the book is well suited for the CCDA exam and do not let the cost sway your decision.
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