Rating: 
Summary: It's a Guide not a Wizard
Review: Excellent guide, but you'll need the classroom course and hours of studying...It's not a wizard like some people think, you have to analyse because the exam uses cases and several questions about each case, it's not just memorize steps and if you are preparing for the CCNA too, it is better.
The CdRom include a simulation test...believe it or not, I found some equal questions in the exam. I passed because I had patience to read and understood each case in the exam even I don't speak english.
Rating: 
Summary: not enough to pass.........
Review: I assumed the Cisco Exam Guide would do just that......A newcomer to Cisco Exams I read Oppenheimer and studied this book. All tests, case studies. Two weeks preparation. Made more difficult I thought as the book lacked sufficient stucture to facilitate understanding & retention for the exam. Was surprised to find correlation between Exam 640-441 and this book not good enough, plus ' Ciscology ' and questions with ambiguities. My mistake....study more than just this book !
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Summary: Great Study & Reference Guide
Review: I bought this book last month and just took the test this past Friday and passed. I think the book is laid out very clear, with easy to understand examples and text. I found the case studes helpful and the Appendix material most valuable. It's too bad whoever writes the exams for Cisco doesn't think about the way they ask the questions. You will really need to understand the material so when you read the case studies during the test, you can attempt to figure out what the exam author is really asking you for. You have to remember to always think CISCO! The exam is 72 questions long and you have 2 hours to take the test. You will need it to read all the case study questions. My only real complaint is that the book teaches you how to interview a customer and extract information, but the test leaves you wondering what are they asking in the question. Either way, this book is an excelent desk top reference for anyone in Networking and IT.
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Summary: This book is no good for the new CCDA Test
Review: I just bought this book. But the book was written for the 640-441 and you can't take that test anymore, they discountinued that test 3 days ago!! I get to the test and now the CCDA test is 640-861 and I was not told that the test was changed!! They sold me this book for a discountinued test!! Half the questions were on material not covered at all in this book such as IPV6 and VoIP. They should not be selling this book any more if the test is not given. I want my money back!! It i confusing to get a book for the CCDA test that is useless.
Rating:
Summary: This book did it for me!
Review: I used this book to pass the 640-441 exam. What more can I say? I read it from cover to cover and it gave me what I needed to pass the test!
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Summary: CCDA Exam - What is it in reality?
Review: Let me explain how the book can help you to pass DCN 640-441 exam and what else you need to study out. The guide contains enough info about the STEPS that you should take to design someone's network, many case studies that I strongly advise to learn carefully. Appendixes are about 1/2 of the entire guide. They include Internetworking Overview, SMB Solutions and a Glossary. But in order to pass the exam (I have passed it on my first try in spite of the fact that English my second language) you need to have a broad knowledge of internetworks as a whole because there are different questions about any protocol that could be in a SMB network. The most difficult part of the test - case studies. It is really a Nightmare for someone who doesn't enough know English. I have been tested with 4 case studies and this is truly strain when I had to answer a question for one case study and then must read another one. Finally, I used some materials besides this guide - CBT from SmartForce and Boson Software Tests. But any guide or trial tests are easier than the exam. It isn't the similar test to the CCNA one. The CCNA is much more easier. Most likely I have passed it due to the fact that I already have CCNA and CCAI (Academy Instructor) certificates. The teaching practice is very helpful. It is recommended to develop attentiveness, decision logic and you will be able to pass it.
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Summary: well organized and thought out format
Review: The best way to pass Cisco exams is to use books by Cisco Press who support authors that actually employ verbiage similiar to what Cisco uses on their exams. For example: when studying for the CCNA support exam, I used only the ICRC courseware book with Cisco's Internetworking Technologies CD and scored a 906. Incidently - I have noticed that some writing reviews on this book have given it a thumbs down because "...it is based on the 'old' exam, or that the book "...only covered 10% of they saw on the exam." Actually, the CCDA (design) exam has not been changed and is still exam #640-441. However, the original CCNA (support) exam has been retired and superceded by #640-507. I wonder if maybe some are using this book in an attempt to pass the support exam? The CCDA covers design - the CCNA covers support. I like the way this book is laid out. I appreciate how the exam objectives being covered are listed before the study material. The book is well organized and is actually a good read - even if you are not going for certification. As always - a big plus with Cisco Press books is the superior paper quality, print, and graphics. It's a must have. You can probably pass the exam with this book. However - I would also purchase the DCN Courseware book - 'Designing Cisco Networks' - it goes into a little more detail and has great reference material in the back of the book which would certainly come in handy on the job.
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Summary: This book did it for me!
Review: This book contains a lot of information obviously written by a group of people who didn't talk to each other. Most of the information is repeated several times. Content is very disorganized. Most other Cisco Press Certification Books are much better organized. On a positive note, the CD Rom is VERY helpful. (Note that as of this date (Mar 2003) the test 640-441 has been retired and replaced by 640-861.)
Rating:
Summary: Good Book for those with EXPERIENCE.
Review: This book provides a very good overview of the tasks involved with designing a network. It is well laid out and very concise. Over half of the book, however, is dedicated to appendices that do little more than provide a small refresh of past exam (CCNP path) topics. If you are thinking about buying the book, reading it, and then heading to the exam without a course AND you have almost no networking experience, then I'd say to save your money. Buy a book that goes into greater detail in terms of networking and network protocols. This book will help you answer all the case study study questions, and is excellent teaching the theory behind network creation, but it will do nothing to aid you in answering any of the number of protocol based questions or routing questions or connectivity questions that are a part of the DCN exam. About 60% of the exam is covered by this book, the rest of the exam dealt with the above issues that I was able to answer with my experience in networking. If you have 3-4 years of solid network experience and have your CCNP designation, then this book should provide a quick and dirty solution to your exam needs (no course required).
Rating:
Summary: The best book for CCDA/DCN exam
Review: This is all you need to get your CCDA! I just passed the DCN exam quite easily with flying color by refering to this book only. The book has lots of case studies questions on all chapters, besides good and brief explanations on the Cisco internetworking technology material. It even dedicates the last chapter for several extra case studies. All I can say is that they are more than enough to prepare you answering case study questions on the exam day. The CD has an electronic version of the book and more than 200 practice exams questions. Take and pass the practice exam several times and you are on your way to the CCDA! WARNING: - When you sit for the exam, make sure you read the case study questions VERY CAREFULLY and understand them before answering. - Keep in mind that DCN exam IS NOT for a novice. You'd better have a good understanding of basic internetworking stuff, know Cisco products quite well, and have real-world experiences. This is not an ordinary 'paper exam', but it challenges your capability to implement internetworking on real-world scenarios. For the first two, make sure you read all the chapters and the Appendixes. It is also a good idea to visit the Cisco web site and read all related materials. For the experience thing, nothing is better than 'tasting the honey by yourself'. (CCNA, CCDA, Network+, MCSE+I, MCDBA)
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