<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: Beware
Review: Beware of the currrent version of the exam--640-801 and 811! It seems to be designed to eatup and spit out newbies. I recently took it to recertify my ccna and narrowly failed it after easily passing the practice exam included with this book. This book covers more material than I think you need to know, but does not cover all of the material you'll need to know! Most importantly is that the router simulation questions included are much easier than they should be. I scored a 90 on the practice exam and failed the ccna. Beware.
Rating: 
Summary: Good CCNA Refresher
Review: Every journey begins with a single step. The quote is trite but is most appropriate for someone who has decided to pursue a career in Cisco networking. In order to begin the Cisco journey, the first step real step is the CCNA exam. Unless they are extremely fortunate and have someone (an employer or educator) to offer guidance, chances are the beginning networker will be taking this first exam on their own. The CCNA exam certification guides from Cisco Press offer the guidance they need to take that first step. In recent years, Cisco has made it even easier on the novice by dividing the material into two separate exams. CCNA candidates also have the money-saving option of getting their CCNA the good old-fashioned way: as a single exam.
I chose the Cisco Press books because I'd learned that if you want to get the right material weighting for a Cisco exam, it's best to pick your apples right off of the tree. In my previous experience, Cisco Press books had a tendency to be somewhat dry but I quickly learned that this misconception is no longer true. I found that the author, Wendell Odom, brings a friendly approach to the material that makes it quite readable. His examples are handled very well and his explanations are good. He doesn't write in the "just-the-facts-ma'am" way that tends to be the norm in technical books, so I will definitely be looking for titles by him in the future.
As the name implies, The ICND Exam Certification Guide (ISBN: 1-58720-083-X) can be used to study for the Interconnecting Cisco Network Devices (ICND) exam (640-811). The book itself weighs in at around 650 pages and is divided into five parts covering LAN Switching, TCP/IP, Wide Area Networks, Network Security and Final Preparation. These sections map to the objectives of the exam which covers basic switch configuration, basic IP routing, basic access list configuration and basic remote access configuration. This book takes each topic and explains the details regarding its implementation. The basic configuration commands are presented, explained and then given in the form of an example. The examples are generally pretty clear and the commands are shown in relation to the surrounding commands, so the context of the command is clear. This book is the opposite of the INTRO book, as it covers a small amount of material to a deeper level. There are some new topics presented, like route summarization and Link State protocols, which weren't on the old CCNA exam. If you are ready to recertify, but aren't ready to move on to CCNP, then this is the book to pick up.
The CD included with the book has an excellent test bank. I found it to be very useful in preparing for the test and working through the book. There were a few answers that were just plain wrong, but I've come to expect a little inaccuracy with my test banks. The questions are not overly easy, but they're also not all that tricky. They're about the right level of difficulty for this exam. One especially cool feature is the "Study Saver" which makes the question bank your screen saver. Cisco has an affinity for simulation questions on their exams, so it's good that they also included the Boson Netsim LE on the CD. The bad news is that all the functions and labs are not unlocked unless you go through the "upgrade process" which consists of downgrading your wallet to the tune of $125, which is supposed to be a great deal compared to what they usually charge. I didn't want to spend a lot of time with what is essentially a simulator demo, but feel free to give it a try. However, if the interface doesn't really make you comfortable, try something else like the Cisco Interactive Mentor CD's or one of the many other simulator options out there before shelling out your hard-earned money. One option that I recommend is finding a few routers (nothing fancy) for a few hundred bucks. Sure, they're more expensive than buying a simulator, but they're also more powerful and you can use them as building blocks towards having a live CCNP lab and maybe even a CCIE lab much further down the road. In addition to the test banks and Netsim, the CD's also include PDF versions of the books and 25 IP subnetting practice exercises.
I read this book in preparation for my CCNA recertification. Since it is intended for someone fairly new to networking, I experienced a bit of the "duh" factor. However, I was still able to learn a few interesting facts and reinforced a lot of what I already knew. I used this book in tandem with its INTRO counterpart to prepare for the single CCNA exam (640-801). I was pleased to see that, although the CCNA has been split into 2 books, the author has included a reading plan that allows you to read the 2 books in a back-and-forth order that makes it easy to use the same set of books to study for the single test version. In closing, I found this book to be very well written and in invaluable tool in preparing for my CCNA recertification. On my 5 ping scale, I give it 5 pings.
!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: I passed in 1 month from 0 level
Review: Hi there,
I am quite new in networking. I bought a CCNA book and had big fights with it. Hardly read 20 pages. While about to loose my hope to learn something, wanted to try again with Wendell Odom's CCNA Intro and ICND books. Well, I read every single line. Both books are so easy to follow, friendly and helpful. I sent an email to autor about one of the questions on the first chapter, and got a reply same day :) I am impressed !!! I got my CCNA in 1 month, feel much better now, and guess what, I just realized, I am so close to get CCNP!!! I am enjoying to learn and gain confidence with my new skills. Thanks Wendell Odom. I wonder if the author has any CCNP books... Good luck everybody.
Rating:
Summary: Loosing my mind!
Review: I have read through this book 2 times now and have failed the ICND test 2 times as well. I had purchased the Intro book as well and passed the test with flying colors. Upon finishing the second book I thought that I had a pretty good understanding of the material covered but when I went to take the test I was wrong. I have gone over the material in this book so much that I can answer every book, CD, and exam test engine question correctly in my sleep. When it comes down to it, about 25 percent of the questions on the test are not covered in this book. It has good information, just not enough information. If you plan on buying this book you should consider buying another to go along with it and read that one as well before you test. Which one...? That's where I'm at - it's on to another book and hopefully a 3rd times a charm ICND test.
Rating: 
Summary: Very incomplete for being an Exam Certification Guide
Review: I've now taken the ICND test twice, and failed both times. My scores are very, very close, however I keep getting questions that are not covered in this book at all. Several questions about the particulars of OSPF and VTP that were not covered. I even had a question about the debug command that was not covered in either the ICND or INTRO books. The biggest surpise was when I learned that the Cisco Press division is completely seperate from the certification division. In other words, you're not getting information from even the same department as the people who are writing the test. So don't make the same mistake I did and think that there is some advantage to getting Cisco Press books over Sybex or any other of the competing titles. You might even be better off avoiding Cisco Press books, because I'm starting to think they make their text incomplete so that you will purchase more of their books (For example, what is the difference between the "Self Study" book by Stephen McQuerry and the "Exam Certification Guide" by Wendell Odom?).
Rating: 
Summary: Errata steals a star...
Review: If you're looking at this book, chances are you've already passed the 640-821 INTRO exam. If that's your starting point and you used the Cisco Press CCNA INTRO Exam Certification Guide, you'll find more of the same in this book. (Note: If you haven't taken the 40-821 INTRO exam or bought the Cisco Press CCNA INTRO Exam Certification Guide, get the "CCNA Certification Library, 6th Edition" - it contains the CCNA INTRO Exam Certification Guide and this book and is cheaper than buying both separately.)
Pro's:
- For those of you who have been using Cisco equipment for a while, the "Do I Know This Already?" quizzes at the beginning of each chapter are indispensable. These will keep you from wasting time reviewing things you already know. Taking them also keeps you from possibly missing some arguably odd things Cisco deems important enough to include in the exam.
- Odom and Cisco Press definitely do a much better job explaining routing protocols and STP in this volume compared to past CCNA study guides.
- The accompanying CD includes a PDF of the book and exam and router simulators. If you use the simulators, make sure you download the latest updates from the Cisco Press Web site.
Con's:
- As I've said in other reviews, for whatever reason the universe will not allow publishers to print error-free exam study guides, and - just like the Cisco Press CCNA INTRO Exam Certification Guide - this book suffers from it's own share of errata. Although both books share the same three CCIE's as technical reviewers, this book has racked up "only" THIRTY-TWO errors since the first printing. Again, errors undermine learning and that defeats the purpose of the book.
- For some inexplicable reason the PDF version of the book on the CD was an older printing than the book itself. This will drive you nuts when you start finding errors in the PDF book that aren't in the printed version.
Some reviewers have noted that you may see questions on the 640-811 ICND exam covering topics that weren't covered in this book. Although that's possible, I suspect it is more likely those reviewers got questions covering material that wasn't in the *exam simulator* included with the book. The ICND exam includes some router simulation scenarios, and if you're not familiar with the CLI (configuring ACLs, etc.) you will probably have trouble with the exam. The router simulator included on the CD is okay - i.e. it's enough to pass the exam. However, nothing will reinforce the information in the book better than hands-on use of a router (or routers).
I'm giving this book 4 stars, mostly due to the errata. As a general rule, it's always wise to study from multiple sources when preparing for an exam. But, if you only have enough money to get one book, this one should be on your short list.
Rating: 
Summary: Well it helped me pass the test
Review: Once Cisco decided to split the CCNA exams into 2 separate exams, I wasn't surprised to see the release of 2 separate books, one for each exam. This release covers the 640-811 or ICND exam. Having used Odom's book in several classes I am familiar with his style and find that if you are in need of a text that goes beyond the exam then this would be an excellent choice. This book is solely concerned with the configuration of the switches and routers; his INTRO book covers the other exam. In this book the coverage of the LAN Switching is second to none. Also with the new additions to the new exam, Odom makes sure the each is covered, such as OSPF and EIGRP as well as Router security. One thing I have found with Odom's books is that they tend to be written to the intermediate level, so beginners will have to do a little more work, but for the serious candidate this should be no problem. As with the INTRO Book this one includes a LE Version of Boson's NetSim, which you can turn into the full version form the Boson website. Overall Cisco Press and Odom may want to consider combining the books, as cost is a driving factor in the certification game. Aside from that this should be a very useful tool.
Rating:
Summary: You Will Pass with This One ! ! !
Review: One of the newest options available in taking the new Cisco CCNA exam is that it is now broken down into two parts. The INTRO exam and the ICND exams are designed to more accurately measure your skills. This book covers the second part of the exam which is the ICND exam 640-811. The modular organization of the book makes it much easier to grasp the concepts and retain more information. The exercises in the book are designed is such a way that you aren't memorizing the information but you are able to understand the concepts by performing some hands on lab exercises in order to get the feel of the real world environment.
Each chapter begins with the "Do I Know This Already ?" quiz to help you determine how much studying you will need to devote to that specific chapter. There are questions at the end of the chapters that review the material. The diagrams in the book make it easy to understand the flow of the network and the information that flows through the network. The definitions in the book are concise and easy to understand even though the material is technical. The author has the novice as well as the intermediate user in mind when writing. The chapter contains subsets of topics. Foundation Topics explains the topics in that chapter. The most important facts are summarized in the Foundation Summary. To test your retention of the facts, the Q & A section provides review questions that are more challenging. The CD is offers questions, not only for the ICND exam, but for the INTRO and the CCNA exams. You can test your skills before taking the real thing. The confidence that you gain from answering the sample questions is reassuring. The CD also includes a network simulator that allows you to gain some hands on experience with routers and switches. The network simulator is limited on the commands it allows you to use but it is still very helpful in giving you the practice that you need for the exam. Subnetting practice problems are on the CD allowing more extensive practice in IP addressing. The test objectives are covered completely and the book is also reader friendly. The material is presented in a manner that makes technical information interesting while not going over your head. This book is a must if you are interested in passing the exam with a high score and a relatively thorough understanding of the Cisco routers. Wendell Odom is highly skilled on the subject matter and it is displayed through his instruction in the book. I would look forward to reading any of his technical books that he writes because of the easy manner in which the information is detailed. The exam is challenging and you will need a good study guide that will get you through the exam. This book covers Spanning Tree Protocols, VLANS, trunking, RIP, IGRP, EIGRP, OSPF and static route configuration, ISDN and Dial -on-Demand Routing and much more.
Rating:
Summary: Well it helped me pass the test
Review: This book and the 640-821 book was all I used to pass the 640-801 test. The 801 book was not out at the time. But the books are missing some things you need to pass the test (I.E: dial up and interface details). The router software is "ok". Boson wants you to spend an extra $150 to get the full software to do some of the labs.That skinks and is underhanded of them. I had to take the test 2 times to pass because of the missing information. If you use these books go to cisco and download the 2500 - 2600 trouble shooting manuals and read them.
Rating:
Summary: For the patient CCNA Candidate!
Review: This edition of the CCNA ICND Exam Certification Guide has the following characteristics:
Pros:
- Odom makes the text accessible from the perspective of a CCNA candidate. Generally, topics are presented according to a progressive line of thought laid out in the introduction of any chapter. This plan usually presents what will be covered and what will not.
- The textbook is written in a conversational format and emphasizes on four things:
1. Exam format
2. Exam content
3. Real-world tasks. Odom presents not just how to configure network equipment but how to make effective configurations.
4. Practice, with the addition of the NETSIM LE simulator on the accompanying CD-ROM, along with a to-the-point guide about this software in Appendix C of the book.
The author also presents:
- An excellent comparative analysis of routing protocols.
- Some key sample configurations with interesting considerations about "real world" behavior of the Cisco equipment they run on
- An excellent coverage of Frame Relay, ISDN and IP Access Control Lists.
- Some good Design Principles
- A good collection of web links and RFC references
Con:
Some chapters such as "IP Addressing and Subnetting" contain too many non-technical illustrations and lack a precise conceptual framework. This makes it difficult for a CCNA candidate to find and retain key points.
Overall, in this new edition of the CCNA ICND Certification Guide, a conscientious effort has been put forth by the Author to make the content of the CCNA exam more accessible while still trying to provide a solid understanding of some key networking concepts and technologies. I would recommend this book to the patient CCNA candidate!
<< 1 >>
|
