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I have read both of Wendell Odom’s ICND1/2 books, and also the CCNA book by Todd Lammle. This book is very different. Much more thorough and detailed, and in my opinion a better resource for passing the exam. This book provides a comprehensive resource and study plan for passing the ICND2/CCNA exam.

There were a few errors. This book is in it’s fifth printing, so most of the errors have been corrected over the previous two years. However there is a comprehensive errata document available for download that should be used to correct the few that have been discovered in this printing.

The “do I already know this” 6-10 questions at the beginning of each chapter I found very useful as a catalyst to pique my interest and keep me focused as I was reading through the chapter. (This may only be useful if you already have experience and/or intend to re-certify).

The overall structure and layout of the book is excellent. It is logically structured by chapter, linked to topics/learning objectives. The individual chapters are logically structured, introducing concepts first, then configuration, and finally troubleshooting. The index and table of contents are useful and laid out in a similar fashion.

The overall presentation of the material is also very well done. This is not just a re-packaging of information that is available in support articles or online documentation. The authors occasionally provide background material and history where it can be useful to grasp the concepts. They provide recommended approaches for troubleshooting the various technologies under discussion. They know when to dive deep and when to not inundate you with superfluous information. This is not a book that was slapped together in a couple of months. It is the culmination of years of knowledge and experience. It was written by an expert, and is very polished and professional in both content and presentation.

The Boson exam environment (BEE) is excellent. It is a spot-on realistic simulation for the real exams. Boson updates their exam environments frequently to fix any known issues and add functionality. (Make sure you download version 1.5 or later of the BEE from Boson). The exam provides 150 questions, with options such as randomizing the questions and answers, the ability to save your exam (if you want to resume later), and the ability to only show questions that were previously answered incorrectly.

The complete eBook is included in PDF format. The table of contents is hyperlinked. Another huge plus: when you are taking the Boson practice exam, and click “show answer”, there is a hyperlink to the exact location in the eBook where the topic is discussed. Very nice!

I cannot figure out why this book + practice exam only costs $27. This is a tremendous value.

A final word. The Cisco exams are very challenging. Much more so than only a few years ago. The Boson exam helps prepare you for this, but you should read the entire book, understand the concepts, and take the practice exam. If you are re-certifying, you only need to take this one exam (ICND2). But if you are new, reading the ICND1 book and taking that exam first is highly recommended. The 640-802 (CCNA) is much more comprehensive than only the ICND2 exam, and is unforgiving if you are not prepared.

Rating: 5 / 5

The Cisco Press CCNA ICND2 Official Exam Certification Guide is an excellent resource for those who are planning on sitting for either the ICND2 (640-816) or the CCNA 640-802 certification exam. There are two discs included with the book; one is a DVD with video training on such topics as subnetting and NAT, the other contains the complete book in PDF format, as well as practice exams.

Topics in the book are presented in a logical order, and include LAN switching, IP routing, routing protocol configuration and troubleshooting, wide area networks, and scaling the IP address space. There is extensive coverage of NAT and advanced routing protocol configuration that was not included in the first edition of this book.

Throughout the book, there are concrete examples illustrating the concepts presented. At the beginning of each section, there is an outline of the ICND2 exam topics that are covered, giving the reader a chance to gauge their knowledge of the topic. As usual, there is a “Do I know this already?” section that enables readers to tell if they have sufficient knowledge of the material that is presented in the chapter, and gives them an opportunity to skip ahead!

With this title (as well as other certification titles available from Cisco Press), there is a companion Website that publishes updates and keeps track of errata. This enables the reader to have the latest information available at any time.

Rating: 4 / 5