Another O'Reilly masterpiece. A must have for techs moving into the Cisco world. A lot a real world knowledge that will fill in the gaps left my many of the standard training texts. If you want to give a new CCNA something as a gift this is it.

Just as the book claims - the book has on the job information essential for the new network administrator that can pass the CCNA but lacks experience in the field. While the CCNAs main focus is routing and switching on small networks, this book covers the knowledge gaps in supporting the campus network in areas including the firewall, multi layer switching, SVI's, HSRP, QoS/CoS, supporting VOIP and so on. What was immediately beneficial was the anecdotal chapters on GAD's maxims and chapter 38 titled "avoiding frustration" where the very common problems with "IT politics" always mess with the "perfect design" and the engineers ego. This book, will take your knowledge to the next step after the CCNA and get you set on a path towards supporting larger networks in the "real world" and eventually going after the CCNP. This book is on the top shelf in my library.

I am a network engineer, pretty new at it though. This book is my constant companion. I have had more questions answered from this book than from any 2 other sources combined. I travel alot for business and at 2am its hard to find someone to answer my questions. This thing hits the spot.

This is a great book on Cisco networking, so just buy it now. I've tried reading the CCNA prep books before but never got around to finishing them because they got into too much detail and I wasn't working with Cisco products enough to get hands-on experience.

At my current job I'm more involved in networking, so when I saw this book, I thought I'd give it a shot. So far it's been very helpful. This book is strictly practical in nature, so you won't get a lot of detail on Ethernet framing or the OSI model. (Note to author, it would be helpful in the second edition to include one concise chapter on the OSI model and network protocols as a refresher.)

If you have a certification such as MCSA, MCSE, Network+, or CCNA, you will have all the background info you need before reading this book. If you have no networking knowledge at all, this book is not for you.

I've been skipping around reading different chapters (this is the kind of book where you can do that). This is one of the few IT book that I've read that actually gave me practical info that I could put to use right away. Here are two examples:

1.) From Ch 2 regarding auto-negotiation: In June 2008 we moved to a new office that had all new gigabit Cisco switches that replaced our 10/100 switches. A few weeks after our move we started getting reports of errors when saving files to our EMC Celerra NAS. Users would get errors saving files to the NAS and their computers' system logs would report a "Delayed Write Failed" error.

Source: MRxSmb
EventID:50
{Delayed Write Failed} Windows was unable to save all the data for the file \Device\LanmanRedirector
The data has been lost. This error may be caused by a failure of your computer hardware or network connection. Please try to save this file elsewhere.

This looked to be a network issue so when I was poking around the Celerra Manager I noticed that its NICs were hard coded to 100 full duplex. Since we were on gigabit switches that were set to auto-negotiate, I deduced (from the knowledge gained in this chapter) that the EMC devices should be set to auto-negotiate as well. So after contacting EMC and then changing the EMC NICs to auto-negotiate, we've had no more reports of these errors.

2.) From Ch 9 regarding routing: I ran into an issue with improper configuration of the gateway of last resort during our office move. For whatever reason, the gateway of last resort was not configured on our new VLANs. We noticed the problem because we couldn't get to the Internet, but we could get to our other offices. When our network support vendor walked my manager through running the sho ip route command, I immediately saw "gateway of last resort is not set" at the top and knew that it was the issue. So even though I had only been reading this book for two weeks, it paid off. I'm sure the vendor would have found the issue after a few more minutes, but it was nice to be able to point out the issue to them.

I loved three things about this book:

1- The simple style it conveys from cover to cover. Every subject in network administration is divided into short but detailed chapters in order to keep the reader's attention focused. Anyone can write a book that lists an experienced user's knowledge of the subject, but it takes a real engineer to compile the data in small doses of knowledge.

2- The clarity of the information mentioned. The author uses the same style of defining the problem, suggesting the best solution, and detailing the technical commands to implement the best solution.
Common pitfalls, problem symptoms, and real life examples are provided as well.

3- The deep coverage of the subject at hand. The author goes over almost every subject in network administration, but without the extra fluff. It's really what you need to know.

Definitely a great buy.

I found this book to be absolutely remarkable. The text at the top about it being what you need to be that wasn't on the CCNA is all too true.

Mr. Donahue's writing style is what makes the book. He explains often complex topics in a manner of a grizzled old veteran telling a war story. He doesn't break down into the deep technical details, he tells you how it works and why you should do it the way he's telling you to.

There's more that goes into being a network monkey than just knowing what commands to type, and the insight he offers into the more social aspects of how to be a network guy are invaluable. It is my honest opinion that the final chapters, particularly those on how to deal with management and being a nerd, should be required reading for anyone that works at a technology company.

It is my sincere hope that Mr. Donahue continues his writing career and takes his style of communicating to other complex subjects. I would love a dissertation of BGP written in the same manner, for example.

If you're a bright shiny new CCNA, or studying for the CCNA, and you're serious about pursuing a career in networking, buy this book. It won't help you pass any exams, but you'll find it as one of your favorite reference materials nonetheless.

Network Warrior is another quite useful O'Reilly effort in the Cisco handbook space. It really is potentially handy for many real-time network operators. One thing I wish the author had spent much more time on is Ethernet switching. He does dig into some of the quirks of configuring VLANs in the Cisco environment but to my way of thinking associated subjects (mirroring, span port config, spanning tree troubleshooting) need a lot more exposure. One area that cannot be talked about enough are the twists involved in setting up spanning tree through a complex VLAN network. Another potentially vital topic involves interoperating with other vendors' equipment in a spanning tree network. I bought this book hoping for more exposure than I got in those areas. This is the only reason I didn't give it five.

One of the best networking books I have read, period. Not just how it works, but why it works and should be configured. After you study and obtain your CCNA, this is the next read that will fill in many information holes.

Highly recommended.

In preparation for the CCNA exam, I have gone through several networking books, both Cisco-specific and otherwise. I had thought that the official Cisco Press CCNA set was the best resource... until I took a chance on this tome. While I have found the Wendell Odom CCNA set to be the definitive guide to CCNA/CCENT material, I now must admit that this book is nearly - or even exactly - as essential as a CCNA exam prep guide. While the other guides read like textbooks, giving the reader adequate conceptual and theoretical information, this book felt like a nice long chat with a seasoned "network warrior" about real-world, everyday issues faced by network engineers.

What set this book apart from the thousands of pages (hey, I'm dedicated!) of material I'd already covered?

- CatOS commands; the new Cisco Press books barely mention that CatOS exists!
- anecdotes and real-world examples; even if you know how it *should* work, this book reveals how it *does* work
- objective viewpoint on Cisco technology; no "Cisco's way is the best way" dogma here
- meaningful discussion of high-end, core-strength equipment; everything in the Wendell Odom set focused exclusively on Catalyst 2960 switches and one model of router
- frank, direct, humorous, and engaging style; half the material I've covered previously was dreadfully dull
- illustrations for every concept; this makes my life so much easier when trying to explain things to fellow junior technicians

While the book may seem daunting at nearly 600 pages, I'm flying through it at about 80-100 pages per day. The text is very engaging, and the author's way of phrasing things is informative and structured yet very flowing and casual. I feel that every chapter contains some point, if not several points and concepts, that I wouldn't have known from the other books out there. What is possibly the best feature of this book is the real-world, realistic approach to every concept and issue. The Cisco Press books seem to assume that the reader will be using 2960 access layer switches running IOS 12.2 or better. Network Warrior does not make this assumption. The author makes the realistic assumption that the reader's network could have all kinds of gear networked together, and thus includes information about CatOS as well as a wide variety of Cisco hardware. Also included are some quick and dirty tricks to save time, money, and effort. For example, I didn't know that I could abbreviate almost any command in IOS ("sho" instead of "show", etc.) and still get the same result until I read this book. While I feel that the by-the-book approach of the Cisco Press material is necessary for building a clear foundation, I feel that this book's get-the-job-done take on networking is a necessary follow-up.

The book assumes some working knowledge of networking, but not too much. It doesn't explain the bare basics of networking, nor does it give a history lesson about the histories of each and every cabling standard and networking protocol. It's not a total replacement for a book about networking basics, nor a beginner's guide to the CCNA and/or Cisco equipment. What it does instead is reshape one's conception of what a network is and how to manage it. What it does as well, and does excellently, is fill in the gaps that sorely needed filling in the great mass of other Cisco material out there. If you are preparing for the CCNA, or if you have already passed and think you know all you'll need to know about managing Cisco networks, this book was written for you. I guarantee you will learn something new.

This book won't help you become an OSPF expert, but it will help you become a better network engineer. It's one of the only books I've every seen that embraces the fact that our jobs have a gruesome amount of logistics inherent to them, far more than a programmer or DBA, for example. I'v spent the last 2+ years at MySpace, and Donahue's descriptions of the problems faced by explosive growth brought a tear to my jaded, burnt-out eye. Finally someone understands we're not just idiots! (If you disagree, try scaling from 10Gbps in transit to 80 in one year, then shoot me an email :) ) Even better, since his anecdotes and advice on the practicalities of our niche are often only mildly technical, they're easy to read. I was able to blast through 100 pages at a time, often laughing and nodding, while still learning a new spin on simple things like IP address allocation.

On a more technical level, this book fills a ton of gaps that aren't covered anywhere else, or the documentation is difficult to find or understand. The section on storm-control was excellent in this sense. If you do nothing else, go to Borders and read that section. It's useful information in its own right, but demonstrates Donahue's tendency to spin something simple in a way that shows you something new. I picked up a lot of weird details in this book, even if I skimmed half of it.

I also noticed a lot of his sidenotes pointed out some very common pitfalls, such as appending a space to your password in PPP on one side of a link by using the context help, then not doing so on the other end, and wondering why your stupid link won't come up.

So what are the cons? None really, just a few things I would have liked to see in there (none of which detract from the 5-star rating).

- I would have liked to hear how Donahue approaches the issue of spares and money, specifically convincing management to buy spares, or hiding them in budgets
- The NTP section could have used a blurb on anycast, which works beautifully for NTP
- I would have liked to see him mention the troubleshooting assistance that change management provides, since if something breaks and your engineers issued a change request, you pretty much know where to start
- I'm also a huge fan of peer-review for CM, as having a manager rubber-stamp your ACL update is ... of limited technical value

I'd say that, along with about 5-10 other books that go into hardcore depth on various technologies (Doyle's routing books, Halabi's BGP, QOS Voice exam guide, etc.), this book should be on a shelf near you at work. If you're already pretty advanced it's a really quick read that tosses some golden nuggets at you when you least expect it.

One more thing, since one guy punished the book's rating for being Cisco-centric, I'd like to take a moment to point to the Book Description, specifically the part that says, "Network Warrior is a Cisco-centric book". If you're at a book store (do they still exist?) and thus do not have access to this description, please see the first paragraph on the back of the book, specifically the part that says, "...helps you deal with real Cisco networks..."

Great book. Highly recommended for anyone who needs intermediate network skills. Go beyond your entry level cert. I got this and the linux network cookbook plus some Red Hat specific material to prepare for the RHCE- should keep me busy for awhile.

I bought this book because of the rave reviews here, and I have been a bit disappointed so far. Why? Not because of the author's style which is clear and concise - but because of expectations based on reviews I read, and the book title "Network Warrior." I expected a book which would cover all protocols, not just ones used in Cisco-land.

If this book were called "Cisco Network Warrior" I would certainly give it 4 or 5 stars.

Here are two examples - I want to implement GVRP in a mixed-vendor environment, but this book is of no help. GVRP is in fact supported on cisco equipment, but there is not even a passing reference to it in the section on the cisco-proprietary VTP. In addition I was hoping for a clear description of the standards-based LACP, but it is only given brief mention in a section on Etherchannel.

To his credit, the author mentions that he takes a Cisco-centric view in the book.. It's just that I was misled by one of the amazon reviews.

I bought this book because of the rave reviews here, and I have been a bit disappointed so far. Why? Not because of the author's style which is clear and concise - but because of expectations based on reviews I read, and the book title "Network Warrior." I expected a book which would cover all protocols, not just ones used in Cisco-land.

If this book were called "Cisco Network Warrior" I would certainly give it 4 or 5 stars.

Here are two examples - I want to implement GVRP in a mixed-vendor environment, but this book is of no help. GVRP is in fact supported on cisco equipment, but there is not even a passing reference to it in the section on the cisco-proprietary VTP. In addition I was hoping for a clear description of the standards-based LACP, but it is only given brief mention in a section on Etherchannel.

To his credit, the author mentions that he takes a Cisco-centric view in the book.. It's just that I was misled by one of the amazon reviews.

This is an excellent book on networks, because it scratches the surface on all aspects of networks, including Hardware and Software. The writing is very easy to read and understand, it gives real situation problemas and it also explains how to promote your ideas, troubleshooting and many more. I have learned a lot from this book and it think is one of the best networking books out there.

Highly recommended!!

I purchased this book based on the glowing reviews here, and I was not disappointed! The chapter on Auto-Negotiation itself is worth its weight in gold. Although the chapter is very short, it busted a myth that I found to be believed by every network engineer with whom I work, including myself. Armed with this new insight, we eliminated a congestion problem at one of our high-traffic sites. The concept is simple, but we came to realize that this topic wasn't covered during any of our years of training.

Another great chapter is the one on Traffic Congestion. This chapter helped me better understand the data provided by the SHOW INTERFACE command, and that helped me solve congestion issues at another site.

Mr. Donahue's writing is clear and concise. I highly recommend this book to all network engineers and administrators, especially those utilizing Cisco equipment. And this is only after reading four chapters!

The book is well written with the author's field experience in evidence. I found that some of the topics discussed filled voids of understanding that are generally assumed in other references. Real world scenarios were used and, although I may never be exposed to some situations, were informative. In all, well worth the cost.

Great book and very easy to understand, even from a 'newbie' to the industry. It helps to bring across very complex set ups and configurations.

This book is one of the best reference books about network security you're going to find currently on the market. It covers a wide variety of topics and issues every network administrator will face at one point or another. The author in the typical O'Reilly style also takes great steps to insure the book is not some dry tome, but occasionally puts in light comments to keep your attention. One thing I really liked about this book was its explanations of various parts of networks, how each part works, and steps to take when something fails.

Among topics covered are VLANs, Trunking, Spanning Tree Protocol, routers, tunneling, switches, firewall theory, even chapters on designing networks, all topics that any networking security book should cover and the book's author covers all of these topics well. Also included are examples of screens that you will see while installing a network feature or troubleshooting a problem.

This book is not for the squeamish or the novice, but any network admin will be glad to have it.

A very useful guide to anyone who have to deal with computer networks or manage network devices. It isn't for inexperieced users, but I recommend it to everyone who would like to know more details about networks to become more familiar with it.

The book is aimed from the same idea suggested by Gary Donahue in managing networks: a network might be very hard to manage and understand as it size increase. So, the best thing you can do is trying to keep everything as simplest as possible.
The result is a good reference book, well written and easy to read and understand. Figures too are very clear and well explained. It contains a lot of useful suggestion on how to administrate a network and about all the activities related to it (e.g. PART VIII, "Designing Networks": Chapter 34 about "IP Design" it's AMAZING!).

Also, the book is well organized, because each one of eight parts that compose the book is splitted in few chapters well focussed on a single topic. This made the book easy to use if you are looking for a specific subject.

I'm studying about Network Security, so I appreciated very much Section V - "Security and Firewalls". Above all, Chapter 25 contains a very clear explanation about DeMilitarized Zone supplied with a lot of figures (the book contains too some suggestions to draw network schemes).
I never found a network book good like this so I wish you have to put it in your library!

Not for the non-techncial or people just starting out. This is an exceptional book/reference to pretty much everything you need to design robust networks and a lot cheaper than the Cisco library!

Gary A. Donahue's NETWORK WARRIOR is for network systems administrators and libraries catering to these advanced users: it begins where certification exams stop and continues the work of real world instruction on real Cisco networks, from understanding firewall theory and selling network improvements to management to IP design basics and best practices, NETWORK WARRIOR offers many insights based on the author's own real-world experiences.

Network Warrior by Gary Donahue may just be the best gem of 2007. I purchased this book solely based on Richard Bejtlich's glowing recommendation. To be honest, I'm typically a little weary of these `all-in-one' books, because it is hard to master `all' areas (not to mention to easily discuss `all' areas). Unquestionably, Mr. Donahue has been able to buck this trend by providing a great resource that answers many questions efficiently and quickly.

To begin with, where does most networking start - layer 2, correct? Concerning NICs and layer 2, most people take auto-negotiation to be (dare I write) plug-n-play. This is the first book I've seen where it discusses `parallel detection'. Donahue is correct on page 20 as stating auto-negotiation is a protocol. He goes on to explain the `why was it built like this' of auto-negotiation. It actually makes sense now. I showed these 2 or 3 pages to a couple of other network engineers, and they both found this information to be both novel and enlightening. Right from the start, I knew I was going to be hooked on this book.

Another gem in this book, this is the first book where I see Dr. Radia Perlman's `Algorhyme' rhyme printed since Perlman's own book. Again, probably stupid, useless info to most, but Donahue gives the foundation for a lot of the topics discussed. The discussion starting on page 207 for the 6500 backplane, Chapter 18 dedicated to the 3750, the section starting on page 156 discussing GRE tunnels and the pits and perils of recursive routing, Content Switch Modules starting on chapter 28 - all topics that are both helpful and well documented in `Network Warrior'.

I could go and on about this book. Overall, this is a great book. I've gone back to it at least 5 times a week since I purchase it last month. I can't imagine a better resource.

I give this book 5 pings out of 5:
!!!!!

This book is definitive++ when it comes to network adminstration. Gary Donahue covers nearly all aspects of network administration focusing considerable time on the administration of the appliances themselves. Each topic covered starts with the theory behind the topic. This includes diagrams and picture representations that help clarify the topic. Then the chapter moves into more specific explanations concerning real world implementation. Finally actual adminstration is show by display the command typed into the routers themselves and the responses recieved from the command. The author also talks about various misconfiguration issues and the consequences that result. The organization is clear throughout as this theme of starting with the general and moving towards very detailed examples is kept for each topic in the book. Network admins will love the attention to detail and the careful coverage of each topic. One of the best chapters is actually an extra one at the end that talks about the behavior and personalities of computer admins in general. This was quite entertaining and in my opinion quite true. The most informative chapter would be difficult to call because so many issues are covered. Personally I was helped by the spanning tree chapter and the multiple chapters covering the VLANs. This book had the clearest explanations I have seen to date. Put this tool in the network toolbox.

Most technical manuals are written in the driest tone possible. The author has the rare ability to write in away that is understanable and enjoyable. If you a looking for books on networking this book should be included in your library.

Network Warrior is the best network administration book I've ever read. I spend most of my reading time on security books, but because I lean towards network security I like reading complementary sources on protocols and infrastructure. Gary Donahue has written a wonderful book that I highly recommend for anyone who administers, supports, or interacts with networks. Network Warrior may be the best book I will read in 2007.

Why is Network Warrior so great? I think the key is the author's willingness to share personal recommendations. There are plenty of books about technology and syntax. I've read and reviewed many, most of which I liked for what they offered. However, it's rare to read a network book that says "here's how you should implement this," rather than just list options. I'm at the point in my career where I know what I might do; now I want to know what a real expert would do. Donahue provides that wisdom in many sections, but especially in Part VIII on network design.

A second reason I really enjoyed Network Warrior was its coverage of a variety of Cisco features. Sure, I had read of many of these elsewhere, but I thought Donahue made many of them clear, especially in comparison to each other. There are better references for ACLs, like Cisco Router Firewall Security by Richard Deal, but when ACLs are described next to route maps or VLAN maps, Ciscoland becomes a little easier to understand. Donahue's explanations of EtherChannel, switching algorithms, and autonegotiation are other good examples. I even admit that the author corrected my misunderstanding of QoS, as he says "QoS does not limit bandwidth, it guarantees it, which is not the same thing" (p 429). Elsewhere he says "When there is no congestion, any protocol can use any amount of available bandwidth it needs" (p 428) and "while scheduling of packets always takes places, the limits set are really only enforced during congestion" (p 427).

The third reason I like Network Warrior is the attention paid to understanding the fundamentals of certain technologies and products. The author ensures the reader gets a real grounding in telecom terms and technology, like T-1 lines. For products, I liked chapters on the 6500 series switch, content switches, and layer 3 switches.

Finally, the writing is exceptionally clear. The diagrams are excellent and make their point very well. The author's suggestions for being a better administrator apply to any technical operator. I liked Donahue's repeated suggestion to "never assume anything" and to start troubleshooting at layer 1.

Although I rated Network Warrior five stars, in a second edition I would like to see more on layer two fundamentals. I would also like to read about 802.1X and perhaps even Cisco NAC, since it seems to be becoming popular. Overall, however, you should buy and read Network Warrior right now. I loved it and will recommend it to anyone who wants to be a better network administrator.

I don't normally write reviews, so that in itself should mean something. This book is great for anyone who wants to get an overview of many aspects of networking, or for the current professional who wants an easy to understand refresher. The details given are just enough to keep you interested and learning, but not too much that it will leave you bored and confused. This book covers a lot more than a CCNA level person would know, so I consider it a great step if you're working on a CCNP, or just interested in deciding what topic you should master next. It also covers a lot of real-world material, which is usually not in most other Cisco books. This book is definitely worth the read!

I don't know why the title page on this book says "Everything that wasn't on the CCNA Exam", because that might mislead some people to believe that this book is extremely Cisco-specific or is for network admins that are just starting out. Neither is true. Instead, this book is a very good survey of the various skills, network equipment, and technology that you need to know about in the year 2007 to be a successful network administrator and for that matter, successful network designer. This book is Cisco-centric in that mentions problems and algorithms specific to Cisco equipment, but it should be useful to anyone involved in network administration and design. Also, if you are a student taking a course in computer networking, this book is full of accessible explanations that you might not find in your typical textbook. For the relative low price of admission, it might be worthwhile to have it around as a supplemental text. The following is the detailed table of contents:

Part I. HUBS, SWITCHES, and SWITCHING
1. What Is a Network?
2. Hubs and Switches
Hubs; Switches;
3. Auto-Negotiation
What Is Auto-Negotiation?; How Auto-Negotiation Works; When Auto-Negotiation Fails; Auto-Negotiation Best Practices; Configuring Auto-Negotiation;
4. VLANs
Connecting VLANs; Configuring VLANs ;
5. Trunking
How Trunks Work; Configuring Trunks;
6. VLAN Trunking Protocol
VTP Pruning; Dangers of VTP;Configuring VTP;
7. EtherChannel
Load Balancing; Configuring and Managing EtherChannel;
8. Spanning Tree
Broadcast Storms; MAC Address Table Instability Preventing Loops with Spanning Tree; Managing Spanning Tree; Additional Spanning Tree Features; Common Spanning Tree Problems; Designing to Prevent Spanning Tree Problems;

Part II. ROUTERS AND ROUTING
9. Routing and Routers
Routing Tables; Route Types; The IP Routing Table ;
10. Routing Protocols
Communication Between Routers; Metrics and Protocol Types; Administrative Distance; Specific Routing Protocols;
11. Redistribution
Redistributing into RIP; Redistributing into EIGRP ;Redistributing into OSPF; Mutual Redistribution; Redistribution Loops; Limiting Redistribution;
12. Tunnels
GRE Tunnels; GRE Tunnels and Routing Protocols; GRE and Access Lists;
13. Resilient Ethernet
HSRP; HSRP Interface Tracking; When HSRP Isn't Enough;
14. Route Maps
Building a Route Map; Policy-Routing Example;
15. Switching Algorithms in Cisco Routers
Process Switching; Interrupt Context Switching; Configuring and Managing Switching Paths;

Part III. MULTILAYER SWITCHES
16. Multilayer Switches
Configuring SVIs; Multilayer Switch Models;
17. Cisco 6500 Multilayer Switches;
Architecture; CatOS Versus IOS;
18. Catalyst 3750 Features
Stacking; Interface Ranges Macros; Flex Links; Storm Control; Port Security; SPAN; Voice VLAN; QoS;

Part IV. TELECOM
19. Telecom Nomenclature
Introduction and History; Telecom Glossary;
20. T1
Understanding T1 Duplex; Types of T1; Encoding; Framing ;Performance Monitoring; Alarms; Troubleshooting T1s; Configuring T1s;
21. DS3
Framing; Line Coding; Configuring DS3s;
22. Frame Relay
Ordering Frame-Relay Service; Frame-Relay Network Design; Oversubscription; Local Management Interface (LMI); Configuring Frame Relay; Troubleshooting Frame Relay;

Part V. SECURITY AND FIREWALLS
23. Access Lists
Designing Access Lists; ACLs in Multilayer Switches; Reflexive Access Lists;
24. Authentication in Cisco Devices
Basic (Non-AAA) Authentication; AAA Authentication;
25. Firewall Theory
Best Practices; The DMZ; Alternate Designs;
26. PIX Firewall Configuration
Interfaces and Priorities; Names; Object Groups; Fixups; Failover; NAT; Miscellaneous; Troubleshooting;

Part VI. SERVER LOAD BALANCING
27. Server Load-Balancing Technology
Types of Load Balancing; How Server Load Balancing Works; Configuring Server Load Balancing;
28. Content Switch Modules in Action
Common Tasks; Upgrading the CSM;

Part VII. QUALITY OF SERVICE
29. Introduction to QoS
Types of QoS; QoS Mechanics; Common QoS Misconceptions
30. Designing a QoS Scheme
Determining Requirements; Configuring the Routers;
31. The Congested Network
Determining Whether the Network Is Congested; Resolving the Problem;
32. The Converged Network
Configuration; Monitoring QoS; Troubleshooting a Converged Network;

Part VIII. DESIGNING NETWORKS
33. Designing Networks
Documentation; Naming Conventions for Devices; Network Designs
34. IP Design
Public Versus Private IP Space; VLSM; CIDR; Allocating IP Network Space; Allocating IP Subnets; IP Subnetting Made Easy;
35. Network Time Protocol
What Is Accurate Time?; NTP Design; Configuring NTP;
36. Failures
Human Error; Multiple Component Failure; Disaster Chains; No Failover Testing; Troubleshooting;
37. GAD's Maxims
Maxim #1; Maxim #2; Maxim #3;
38. Avoiding Frustration
Why Everything Is Messed Up; How to Sell Your Ideas to Management; When to Upgrade and Why; Why Change Control Is Your Friend;

I don't know why the title page on this book says "Everything that wasn't on the CCNA Exam", because that might mislead some people to believe that this book is extremely Cisco-specific or is for network admins that are just starting out. Neither is true. Instead, this book is a very good survey of the various skills, network equipment, and technology that you need to know about in the year 2007 to be a successful network administrator and for that matter, successful network designer. This book is Cisco-centric in that mentions problems and algorithms specific to Cisco equipment, but it should be useful to anyone involved in network administration and design. The following is the detailed table of contents:

Part I. HUBS, SWITCHES, and SWITCHING
1. What Is a Network?
2. Hubs and Switches
Hubs; Switches;
3. Auto-Negotiation
What Is Auto-Negotiation?; How Auto-Negotiation Works; When Auto-Negotiation Fails; Auto-Negotiation Best Practices; Configuring Auto-Negotiation;
4. VLANs
Connecting VLANs; Configuring VLANs ;
5. Trunking
How Trunks Work; Configuring Trunks;
6. VLAN Trunking Protocol
VTP Pruning; Dangers of VTP;Configuring VTP;
7. EtherChannel
Load Balancing; Configuring and Managing EtherChannel;
8. Spanning Tree
Broadcast Storms; MAC Address Table Instability Preventing Loops with Spanning Tree; Managing Spanning Tree; Additional Spanning Tree Features; Common Spanning Tree Problems; Designing to Prevent Spanning Tree Problems;

Part II. ROUTERS AND ROUTING
9. Routing and Routers
Routing Tables; Route Types; The IP Routing Table ;
10. Routing Protocols
Communication Between Routers; Metrics and Protocol Types; Administrative Distance; Specific Routing Protocols;
11. Redistribution
Redistributing into RIP; Redistributing into EIGRP ;Redistributing into OSPF; Mutual Redistribution; Redistribution Loops; Limiting Redistribution;
12. Tunnels
GRE Tunnels; GRE Tunnels and Routing Protocols; GRE and Access Lists;
13. Resilient Ethernet
HSRP; HSRP Interface Tracking; When HSRP Isn't Enough;
14. Route Maps
Building a Route Map; Policy-Routing Example;
15. Switching Algorithms in Cisco Routers
Process Switching; Interrupt Context Switching; Configuring and Managing Switching Paths;

Part III. MULTILAYER SWITCHES
16. Multilayer Switches
Configuring SVIs; Multilayer Switch Models;
17. Cisco 6500 Multilayer Switches;
Architecture; CatOS Versus IOS;
18. Catalyst 3750 Features
Stacking; Interface Ranges Macros; Flex Links; Storm Control; Port Security; SPAN; Voice VLAN; QoS;

Part IV. TELECOM
19. Telecom Nomenclature
Introduction and History; Telecom Glossary;
20. T1
Understanding T1 Duplex; Types of T1; Encoding; Framing ;Performance Monitoring; Alarms; Troubleshooting T1s; Configuring T1s;
21. DS3
Framing; Line Coding; Configuring DS3s;
22. Frame Relay
Ordering Frame-Relay Service; Frame-Relay Network Design; Oversubscription; Local Management Interface (LMI); Configuring Frame Relay; Troubleshooting Frame Relay;

Part V. SECURITY AND FIREWALLS
23. Access Lists
Designing Access Lists; ACLs in Multilayer Switches; Reflexive Access Lists;
24. Authentication in Cisco Devices
Basic (Non-AAA) Authentication; AAA Authentication;
25. Firewall Theory
Best Practices; The DMZ; Alternate Designs;
26. PIX Firewall Configuration
Interfaces and Priorities; Names; Object Groups; Fixups; Failover; NAT; Miscellaneous; Troubleshooting;

Part VI. SERVER LOAD BALANCING
27. Server Load-Balancing Technology
Types of Load Balancing; How Server Load Balancing Works; Configuring Server Load Balancing;
28. Content Switch Modules in Action
Common Tasks; Upgrading the CSM;

Part VII. QUALITY OF SERVICE
29. Introduction to QoS
Types of QoS; QoS Mechanics; Common QoS Misconceptions
30. Designing a QoS Scheme
Determining Requirements; Configuring the Routers;
31. The Congested Network
Determining Whether the Network Is Congested; Resolving the Problem;
32. The Converged Network
Configuration; Monitoring QoS; Troubleshooting a Converged Network;

Part VIII. DESIGNING NETWORKS
33. Designing Networks
Documentation; Naming Conventions for Devices; Network Designs
34. IP Design
Public Versus Private IP Space; VLSM; CIDR; Allocating IP Network Space; Allocating IP Subnets; IP Subnetting Made Easy;
35. Network Time Protocol
What Is Accurate Time?; NTP Design; Configuring NTP;
36. Failures
Human Error; Multiple Component Failure; Disaster Chains; No Failover Testing; Troubleshooting;
37. GAD's Maxims
Maxim #1; Maxim #2; Maxim #3;
38. Avoiding Frustration
Why Everything Is Messed Up; How to Sell Your Ideas to Management; When to Upgrade and Why; Why Change Control Is Your Friend;

I'm a seasoned network and security architect, well versed in the land of Cisco. This is bar none one of the best books out there.

It has something for everyone; for the junior admins just starting out, to intermediate and advanced who can use a no no-nonsense reference. (as well as a reference point to defend your designs)

It's literally a brain dump of useful information that only real world experience can teach. For the more advanced folk out there, you will find plenty of information to sink your teeth into. There are tidbits of information that we all were not sure on or thought was true, but never found in writing in the official Cisco press books.

The best example I can think of in there, is a crucial difference of CSS and CSM. ... Now I have the official Cisco press book (designing content switching solutions); but no where did it tell me that a CSM uses the bus which in turn will cause my 6500's sup720-3b to drop down from using the cross-bar to using the bus, effectively negating the coveted 720gig forwarding rate. (the closest thing they have to referencing it is a picture on page 54 of the CSM, with a line pointing to the connector saying "shared bus connectivity". A far cry from saying this is what is going to happen to your 6500)

It's little things like that which makes this book just as invaluable as the IOS Cookbook and the hacking exposed series.

Junior level admins will find the first chapters enlightening (he explains spanning tree better then I ever could). The chapter on telco is great and goes into enough detail for everyone.

This book is a must have.

Highly Recommended...

I found many of my questions answered very quickly and in an easy to understand format. Items like "Gad's Maxims" which you would think have nothing to do with network isues - have everything to do with how you will get your job done.

The real world examples - even the more bizarre ones like the police cruiser crashing a system overnight - sound like Hollywood has some new ways to take over the world. you jsut can't make this stuff up.

It was worth the time to read.