I never understand why Cisco does not want to publish some newer editions of this invaluable book! I bought this item as a reliable and recommended supplementary resource to brush up on my switching skills for R&S CCIE lab test 2007-2008, yet found it almost "useless". Explaining some concepts in more details than other Cisco press books, this book suffers from a big problem: almost all examples are presented in an old fashion which makes them unusable for new exams where "set based" and other dated CAT commands can no longer be thought of as valid exam topics. Needless to say, the same problem will be experienced by readers when they try to get them implemented in real world. It sounds like a big drawback especially when it comes to CCIE lab preparation tools, as this book is supposed to be. What I needed for the test was a concise well-designed structure in terms of main concepts e.g. STP (it did have) and many complex and reliable configuration samples which I never could find in this edition (back in years ago, not surprising at all).
By the way, If you are a great Set-to-IOS converter, you might enjoy those examples.

Nails Spanning Tree protocols (particularly in Cisco switching networks) more thoroughly than any other text except possibly Perlman. Unfortunately this book was published in 1999! I think it's about time to drop the MPoA and token-ring information, and cut this book down to 400 pages. More than half the book is irrelevant to most users, and is thus grossly overpriced. Without this I'd give it five.

CiscoPress's "Cisco LAN Switching" by Clark and Hamilton is one of the classics of Networking. For years, this book has been considered the "Bible" or the "Source" for LAN switching topologies.

Having written that, I feel that LAN Switching had covered a topic to a degree where it wasn't necessary to write another book on the same subject. Most Cisco Networkers live at Layer 3, and moving down to Layer 2 (and, in particular) STP is both a mystery and, perhaps, beneath them (both literally and figuratively - on the OSI stack). For a lot of people, Layer 2 is plug-n-play (dangerous indeed!). As Cisco's main switching workhorses (6500s) increase in functionality - the lines between layer 2 and layer 3 start to get hazy. But fear not - the layers are still distinct! LAN Switching does a superb job at dissecting the vagaries of STP - along with discussing VTP and trunking.

For 99% of people requiring LAN skills (both CCIE candidates and networkers), this will be the resource to put on their bookshelf. And "Cisco LAN Switching" by Clark and Hamilton will fill this role nicely for them.

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

CiscoPress's "Cisco LAN Switching" by Clark and Hamilton is a book I have mixed feelings on. For years, this book has been considered the "Bible" or the "Source" for LAN switching topologies. But I feel if I am going against the grain when I write that I have never put this book on the same altar as Doyle's Routing TCP/IP books or some others. It is an odd feeling to be the lone voice out.

Having written that, I feel that LAN Switching has covered a topic to a degree that it really has not been necessary to write other books on the same subject (albeit just for an updated version - I believe coming out in 2006 and is much required). Most Cisco networkers live at layer 3, and moving down to layer 2 (and, in particular) STP (spanning-tree protocol) is both a mystery and perhaps, beneath them (both literally and figuratively - on the OSI stack). As Cisco's main switching workhorse's (6500s) increase in functionality - the lines between layer 2 and layer 3 start to get hazy. But fear not - the layers are still distinct! LAN Switching does a superb job at dissecting the vagaries of STP - along with discussing VTP and trunking.

For 99% of people requiring LAN skills (both CCIE candidates and networkers), this will be the resource to put on their bookshelf. And "Cisco LAN Switching" by Clark and Hamilton will fill this role nicely for them. I have to give this book 5 stars, not so much because of how I feel about the book, but on how I have seen others use and rave of this book.

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

This book provides great information on the core switching concepts. The Spanning tree section is excellent. Unfortunately the text's age is starting to show. Most of the examples are in CatOS.

Cisco LAN Switching by Kennedy Clark and Kevin Hamilton is considered a definitive guide to Cisco switching - and rightly so. The book contains an exhaustive presentation on all aspects of switching - from the basics of switching technologies, to the protocols and algorithms used in campus switching, to real-world designs of campus switching environments. All this with an added bonus of tidbits of humor thrown into the discussion of serious, no-nonsense topics!

The book is surprisingly well written and easy to understand for readers who have a basic understanding of switching and routing in the Cisco world. The formatting in the book follows the standard Cisco layout for advanced level books. The headings, diagrams, tables, and notes are laid out in a clear and easy-to-scan format. Each chapter ends with review questions for those who wish to test their understanding of the material - these can prove particularly useful for the readers who may be studying for one of the Cisco certifications. The index is a crucial part of any technical book. Those of us working in the field can appreciate the importance of having a detailed and useful index when trying to put out fires at the workplace. This book offers a comprehensive, detailed index - spanning over 30 pages -- which provided me with useful knowledge on the topic(s) that I was trying to look up.

While the book claims to be a switching resource for those studying for the advanced Cisco certifications, I personally selected the book in order to help me in my work environment. It has served its purpose very well. The sample configurations given throughout the book for various situations were particularly helpful in tying the theory to the practical and especially helped in troubleshooting some of the issues I encounter every day. Presentation of the inner workings of some of the advanced material like the Spanning Tree protocol was surprisingly detailed and practical, while being easy to understand at the same time. I have not read any other book that covers this topic effectively with such detail.

The only suggestion I have for the authors is to look into writing an updated edition. Some of the topics - like layer 3 switching - do not seem to cover the latest switch types offered by Cisco. For example, the Cisco 3550 layer 3 switch, a popular and important milestone in the Cisco switching hierarchy, is not covered in any significant detail.

Overall, the authors present the material in a very well thought-out way, making sure that readers at all (reasonable) levels can understand the topics. At the same time, the material is not fluffy like some other books; it is a detailed, no-nonsense study of the important field of campus switching.

Cisco LAN Switching by Kennedy Clark and Kevin Hamilton is considered a definitive guide to Cisco switching - and rightly so. The book contains an exhaustive presentation on all aspects of switching - from the basics of switching technologies, to the protocols and algorithms used in campus switching, to real-world designs of campus switching environments. All this with an added bonus of tidbits of humor thrown into the discussion of serious, no-nonsense topics!

The book is surprisingly well written and easy to understand for readers who have a basic understanding of switching and routing in the Cisco world. The formatting in the book follows the standard Cisco layout for advanced level books. The headings, diagrams, tables, and notes are laid out in a clear and easy-to-scan format. Each chapter ends with review questions for those who wish to test their understanding of the material - these can prove particularly useful for the readers who may be studying for one of the Cisco certifications. The index is a crucial part of any technical book. Those of us working in the field can appreciate the importance of having a detailed and useful index when trying to put out fires at the workplace. This book offers a comprehensive, detailed index - spanning over 30 pages -- which provided me with useful knowledge on the topic(s) that I was trying to look up.

While the book claims to be a switching resource for those studying for the advanced Cisco certifications, I personally selected the book in order to help me in my work environment. It has served its purpose very well. The sample configurations given throughout the book for various situations were particularly helpful in tying the theory to the practical and especially helped in troubleshooting some of the issues I encounter every day. Presentation of the inner workings of some of the advanced material like the Spanning Tree protocol was surprisingly detailed and practical, while being easy to understand at the same time. I have not read any other book that covers this topic effectively with such detail.

The only suggestion I have for the authors is to look into writing an updated edition. Some of the topics - like layer 3 switching - do not seem to cover the latest switch types offered by Cisco. For example, the Cisco 3550 layer 3 switch, a popular and important milestone in the Cisco switching hierarchy, is not covered in any significant detail.

Overall, the authors present the material in a very well thought-out way, making sure that readers at all (reasonable) levels can understand the topics. At the same time, the material is not fluffy like some other books; it is a detailed, no-nonsense study of the important field of campus switching.

Although this book is designed for readers whose goal is to become CISCO CCIE certified, it could still be read profitably by anyone who needs to understand in detail the design and operation of LANs using CISCO technology. It could even serve as an introduction to general LAN networking technology, even though the book is dedicated to CISCO equipment. As someone involved in the mathematical modeling and simulation of networks, my interest in the book was to obtain knowledge of LAN network configurations and behavior in order to gain insight into performance issues that arise in these types of networks. The book is very detailed, and has exercises at the end of every chapter with answers given to all of these in the Appendix to the book. The emphasis of the book is on both the theory and practical issues that arise in CISCO LANs and how to administer them properly. Since the interest of this reviewer was in performance issues, I only skimmed briefly the discussions on LAN administration.

Performance issues are addressed in the book, such as those that arise in Ethernet. The authors show how to calculate the theoretical frame rates for Ethernet, and also give advice on when to judge whether or not an Ethernet network is functioning well. That judgment will be dependent on subjective factors such as user perceptions, as well as quantitative measurements taken from the network. The authors also stress the need for being aware of the hardware limitations of the client when increasing the network bandwidth. Clients could handle a Fast Ethernet for example, and there are times when such bandwidth is needed. However a Gigabit Ethernet connection could actually slow down a typical client workstation due to software interrupts. They elaborate on the Fiber Channel technology when addressing these issues also. Also discussed are the differences between copper and fiber optic media and what kinds of configurations they are best suited for.

The authors give the reader insight into the need for LAN segmentation, and compare collision and broadcast domains. They are careful to point out the need for actually measuring the average and peak bandwidth consumed by the applications, rather than just relying on the quoted theoretical bandwidth. All of the network configurations that the authors discuss can be modeled by commercial simulation software available on the market today. This software can complement the book in that the reader can see just what can happen when making network design changes as specified in the book.

Large enterprise businesses frequently need to make use of VLANs and the authors discuss in detail the justifications for using them. These include network security and privacy, broadcast distribution, bandwidth utilization, network latency from routers, and complicated access lists. The authors though emphasize that VLANs may not be as simple to manage as some network administrators believe. The complexity of the network may in fact increase with the use of VLANs, due to the nature of the Spanning Tree algorithm and the dispersive characteristic of broadcast domains. The desire to have a "flat" network via "end-to-end" VLANs ran into issues with scalability, due mostly to the Spanning Tree algorithm.

Due to its importance, the Spanning Tree protocol is discussed in great detail in this book, with two chapters spanning 136 pages devoted to its elucidation. It is introduced as a loop-prevention protocol that allows bridges to communicate with each other with the goal of discovering physical loops in the network. An example is given of a feedback loop that resulted in 2.4Gbps of traffic in 45 minutes, in order to convince the reader of the severity of feedback loops. All of the examples discussed in these two chapters illustrate the need for great care when implementing the Spanning Tree protocol in LANs. Also discussed is the tricky task of doing Spanning Tree load balancing, which must be done if one is interested in creating a network with optimal performance. Root bridge placement, port and bridge priority, and port cost are the techniques discussed for doing Spanning Tree Load Balancing. The role of VLANs in the creation of multiple Spanning Tree domains over a single physical infrastructure is readily seen in all of these techniques. The advantages and disadvantages of each technique are summarized in detail by the authors.

Networks rarely exist in isolation, with connections between them being the norm rather than the exception. The authors therefore discuss different methods of doing the interconnection, via AIM, FDDI, or Ethernet. This is called "trunking" and is discussed in great detail in the book. As pointed out by the authors, trunking has more scalability then access links since a network administrator can distribute the VLAN connectivity without the need to use a large number of cables and interfaces. One of the most useful of trunking technologies, at least to this reviewer, is EtherChannel, which can give trunk speeds on the order of FastEthernet and Gigabit Ethernet without the need to use another technology. The authors discuss the advantages of using EtherChannel, its ability to function as both an access or a trunk link, and its ability to bundle segments so as to offer more effective bandwidth than any one of the individual links. The authors also discuss the proprietary CISCO link negotiation protocol called Dynamic Trunk Protocol, which reduces the possibility of incompatibility when links are being configured. The trunking capabilities of ATM technologies are also discussed in the context of their long-distance capabilities and their ability to carry different types of traffic, such as voice and video. For readers not familiar with ATM, the authors give a fairly detailed review of it, and an overview of Emulated LAN (ELAN), the latter of which is a special type of VLAN, namely a LAN emulated over ATM. This motivates a treatment of LANE, and then a discussion of trunking in a Catalyst environment, with Multiprotocol over ATM (MPOA).

I am reviewing Cisco LAN Switching (ISBN 1578700949), part of the CCIE Professional Development Series from Cisco Press. The book weighs in at around 900 pages and is divided into 6 sections covering topics related to understanding and implementing advanced Cisco switched networks. The authors are Kennedy Clark and Kevin Hamilton, who have worked as Cisco trainers in the past and now work as consultants. I like it when authors have taught courses in addition to having dealt with the hands-on aspects of their subjects. It lends balance to their writing, allowing them the technical acumen to relate to engineers while being able to put the concepts into understandable terms. Clark and Hamilton are good writers and were able to make the book as enjoyable to read as a 900-page technical book can be. The authors haven't written any other Cisco books, but I'd like to see them do more in the future.

I'm ready to get serious about my CCIE studies, and the first stop on that journey is Cisco LAN Switching. This book is on every CCIE reading list I've seen and is generally regarded as a "must have". I was prepared for some pretty heavy reading and was pleasantly surprised and pleased with this book. This isn't a book that's just for CCIE candidates, but rather it should be part of every Cisco professional's library.

I'll take you through each of the 6 sections.

Part I - Foundational Issues
The first 5 chapters of the book take the reader from the very basics of switched networking, providing a fair amount of the history and theory necessary to understand the rest of the book. Even CCNA candidates should read this section, as it explains the basic elements of switching much better than any other book. The thing that surprised me was the authors' sense of humor, which is surprisingly refreshing in a book of this size.

Part II - Spanning Tree
Ah, spanning tree. There's nothing more exciting than reading about spanning tree. This book gets it all in within 2 chapters, again providing expert explanations laced with a sense of humor. The reader is taken from the very basics through very advanced spanning tree configurations. I would have like to have seen coverage of rapid spanning tree, but hopefully it's in the works for a future edition.

Part III - Trunking
These 3 chapters, covering Ethernet trunking, LANE, and ATM, are sure to leave you a little numb. Since I've never used ATM or LANE and have no frame of reference, the material was skim-able at best. Since LANE is no longer represented on the CCIE exam, you can get away with skimming some chapters for vocabulary words.

Part IV - Advanced Features
This section covers Layer 3 switching, VTP and multicast services. A lot of this stuff is rehashed from BCMSN, but it's well explained here. There is a lot of good information on MLS and VTP, but I found that some of the gory multicast details were better explained in the BCMSN book. Chances are good, however, that most CCIE candidate readers are CCNP's and have read that book as well. By this point in the book, the sense of humor has pretty well evaporated.

Part V - Real-World Campus Design and Implementation
This section looks at a variety of network designs and the pro's and con's of each. These chapters bring together a lot of the ideas expressed throughout the book and put them into real-world situations. A lot of this is boring, but there are some tidbits and tips you can pick up along the way.

Part VI - Catalyst 6000 Technology
I was greatly anticipating the coverage of Catalyst 6500's, since there is so little published work available for this platform, which I use extensively. They only gave me 34 pages (this was obviously an add-on to the original edition of the book), but I'll take what I can get. There was a lot of good information in this section, which I'd like to see expanded in a later edition.

Conclusions
This book is widely regarded as part of the "Holy Trinity" of CCIE preparation books, standing alongside Routing TCP/IP Vols I & II by Jeff Doyle as the essential books to read when preparing for the CCIE written exam. This is for good reason. It provides an explanation of a majority of the pertinent switching technologies and also serves as an ample design and implementation guide. My only real critique is that some switching technologies from the CCIE blueprint are conspicuously missing. Hopefully, this will be corrected in an updated edition. Still, I recommend this book, not only for CCIE candidates, but also as an essential book for anyone serious about a career in networking. On my 5 ping rating scale, I give it a 5.

!!!!!

I am reviewing Cisco LAN Switching (ISBN 1578700949), part of the CCIE Professional Development Series from Cisco Press. The book weighs in at around 900 pages and is divided into 6 sections covering topics related to understanding and implementing advanced Cisco switched networks. The authors are Kennedy Clark and Kevin Hamilton, who have worked as Cisco trainers in the past and now work as consultants. I like it when authors have taught courses in addition to having dealt with the hands-on aspects of their subjects. It lends balance to their writing, allowing them the technical acumen to relate to engineers while being able to put the concepts into understandable terms. Clark and Hamilton are good writers and were able to make the book as enjoyable to read as a 900-page technical book can be. The authors haven't written any other Cisco books, but I'd like to see them do more in the future.

I'm ready to get serious about my CCIE studies, and the first stop on that journey is Cisco LAN Switching. This book is on every CCIE reading list I've seen and is generally regarded as a "must have". I was prepared for some pretty heavy reading and was pleasantly surprised and pleased with this book. This isn't a book that's just for CCIE candidates, but rather it should be part of every Cisco professional's library.

I'll take you through each of the 6 sections.

Part I - Foundational Issues
The first 5 chapters of the book take the reader from the very basics of switched networking, providing a fair amount of the history and theory necessary to understand the rest of the book. Even CCNA candidates should read this section, as it explains the basic elements of switching much better than any other book. The thing that surprised me was the authors' sense of humor, which is surprisingly refreshing in a book of this size.

Part II - Spanning Tree
Ah, spanning tree. There's nothing more exciting than reading about spanning tree. This book gets it all in within 2 chapters, again providing expert explanations laced with a sense of humor. The reader is taken from the very basics through very advanced spanning tree configurations. I would have like to have seen coverage of rapid spanning tree, but hopefully it's in the works for a future edition.

Part III - Trunking
These 3 chapters, covering Ethernet trunking, LANE, and ATM, are sure to leave you a little numb. Since I've never used ATM or LANE and have no frame of reference, the material was skim-able at best. Since LANE is no longer represented on the CCIE exam, you can get away with skimming some chapters for vocabulary words.

Part IV - Advanced Features
This section covers Layer 3 switching, VTP and multicast services. A lot of this stuff is rehashed from BCMSN, but it's well explained here. There is a lot of good information on MLS and VTP, but I found that some of the gory multicast details were better explained in the BCMSN book. Chances are good, however, that most CCIE candidate readers are CCNP's and have read that book as well. By this point in the book, the sense of humor has pretty well evaporated.

Part V - Real-World Campus Design and Implementation
This section looks at a variety of network designs and the pro's and con's of each. These chapters bring together a lot of the ideas expressed throughout the book and put them into real-world situations. A lot of this is boring, but there are some tidbits and tips you can pick up along the way.

Part VI - Catalyst 6000 Technology
I was greatly anticipating the coverage of Catalyst 6500's, since there is so little published work available for this platform, which I use extensively. They only gave me 34 pages (this was obviously an add-on to the original edition of the book), but I'll take what I can get. There was a lot of good information in this section, which I'd like to see expanded in a later edition.

Conclusions
This book is widely regarded as part of the "Holy Trinity" of CCIE preparation books, standing alongside Routing TCP/IP Vols I & II by Jeff Doyle as the essential books to read when preparing for the CCIE written exam. This is for good reason. It provides an explanation of a majority of the pertinent switching technologies and also serves as an ample design and implementation guide. My only real critique is that some switching technologies from the CCIE blueprint are conspicuously missing. Hopefully, this will be corrected in an updated edition. Still, I recommend this book, not only for CCIE candidates, but also as an essential book for anyone serious about a career in networking. On my 5 ping rating scale, I give it a 5.

!!!!!

While I was preparing for the CCNP, I was hard pressed to find just the right book that explained LAN switching in depth. Now that I am preparing for my CCIE, this is the book I was looking for. This is one of the most comprehensive texts on Cisco LAN switching I've seen. It breaks down switching concepts into easy to understand topics. You don't have to be an expert at switching to understand the topics addressed in this book. It begins with basic switching technologies and progresses into more advanced topics.

Cisco LAN Switching is broken down into 6 sections. Section 1 is concerned with foundational issues and gives an excellent introduction to bridging and switching technologies. The other sections progress through VLANS and STP to Trunking and advanced topics. Each chapter concludes with review questions and the later chapters have hands on lab configurations. The book ends with real world campus design models, implementation and case studies, which tie all the earlier sections together.

Each topic is thoroughly explained and the diagrams and definitions help clarify certain areas. I also found the tips and notes in the chapters very helpful in understanding the material better. Another interesting point is that the chapters dealing with STP were reviewed by Radia Perlman, creator of the Spanning Tree algorithm. Even without a whole lot of exposure to the spanning tree protocol, the material was presented in an easy to understand format. However there were a few issues I did have with the some of the content and the layout of the sections dealing with trunking.

The first chapter addresses the basics of LAN switching and bridging but does not go into enough depth on the different bridging technologies. I believe an expanded discussion on bridging technologies (SRB, RSRB and DLSW+) would have been helpful as well as a section on deciphering an RIF.

The section on trunking technologies goes into great depth about different types of trunking, including a wide array of diagrams and tables explaining each technology. While the subject matter is thoroughly covered, I do have an issue concerning the layout of the chapters. The authors devote an entire section of the book to trunking technologies, yet they place the chapter on VTP in an entirely different section of the book. I believe the flow of the chapters would have been more consistent if VTP was addressed in the section on trunking technologies.

These small issues aside, I found this book very helpful for my studies toward the CCIE and also in implementing better switching technologies in my company's network. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who plans on using any type of switching in their network environment or those studying for Cisco certification. However, this book should not be used solely as a study resource and then be put aside; it should be an integral part of any network administrator's reference library.

While studying for my R&S lab attempt I felt that one of my weak understandings was the fundamental design and implementation of intricate network switching. I had gone through other books in preparation for the CCNP switching exam, and many of the other CCIE preparation books (i.e. Caslow, Doyle, Bruno.) I understood how to implement the typical configurations as per many of the practice lab workbook materials, but I was unable to grasp the immense capabilities of the current Catalyst line of equipment.
The book begins with a lesson of Ethernet development. It brought an understanding the road to current network deployment with an eye on the future of the technology. Explanations of the politics and business needs that brought the 802.3 group standards into use helped in teaching the capabilities of them. While troubleshooting many large enterprise networks I have been witness to extremely poor network segmentation ("when in doubt, bridge everything!") I would really recommend that all administrators use this book to more fully apprehend the benefits of avoiding a flat network and segmenting to realize the network utilization potential.
Fast network convergence and understanding spanning-tree is necessary in any moving network design. The lessons on VLAN trunking protocol, configuration, and design touched was written to easily help with real world completion. With the recent troubles of Welchia, Blaster, and Nachi, implementing a flexible network that can be responsive and designed to protect users should be one of the top responsibilities for any responsible admin.
In chapter 14, the explanation of equipment and design to executing an access, distribution, and core network design provided a very handy top down view of proper redesign project development. It provided advantages, disadvantages, and great practical advice for an exhaustive list of campus design models. One of the most beneficial aspects of the design chapters was an excellent use of network design exercises of which I have made several uses in my lab environment.
It is my personal belief that developing excellent philosophical troubleshooting fundamentals is one of the most important skills necessary to completing the R&S lab within time limits, and also in keeping any clients network alive and well in any business environment. Chapter 16 provided more than the usual end of chapter lesson on troubleshooting your switched environment.
The books final chapter on Catalyst 6000/6500 technology has been my best guide to understanding the platform. Though not tested in the R&S lab environment the 6000/6500 platform has been extremely important to understand in my direct line of work. After reading the section my confidence in using the line has greatly improved.
Cisco Lan Switching is the definitive guide to understanding segmentation, trunking, and advanced spanning-tree. The STP chapters are possibly the best written material on the subject that is available. While the book doesn't provide information on the 3550 (published 2001) it does overview L3 switching quite nicely. And although no longer a CCIE R&S lab requirement, the chapter on ATM LANE helped clear many of my previous fears on the subject.
The book was an excellent read, the chapters and materials flowed well with brief overviews at the beginning of each chapter. This book is a pillar to any CCIE library!

"Cisco LAN Switching" surpasses the King James Bible as the greatest written work... ever. Guttenburg would have invented his printing press years before had he owned a copy of this book.

Buy this, and be prepared to enter the Church of Clark and Hamilton. As a Cisco engineer, your life will never be the same. The only downside is that the last chapter wasn't finished in time, so you only need to assume that Bill Yeager is God, and he reigns supreme in ARPANET (not L. Ron Hubbard as previously thought.)

a little more deeper and comprehensive than other books on cisco lan switching area.

not too good than what you think or imagine.

You will not find a better book on LAN switching. While the text doesn't cover the Cat 3550, the explanations about the various switch theories alone makes this an invaluable reference.

I have handled most of Cisco switches from 1900 to 6500 series.

This book covers almost everything a network professional could ask for help managing Catlayst Switches. But there is a lot of blah, blah, blah in this book - it's like those bedtime stories.

If you want to save your money, better search the Cisco web site for help.

Any shortcoming of this book I found the help from Cisco web site and Cisco Catlayst LAN Switching by Rossi of McGrawHill publishing.

Complex switching technology and configuration are explained with authority and in highly readable form. The examples are clear and informative. I doubt there is an issue having to do with switching that is not addressed in this book. Too many Cisco Press titles are overpriced, under-inspired regurgitations of the Cisco CD documentation. This one is in a different class altogether. Clark and Hamilton both deserve honorary Ph.D's!

This book, along with Routing TCP/IP, are two of the best books ever written on Networking. This book is very well written, very concise, and the examples are very useful in presenting a problem and a solution.

The chapter on Multilayer Switching, Multicasting, and Spanning-Tree alone are very extensive and comprehensive. The explanations are very technical yet understandable for the novice readers. Superb illustrations and explanations leave no holes unturned.

This book may seem outdated but don't be fooled by the publish date. It's 2001, I'm redesigning our LAN network with Cisco 6509 Core switches and this book comes in handy every step of the way.

If you really want to learn Cisco switching stuff, make sure you have this title. It explains everything in detail with respect to Cisco LAN switches. Nice coverage on Catalyst 6x00 switches.

Happy reading.

This book is written so well, and in a language that even increases my PPM (pages per minute). Even though it goes into very deep detailes, is does it in a rare un-boring way that I have not seen since I read my last Stephen King novel.

The funny thing is that it tells you about very advanced configurations, but is at the same time very easy to understand. It's like waking up one day and grap a book written in a weird old Egyptian language and actually be able to understand the contents.

It might be overkill for the BCMSN exam if you're only out to "pass it", but I like to know "everything", and this book has given me a lot of knowledge.

The only bad thing about this book is that you have to be careful reading it in bed, because it will hurt your head if you fall a sleep while reading it :-)

This book is excelent! Worth every dollar I spent on it. I came from a WAN background and until recently poo-pooed the LAN side of things. Now that I am more of a LAN guys dealing constantly with a variety of cisco switches I realize how complex it can actually get. This book offers fully detailed explantions of all the various protocols involved. There is also a constant thread of humour that is just right in both it's tone and qauntity. You can tell that the author(s) have actually been there in the trenches and are not just rewriting other source documentation.

Can I give it six stars?

When I first pick up this book after my CCNA, I am a bit frustrated. Apparently my age old knowledge on Ethernet hub and BNC cable learnt while doing my CNE many years ago is not quite the right prerequisite. 6 months later, having passed my ACRC, and half way through preparing for Switching 2.0 exam, I revisit Clarke's book and I am madly, deeply, truly, absolutely, 100% impressed. For example, when other authors hurry past STP in less than 10 pages and left numerous doubts and false concepts in your mind, Clarke with his unhurried pace unveils the STP magic in 140 pages which brings smile to your face and joy to your heart, and the most accurate understanding in the easiest possible way - using clever examples and diagram. When other try hard to explain VTP, making half heart text-based attempt to explain server and client mode and totally left out transparent mode - Clarke/Hamilton use clever example with diagram and table to thoroughly illustrate the 3 modes, leaving no doubts. Not a single author out there appears to know that if you switch off Catalyst client - all VLAN information is lost! Whereas Server and transparent mode Catalyst VLAN configuration is stored in NVRAM and will survive a power off! Others authors appear to imply that as long as you have the same domain name, you are in the same VTP domain - this books tell you 3 conditions that must be met before the switches are consider being in the same domain. Yes, you can have the same vtp domain name and electrically quite close - but still not in the same domain! Throughout the whole book, the authors displayed a habit of always using examples and diagrams to illustrate the points he tried to bring across. Some examples are so details that you can feel the bits and bytes - very amazing. Others are so simple and intuitively clear that you achieve accurate understanding of conceptually obscure and tricky topic. Quite a few examples are sheer brilliant (e.g. Table 12-3) that I will not be able to think of in a thousand year. On the lighter side, he doesn't mind to start off an example with "If host A is playing Doom with host C ..." - kind of fun.

Comparing to another great book (which I haven't read) Jeff Doyle's Routing - the printing and format of this book is so much better - another big plus. Hope Clarke/Hamilton can find time to publish new edition of this book every 2 to 3 years. Hope Clark/Hamiltone can also find time writing equally impressive book on routing. 3 Cheers

I'm a BCMSN instructor and I found this book an invaluable help to explain my students complex arguments like STP and VLAN Load balancing (you'll finally understand the meaning and implications of portvlanpri, portvlancost , uplinkfast etc.), and is also very up to date with MLS and Cat6000 native IOS mode.

It lacks only some newer protocols like VRRP or GVRP which are indeed very recent (how long for a Volume 2?).

If you are designing / implementing / troubleshooting large campus with STP, Trunking, MS, ATM this book is definitely a must !

This book is a MUST for any Admin/Engineer's library! It does mainly focus on the Cat5000 series but does talk about the 6000 series and the MSM & MSFC. Warning though... this book will NOT cover the Native IOS image. It briefly talks about it but is not a command guide for this new and upcoming image.

I have just recieved my copy of this book 5 weeks ago and I can't put it down! I had already reviewed my instructors copy, with his recommendation, and thought it was well written and informative. I would personally like to commend the author and I would highly recommend it.

This book, along with Jeff Doyle's wonderful TCP/IP Vol. 1, were my main sources for passing the IE Written exam, and I'm sure I'll be using it in the months ahead preparing for the lab!

This book is NOT just for CCIE candidates. It has the clearest descriptions of bridging techniques I have ever read, and would be a great investment for anyone working on the CCNP or CCNA.

The highest score I got on the exam was in the Bridging category, and I owe much of that to this great work. A must for your networking library, no matter the stage!

Man, this is one great book! Clark and Hamilton are just awesome! This book EASILY prepared me for the BCMSN exam, even though it's not a test prep book! It covers the technology so well that you will pass the exam because you know the content so well.

This book is easy to read. The authors mixed theory and experience in just the right amounts and threw in some humor as a bonus. I believe someone with a true command of the subject will be able to relay it to others in the simplest of terms. That's what this book accomplishes: it takes very detailed technical subjects and makes them understandable for everybody.

Great Job!

Never before have I seen such a concise, complete, authoritative volume on Cisco switching. The coverage of Spanning Tree is the most complete I have been able to find yet, unmatched by even the other Cisco Press books with in-depth info I havn't seen published elsewhere. I used this to prepare for the CLSC exam and was pleasantly surprised by the sheer amount of relevant knowledge I was able to gain not only for the exam but for my day-to-day work as well. Now I just need to figure out what to do with all these other switching books, highly recommended, an absolute must-have!

I usually say that no one book can be the end-all be-all. Well I am never wrong; but I in this case might not be all that right. This book covers questions that I did not know I had. And if you say this is not for beginners, then where would you begin? The diagrams are clear and plentiful. Every acronym is defined. In the end this book is a more of not how to kick it, but where to kick. The section that I used to apply is on "Campus Design Implementation."

Sections:
Foundational Issues - basics of switched networking
Spanning Tree - advanced spanning tree configurations
Trunking - LANE, and ATM
Advanced Features - Layer 3 switching, VTP and multicast services
Real-World Campus Design and Implementation - variety of network designs
Catalyst 6000 Technology - coverage of Catalyst 6500's
Appendix - Answers to end of chapterexercises

If you would like a preview before buying the real thing there is an excerpts book ISBN 1-58720-008-2 that lets you see more of the content.

What this book provides: --- With some hands on experience, this book will make you an expert in Cisco LAN Switching. Every subject related to the design, troubleshooting and maintenance of switched networks is discussed in detail. I especially enjoyed the chapters on STP and Campus Design. If you already own Cisco Catalyst switches or are looking to buy Cisco Catalyst switches, this book is invaluable.

What this book does not provide: --- This book is not an introduction to LAN Switching. Many networking terms are not defined in the assumption that the reader has a networking background. If you are looking for an introduction to LAN Switching or networking, you will need to look elsewhere.

I also noticed a few errors in the book. Mostly just missing lines from networking diagrams and the text referring to the wrong figure.

Cisco lan Switching is one of the best book written in very detail , simple and easy to understand . Wel done jobe by the authors. Regards Sukhi singh

I usually hold my praise until I take and pass an exam but I'll make exception for this awesome book. Most CCNP books seem very disjointed and filled with numerous technical and egregious editing errors. Simply put they don't make a lot of sense because they seem like a collection of cut-n-paste from other techinical documents. If you were trying to learn and understand various switching technologies including LANE, STP, VTP, VLAN or etc.... i can truly say that this book is the best. It explains with authority, clearity, and humour. After you read this book, you'll feel like your time reading it was well spent because you will understand reasons and whys. Its just a beautiful book. Thanks to authors.

Excellent Book! If I could find a 6 stars, I will give it to this book. If you plan to use this book for CLSC 1.0 exam, maybe you will be disappointed. It is not concentrate on the exam. But this book is a very good reference. everytime, if I find something I was not very clear in my exam preparing book, I can find answer here. For example, What's the difference between VTP and ISL? You can get the answer in this book. My english is not very good. you can know this from my review :) But I find reading this book was really easy and enjoyable. Thank the author presented us such a excellent book!

This book is a must for every network engineer and designer! The content is very detailed and well structured, you may skip chapters and go back and forth if you don't feel that you don't need to read them (not suggested ;). The chapters on STP are probably the best material ever written.

It covers the whole lifecycle of a network - from the design to troubleshooting and every part of it is excellent and very well-explained which makes it easy to understand (as long as this could be "easy" ;).

Unfortunately the CLSC 1.0 test (from the CCNP track) focuses on a little different aspect than this book, which doesn't make this book less valuable. If you're planning on taking CLSC 2.0 (which is coming live later this year) this book fits so well like the test questions are written by the authors (quite likely ;).

In my opinion this book and "Routing TCP/IP" by Jeff Doyle are the best books on networking (and Cisco) ever written.

This book explains in detail network design issues that every network manager needs to know. The author does a fantastic job of teaching complex networking concepts in a way that's easy to understand without being condescending. After all, network design and maintenance is NOT for dummies. This book cuts through lots of marketing buzz words and explains what really works and does not work in a scalable, manageable, reliable network.

In following the tradition of Cisco Press, "Cisco LAN Switching" has excellent technical content. I did, however, find a few technical and several spelling/grammar errors. The writers' style is more difficult to read than is Jeff Doyle's, though the content difficulty is comparable. Perhaps the second edition will fix the errors...

Absolutely fabulous. It covers STP, VTP, FEC, etc etc in detail with just enough humor thrown in. But not so much that it's distracting. Simply a MUST HAVE for the aspiring CCIE (or anyone who deals with Cisco Switches). This book is on par with Doyle's book.

This book is excellent from cover to cover. Topics ranging from basic switching theory to advanced cisco switch configuration are covered in a clear and easy to read manner. And, the book is not riddled with typos, errors, misprints, and mistakes like almost all of the other cisco press titles. You get quality *and* quantity with this one - over 800 pages of useful information.

If you need to know about LAN switch technology this is what you need. It's a big book because they don't skip anything, but because of the clarity of explanation the pages just fly by.

I had an opportunity to review this book and found its discussions of VLAN's, implementation, design (best practice) and pitfalls, as invaluable knowledge. The additional discussions on ATM and designing switched Network was excellent. This book is logically put together, emphasizes real world, issues , and theory. Best book on switching and application of the technology that I have seen.

A very good book if u really want to know about Cisco LAN switching. Covers very basic but important concept that every network engineers should know. I like the spanning tree portion. The explaination is very clear

Covers all the material for LANE, VTP, ISL. Details of how layer 3 multicast addresses make there way down to layer 2 mac addresses. Differences between bridges and switches, why would you implement a switch over a bridge? What are the benefits, if you don't know you need this book. What are the three types of VLAN protocols? Overall very good quality, authors knew the material well. I couldn't recommend this book any higher.

The authors have a gift for taking complex subjects that are often badly treated elsewhere and explaining them in easy to understand terms. The chapters on spanning tree are the best I've seen. The chapter on LANE is brilliant.

I admit that I'm biased since I work with Kennedy and Kevin at Chesapeake, but regardless, this is an excellent book, a must have.

These questions and many more will definitely be answered by reading this book. The CCIE's did a excellent job presenting difficult material such as BPDUs; making it understandable. Before this book alot of this information had to be researched at cisco.com for hours. A thorough explaination of layer 2 technologies from TB to SR/TLB and how they inter-operate. Highly recommend this book for CCNP and CCIE candidates.

Outstanding. The whole book is good, but I especially liked the excellent coverage of Spanning Tree. This thorough coverage is long overdue in print!

The network design and L3 switching sections are also very good.

-CCIE

If you are working with Cisco switches or prepare for CCNP, CCIE exams, this book is a must-own! The authors cover switching in great detail. I took the CLSC class but still find this book extremely useful. Highly recommend!

This book provides the level of detail not covered in the product manuals or the Cisco Training class. I bought the book because I took a class with Kevin Hamilton and he did a great job. The book is just as good.

This book is THE definitive text on configuring complex, switched networks. Spanning tree is covered in tremendous detail - over 200 pages devoted to it alone. From VLAN basics to VTP, MLS, LANE, MPOA, Catalyst secrets, advanced design theory - if you own or operate a Catalyst switch, you MUST own this book. There is no other book anywhere that covers this space in this detail. A must own.