Lammle does an excellent job of explaining complex networking concepts (particularly subnetting) in terms simple enough for someone with no previous exposure to networking to understand.



Unfortunately, some subjects were oversimplified, to the point that I felt underprepared for the CCNA test. If you are an excellent student, or you retain 100% of what you read, this book will get you a passing score on the exam. For the rest of us, I recommend Wendell Odom's CCNA Self Study Certification Library (Cisco Press - ISBN 1-58720-095-3). There's more to read, but you'll enter the exam more confident and better prepared.



-sean henning

Lammle does an excellent job of explaining complex networking concepts (particularly subnetting) in terms simple enough for someone with no previous exposure to networking to understand.

Unfortunately, some subjects were oversimplified, to the point that I felt underprepared for the CCNA test. If you are an excellent student, or you retain 100% of what you read, this book will get you a passing score on the exam. For the rest of us, I recommend Wendell Odom's CCNA Self Study Certification Library (Cisco Press - ISBN 1-58720-095-3). There's more to read, but you'll enter the exam more confident and better prepared.

-sean henning

The most challenging thing a certification test-prep book faces is the way it invariably will be misused. There is an old saw about using the right tool for the job, which in essence tells us to use the correct planning, strategy, and action to get the result we want. The majority of people purchasing a book like this are planning to take the CCNA exam and want some help preparing. This makes sense, and this is why I myself purchased Lamle's book. While it worked, and I passed with a 901, I couldn't help but wonder how much more difficult it would have been without hands-on experience with the devices, protocols and processes themselves at work. I have not yet met anyone who studied for, and passed, the CCNA test without any prior hands-on network experience.

It makes me very nervous to read someone's review suggesting, "This is the only preparation you need". To pass the test, you will likely need some experience as well, and to avoid the Catch-22 of requiring experience to get the job, yet also the job to gain the experience, I would recommend seeking first a junior position in the field, where you can not only get the experience, but also the mentoring of senior networking staff.

However, once you pass the test and have the cert, we face another challenge: "Does the cert verify your ability to apply what you know?" Not really, but that's why you cannot stop learning and developing your skills set there. You will likely need the CCNA to get the interview for the Networking job you seek, but you will need interview skills to get the job, and you will need to be able to APPLY your technical knowledge to keep it. Lamle's book is one of the best prep books out there for the CCNA. But if you plan to have a long-term career in Networking, do not think for a moment that you can stop there. And I'm not just talking about the next level of Cisco Certification.

Buy this book and study it, but make sure you maintain a long-term professional skills development plan, and if you don't already have it, start building your experience in the field. You'll need it.

Good luck!

This book definitely helped me pass my CCNA. The material in this book will definitely provide you with the tools you need in order to configure Cisco equipment and pass the CCNA the first time.

I passed the exam with a 901 the first try.

The good news: this test won't exist after March 2004. You couldn't register after September 2003.

The bad news: I cannot believe Sybex allowed this to go to print. There were errors in the book that were not mentioned on Sybex's "errata" section of their website.

Example: Page 166, the IP address 10.0.0.0 was subnetted with a subnet mask of 255.255.255.192 (come on grab a pencil, you know you want to). Todd Lammle says the fourth subnet is 10.1.0.0 but I thought it was 10.0.1.0. My IP subnet calculator confirmed what I thought was right.

This may not be all Sybex's fault though since Cisco changed from the -507 exam to the -607 exam and within a year's time we already had the -802 exam coming out. So, I'm guessing they were rushed to get a book out before customers would be looking ahead to the next exam.

Even though he covers everything and there is a lot of good info here, I can't see giving more than 3 stars because I had to double-check everything because of the multitude of errors; and you can't possibly read this with 100% confidence that the material is correct.

I studied and passed my CCNA with this book in first try, it covers thoroughly on all you need to know about the exam. The bonus questions are useful too, few of them are pretty similiar to my exam questions.

Wow, what a great author Todd is. His explainations and descriptions make the book well worth the cost. I used it as a text book for 2 classes and the last 3 out of 4 semesters for the Cisco Networking Academy. I also used his study guide (sold seperately but worth the money).
I not only learned what I needed feel confident about taking the CCNA, I feel very confident about my abilities with Cisco Networking Appliances. Todd should write for Cisco in my opinion.
I do feel that there are some easier ways to subnet than in his examples, but I learned it his way and then my instructors way. I chose what worked for me, your experiences will be different. Ultimately I used the Cisco Networking Academy, this book, and the study guide. I really studied hard, taking good notes and I passed the CCNA the first time with flying colors. I think Todd's explainations were key to this. He really makes Frame and ISDN configuation and the technolgies clear, he makes RIP and IGRP understandable even though they were the first IGPs that I was introduced to (they are very obscure IMO and I have never seen them used in the real world). I will look forward to his next version for the upgraded CCNA exams, I am sure they will be great.

Wow, what a great author Todd is. His explainations and descriptions make the book well worth the cost. I used it as a text book for 2 classes and the last 3 out of 4 semesters for the Cisco Networking Academy. I also used his study guide (sold seperately but worth the money).
I not only learned what I needed feel confident about taking the CCNA, I feel very confident about my abilities with Cisco Networking Appliances. Todd should write for Cisco in my opinion.
I do feel that there are some easier ways to subnet than in his examples, but I learned it his way and then my instructors way. I chose what worked for me, your experiences will be different. Ultimately I used the Cisco Networking Academy, this book, and the study guide. I really studied hard, taking good notes and I passed the CCNA the first time with flying colors. I think Todd's explainations were key to this. He really makes Frame and ISDN configuation and the technolgies clear, he makes RIP and IGRP understandable even though they were the first IGPs that I was introduced to (they are very obscure IMO and I have never seen them used in the real world). I will look forward to his next version for the upgraded CCNA exams, I am sure they will be great.

This is a good study guide. However, Cisco has retired the 607 exam, so it is completely obsolete. The author has a new revision (ISBN 0782143113) that covers the new 801 CCNA exam.

This was the only book I used along with some very superficial experience. I passed with 898 on my first try. Better coverage than most study guides and not nearly as impentrably dry as the cisco press books. Using the virtual lab helps a bit too although I only had 2 simulations on my exam. Fantastic job Todd!

I passed CCNA exam after taking this book in early August. I'm sure if you want to just pass the exam you don't need any real hands on experience because this book and the attached CD covers almost all the requirement to pass the exam. ( I took a certificate courses for hands-on because I wanted something more than passing the exam, though. ) I read all of chapters and the Appendix B thoroughly. This book is easy to read and covers most of knowledge you required for the exam. Though this book still has several typo, or wrong answers/questions, this book is still a lot easier to read than the CCNA by Cisco Press. The CCNA by Cisco Press explains very detail concepts, which is beyond what you need for the exam. But it's good to have it as a bible... The attached CD of the Sybex is good to practice simulation and quizzes. You should go through all of the content of the CD. One thing, though. The simulation software of the CD is good but a little different from the real simulation in the exam. To get used to the real simulation style, you should try the CD from Cisco Press. And also, you should be able to calculate IP subnetting/addressing quickly because of the time limit of the CCNA exam. Well, unfortunately you can take CCNA 640-607 until the end of September '03. If you're just starting the study for CCNA, you want to check what the new exam is like...

I passed CCNA exam after taking this book in early August. I'm sure if you want to just pass the exam you don't need any real hands on experience because this book and the attached CD covers almost all the requirement to pass the exam. ( I took a certificate courses for hands-on because I wanted something more than passing the exam, though. ) I read all of chapters and the Appendix B thoroughly. This book is easy to read and covers most of knowledge you required for the exam. Though this book still has several typo, or wrong answers/questions, this book is still a lot easier to read than the CCNA by Cisco Press. The CCNA by Cisco Press explains very detail concepts, which is beyond what you need for the exam. But it's good to have it as a bible... The attached CD of the Sybex is good to practice simulation and quizzes. You should go through all of the content of the CD. One thing, though. The simulation software of the CD is good but a little different from the real simulation in the exam. To get used to the real simulation style, you should try the CD from Cisco Press. And also, you should be able to calculate IP subnetting/addressing quickly because of the time limit of the CCNA exam. Well, unfortunately you can take CCNA 640-607 until the end of September '03. If you're just starting the study for CCNA, you want to check what the new exam is like...

CCNA is not easy but with this book, Chiarella's self study guide and the Cisco Press CCNAB you'll have it taped, Just ensure that you undersatnd each topic and not just spout the answers. THe newer Cisco Exams ask for knowledge AND reasoning!

This book provides a solid foundation for the CCNA exam. Do not however base only on this book to get you through the exam. I would also recommend going on Cisco's site and browsing through their support documents when studying areas such as WAN networking.

The book was worth the money. It covers most of the areas you will need to know for the CCNA exam, and is written in a way even a beginner can grasp the concepts. Definetely would recommend this book to others. I passed with 987 first try, with the use of this book.

I read the reviews about this book before buying as I always do with technical manuals. Most people seemed to think it was a good book, so I chose this one to help me pass the CCNA exam.

At the last minute, (the day before the test) I took some practice tests from measureup.com. I am so glad I did. The first 10 questions on their CCNA tests were not covered by this book at all. They had about 480 questions total on their site for CCNA. So I went over every question until I knew them all. Quite a few weren't covered by this book, and I spent 6 - 7 hours studying at that site and went in to take the test.

Even with reading this book TWICE, getting all the review questions correct at the end of each chapter, and being able to eventually answer all 480 questions on measureup, that still didn't fully prepare me for the exam. There were probably 5 - 7 questions out of 60 on the CCNA exam that I had to simply guess at because neither this book nor the website covered that material. However, I passed with an 888/1000.

Besides the fact that this book covered maybe 80% of the material, there are more than a few grammatical errors. The ones that I find most unacceptable are that some of the answers to the review questions are incorrect. How are you supposed to study, take the review tests, and then not be able to trust any of the answers? It is ridiculous. And not even all of the errors are listed on the errata section of the website for this book. This book has been out for a long time, and they still haven't fully edited it. For example, page 139, they list the Class A range of IP Addresses as 0 - 127. It should actually say 1 - 126 because 0 and 127 are reserved addresses. On the actual test, if you choose 0 - 127 as the Class A range, it will be wrong. There are many, many mistakes in this book, and the publishers STILL can't be bothered to at least list them on their website.

So, if you still want this book, make sure you get at least 1 other manual, like the Colton book.

This is a great text for preparing for the CCNA exam. It covers most of the material that you need to know (probably about 90%). It is geared towards the exam only, though, meaning if you want to become very proficient in Cisco configuration, you will want additional material. I used this book in addition to hands-on experience and some other study material and had no problem passing the test. Todd does a great job of explaining his point in a way that is easy to understand, and he covers the basics necessary to pass the test.

I am graduating from a university with an IS degree in a month, and I've learned more from this book ..., then the $20,000 degree. It is a lot of information to swallow, but well worth it if you are going to be an internetworking professional...plus the Sybex book are THE BEST period when you are studying for a certification exam. You'll love this book, and good luck.

I used this book along with the exam notes and the CBT's from CBT Nuggets. The exam notes are the same exact thing except not nearly as much FYI. If you are new to Cisco and need to become familiar with their technologies first, I would *strongly* recommend the CCNA Certification Series from CBT Nuggets. It consists of 4 cd-roms filled with over 20 hours of videos to prepare you for the CCNA following Cisco's objectives.
Use CCNA exam notes, CBT Nugget's CBT's and self tesfsoftware and you can't loose! I passed today 3/17/03 with a 888/1000

I thought that the book was great. I passed the CCNA exam first try. The simulation questions are a bit weak though. The exam questions were much more difficult. The material is well organized. Todd does a great job explaining IP addressing and subnetting! The practice exams were great as well.

If you want to learn IP routing, this book will not take you anywhere close. For that you would need "Cisco IOS for IP Routing" by Andrew Colton or Doyle's books. However, Lammle's book would probably be all you need to pass the CCNA test. Unless you're a complete beginner, then you may want to add one or two other fine CCNA books.

This book does help me pass the test with a good score.I am Senior Programmer Analyst with a basic knowledge of networking.For me this is the best book.For CCNA, 2 months hardcore hardwork and sybex virtual lab is sufficient.You need to understand every word of the book.As usual, take as many tests as possible.There are lots of free tutorials/books on the net.

I passed with 936/1000...but tell you the truth you can easily get closer to 100%.Practice lots of subnetting stuff....

All the best to you guys.
Samir Sardar.
Sun Certified Java Programmer.
Cisco Certified Network Associate.

This book is almost all you need to pass the CCNA test. Also, it is basically tailored to a complete beginner. You get your basic CCNA stuff here: ISO model, intro to IOS, introduction to LAN/WAN, etc. If you are looking for a deeper coverage of routing protocols however, check out "Cisco IOS for IP Routing" by Andrew Colton (ISBN 0972286209). That book explains the mechanics of modern routing protocols, such as RIP, EIGRP, OSPF, IS-IS, and BGP in great detail.

This is an excelent book for the CCNA exam. It had over 95% of the information that I was tested on to get the CCNA and it was easy to read. I strongly recommend taking free tests online or from another company to make sure that you understand the material.

I purchased this book, and my problems were solved exactly. You won't need to go to courses, trainings, etc. Only this book is sufficient for you. I also recommend Test King's questions, the questions are very similar to the real CCNA exam. To be successfull on simulation questions, I recommend you to study with Boson Router Simulator. You can establish your own topology and study whatever you want.
Good luck on CCNA exam...

Burak Sezer

That's a very good start. I think most people that want to become a CCNA would go through this book. Read it from cover to cover and you should be ready to take the test (make sure you take some practice tests to warm up). That's definitely a good choice and in a month or two you should be a CCNA ;)

Good luck!

Daniel Lafraia
CCNP,CCDP

Let me start with the Pro's:
[1] This is a great book for people who have ZERO knowledge of CISCO like me. Todd does a great job of explaining the things that he writes about in the this book.
[2] This book does a really fantastic job of discussing Sub-Netting.

Con's:
[1] This book falls short when it comes to the material on the Transcender test. This book is missing at least 30% or more of the test. Becuase you will be tested on hardware inside a CISCO 7000 router which is not covered in the book. There are also some commands that are not covered as well.

Also, do your self a favor and do purchase Todd Lammle's CCNA Gold software program that emulates a CISCO router/switch network. Our CISCO engineers at work however, do recommend the CISCO Press books by Wendell Odem. Also, it would be envaluable for you to go to Ebay and purchase a CISCO 2500 or better router to play with.

I got a 98.7 (987/1000) using only this book. Sybex came through big time on this book. The Cisco Press book is a great reference, but most of it is not needed for the exam. Here is a a hint: search for "640-607" on Kazaa to get more CCNA docs and practice tests !!!

This book does a good job in explaining the basics of Cisco routing. Just about enough to get you to the CCNA level as far as theory. I would also check out "Cisco IOS for IP Routing" by Andrew Colton for more information on Cisco routing and dynamic routing protocols. Once you digest that, Perlman's and Doyle's books would take you further.

I just took my CCNA exam and passed with 911 out of 1000 using this book as my primary source of study. The book itself prepared me for about 90% of the exam questions I had. A few things the book does miss is troubleshooting a network. For example, I was given a question where a network diagram was displayed and I was asked why host B could not reach the Server on router C. Also I did notice a few wrong answers to the review questions and bonus exams on the CD. Over all this book prepared me well for the 640-607 test. I suggest getting Boson testing software to accompany you in pursuing your CCNA. My next quest...MCSA/MCSE track. Let's see if Sybex can help me again.

I am a Chinese. I am also a beginner in Cisco products. A lot of friends use this book as the preparation tools in CCNA. However, after reading for several times. I cannot clearly understand ALL the materials in the book. (My English may be poor.)I know that I can give up some difficult topics and memorize the hints from the web sites and then get the certificate. However I want to learn something. I want to say that I am an actual CCNA professional.

If possible, I hope the authors can simplified some of difficult concepts and explain the materials in multimedia format. Also using the MS-Press training kit style to train the readers step by step in exercise.

I do not mind to spend over US50 to buy a text book if it is the best. The training course fee is much higher than that amount.

First of all, I do have to say that with this book I passed the test two weeks after it arrived in the mail. With that said, I would like to know if anyone actually proofread this book before it went to print. I read most of the 2nd edition about three years ago and I remember the same errors then. Furthermore, the sample tests have many incorrect answers. I'm glad I understood what was going on or I wouldn't have known. I guess I would hope that there would be better quality control by the third edition.
On the better side of things, I was pleased to find out that the practice exams are very true to the actual test. And each chapter has written labs that helped me make sure I knew the material.

I read the 1st and 2nd editions of this book, but never took the test because I didn't have time.

I did learn a whole heck of a lot about Cisco routers and switches, which help me in my job, but I didn't get a chance to take the exam until last week.

I want to report a 949 on the new 607 exam! This is ALL thanks to Todd Lammle and his book and RouterSim. I couldnt have done it without his book and software. It was right on the money for the new exam.

I am extrememly impressed with the quality of this book.

Out of all the different publishers on the market that make computer certification books I have found Sybex to be the best.
The CCNA Cisco Certified Network Associate Study Guide Second Edition by Todd Lammle stands head and shoulders above the other
books out there on the market today. While there are a few errors in this book, it's positives greatly outweigh it's negatives. It is well written in easy to understand language as it guides you through the world of internetworking and explains all the concepts you need to know to pass the CCNA Exam. The real strength is found in their cd-rom. Lots of goodies found on that disk. Including over 400 sample questions. It does the best job I've seen of simulating what the real exam is like when you go to take it. It's software beats the other software out there by the other major publishers on the CCNA. I strongly recommend this book. It has it all. And I passed the CCNA on my first attempt largely due to studying with this book. It's a great book and a great cd-rom! Sybex is #1 with me.

Well, if it isn't another CCNA Book. Good. This is one of the good ones. This book covers the new 607 test and I must say it does a good job. There are a few things to mention though. If you have no previous experience networking, I suggest you start with the CCNA for dummies and then get this book. Also, After you read this book you may be able to setup a switch or a router, but you may not know why you want to. Though if you're studying for your CCNA, you should know why you want to. The discussion on subnetting in chapter 3 is excellent. (Though for all the pages it takes up, there are few questions on the exam that cover it).
All in all, not bad. I'd get it IF you have some experience with networks already.

Forget about it! I've heard people write that you shouldn't get
this book, but should get the Cisco Press book. Baloney (or
should it be 'bologna'?)! I read this book before taking the
exam just 24 hours ago. I got a perfect score (1000). The
Prometric lady at the front desk couldn't believe it, as she's
never seen a perfect score on any of the cert exams before. My
boss and coworkers were highly impressed as well.

Only problem I had with the book were little typos in the prep
exams that would confuse a guy who has no networking experience
at all. But they were few and far in between, and guys w/o any
Cisco experience shouldn't be scamming the exam anyway to get a
job for which they truly don't qualify -- thus, the high rating
seen above.

Oh, you'd better believe I ordered Todd's CCNP Study Guide Kit,
too.

I enjoy reading the book so far. A few mistakes and errors on the answers to review questions. The book need more explanation on the last few chapters. I think it would be great to add harder questions on the review.

The review questions, test questions and hands-on lab are easy.
I would recommend to buy also a CCNA Practical Studies and a Transcender AssociateCert 3.0 (about 200 questions).

If you have more on your budget, buy CCNA Preparation Library and CCNA coursewares/notes.

This is a great great book to pass the Cisco CCNA exam. I am in the field and get limited exposure to Cisco equipment and networks, but this book reinforced what I knew and added a lot. Can you pass with this book alone. I think so, but as with anything, experience helps. I recommend getting the virtual lab e-trainer or router-sim to compliment this if you don't have unlimited access to Cisco routers and switches. Then you will definatly pass without fail. Again, great book, and very easy to read.

Book arrived on time in perfect condition like promised. I would use this seller again & again & again & again.........

The new CCNA 640-607 test is a joke. It has a virtual simulator where you have to make some configurations and do a little trouble shooting. That was the easy part for me. The hard part is the all the detailed nit picky questions that aren't important to a real world technician. This test is geared towards the upper mid level networkers and people that can remember every little 802.blah and standard out there.

Cisco needs to re-evaluate their tests. This one only tested how much garbage I could retain from their books. Not how well I could configure and troubleshoot a router or a switch.

This book has some good reviews, but you'll fail unless you study other material and own cisco equipment.

Todd Lammle's book is the one to get as a meat and potatoes study guide for the CCNA. Most of the sections are the best written and easy to read that I have seen and there aren't any sections that are weak enough to prevent you from not passing the exam. As you probably see in a lot of other reviews, if you don't have access to actual routers, get a simulator (Lammle has one called RouterSim that works well with this book). I passed the 640-607 exam in April of 2002 with a 961 and you could be on your way to doing it to with this book.

I read cover to cover and pass the 640-607 the NEW sim. cisco test. The CD-ROM is useless. I don't know why the author includes. One other point you need a real router or a router sim. Otherwise, this book is useless.

I took the Cisco ICND week long training course to prepare me for my CCNA - I was even more lost than when I started. After reading the material in this book, taking the chapter and preparation exams, and studying the accompanied electronic "flash cards" I was able to pass my CCNA, the first time, with a 924 out of 1000 score! A big thanks to Mr. Lammle for his efforts on this book!

Achieved Passing CCNA score of 913% using this book.
This book is the ONLY book you need in otdrt to pass CCNA.
I also reccomend the Boson tests.
With diligent study & hands-on Switch and Router practice you can do it too!

It is a pity that we do not have an option for 6 stars here. The book is perfectly and professionally prepared. It covers all of the subjects with sufficient detail.

If you have a 2500 around, read the book cover to cover and you will be ready for the exam. If you are in Cisco word for a few years, I again strongly suggest you to review this book before the exam.

Thanks again.

Probably the best technical book I have ever read. I read the whole thing cover-to-cover and took all the practice tests, usually scoring 75-80%. Passed the actual test with a score of 967!

I read this book for the New CISCO CCNA Exam twice. I took the
test last January-2002 and I passed with 975 as a first time try.
This is a good source for this exam. Actually the practice test on this book was more difficult than the test I took. DMP

I recently passed the CCNA exam. I used this book as well as
Wendell Odom's Cisco CCNA Certification Guide. Both books have
lots of useful info and complement each others weaknesses. I found the glossary in this book very helpful. I saw some shots taken at it by other reviewers - but everything I wanted to look up was in there. I also liked the questions at the end of each chapter and at the beginnning and end of the book - very good practice for the exam. I didn't do any of the hands on labs - mostly because they looked pretty basic and I do a lot of this stuff at work. Also, don't get discouraged if you miss a lot of
questions on the practice tests. Yes, Cisco wants you to remember lots of silly details, but I passed the exam pretty handily and I don't think I got much over 70% right on any of the 4 or 5 practice tests I took.

Along with other reviewers, I noticed that many of the questions on the CD are repeats of the ones in the book. Very annoying. The CD from Odom's book was much more useful. This book also lacks many of the charts and command references that were so helpful in Odom's book. And it was dry (not that Odom's wasn't dry too). Keep lots of coffee around if you plan to read for any length of time.

While I got a lot out of this book and would recommend it to prepare for the exam - I would use some other resources as well, particularly if you don't deal with this stuff at work.

This book contains all the information pertaining to the 507 exam with no fluff and nothing left out. It doesn't read like a Stephen King novel, but it doesn't read like a dry technical tome either. I tried using CCNA for dummies but I consistently failed the practice exams I found online, so I purchased this book, and I scored a 924 on the exam. I recommend reading this book once cover to cover, and then rereading the OSI model chapter and other chapters you may have trouble with. I was lost much of my first way through, but everything fell into place the second time around. I'd also recommend doing all of the labs in the book with either a real router or a simulator. It's crucial to understanding the proper syntax of IOS commands. It's not necessary, but pretty helpful anyway. And practice with the CD-ROM test and every practice test you can find online. If you miss a question, it's most important that you know why you missed it. The test really isn't difficult if you know your stuff.

I found this book very easy read that also gives very good knowledge on how to configure a Cisco router/switch - you will not be bored!
But ... this book does not train you to pass the exam. I passed my CCNA only with this book from the first time but most of the answers were a good guess based on the knowledge this book gave me. If your goal to obtain Cisco certifications I would recommend to stick with Cisco Press books.
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