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Out of all of the materials I've used to study for the CCNA, this is by far the least effective. I found myself staring at one diagram in particular for over 10 minutes trying to figure it out. I've sat on this book over a year now. A specific example would be to look at some of the network diagrams in Chapter 2. I would have thought that a Cisco Press book would be a lot better.I can safely say that after studying and passing the A+ and Network+ Certifications, being very close to passing the CCNA (no thanks to this book), and having studied and passed several other certifications, this is the worst study material I've paid for. Don't even think about this book unless you already have a decent grasp on the topics discussed.This book is hard to read, and difficult to understand. The diagrams are not documented.
It's not that I'm not capable, it's just that it does not make any sense.This book just isn't very good. I'm including the ICND1 as well. This is in chapter 2. It doesn't flow well and isn't particularly well laid out. It's too much, too fast. It's a painful, confusing read. There are better materials.
however this material is *critical* to passing the CCNA exam. The ICND1/ICND2 books lack critical information needed to pass the CCNA or ICND1/ICND2 exams. For example, the author states in the ICND2 chapter on OSPF that "DR (designated router) and BDR (backup designated router) election is covered in Cisco CCNP course material. While taking practice tests in from one of Todd Lammle's books, I found myself completely stumped by some of the questions - material that was never covered in Odom's book(s). I cannot in good conscience recommend these books to anyone that is looking to pass their CCNA exam, unless you buy at least another book or two as filler.
I'm reading the VLSM calculations in chapter 5 right now and have come to the conclusion that he just wants to give examples now with ZERO explanation as to why you'd do anything. I'm also sick of rereading paragraph after paragraph just to understand what he's attempting to say. I began this book ready to knock it out then ace the test. Why are they not allowed. It's confusing. For example: page 210, step 5 contains the answer to two possible classful or classless scenarios. This book is plagued with this type of shoddy reasoning and like other people are saying, I too think he is just making words up at this point.
Start a new topic with a scenario, answer the scenario then explain why you did what you did. I'm about a third of the way through and I simply feel like Odom has simply given up on trying to actually explain himself. Mr Odom, please, please, please write a study guide that puts the scenario setups before the explanations. Odom, however, gives no reasoning behind why the first 4 subnets would not work in a question that would not allow the zero subnet. Maybe I missed his explanation somewhere earlier but a recap sure would be nice. Do not explain the topic, give reasoning about some scenario that was setup 2 chapters before, begin another example, give the reasoning, restate what you've just said 10 different and more confusing ways, then give the answer to summarize. topic, scenario, answer then explain.
I had let my certification lapse and needed to know what is currently being tested. I found a few test questions that were incorrect, but in general the questions in the sample tests were more difficult that the test. Trudge through the samples and you should be fine on the real thing.
This book provides a comprehensive resource and study plan for passing the ICND2/CCNA exam.There were a few errors. The index and table of contents are useful and laid out in a similar fashion.The overall presentation of the material is also very well done. The Cisco exams are very challenging. Very nice.I cannot figure out why this book + practice exam only costs $27. This is not just a re-packaging of information that is available in support articles or online documentation. It is a spot-on realistic simulation for the real exams.
It is logically structured by chapter, linked to topics/learning objectives. (Make sure you download version 1.5 or later of the BEE from Boson). The authors occasionally provide background material and history where it can be useful to grasp the concepts. However there is a comprehensive errata document available for download that should be used to correct the few that have been discovered in this printing.The "do I already know this" 6-10 questions at the beginning of each chapter I found very useful as a catalyst to pique my interest and keep me focused as I was reading through the chapter. It was written by an expert, and is very polished and professional in both content and presentation.The Boson exam environment (BEE) is excellent.
(This may only be useful if you already have experience and/or intend to re-certify).The overall structure and layout of the book is excellent. Much more thorough and detailed, and in my opinion a better resource for passing the exam. Another huge plus: when you are taking the Boson practice exam, and click "show answer", there is a hyperlink to the exact location in the eBook where the topic is discussed. This book is very different. Boson updates their exam environments frequently to fix any known issues and add functionality. The individual chapters are logically structured, introducing concepts first, then configuration, and finally troubleshooting. The Boson exam helps prepare you for this, but you should read the entire book, understand the concepts, and take the practice exam. They know when to dive deep and when to not inundate you with superfluous information.
I have read both of Wendell Odom's ICND1/2 books, and also the CCNA book by Todd Lammle. The exam provides 150 questions, with options such as randomizing the questions and answers, the ability to save your exam (if you want to resume later), and the ability to only show questions that were previously answered incorrectly.The complete eBook is included in PDF format. The table of contents is hyperlinked. This is a tremendous value.A final word. This is not a book that was slapped together in a couple of months. If you are re-certifying, you only need to take this one exam (ICND2). This book is in it's fifth printing, so most of the errors have been corrected over the previous two years. But if you are new, reading the ICND1 book and taking that exam first is highly recommended.
They provide recommended approaches for troubleshooting the various technologies under discussion. It is the culmination of years of knowledge and experience. Much more so than only a few years ago. The 640-802 (CCNA) is much more comprehensive than only the ICND2 exam, and is unforgiving if you are not prepared.
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