[.ca] CCNA Certification Kit, (Exam 640-802) (ISBN 0470185724)

From Amazon.co.uk:
The combination of Sybex's best-selling CCNA Study Guide and the e-trainer network simulation software mesh wonderfully. In fact, if truth be told they were always intended to be sold as one unit; the book contains a lot of rote exercises that are just jumbles of instructions if you're not sitting at a terminal, and the CD comes with practically no instructions at all. But put together in the CCNA Certification Kit, they create a force to be reckoned with. But first, let's get what's in this little bundle of joy listed for you. The CCNA Study Guide is a densely written but comprehensive tome; the writing can be intimidating at times, but Lammle is to be commended for trying to show the reader the reasons why certain networking topics work, as opposed to just giving you lists of items to memorise. The concepts become particularly daunting during the chapters involving TCP/IP subnetting and VLAN trunking--but meticulous rereading will reward you not only with an exam-passing knowledge, but a deep understanding that will serve you well in the corporate world. There are only two slight disappointments: one, the chapter on WAN networking is a trifle light compared to the fact-packed density of the rest of the book; and two, this book is not for absolute beginners, as it skips very quickly over essential concepts such as Ethernet networking and cabling types. A large portion of the guide consists of simple exercises to be run on Cisco routers--which is normally a problem for the CCNA student. Most people don't have access to, and cannot afford, the roughly £15000 in equipment it takes to set up a sample lab. But that's where the CCNA Virtual Lab e-trainer comes in; it's a software package that emulates a network that consists of three Cisco routers, a Catalyst 1900 switch and a couple of WAN links. For what it does at the price, it does it well. It's not a fully fledged simulation by any means, but it does emulate most of the basic commands well enough for you to pass--and the amount of learning you'll get from the "hands on" experience is exponentially better than any amount of book learning. Tinkering around with your own setup will help you remember the oft-cryptic Cisco commands and password levels better than anything else, and the exercises given to you in the study guide will suddenly become fully fledged workshops that expand your learning. Now there are those who have criticised the Virtual Lab for many reasons: Not all of the basic commands are adequately supported, the interface is very clunky, there are known bugs and it's useless beyond anything but the CCNA level. But there is a saying in the industry that should be well-taken here: "Close enough for horseshoes and hand grenades." Yes, there are better Cisco simulator programs. Yes, there are cheaper ones. But no other offering has the range of features and depth that you'll find at this price, and most importantly, it's enough to pass. --William Steinmetz, Amazon.com

everything you need to pass the difficult cisco-test:
Be sure to memorize/practice the exercices included in this book. You'll absolutely need them for the cisco-test (cisco includes router-emulation exercices, and the tests are adaptive !)

This is the "HAVE TO HAVE" kit for CCNA!:
I passed my CCNA exam after using this kit. I am an MCSE and MCP+I and now a CCNA thanks to these materials. The kit covers the vast majority of what you need to know to pass this exam. After using several other books to prepare for other exams, this is by far the most thourough. The simulator did have some bugs, but it was still a valuable tool to simulate hands on practice. You can pass the exam using this kit alone, or got to ... for the complete router simulator. This is excellent for those who want to learn on Cisco Routers and Switches and who are interested on CCNA exams. Certainly this is the best book, well written most of the topics, easy approach.

If this is the best, someone needs to write a good one!!:
I'm amazed at the number of reviewers who gave this 5 stars. I passed my CCNA despite this book, as much as because of it. There is really no excuse for so many typos and poor explanations. And the E-trainer is truly a joke. If you're going for the CCNA, be sure to check into the alternatives.

Don't be fooled:
Don't be fooled. Despite what other people may say here this is not an easy book to get through unless you have extensive computer experience. And I'm no dummy. I went to a top 20 undergrad. You really need on-the-job experience with computer networks in order to understand and benefit from this book. Also, don't even bother purchasing it unless you are already working in the computer industry. In case you didn't notice there are no jobs in computers now. Even computer science grads are having problems finding work. So don't buy this book thinking you will be able to find work if you pass the exam.

All in one shopping for your CCNA!:
I bought the book and software seperatly as I didn't know you could buy this kit at the time. I am telling you that you just HAVE to have this kit if you want to pass the CCNA new 607 exam with simulations.