Cisco IOS for IP Routing

Rating:
Summary: Great book on Cisco IP routing!!
Review: A very good read on Cisco IP routing (don't be fooled by its thickness - it's loaded). For those seeking to go further than a CCNA, this is a good start. For the CCNPs, this is a good review (won't be bogged down by CLI captures on every page). Not as intimidating as most Cisco Press books (although I love 'em!), this is laid out clearly; very easy to read. And with chapters on IS-IS and MPLS (sections that you certainly won't see in most Cisco books dealing with IP routing), this is a gem of a book!

Rating:
Summary: Everything you ever needed to know about routing protocols..
Review: and then some... That's how this book should have been titled.
There is a lot of information for the book of 350 pages...
Every IP routing protocol is explained in great detail. RIP, EIGRP, OSPF, IS-IS, BGP... All the usual suspects. There is even a chapter on MPLS. Unlike most other publishers, this one did not bother to add "fillers" and "padding" to this book to make it to appear more valuable than it really is. In other words, you are not buying a brick-sized door holder here.

Information is communicated in concise and clear manner. In fact, a lot of it is watered down to make it easier to understand.
Here is how the chapters are laid out:
Ch.1 Static Routing (from static to default, to load balancing
and route maps),
Ch. 2 Dynamic Routing Protocols (all the fundamentals of dynamic routing),
Ch.3 RIP (RIP and RIP-2),
Ch. 4 IGRP (just about enough to refresh your memory on that one, since it's an older routing protocol),
Ch. 5 EIGRP (a lot more information there),
Ch. 6 OSPF(about 60 pages of very good info on OSPF),
Ch. 7 IS-IS (this is invaluable since there is not that much info on this protocol is out there).
Ch. 8 BGP (Surprisingly, a very extensive coverage of this protocol),
Ch. 9 MPLS (Good info on this latest technology),
Each chapter ends with a configuration and maintenance section.
All and all good value for the money.

Rating:
Summary: Routing protocols in a nutshell
Review: Colton on routing is like Hemingway on war - terse, truthful, sometimes brutal, but right to the point... I will definitely recommend it to each and every network engineer involved with IP routing.

Rating:
Summary: Everything you ever needed to know about routing protocols..
Review: First off, if you're cramming for CCNP exams, this is *NOT* the book for you. It's rather disorganized inside each chapter as the author skips around various concepts. It's a "good read" rather than a "quick guide" -- i.e. you want to read it *WHOLE*.

As such, if you are taking a prolonged study towards the CCNP series, especially the BSCI exam, this is a good *ADDITION* to your collection. It's got a lot of "meat" that you will typically not find in other books. And even though a lot of the knowledge the author throws at you will *NOT* be on the test, much of it is "real world" tips pieced together that no other book I have read (and I have a lot of Cisco/3rd party Cisco books) has bothered to put together.

Rating:
Summary: A little bit disorganzied, but a lot of "meat" ...
Review: First off, if you're cramming for CCNP exams, this is *NOT* the book for you. It's rather disorganized inside each chapter as the author skips around various concepts. It's a "good read" rather than a "quick guide" -- i.e. you want to read it *WHOLE*.

As such, if you are taking a prolonged study towards the CCNP series, especially the BSCI exam, this is a good *ADDITION* to your collection. It's got a lot of "meat" that you will typically not find in other books. And even though a lot of the knowledge the author throws at you will *NOT* be on the test, much of it is "real world" tips pieced together that no other book I have read (and I have a lot of Cisco/3rd party Cisco books) has bothered to put together.

Rating:
Summary: A little bit disorganzied, but a lot of "meat" ...
Review: First off, if you're cramming for CCNP exams, this is *NOT* the book for you. It's rather disorganized inside each chapter as the author skips around various concepts. It's a "good read" rather than a "quick guide" -- i.e. you want to read it *WHOLE*.

As such, if you are taking a prolonged study towards the CCNP series, especially the BSCI exam, this is a good *ADDITION* to your collection. It's got a lot of "meat" that you will typically not find in other books. And even though a lot of the knowledge the author throws at you will *NOT* be on the test, much of it is "real world" tips pieced together that no other book I have read (and I have a lot of Cisco/3rd party Cisco books) has bothered to put together.

Rating:
Summary: Reference: Great, Study Guide: Good
Review: I just finished reading "Cisco IOS for IP Routing" and I have to disagree with the previous reviewer from Australia. I have read quite a few books on Cisco networking in the last few years and this book is one of the better ones.
It is naive to think that only one book will be a solution to all of your educational needs on Cisco. You will have to read as much as you can to stay on top of the various technologies. And even for any certification exam no one single book will do...
Too many of us are looking for that "silver bullet" to answer all of the questions over one weekend's read. Unfortunately, it does not exist. Cisco networking is a complicated subject that requires experience, dedication in time and resources, and most of all perseverance.
What I like about Colton's book is the fact that as a study reference, it provides an explanation to every single technology component of most routing protocols. Though not having as many configuration examples as I would like to see, it is still one of the best books on the subject.

Rating:
Summary: Reference: OK, Study Guide: Not even
Review: I rate this book as being average as a reference, and poor as a certification study guide. It's a good starting point for those who have very little knowledge of routing protocols. It's extremely lacking on depths, scenarios and configuration examples to even be considered as an exam study guide or as job-aid reference point.

The only reason why I bought, and spent time reading it, is its coverage on IS-IS and MPLS, which is not easy to come by.

Rating:
Summary: From CCNA to CCIE. Great book on routing protocols
Review: If you work with any of the IP routing protocols in Cisco networks (or any other vendors for that matter), you will find this book an invaluable reference tool. The book covers every modern routing protocol in great detail, including IS-IS, OSPF, and BGP. There is also good coverage of
MPLS. One thing I found refreshing (for better or worse) - it's uncluttered. Every chapter is laid out neatly, so it is easy to use the book as a desktop reference or a Cisco certification study guide.

Rating:
Summary: Reference: Great, Study Guide: Good
Review: Important work, reference or otherwise. Should be on every Cisco Engineers bookself. Enough said!