Rating: 
Summary: This book should be very helpful for the CCDA Exam.
Review: There are certain things about Sybex that have always impressed me, first and foremost is the quality of the books they release. I had the pleasure of working on this book as a galley reviewer so I got to see the quality up close. The book is a great study tool as it gives you the right material to pass the new and extremely difficult CCDA exam, 640-861. Having taken the exam live and in Beta, I found this book to cover each objective in a manner that is both easy to understand and also technically up to date. Lammle is once again at the top of his game as he has put together one of the best book around. From the introduction to networking, to VLAN layout and design to the more complex design issues and management the book is a great tool both for the exam but also after. The book is complimented with a cd with practice questions. While this book does not have a simulator, in fact I have never seen a CCDA simulator; this might be something for the author to consider adding to the next edition. Overall a great tool and very useful text - well done.
Rating: 
Summary: Read this book and fail the CCDA Exam
Review: This book provides very good introduction to the basic networking techologies. However, it does not provide much detail about designing, methodolgy and case studies which comprises about one third of exam questions. Also, SAFE, VoIP and IP v6 is covered very poorly in the book. The questions are very basic. Case studies presented in this book are well below the level of questions asked in the exam. I will not recommend this book to anyone who is interested in passing the CCDA Exam
Rating:
Summary: Pulping is too good for this rubbish!
Review: Once in a while Sybex produces a real lemon. Well here it is. I can't think of a use for it, it would appear that Lammle name has been used to sell the thing. He should be more selective to what he puts his name to. Rubbish......go with Cisco Press.
Rating: 
Summary: Doesn't cover the scope of the exam
Review: I just passed the CCDA yesterday. If you are going to buy one book for the CCDA test, then buy the Cisco Press Book by Kim. Nothing against Todd Lammle, this book is well written and a valuable source of information. But it does not cover all the information that Cisco wants you to know for the CCDA test. I found Lammle's CCNA book to be invaluable for that test (which I just passed several weeks ago). But this book is lacking in areas such as: 1. Cisco's approach to designing a "cisco network solution" 2. It does not cover the "cisco" product line as much as I would have liked, as I do not have a ton of experience with their products. 3. Many of the questions in the review sections and CD tests are extremely poorly worded and very vague. In my opinion the Cisco Press book (by Kim) does a much, much better job at covering this material.
Rating:
Summary: Don't touch with a barge pole. I've flushed better. Bile.
Review: No stars earned here.
Over 50% of the book covers maybe 20 - 30% of the exam.
The thrust of analysis is covered by 30 - 50 pages of the book and maybe 50% of the exam; the rest of the book is introductory stuff which you'll need to understand but won't be questioned on and if it is new to you you are studying for the wrong exam - CCDA is not the start for someone new to networks. And containing the documentation in "Post Design Issues" (overly short) chapter is a basic sin my old Comp Sci professors would quite rightly have had the skin flogged off my back for. This book introduces (some of) the tools, stops short of suggesting what to do with them then goes on about non exam related stuff - Sybex, this one is more than just a technical exam. Am I bitter 'cos I got 80% and failed this exam on my first attempt? No, I'm bitter because I knew this book throughout and it left (for me) the main thrust of the exam unaddressed - had I used only this book I would have been lucky to get 40%. Sybex have been known to leave books an occasional bit short, but this one is in a league of its own. After reading DT's Cisco Press, managed a clear pass - I'm still considering giving some significant use to Todd Lammle et al and Sybex's email addresses as there are no innocent parties here. Oh dear.
Rating:
Summary: Fail the exam with this book, I DID.
Review: This book is incomplete for the new CCDA exam. It is missing information about VoIP, IPv6 and general design criteria. The Cisco Press book edited by Diane Teare is much better with all the info needed to pass. The Cisco book is up to date regarding technologies as well.
Rating:
Summary: ----- Very poorly written -----
Review: This book is VERY poorly written. I lost count of the typos and out-n-out wrong information. There are MANY topics on the exam that the book just glances over or doesn't mention at all. There are mistakes (typos and wrong answers) in the Chapter Tests, as well as on the CD.
I do not recommend this book at all. Stick with CiscoPress.
Rating: 
Summary: Incomplete
Review: CCDA Study Guide 2nd Edition for 640-861
By Todd Lammle & Andy Barkl
By SYBEX "The Leader in Certification" Hah !
ISBN 0-7821-4200-1
Purchased Nov 2003
Exam Jan 2004
Mark achieved high 700's, but not enough to pass. There is no doubt that there are some accurate and well written sections to this book. Unfortunately they do not make up for the whole topic areas in the exam that are not covered in the book and other areas that are at best covered only glibly. As I went through the exam I noted a minimum of 9 questions ( out of 72 ) that had not been covered in the book. The chapter end questions, two prep exams and the flash cards are extremely light weight, and give a totally false idea of the nature of the real exam. Would I recommend anyone rely on this book to pass 640-861 ?
Absolutely not.
Will I buy another Lammle / Sybex book ?
Not if I can find something else
It is a pity because Sybex produced very high quality training material at one time.
Rating:
Summary: New CCDA 640-861 - May want Another Manual
Review: Coming from a server background for the last few years, I wanted to cross over into networking. This manual provided an excellent explanation for the various protocols and what each one does. Cisco will still find one or two that the book does not cover. Overall, you should get a pretty good handle on the protocols using this study guide. IP6 and VoIP are not covered very well at all. I recommend that you use Cisco's web site to locate their IP6 material. The exam varies in that it may ask about 10 questions on IP6 alone, while others only have a small amount. Either way, knowing IP6 could get you a pass mark if you are barely getting by. The exam hit very hard on design, business goals, and objectives: at least one third of the whole exam was on this broad topic. It encompasses all of your newly learnt knowledge on protocols and adds to the difficulty by introducing a priority to the overall solution. I recommend learning the protocols very well. Especially knowing when to use LAN, WAN, and router protocols by topic. This study guide is weak in the case study area as it relates to the actual exam requirements. I understand that Cisco has released a study guide for this exam that includes the material on case studies that is missing here. However, I believe that this manual has a much better explanation on the protocols and some other topics, like OSI, than the extensive (read that as overkill) material that Cisco would like us to review. In summary, this book may not get you a pass mark if you do not have a background in networking. Use it for its excellent method of making difficult topics appear simple. Combine this book with Cisco's study guide and focus mainly on the IP6, VoIP, and especially the business goals and objectives in the case studies from the Cisco manual. Good luck.
Rating:
Summary: Lammle is a contributor
Review: I loved Todd's CCNA book... HATE THIS ONE... it's completely off... it's very unfocused and general... what's the point of a study guide if in the end all it says is know everything... the practive exam questions are WAY off.. It's probaly because the exam just came out.. i would wait until the second or third edition of this book before buying it... Also you can definitly tell that Todd did not write this.. in fact the parts that Todd "contributed" (notice is says that in the item description) too are either just paraphrased or exact copies of his CCNA book... Todd if you read this I would encourage you to be more selective of what you put your name on...
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