Networking Essentials: Hands-On, Self-Paced Training for Supporting Local and Wide Area Networks

Rating:
Summary: The book is a great start but not nearly enough for the exam
Review: Passed 70-58 first time out with 896 today! This book should be titled the Essential Passing tool for Networking Essentials. Before reading this book and going throught the extensive questions and answers, troubleshooting scenarios, etc., I read Sybex's Networking Essentials and New Riders MCSE Study Guide: Networking Essentials and Exam Cram Networking Essentials. I would have to say that Microsoft's book, along with Exam Cram's and Transcender's practice exams, were a winning combination! This book explained the OSI Model better than Sybex and New Riders. New Riders info on the OSI was not laid out well at all. This book also starts out with an orientation to networks, cabling and then hits the OSI and 802. As far as the reading is concerned, its not so wordy or technical that a non-technical junkie couldn't understand. Out of all the books I read, Microsoft's had the best Troubleshooting section. New Riders, Sybex and Exam Cram were both lacking. Microsoft took a different approach by including troublshooting scenarios at the end of each of the 8 Units....they built upon concepts as you learned them. I highly recommend this book as the book to read in preparation for the 70-58 exam in conjunction with Exam Cram and the Transcender practice exams....combined they are a winning combination!

Rating:
Summary: Networking Essentials, almost everything you need to know...
Review: Studying for the MCSE can be a time consuming and costlyprocess, where do you begin? Networking Essentials isan excellent base for the rest of the required coursework. I purchased the book and finished it a week and a half later. The self-paced training is well structured and each section builds on the previous in a logical progression. There are review questions at the end of major sections and within the sections themselves. The CD-ROM which is included adds a fine supplement to the book and is well produced. The only caveat to this title is that there ARE certain things on the real exam that were barely covered or mentioned in the training. Having downloaded the self-assessment exam (recommended) from the Microsoft I took the test and did quite well, 86% considering I had only finished 6 of 8 sections in the book. However when I took the REAL exam for $100.00 I only received 70% and you need 75% to pass. So be careful. There were questions on the real exam which were barely covered in the training course. I would suggest taking the Networking Essentials training through the book and then supplementing that with MS TCP/IP. Do this before taking the actual exam! To wrap things up, Networking Essentials is an excellent choice for those of you who are working towards the MCSE. Much more cost efficient than spending over $1000.00 for a class. The material is presented in a pleasing manner and is actually enjoyable. THUMBS UP!

Rating:
Summary: A good primer for the MCSE exam, it does have limitations
Review: This book covered many subjects and its interactive CD and review questions/problems/scenarios helped reinforce the material. However, the actual Networking Essentials Exam also covers material that is not covered in the book. I found that I had to refer to other resources to cover areas that the book did not cover in order to take and pass the Exam. Two books that helped fill in gaps was the MCSE Networking Essentials Study Guide by Chellis and the LAN Times Encyclopedia of Networking

Rating:
Summary: Old book version of it was sent and also without the CD
Review: This was listed as a new book and it was written in and it did not have the CD with it as stated which had the training files on it. I paid almost $30 for a book that they left a $2.00 sticker on and am very disappointed of the lie about being new and not complete. This is the 1st edition instead of the 2nd edition advertised also.

Rating:
Summary: Old book version of it was sent and also without the CD
Review: This was listed as a new book and it was written in and it did not have the CD with it as stated which had the training files on it. I paid almost $30 for a book that they left a $2.00 sticker on and am very disappointed of the lie about being new and not complete. This is the 1st edition instead of the 2nd edition advertised also.