Deeper knowledge books suggestions for 640-861 DESGN

According to the current "CCDA-Career Certifications & Paths" webpage on Cisco's website, it states "CCDA Prerequisites - CCNA level knowledge and BCMSN level knowledge is needed to prepare for the CCDA certification exam." I meet the "CCNA level knowledge" prerequisite because I hold an active CCNA certification, however need to work on the "BCMSN level knowledge" part. I was previously certified under the CCDA program because I took and passed the 640-441 Designing Cisco Networks exam.

I've currently have the following books for the 640-861 DESGN exam:

CCDA Self-Study: Designing for Cisco Internetwork Solutions (DESGN) 640-861 - http://www.ciscopress.com/bookstore/product.asp?isbn=1587051419&rl=1
CCDA Exam Certification Guide (CCDA Self-Study, 640-861), 2nd Edition - http://www.ciscopress.com/bookstore/product.asp?isbn=1587200767&rl=1

So I'd like to gain "BCMSN level knowledge," understand IP Telephony deeper, and understand Security deeper. I was thinking of getting the following books:

Building Cisco Multilayer Switched Networks (BCMSN) (Authorized Self-Study Guide), 4th Edition - http://www.ciscopress.com/bookstore/product.asp?isbn=1587052733&rl=1
Voice over IP Fundamentals - http://www.ciscopress.com/bookstore/product.asp?isbn=1578701686&rl=1
Network Security Fundamentals - http://www.ciscopress.com/bookstore/product.asp?isbn=1587051672&rl=1

Questions:

Would you suggest those books?
Would you suggest alternate books to the above list?
Would you suggest any supplemental books?

Thanks in advance for your time in replying.

Source:

CCDA-Career Certifications & Paths - Cisco Systems - http://www.cisco.com/web/learning/le3/le2/le0/le4/learning_certification_type_home.html

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Comments

jvax

If you want deeper knowledge for CCDA, you could just study for CCDP ARCH exam, which I think is just CCDA on steroids.

I heard that if you take CCDA after completing CCNP, it will be much easier.

I also heard that Top-Down Network Design, 2nd Edition is a very good book on network design. You should check it out while you're at it.

Good luck.

mikej412

I didn't find CCDA Exam Certification Guide (CCDA Self-Study, 640-861), 2nd Edition that useful for the 640-861 DESGN exam.

They added the BCMSN level knowledge to the CCDA Blueprint when they updated for the soon to arrive 640-863 DESGN exam.

Right now the only thing available from Cisco Press for the new exam is the CCDA Official Exam Certification Guide, 3rd Edition and their downloadable PDF Study Sheets.

A lot on the new exam blueprint sounds familiar from the Teare and Top-down books.... but the new blueprint sounds more practical and less fluffy business stuff.

tech-airman

mikej412 wrote:

I didn't find CCDA Exam Certification Guide (CCDA Self-Study, 640-861), 2nd Edition that useful for the 640-861 DESGN exam.

They added the BCMSN level knowledge to the CCDA Blueprint when they updated for the soon to arrive 640-863 DESGN exam.

Right now the only thing available from Cisco Press for the new exam is the CCDA Official Exam Certification Guide, 3rd Edition and their downloadable PDF Study Sheets.

A lot on the new exam blueprint sounds familiar from the Teare and Top-down books.... but the new blueprint sounds more practical and less fluffy business stuff.

mikej412,

Thank you for your guidance towards the 640-863 DESGN exam. However, I'm currently studying towards the 640-861 DESGN exam.

I recall from the 640-441 Designing Cisco Networks exam that as far as material was concerned, was basically the same as the 640-607 CCNA, except it was more of a Layer 9 through Layer 1 perspective. In other words, it was basically the CCNA Routing & Switching - Design. Now, the 640-861 DESGN exam has broadened from mainly Routing & Switching to Routing & Switching, Voice, and Security. Also, the Routing & Switching seems to have "thickened" as well to include Layer 3 switches.

So, in order to strengthen my knowledge about Layer 3 switches/BCMSN level knowledge, why not use the same self-study materials for the BCMSN exam itself in the CCNP track? This hopefully will help me understand the "Enterprise Campus" better. In order to address my weakness in Voice materials, why not use the same self-study materials for the CVOICE exam in the CCVP track? I hope it will help me understand the interelationship and end-to-end nature of a Voice channel from the Enterprise Campus, Enterprise Edge, across the SP Edge, and into the Enterprise Edge on the other side. Finally, to strengthen my knowledge of Security, why not use the same self-study materials for the SND exam in the CCSP track? I hope it will help me understand how to increase security within the Enterprise Campus, Enterprise Edge, and security issues with the SP Edge.

As far as "fluffy business" goes, that's what my degree is in, so I'm not too concerned about that.

Deadmaster200

Having just completed the CCDA about 6 weeks ago, I would say that you definitely do not need to read anything other than the books you already have IF your only concern right now is to pass the CCDA. Most of the questions that will give you trouble on the exam are found in the first few chapters of the Teare book. This test is not so much about technical knowledge but about how to answer multiple choice questions based on subjective subject matter to begin with, so the trickiest part is figuring out how Cisco wants you to think about this stuff. As far as the VoIP stuff, the chapter on it in the Teare book is everything you need for the CCDA.

Of course if you are just wanting to deepen your knowledge of this stuff, I suggest you read those other books first, then when you get ready to actually take the CCDA, focus on just the Teare book. It is not an easy test for someone who thinks like an engineer/scientist/mathematician/etc., so keep that in mind if you are like that (which I assume most of us in this industry are!).

tech-airman

Deadmaster200 wrote:

Having just completed the CCDA about 6 weeks ago, I would say that you definitely do not need to read anything other than the books you already have IF your only concern right now is to pass the CCDA. Most of the questions that will give you trouble on the exam are found in the first few chapters of the Teare book. This test is not so much about technical knowledge but about how to answer multiple choice questions based on subjective subject matter to begin with, so the trickiest part is figuring out how Cisco wants you to think about this stuff. As far as the VoIP stuff, the chapter on it in the Teare book is everything you need for the CCDA.

Of course if you are just wanting to deepen your knowledge of this stuff, I suggest you read those other books first, then when you get ready to actually take the CCDA, focus on just the Teare book. It is not an easy test for someone who thinks like an engineer/scientist/mathematician/etc., so keep that in mind if you are like that (which I assume most of us in this industry are!).

arigatou dedomasuta-san. I am trying to meet the 13JUL2007 deadline for the 640-861 DESGN exam. As previously mentioned, I took and passed the 640-441 Designing Cisco Networks exam so I have a little background on the non-technical stuff.

I find for myself that the deeper I understand and know about something, the more confident I feel about taking an exam about it. So I was hoping to both gain deeper understanding as well as get a toe hold into the varous Professional level certs.