CCNP Building Scalable Internetworks (BSCI 642-901) Lab Portfolio

hendychow

Hello,

Is "Cisco Student Guide Volumes I and II" book the same as :

"CCNP Building Scalable Internetworks (BSCI 642-901) Lab Portfolio" by Cisco Networking Academy ?

http://www.ciscopress.com/markets/detail.asp?st=44737

http://www.ciscopress.com/bookstore/produc...isbn=1587132133

Have someone ever used those books ?
Are they good ?

Thanks,

Hendy

mkomon

From my experience - yes, the material we were given in NetAcad classes seemed identical to the Lab Portfolio to me.

I used the Lab Portfolio later anyway when preparing for the BSCI exam. I found it useful mostly for config syntax review but also for learning what I had missed on classes and my own labs.

My $.02.

hendychow

What is NetAcad ? Network Academy ?

My question is whether the Cisco Lab book is the same as Student Guide ?

Thanks,

Hendy

mkomon wrote: »

From my experience - yes, the material we were given in NetAcad classes seemed identical to the Lab Portfolio to me.

I used the Lab Portfolio later anyway when preparing for the BSCI exam. I found it useful mostly for config syntax review but also for learning what I had missed on classes and my own labs.

My $.02.

mikej412

hendychow wrote: »

My question is whether the Cisco Lab book is the same as Student Guide ?

No. They are not.

One is a lab book that's an additional part of the Cisco Network Academy.

And the Student Guides sound like they are from the Official Cisco Courses available from Cisco Training Partners/Learning Centers. The official training courseware may also have a Lab Guide.

hendychow

Mike,

Are the lab books good ?
Could it be applied to GNS/dynamips ?
Is it good enough to get a hands-on practice and and pass CCNP ?
Please suggest.

Thanks,

Hendy

mikej412 wrote: »

No. They are not.

One is a lab book that's an additional part of the Cisco Network Academy.

And the Student Guides sound like they are from the Official Cisco Courses available from Cisco Training Partners/Learning Centers. The official training courseware may also have a Lab Guide.

mikej412

A bunch of people here use (and suggest/recommend) the Lab Portfolio books as an additional resource to the suggested Cisco Press books for self-study.

I did the "old CCNP" and used the Cisco Press Practical Studies books for additional hands-on lab practice. If I were doing the CCNP today I'd probably get and use the Cisco Press CCNP Lab Portfolio books too.

ciscojay-houston

I agree with Mike. I'm currently working towards this exam (test 2.20.09), and I've been using the Lab guides. I've got 5 2800 series routers with Serial and Ethernet interfaces. I'm hitting the list of topics listed for this exam that I find in the guide. I'm really focusing in on the ones I remember from my last 642-901 exam a few weeks ago to build strength in those areas.

hendychow

Hello,

I just found out that there are CCNP Lab companion books which are different than
CCNP Lab portfolio

Here is the link:

CCNP Lab companion book
http://www.ciscopress.com/bookstore/product.asp?isbn=158713134X

CCNP Lab Portfolio
http://www.ciscopress.com/bookstore/product.asp?isbn=1587132133


Which one are you guys using ?


Thank You,

Hendy

ciscojay-houston wrote: »

I agree with Mike. I'm currently working towards this
exam (test 2.20.09), and I've been using the Lab guides. I've got 5 2800 series routers with Serial and Ethernet interfaces. I'm hitting the list of topics listed for this exam that I find in the guide. I'm really focusing in on the ones I remember from my last 642-901 exam a few weeks ago to build strength in those areas.

mikej412

hendychow wrote: »

CCNP Lab companion book
http://www.ciscopress.com/bookstore/product.asp?isbn=158713134X

CCNP Lab Portfolio
http://www.ciscopress.com/bookstore/product.asp?isbn=1587132133

The first book is for the OLD CCNP Academy course that covered the OLD 642-801 BSCI exam.

The 2nd book is for the NEW CCNP Academy course that covers the NEW/CURRENT 642-901 BSCI exam.

suffah

I'm working through the Lab Portfolio now (EIGRP section) and I think the labs are pretty good. I've been able to do everything via GNS3, except one lab that required an Adtran router. :P

mikej412

suffah wrote: »

Adtran

I think the Adtran could be the frame-relay simulator used in Cisco Network Academy Labs. What was the lab you skipped?

In Dynamips/Dynagen you can setup the frame relay cloud or configure an additional router to act as the frame relay switch. GNS3 should also be able to do it somehow (since it's just the graphical front end for Dynagen which is an front end for Dynamips).

suffah

mikej412 wrote: »

I think the Adtran could be the frame-relay simulator used in Cisco Network Academy Labs. What was the lab you skipped?

In Dynamips/Dynagen you can setup the frame relay cloud or configure an additional router to act as the frame relay switch. GNS3 should also be able to do it somehow (since it's just the graphical front end for Dynagen which is an front end for Dynamips).

Actually the Adtran lab (lab 2-5) is identical to the one in the book before it (lab 2-4). They just replaced the Cisco router (used as a frame relay switch) with the Adtran one. I believe the only change in the lab itself is the encapsulation frame relay type was changed to ietf (instead of Cisco like in the previous lab).

I'll be sure to read through it again, but if that's the only change I don't think it's worth worrying about.

Edit: I just googled it and the Adtran Atlas 550 is pretty expensive!