wow -- design isn't fun at all.

1. Cisco is going to quiz you more heavily over stuff they want to sell more of. IPv6, WLC's, AP's, UC's, etc. Remember kids, when in doubt, always choose EIGRP!!!

2. Diane Teare -- the 640-863 book is 976 pages and has 10 chapters that basically say the same thing over and over again about the different modules -- redundancy here, security there, blah blah. At least the Bruno/Jordan book is broken up in to 17 chapters and is a bit shorter! I've never read anything more boring than CCDA material in my life.

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ashed1

hypnotoad wrote: »

I've never read anything more boring than CCDA material in my life.

Wait till you get to CCDP. It's like stirring concrete with your eyelashes.

nel

Damn, is this true for everyone? is the design track really that bad?

malcybood

I liked it, but each to their own.

If you read the synopsis / contents before buying the book all the info is there that it has 10 chapters and 976 pages.

Sepiraph

I didn't really find it that bad. Although some of the stuffs does read like an ads.

Forsaken_GA

Having just finished my CCNP, I'm now studying for the CCDA material and yeah, there's quite a bit of review. I was sitting there laughing my way through the first chapter of the book thinking 'really? You're going to teach me the OSI layer again? And you're going to explain what a router does? Aww....'.

But I keep in mind, this is an associate level cert. So while it's probably not going to be as difficult as the Professional level exams I just got finished taking, if I don't treat it seriously, it'll probably screw me. The one thing I know from design in the real world is that the devil is in the details, and he will fry your behind brown if you decide to overlook them.

So I'll read the damn book cover to cover, I'll take notes on what I didn't know before, or what I did but which I wouldn't have been able to recall at need. And then I'll go take the exam and see how I do.

mikej412

malcybood wrote: »

I liked it

Ditto -- but I had already designed a lot of networks long before then and had been part of an Network Architecture team building some of those new fangled (non-Cisco) multilayer switched networks (since Cisco couldn't switch a packet to save their life back in those days).

nel

Phew im glad there are folk that like it

...its on my list of things to do.

Im actually looking forward to the design aspect of it to be honest. Hopefully i'll be one of those who like it.

ITdude

Ditto x 2!

It does kind of help you see the bigger picture too. At least DP does.

Forsaken_GA

Working through the CCDA material, the material itself is kind of dry and boring, but the case studies in the self-study guide are actually pretty interesting.

Paul Boz

The design track was my least favorite of the certifications I have, primarily because it's mostly just Cisco pitch material. If your goal is to work for a cisco partner selling Cisco gear its totally worth it. I didn't learn anything that the CCNP and CCIP didn't teach me already. I only did the CCDA because it was easy, then did the ARCH because I'd satisfied two of the three exams for the CCDP prior.

In the real world most of Cisco's design recommendations are impractical. Very rarely do engineers build a network from the ground up with brand new equipment that works together flawlessly. Budgets, other engineers' experience, and management often hamper the "Cisco ideal network" rendering the design track a pipe-dream.

davidspirovalentine

mikej412 wrote: »

(since Cisco couldn't switch a packet to save their life back in those days).

Damn that **** is funny... Is the CCDA material that BAD? mixed opinions...that hasnt happened on this forum when it comes to Cisco material, usually you hate it or love it...

Good luck though if your sitting it!!! Im gonna tackle my CCNA first.

(David slowly shuts the door behind him and then sprints back to hide in the CCENT/CCNA forum)

ITdude

Nah, it isn't that bad, it is just different. More theoretical than you are used to but it does give you (at least me) a better perspective on the entire infrastructure, especially the ARCH exam material.

It can be a little tough to study but if your interested, it is worth it.

liquid6

yeah I really liked the ARCH exam, the CCDA is really really fluffy...but the ARCH just seemed like reading best practice articles on each technology...I bought the updated study guide just to have it as a reference.

ITdude

A true die hard! Even bought the latest guide version!:) I agree although the material can get a little dense, it does give some interesting insight.

accely

ITdude wrote: »

A true die hard! Even bought the latest guide version!:) I agree although the material can get a little dense, it does give some interesting insight.

funny signature ITdude

I Just did the BSCI and am planning on passing the BCMSN within a few weeks and I noticed they also knock out 2/3 of the CCDP, so I suppose I will take the ARCH test once I'm done with my CCNP track.

mikej412

accely wrote: »

I noticed they also knock out 2/3 of the CCDP, so I suppose I will take the ARCH test once I'm done with my CCNP track.

But don't forget that you don't get the CCDP until you meet all the requirements, including the Prerequisites -- valid CCNA AND CCDA.

ITdude

Mike, always beats me to the punch with this stuff!

Forsaken_GA

davidspirovalentine wrote: »

Damn that **** is funny... Is the CCDA material that BAD? mixed opinions...that hasnt happened on this forum when it comes to Cisco material, usually you hate it or love it...

Good luck though if your sitting it!!! Im gonna tackle my CCNA first.

(David slowly shuts the door behind him and then sprints back to hide in the CCENT/CCNA forum)

The first few chapters of the CCDA book were very painful for me to get through, way too much cheerleading, way too much going back to basics (I had to keep telling myself it's an Associate level cert.. it's supposed to be introductory) and I swear to god I am sick and tired of hearing about the SONA framework.

Once you hit the 5th chapter though, it starts becoming alot more bearable. I sincerely hope that ARCH will actually teach me something that I couldn't have figured out with 5 minutes of free time and access to Google. I'd hate to think I was getting a pair of Cisco certs as nothing more than resume filler.

kryolla

I like design, I might just skim over the chapters and try my luck with CCDA but ARCH should be more interesting.