Has someone bought the Bryant Downlooad Package?

Dear all,

after knocking out RHCE last week it's now time to focus on the next target: the CCNP.

I have been looking for material for quite a while and considered CBT Nuggets, Bryant's Stuff and the Cisco FLG's. It seems that the Bryant Package is currently on sale for $199 (all downloads, no media). Do you think this is a bargain? I am really tempted to order but I would like to hear your opinions on this.

Additionally would you rather buy the FLGs on paper or as an eBook for the Kindle? The eBook is obviously cheaper and much easier to carry around but on the other hand you can sell the paper FLG when you are done (I usually take good care of my books).

Is there anything else you could recommend?

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Comments

Bokeh

Well Pearson IT has a lot of their books on sale, 50% off E-Books and Videos. Might want to check their information. Good through 28 Dec 2011.

Holiday Sale: Save 50% on eBooks and Video | Pearson IT Certification

petedude

I liked his CCNA materials and support, but I wasn't quite to the point of being able to rely on them as my sole study source. I thought the materials well priced for whatever I paid at the time (I think $100 two years ago).

I need to look at his stuff again; I might take a CCNP exam to re-up my CCNA if Cisco still provides that option.

Netwurk

If you e-mail Bryant, he'll offer you a free trial. If you cancel, he'll try to talk you out of it but true to his word he does let you cancel. At least that's how it was 2 years ago, I would imagine he's still the same guy.

shednik

They're pretty good, I used his book for the CCNA, CCNA:Sec, and for CCNP SWITCH...they are much shorter than a cisco press book and may not hit every detail but is a good companion resource to something like the FLG book or for someone who has a lot of experience in the technologies already day to day. Last I checked his SWITCH package was around $25 so they aren't expensive and usually includes a lab manual and a test engine as well.

ptlinva

I used some of his stuff from my CCNA studies and loved him. I'd compare him right there with Jeremy... Jeremy made me laugh a bit more but Bryant did make me understand several topics better - in his own way.

I haven't heard of anyone who purchased the new CCNP stuff from him and would LOVE to hear some feedback from his new videos. They are only $200 for all THREE of them.

Apparently he's a local Virginia boy and also donates proceeds to the Food Bank. Hey, how can you beat that?

Anyone seen any of the new CCNP videos that he has out?

Thanks!
-Paul

danielno8

ptlinva wrote: »

I used some of his stuff from my CCNA studies and loved him. I'd compare him right there with Jeremy... Jeremy made me laugh a bit more but Bryant did make me understand several topics better - in his own way.

I haven't heard of anyone who purchased the new CCNP stuff from him and would LOVE to hear some feedback from his new videos. They are only $200 for all THREE of them.

Apparently he's a local Virginia boy and also donates proceeds to the Food Bank. Hey, how can you beat that?

Anyone seen any of the new CCNP videos that he has out?

Thanks!
-Paul

I have used his ROUTE videos and would recommend them. When i move onto SWITCH i will likely purchase his videos for this also.

mattau

I actually think bryant has a great sense of humor. I have laughed to myself many a times at some of the stuff he says.

SUBnet192

Debating on trying these... Just went thru the CBT Nuggets series for Switch and I found it very good, however, before I hit the books, I like to do 2 different CBTs. Sometimes various ways of explaining things help understand and makes reading/skipping sections of the books easier

I checked out the INE series and boy is that trainer boring...

Shanman

SUBnet192 wrote: »

Debating on trying these... Just went thru the CBT Nuggets series for Switch and I found it very good, however, before I hit the books, I like to do 2 different CBTs. Sometimes various ways of explaining things help understand and makes reading/skipping sections of the books easier

I checked out the INE series and boy is that trainer boring...

I was thinking about going with INE just because they a little cheaper then CBT Nuggets. Does INE let you sample a couple of videos before buying?

SUBnet192

From what I've seen, I would definitely recommend going for the CBT Nuggets videos. INE was boring, uninspired training. Like your worst teacher in college/high school... Jeremy makes it interesting and fun. Then you're equipped to tackle the books!

Shanman

SUBnet192 wrote: »

From what I've seen, I would definitely recommend going for the CBT Nuggets videos. INE was boring, uninspired training. Like your worst teacher in college/high school... Jeremy makes it interesting and fun. Then you're equipped to tackle the books!

I have heard from people on here that there is not the same amount of detail in CBT Nuggets. Do you just plan to make that up with the books?

SUBnet192

Shanman wrote: »

I have heard from people on here that there is not the same amount of detail in CBT Nuggets. Do you just plan to make that up with the books?

Yes. What I like about the CBT Nuggets videos is that they give you a great foundation, so that when you tackle the books (which you don't have a choice - you can't pass just with any video series IMHO), you find the subject matter much easier to grasp.

ddcengineer

I used the Bryant CCNA study package; it was awesome, especially his practice test software.

For CCNP Route I used Bryant's study guide and watched his free udemy videos. - I think the first 3 were free. Then it's $97. I didn't end up buying them because I watched the CBT Nuggets Route videos which were awesome.

For CCNP Switch (working on now) I'm going to buy Bryant's videos and watch the CBT Nuggets videos (I'm on the 9th one now/out of 24). Both Chris and Jeremy are tremendously helpful in their own ways!

I think Jeremy goes off on tangents more than Chris does, but his humor sure does make certain concepts stick in your mind. Chris is more detail oriented.

As far as straight reading goes, I read the Cisco Press Official Certification guides cover to cover. It can get really tedious, but I just made a task list for how many chapters to read per day and stick to the plan even if I doze off here and there. I've got the cert guides in pdf format and hard copy. I like both depending on what mood I'm in. Oh, the "do I know this already?" quizzes are essential.

Edited to add: I completely forgot one of the biggest things, IMHO! Besides labs from the vids, you've got to check out Paul Browning's materials. My Lab Bibles come from HTN. Like the reading, I divide up how many labs to do per day, and tackle it methodologically. There are 101 CCNP Labs w/solutions. He's genius.

Roguetadhg

I found reading multiple chapters to be boring as hell. I didn't retain anything.

ddcengineer

I wouldn't have either if it weren't for forcing myself to think back through what I had read about and try to integrate it to what I already knew. For example, after I read, I'd make dinner or go on a jog...and intentionally think through each section. Yeah it sucks but once you get into the habit, you'll be dreaming about it at night too! I can't tell you how many times I've done labs or what I read in Cisco books just replayed to a symphony in REM.

instant000

I'm using Bryant's material right now for the CCNP

I bought these materials for CCNP:
1 - Bryant's materials
2 - Boson test engine

I plan to additionally use the following:
Cisco Systems, Inc

That's really it.

Bryan't entire book is mostly labs, to be honest. And I've been just using it to make labs.

So far, I have 34 out of a projected 60 labs that I've done. After I get them all set up, I plan to do a few things:
1 - build command sequences for the tasks, to use in flash cards
2 - Do the labs over and over again until I can do them completely from memory, without "?"

The one other thing I might do that I'm thinking of (once I'm already halfway through the first run through) is developing a dedicated GNS3 topology, that has enough links and routers in it, that I can use it for any lab that occurs in the book, but, of course, until I've seen the entire book, I wouldn't know that yet.

I already built a base 12 router topology, with them all having full modules, but I still have to link up the cables before each lab.

So, I was thinking of either making a base topology that had all of the connectivity I could ever need in it, OR I could go with making a separate model for each lab.

I believe that sticking with a base topology would force me to be more creative in my configurations, versus just making it "easy" on myself with a fresh topology for each lab.

What is your opinion?

veritas_libertas

I'm currently reading through his CCNA material. He does a great job of making things easy to understand.

instant000

Another thing:

Whenever the lab calls for frame relay, I do it from scratch, using a router, not the embedded FRS item.

And, whenever it calls for something, I change up the IP's or area numbers, or AS numbers, or whatever, occasionally, so it forces me to set it up.

Also, I believe in always setting up the interfaces and routing protocols from scratch, so that I can be more familiar with that stuff. No need to leave anything at all to chance, when you can easily lab it and be prepared to the max.

Also, I've had a couple good learning points, already, where there was something that Bryant presented, but didn't explain too well, so I then went out to read the documentation it. One good example is where he introduced setting the weight (or was it MED?) using a route map, but didn't include how he made the route map, so I had to go off to Cisco Systems, Inc and investigate that one on my own, as I was making a lab on the topic, and couldn't very well make the lab complete without knowing how to do it?!

Also, I say "also" too much.