Beginning my CCNP Route studies!

mp3markel

I'm going to use 4 primary sources for my CCNP studies:

CCNP Route 642-902 Official Certification Guide 1-58720-253-0
CCNP Route Lab Manual 1-58713-303-2
CBT Nugget CCNP Videos
gns3-labs.com CCNP Labs

I also have the CCNP Route Complete Guide 1st Edition by Yap Chin Hoong 9781453807668 but will only use this as a reference for material, not planning to read the entire book. It got great reviews on Amazon but the broken English makes it hard for me to read.

Any suggestions or material/sources anyone can add to my list? I've also created a spreadsheet of my study process, I'll attach it in case anyone's interested.

CCNP Route Study Syllabus.doc

NetworkVeteran

I really enjoyed Diane Teare's Foundation Learning Guide. It's one of the better Cisco Press books. You'll notice on Amazon that it received 4 1/2 stars vs. the Official Certification Guide's 3 1/2 stars. It's a few dollars more and less often on discount. But if you're paying for CBT Nuggers, a few dollars more shouldn't be a major factor in your training decisions.

In my estimation the FLG + Lab Manual were plenty to ace the exam. I didn't use either the GNS3 Labs nor the CBT Nuggets. I try to avoid over-studing and over-spending on training (as much as under-doing it) since both are a waste of precious self-improvement time.

Best of luck to you.

Shanman

I am not sure if you know or not but ipexpert is offering their CCNP routing video series for free.

Nate--IRL--

Also try GNS3 Vault - it is a better resource than GNS3 labs. I'd link them but I don't think its allowed. Also there are some good resources in the "Free Lab Book" Sticky thread on this forum.

Nate

MrBrian

Let the games begin, as they say. For me, I purchased the OCG before seeing that many prefer the FLG, but it was all good since I used several sources for information anyway, which it appears you will be doing the same. That's a great idea. Whenever you run into weird things or want additional information, I'd recommend searching the cisco white pages, and a lot of times you can find some specific information on the topic at hand. Also, I went to barnes and noble several times and read many areas from the FLG to gain further insight. And above all else, make sure you put in plenty of time labbing. That will serve you well for understanding and troubleshooting the technologies. And to help pass the exam, of course. Good luck to ya!

waragi

Also doing route , I would like start with the most difficult topics first.
what would the recomended order be?

Ospf
bgp
eigrp
rip...

NetworkVeteran

None of the ROUTE topics are particularly difficult. In terms of real-world complexity, RIP < EIGRP & OSPF < BGP. However, the ROUTE exam deals with only a measured slice of each.

I'd suggest it's rather backwards to learn about RIP last, since it's shortcomings were a key driver for subsequent protocols. That's why most texts begin rather than end with it.

mp3markel

Thank you all for the advice and information. Nate--IRL--, GNS3 Vault looks like a great resource, the labs are definitely more organized and easier to find than GNS3 labs.

jamesp1983

Good luck! Looking forward to hearing about a pass!

MrXpert

NetworkVeteran wrote: »

It's a few dollars more/QUOTE]

or a Fistful of Dollars sorry couldn't resist the movie reference

Danielh22185

Good luck to you! I too just started my CCNP studies not too long ago and plan to use and will be using a lot of the same materials.

astrogeek

I really like the labs that come with the CBT Nugget videos, and Jeremy goes through them slow enough that you can understand what's going on. I wish he would release a video series just on labs alone to compliment either CCNP or CCIE material.

Danielh22185

That would be nice because Jeremy is easy to follow and doesn't put me to sleep. He does however leave off some parts I have found myself going back and configuring up before I get to the areas he already has up and running.

sonnytbh

Glad to see that im not the only one starting my studies, good luck!

f0rgiv3n

Good luck my friend! I too am studying CCNP Route, good fun all around