Ivan's CCNP Thread

Ivanjam

After completing the CCNA:R&S, I started studying for the CCNA:Sec but decided to switch to ROUTE after examining some of the arguments for and against deepening one's knowledge of R&S before branching off into any of the CCNA specializations. For starters, I decided to take on the vaunted ROUTE exam! The daunting list of material that I have arrayed in front of me so far are:

ROUTE OCG (hard copy)
ROUTE FLG (hard copy)
CCNP ROUTE Simplified (Kindle edition)
INE ROUTE videos
CBT Nuggets ROUTE videos
Chris Bryant ROUTE videos

I also have Packet Tracer, GNS3 and a home lab with 6 routers (a 2821 and a mix of 2610XM and 2620XM) as well as 6 switches (4 x 3550 and 2 x 2950).

So far, I have watched the CBT Nuggets videos on EIGRP and OSPF and I just started BGP - haven't cracked any of the books open yet and I haven't done much labbing - just a few GNS3 configs. I intend to go over all the CBT Nuggets videos once for a basic introduction to the scope of the exam then I plan to tackle the OCG topic by topic with labs to cement all the concepts. Afterwards I will watch the other video series and read the FLG to fill in the knowledge gaps.

blueberries

Good work, comrade. Keep up the hard work, and then when you pass, bust out a nice bottle of vodka and go to work.

Ivanjam

@blueberries - thanks for the sentiment. However, I must warn you that only alcoholics drink alone, so you will have to stop by and share the good pshenichnaya with me and, while we are at it, we will have to co-opt a third TE member to join in the celebrations as the Deity loves a Trinity.

blueberries

I would love to stop by your dacha, my friend, but big cities give me the willies. Lets just telnet for now.

sratakhin

Too bad I'm in Nebraska

Master Of Puppets

Looking good, best of luck!

ccnxjr

Did someone mention Vodka? (after you pass of course )

blueberries

I will bring you people your elixir vitae, as long as you bring the russian women.

Ivanjam

Got my own hard copy of the ROUTE OCG in the mail today from Amazon (I was using a colleague's copy previously). It's the 7th printing (June 2013) so I probably won't need to go to the errata webpage - nice!

Kreken

I don't know, I personally found FLG ROUTE to be needlessly wordy. After struggling for almost 1/2 of the book, I bought OCG and haven't looked back. "Brevity is the soul of wit" describes the opposite from the author of FLG route. She just doesn't know when to shut up, a vice common to many women.

About vodka. Lately, I switched to Beluga from Standard. Highly advise.

Udachi, Vanya.

ccnxjr

I'm looking at the OCG's but seems like Amazon, B & N as well as Cisco press only have the first edition (2010 ) ?

Should I take it on faith that they'll ship the newest ones?

Ivanjam

ccnxjr - the ROUTE OCG is indeed in its first edition. The current printing is the 7th (June, 2013) - which usually means they have added most of the errata into the text - not completely revised it as they would with a new edition - that will come when there is a new version of the CCNP exams.

Ivanjam

Just watched the CBTNuggets BGP videos - now that was an eye opener!

@Kreken - I haven't really done much reading so I can't really compare the OCG to the FLG yet. Kstati, spasibo za pozhelaniya!

iamme4eva

I never did read the ROUTE simplified book - but if it's anywhere as good as the SWITCH simplified, then it'll be a good read. I found it concise, to the point and simple enough for my little mind to understand.

I've never read a FLG for any topic, so I can't comment. I found the OCG for ROUTE to be pretty good though - in fact that was the only book I read for the exam. (Not the only thing I read by a long shot...I spend as much time trawling the internet for blog posts and articles as I do reading books, I like to get different perspectives on things)

You sound like you are heading way down the right road, keep it up and good luck!!!

Ivanjam

Just bought a copy of CCNP ROUTE Simplified off Amazon. When Iristheangel said that this book was huge, I thought, ok... it's probably a bit bigger than the ROUTE OCG - but nothing in this world could have prepared me for the gigantic enormity of this gargantuan tome... ok, ok, I am exaggerating a bit here, but it is really big compared to the usual Cisco Press, Sybex and Microsoft Press books that I am used to in IT.

Got myself a copy of CCNP ROUTE Complete Guide 1st Edition as well - the author is not a native English speaker and some of the idioms in the book may take some getting used to, but it seems like a very promising book. I will post a review after I have read it.

Ivanjam

I have decided to forgo my ROUTE studies in favor of the MCSA Windows Server 2008 R2 exams. Although I love the Cisco material, I doubt that a CCNP with zero networking experience will help me get a job in the IT field. So, good luck to my friends doing the CCNP and adieu from this thread.