Time for me to dive in!!!

Still finishing my studies for my CCNA: Voice. I scheduled the exam for Jan 27th. Find out the gender of my soon to be child Jan 29th. ANDDDD I will officially start my CCNP studies January 31st on my 18 hour flight to Thailand. Just ordered both sets of the FLG and OCG for all three exams. I will be starting with ROUTE because I feel that this is my stronger point, and because I don't want to fail my first exam. This is why I am choosing ROUTE to start with. Any suggestions on a single well rounded lab book for each exam? Nervous as all can be. I am setting my goal to become CCNP R&S in August (will more than likely take longer, but I like to start out setting the bar high). I don't think I've made a really really serious commitment to studying like this. We shall see how it goes. Thanks for every ones support. Wish me luck!

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Also, I will be watching both CBT and INE videos depending on how I am feeling that day of study.

The lab books that I'm aware of are the INE one for the previous version of the exam, the Cisco Academy Student Lab Manual and the 101 CCNP Labs book. I haven't used the INE book so no comments there, but the SLM is a pretty good representation of the difficulty of the Sims on the exams. Its biggest problem is that it doesn't give you proper tasks for each lab so there's a chance that you will get spoilers on the solutions before you've actually tried to solve things on your own. However, it does seem very suitable for getting a first taste of the technologies.

The 101 CCNP Labs book (a part of the the CCNP Simplified series, basically) is way harder than the SLM, especially when it comes to BGP. It has the layout you would expect of a lab book, with a separate list of tasks, and the solutions with complete configs afterwards. Its biggest problem is that the language is severely lacking at times, to the point where sometasks are very confusing.

There’s also the fact that the IP SLA, Policy Based Routing, and the FHRPs are tied together. This means that you would have to go learn the FHRPs during your route studies if you want to get the most out of those labs. It makes sense from a technology point of view, and the FHRPs aren’t particularly involved so it’s probably a good idea. It also has multicast and EEM labs, which aren’t topics covered on the exams.

I haven’t done any of the Switch labs yet so I can’t comment on those, except to say that there are only 10 or so in total – it’s definitely a book focused on routing. It’s probably worth getting for the OSPF, EIGRP and IPv6 labs alone (10 labs each), with the rest of it being optional if your goal is to pass the Route exam.

I'll probably go with the 101 and SLM lab book combo. I want to pass the exam, but it would be nice to learn a little bit extra that I can use in the real world. I want to try to get a job at an ISP, so I'm assuming anything extra I can bring to the table will help. Thanks for the detailed review. It's greatly appreciated. And I'll use the INE lab book to fill any gaps (if there are any) since it is free

Just got my book sets in the mail. Man is it going to be ALOT of reading! Not quite ready to start. Scheduled my voice exam for the 28th of this month. I will jump right into NP studies the next day.

I read all the books you have in your picture there for the CCNP but I have to say the Simplified series way way better than all of them. I learned a lot and then some. It felt more real-world oriented and somewhat preparing you for the next step (CCIE) with some of the concepts they started discussing in there such as EEM, OER/PfR, etc.

When I was done with my CCNP, I ended up giving all the books away except the Simplified series. Those now lives on my desk at work for reference.

I just might have to pick up the Simplified set as well. Not right now though. I have too many bills, and not a big enough of a paycheck

. Although, I could use a bigger book shelf. I'll probably buy them before I start on my CCDP ventures to skim over later in the year(or next year). Thanks for the info!

Just cracked open the ROUTE OCG book a little bit earlier than expected. I take my Voice exam tomorrow, but I couldn't help but start on my NP studies. Just read through the Planning Tasks. Seems pretty self explanatory and it's something I'm not unfamiliar with. It does make me wonder what the questions are going to be like having to go into it with more of a planning consideration to everything (or at least that's what the book says). Gives a good overview of job characteristics. "That's all I have to say about that".

I can't speake for the ROUTE book but the SWITCH Simplified book is way better than the FLG in my opinion. The lab format is great because it doesnt hold your hand , it gives you the option to complete the objectives without the config right in front of you.

Holy EIGRP. Man, oh man, are the chapters long in the FLG or what? I'm on night shift again, but in Thailand, so I have plenty of time to study now that we are set up. Had to run and crimp about 1500 cables and duct tape/zip tie them down to walls, tables, etc. to try and make it look pretty. Ran three SM Fiber trunks from tree to tree over roads. Talk about time consuming. The day I left for Thailand I found out that my COL is going to approve my appointment orders so I can get a CISSP voucher, so I am trying to juggle that while still doing my NP studies. I get a small 2 hour study session on servers/vmware at the beginning of my shift, so that is pretty cool with me because I've never really dealt with servers before. Most of the EIGRP concepts/theories don't really seem new to me. I start on OSPF tonight. It's one of the routing protocols I think I know how to configure pretty well, but I need to know more about the behind the scenes picture. Hopefully I will have the ROUTE FLG and OCG read by the time I get home in a couple of weeks. I'd like to be able to lab along with my reading, but my situation won't allow for it. I'll just have to lab when I get home and review the books while I lab. I had some trouble with EIGRP over MPLS. I get the concept and it seems relatively easy, but I'm fuzzy on the MPLS part because I don't have any experience with it. All I have to go on is the couple MPLS concept pages they give you in the book. Should I have done SWITCH first?

I had some trouble with EIGRP over MPLS. I get the concept and it seems relatively easy, but I'm fuzzy on the MPLS part because I don't have any experience with it. All I have to go on is the couple MPLS concept pages they give you in the book.

There's no MPLS on the exam blueprint - just a few pages in the book to make sure that you are familiar with its use as a WAN technology.

Should I have done SWITCH first?

No. They can be done in any order, but SWITCH does have some basic layer 3 stuff, and doing ROUTE first will make those sections very easy.

Thanks. Tonight I'm going to watch the CBT Nuggets on EIGRP to help solidify everything. When I get home I have the videos by Brian Mcgahan to review more in depth.

So it turns out my whole life was a lie. I'm about 3/4 done with OSPF and, I don't know nearly as much about OSPF as I thought I did. I just knew how it worked on the network I managed. Eye opener.

To be honest I would't waste time with the OCG book. Read through the FLG book and do some labs along with the topics. Pick up the simplified book to get a deeper understanding of the topics. I too have read all 3 books and wish I never wasted my time with OCG.

Lab materials I used basically any scenario I could find throughout the FLG / Simplified books, the back of the Simplified book (200 pages dedicated to labbing) and the SLM. The SLM is very basic though so you will need to explore the same topics in a more complex manner and the Simplified book does a great job of that.

Just a quick update. Starting to pick up a little steam. I've been doing the CBT Nuggets by section then going into reading. It has been an awesome supplement to my reading. I don't have to stop as much when I read and ask myself, "What...?". Read 100+ pages of OSPF from the FLG. Got my toes wet on redistribution and route manipulation. Will finish up the videos in that section tomorrow night and hopefully get around 50 pages read in Manipulating Routing Updates chapter of the FLG.

Route manipulation. This topic has been a little challenging for me. I get how to do route maps/distro lists/prefix lists, adjusting AD, changing metrics, etc... But man it seems like it can start to get pretty complex. I guess the only good studying is going to be practice labs when I get home, and learn from where I fail.

It makes it even more unclear for me since the CBT's and FLG both do route manipulation differently. Same context, but different commands/ways. I wish I could run GNS3 on this shitty little tablet I brought with me. Can anyone provide an online resource that makes route manipulation a breeze? =/

Re-read the Route Manipulation chapter in the FLG and watched the CBT's again. The wheels are spinning, but I'm starting to get some traction! Watch CBT on Path Control, and I'm starting the chapter on Path Control tonight. Hopefully I can finally dive off into some BGP before the night is over.

Anyone know if the ~20 pages on IP SLA's is enough? Or should I do a little more personal research? It seems like IP SLA's should have it's own chapter alone.

Just got my toes wet with the BGP CBT's. It works quite a bit differently compared to the internal routing protocols I'm used to. BGP's going to take a little bit of time to get used to. I shall be arriving back in the US of A in a week. I'm going to go ahead and order the Simplified series now so they will be there when I get home. I don't know if I should even read the books I bought, or just **** them all and hop on the Simplified series for the entire exam course. At a bare minimum I am going to finish the FLG for ROUTE.

I'm going to buy a Kindle Paperwhite when I get home. I've wanted to get one for a while, and it will be the same price to get the kindle and both simplified copies for it as it would be for the paper copies.

I fell in love. Man was BGP interesting. It has peaked my interested the most so far in my CCNP studies. Thinking about doing the SP series after this. It also helped with my understanding of route-maps, prefix-lists, distribute-lists, and all that other jazzy path manipulation stuff.

Just finished reading Chapter 7: Implementing Routing Facilities for Branch Offices and Mobile Workers. It was nice to see the actual CLI configuration of the IPsec tunnel. CCNA Security was all CCP based, so it was a nice addition to the chapter. As soon as I hit the page to Chapter 8, I started to avoid the book. I'm a little in the dark on IPv6. I understand it, but to a pretty basic extent. I've never worked with IPV6 on a production network. I've never really worked with it much on labs either. The show must roll on, though. CBT Nuggets will be the course of action, followed by Chapter 8 of the FLG. My goal before I get back to the states is to finish this book. I will think twice the next time I buy a 730 page book(OCG) to supplement the 900 page book(FLG) I bought to study.

WOW! You are blazing through that book! Have you been doing much with labbing the topics as well?

Unfortunately, I only brought a tablet with me to Thailand. I watched the entire CBT Nuggets on ROUTE, and I have 90~ish pages left in the FLG. When I get home I will start labbing like a mad man using GNS3, and 4x2821's I have sitting in my rack. I'll use a couple 2500's to simulate FRS's. I have a different set of videos at home. So I will lab each topic, and review each one by watching the videos that go along with the subject that I'm labbing. Once I finish labbing I will take a final week for review and go sit the exam. I'll try to squeeze the OCG in there as well since I bought it, but I'm already pretty burnt out on reading lol.

Finally home. Feels great to be back stateside, and not in a third world country. Spinning up GNS3. LAB time!!! The best part of studying. Going to try and spend about 4 or 5 hours labbing today. FLG is done. Started on OCG for review, and I'm also started my other computer based training.

Bought a kindle last night and the simplified series and the 101 lab book. Started reading the ROUTE simplified book, and it already seems like it will dive into things much deeper than the FLG.

Finding time to study has been a little rough since I've been home. I've been having to wake up at 0430 just to get a little reading in. Seems almost impossible with my wife working trying to juggle studying and watching my daughter. Of course my daughter takes first precedence. I'm about 20% done with my Simplified book for ROUTE. It is a really good study book so far. It does jump into a lot of things that the FLG didn't cover, but some areas were a lot weaker than what the FLG discussed on some topics. All-in-all I'm glad that I got both books. Hopefully I will have time to finish the book in a couple of weeks, then I will start on the 101 lab book.

Well it has been a couple of weeks since I've even been on my computer. I've been using my kindle to read the simplified book. I'm a little over halfway done with the book. It just seems like progress is slowing exponentially. My wife should be out of the army in a few weeks, so hopefully that will give me a little bit of a break so that I can study more. After ROUTE Simplified I'm going to watch the Chris Bryant videos for a refresher, then hop right into non-stop labs for a few weeks. I'll do a final week of review afterwards. When I finish the Chris Bryant video's I will let you guys know when my exam will be scheduled for

Have to put off my studies for a little over a week to study for the promotion board.

What study material would you say has been most helpful for you so far?

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