Hey guys, I just got back from the testing center and happy to report that I passed with a 987/1000. This is the list of materials I used in my CCNP journey:
1. OCG Library
2. FLG Library
3. Simplified Library
4. How to Master Trilogy
5. 101 Labs for CCNP(GREAT book!)
6. Labs on GNS3Vault
7. Boson NetSim for CCNP
8. Boson practice exams
If I had to do it all over again I would not have bought the libraries. Why? While I read all 3 TSHOOT books, I don't think I got that much from them. That time would have probably been better spent on more labbing. So in other words, if you are just starting, buy the individual books as you go and not the whole library.
If you do decide to skip the TSHOOT texts and lab, definitely lab out the TSHOOT topology. Cisco publishes the topology freely for all to see(
https://learningnetwork.cisco.com/servlet/JiveServlet/previewBody/6741-102-1-23100/TSHOOT%20Exam%20Topology.pdf) If you go into the exam without labbing this, you will waste a lot of time familiarizing yourself with it, so just do yourself a favor and set it up beforehand. I used IOU, but you can use VIRL as well if you use Ethernet interfaces instead of Serial.
Boson NetSim for CCNP was good, but very expensive. If money is an issue, you can skip it and just get the $10 101 Labs for CCNP Kindle. I can't say enough good things about this book. It got me very prepared for the exams.
How to Master by Rene Molenaar goes right into the meat and potatoes of the content. If you are looking to get caught up to speed rather quickly, you can start with this series. Plus, it has links to the GNS3Vault labs in the text.
Of all the texts, I think I liked FLG the best and OCG the least. If you are coming from Odom's CCNA OCG, prepare to be disappointed in the teaching quality of the OCG. I can't explain it, but the difference is evident. The best thing about the OCG in my opinion are the memory tables which I will use as review before interviews.
Okay so with all of that out of the way, what's next? I've gone back and forth on this and would like the forum's opinion. I would like to go for the CCIE R&S in the near future, but first I need an NP level job, and to do that I need to make myself more marketable. Plus Narbik is coming out with a new book intended for CCNPs who are about to start the CCIE journey. Basically it's bridge between the gap from the end of CCNP to the start of CCIE. So CCIE R&S is definitely going on the backburner.
I definitely want CCDA/CCDP since design interests me, but the new CCDA book isn't coming out till May, so I will put CCDA/CCDP on the backburner as well. The other track that really interests me is Service Provider, so I think I will do that next. I think I can knock out SPNGN1 and SPNGN2 at one month a pop, with SPROUTE.SPCORE and SPEDGE taking 2-3 months each, and SPADVROUTE 3-4 months. Does that sound reasonable? If all goes well, I'll have CCNP Service Provider by the end of this year.
What I keep going back and forth on though is whether or not I should tackle DC, Collaboration, and Security to the NA level first. I have more interest in SP, but I keep seeing Nexus and Voice in job descriptions. If I go down the CNNP SP track first, I'll be a CCNP R&S/SP who can't set up a basic VOIP phone or know much about Nexus. That kind of sucks. What do you guys think?
Thank you!
