Starting CCDA - books

Hi there,

I passed my CCDA in December and am tackling CCDA next. I've bought the official certification guide and am considering buying the SWITCH Foundation learning guide. Those of you who have passed the CCDA exam - what other study materials would you recommend?

I purchased the CBT Nuggets videos for the CCNA but thought that was the biggest waste of money ever. The content was very light, I found the Cisco Press books to be very good.

My plan is to take the design path, I'll knock out the SWITCH, ROUTE and ARCH exams after CCDA.

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SteveO86

I took the previous version 640-863, but I used the books from the following authors. (For the 640-863 version, below are the links for the new version)

I've found the book Diane to excellent.

Amazon.com: CCDA 640-864 Official Cert Guide (4th Edition) (9781587142574): Anthony Bruno, Steve Jordan: Books
Amazon.com: Designing for Cisco Internetwork Solutions (DESGN) Foundation Learning Guide: (CCDA DESGN 640-864) (3rd Edition) (Foundation Learning Guides) (9781587204241): Sean Wilkins: Books

wirerat

I read both of the new books. Both were good. If I had to choose between the two I would go with OCG.

wave

Thanks guys. Any value in purchasing the SWITCH book too at this stage? I note that "knowledge at the CCNA level and the CCNP level for switching is recommended to pass the CCDA exam."

My guess is that you guys did CCNP first then went back and knocked off CCDA. Did you find that CCNP level Switching knowledge was required as stated?

SteveO86

Yea, I did CCDA after my CCNP.

CCDA is a lot of theory and no real configuration, but I think it would hard to design something like HSRP/GLBP if you never heard of it before. It might be good enough to search through cisco.com documentation concerning any topics you are not very familiar with, but that is up to you.

As far as switch book recommendations, not too sure as I took the old BCMSN test.

wave

SteveO86 wrote: »

Yea, I did CCDA after my CCNP.

CCDA is a lot of theory and no real configuration, but I think it would hard to design something like HSRP/GLBP if you never heard of it before. It might be good enough to search through cisco.com documentation concerning any topics you are not very familiar with, but that is up to you.

As far as switch book recommendations, not too sure as I took the old BCMSN test.

Thanks.

True, but couldn't it be a chicken and egg type thing...I'm really into theory and I thought it was a vital part of the CCNA exams with ICND1 being mostly theory. Personally, I would rather learn all of the theory first and then tackle implementation. I'll definitely take your advice and do further research work my way through the content. I guess I could always go back and do SWITCH/ROUTE if I run into difficulty...But career-wise it's better if I can nail CCDA within the next 3-4 months.

wirerat

I did do my CCNP before starting on the design track. IMO it would be harder to do the design track without the knowledge from the CCNP studies but it would not be impossible. You will just have to dig in a little deeper and all the knowledge you gain will just help you out vice-versa when it is time to study for the CCNP.

Best of luck on whichever path you choose.

malcybood

I passed the old CCDA 640-873 and done it after my CCNA / before CCNP.

Think it'd be a lot easier if you do it after CCNP or at least reading and labbing the ROUTE and SWITCH books.

I used the Diane Teare Ciscopress book for the 640-873 exam alond with loads of reading up on the Cisco SRND documents along with doing some basic network design at work.

Check out the documents in specific technology areas here Design Zone/SRND - Main Page - Cisco Systems

Slowhand

This is also a great book for Cisco design philosophy: Top-Down Network Design (3rd Edition) by Priscilla Oppenheimer

It's definitely a more advanced book, and it's not targeted specifically at the CCDA or CCDP, but it's a great read and will absolutely help bring it all together for the exam.

SteveO86

Slowhand wrote: »

This is also a great book for Cisco design philosophy: Top-Down Network Design (3rd Edition) by Priscilla Oppenheimer

It's definitely a more advanced book, and it's not targeted specifically at the CCDA or CCDP, but it's a great read and will absolutely help bring it all together for the exam.

Definitely agree with this, I got this book and it's fantastic!

Hypersonik

Passed my CCDA today and haven't done any CCNP exams (But have configured HSRP/GLBP and other routing/switching as part of job).

The 864 OCG and 861/863 updated CBT nuggets are what I used. They do mention the Top down network design book in the nuggets series and I think i'll get hold of it as I know in the future i'll do the ARCH exam and have to design/implement networks in my current job (although it's nothing like methodologies in CCDA due to senior managemnet intervention!).

Definitely would be easier doing the CCDA having done CCNP first though.