John Vaccas' latest publication is one of the best organized and readable technology specific references I've seen to date. Mr. Vacca covers all aspects of CISCO LAN and WAN network planning, design, implementation and testing from both the hardware and software perspectives. The book provides a wealth of interface configuration examples and a guide to WAN application design tools. The book also provides a glimpse into the future direction of LAN/WAN Internetworking Applications. A recommended read for IT professionals who work with network communication products.

John Vacca explains how to apply cisco high speed network products to LAN/WAN requirements. High Speed network standards and technology are explained in this guide for planning, design and implementation. An excellent coverage of fault detection as well as future network directions are also covered. This book is a must for network professionals.

Vacca has done it! He has written another book that is very easy to read--for people who need to cut through the confusion about Cisco technology and get down to product selection, acquisition, and deployment. The book starts with the basic concepts and takes readers through all of the necessary learning steps to enable them to implement Cisco technology. It provides an explanation of the ins and outs of high-speed networks, and how to use Cisco technology to achieve maximum network performance--all in one easy-to-read volume.

In the acknowledgements, Priscilla references the Group Study mailing list and several of its more prominent members. I came to appreciate her devotion to the subjects of protocol analysis and troubleshooting -- as well as sound network design -- through that very list. She didn't just sit down to crank out a book on any old topic with good sales potential. This is a passion as well as a profession for folks like Priscilla.

As a "WAN guy" with limited campus/enterprise exposure, I chose to read this book in very deliberate fashion. I wanted to learn all that I could. My advice would be this for anyone who is serious about LAN protocol analysis and troubleshooting: get yourself a protocol analyzer and play along. Don't just read the capture files in the book - go out and get your own.

In terms of campus technologies and protocols, I learned far more from this book than I did from any of my studies for Cisco's professional-level certifications. I have to imagine that anyone serious about the vaunted CCIE program would need to master all of the skills that Priscilla and coauthor Joseph Bardwell so skillfully coach throughout this entire book. And perhaps of far greater importance would be the real-world applicability of the skills that can be had by practicing the bottom-up troubleshooting approach espoused by these experienced authors.

I have had this book for about 10 days. It is excellent, destined to become a bestseller in its category. But this will not be surprising because Oppenheimer's previous book has received a stamp of approval in its category (Top Down Network Design, Cisco Press, ISBN: 1578700698). For those privileged to have Top Down Network Design, we know what I am talking about: a self-contained book that delivers beyond a Cisco Certification test.

It is in this very light that I rate Troubleshooting Campus Networks: it is a an extremely valuable reference book for network administrators, but it will also help you pass the Cisco CCNP Support exam.

Briefly going through the contents, Chapter 1 describes the book itself and its audience. Chapter 2 details formal network troubleshooting methods, including the Cisco Troubleshooting Method, protocol analysis, network traffic types and the various troubleshooting tools. Above all, it emphasizes the importance of proactive network management.

Chapter 3 provides in-depth knowledge on troubleshooting and Analyzing Ethernet Networks. And Chapter 4 will be even more appreciated: about 55 pages dedicated to troubleshooting and analyzing IEEE 802.11 Wireless Networks. This chapter alone will be of great assistance to those preparing for Certified Wireless Network Administrator (CWNA) from Planet3 Wireless, Inc. It provides an excellent introduction for those who want to know what Wireless LANs are all about.

Chapters 5 and 6 provide indepth knowledge on troubleshooting and analyzing the Spanning Tree Protocol and Virtual LANs respectively. Chapters 7 and 8 do the same for Campus IP Networks and Campus IP Routing Protocols.

What I have found to be of equally great value is Chapter 9, detailing TCP, UDP, and Upper Layer protocols' troubleshooting and analysis. Here, one would find the answers to the questions he may have had about HTTP, FTP, SMPT protocol analysis and the like.

Chapters 10, 11, 12 and 13, respectively provide the skills needed for troubleshooting and analyzing Campus IPX Networks, AppleTalk Networks, Windows Networking and Wide Area Networks.

In all, this is a powerful tool from which you will not only find the answers to day-to-day networking issues, but will also empower you to become a better network administrator.

If you are in network administration, a networking professional generally or preparing for Cisco CCNP Support exam, this is the book!

to read a well written technical book. When I was starting out in this field I was often discouraged when reading various study materials. Now that I have achieved some degree of expertise, I realize my frustration was not due to personal inadequacy, but often the result of poorly written books.

Well, Priscilla Oppenheimer and partner Joe Bardwell are outstanding writers. Nowhere did I find myself scratching my head and wondering what I was missing. This is clearly an excellent book. It contains the kind of detail one needs in study and in life with real networks. Good information and good advice abound.

Troubleshooting Campus Networks is a keeper, a book that will occupy a place of honor on my bookshelf - right next to Cil's other book Top Down Network Design!!!!!

Simple yet thorough.

On my desk I had:

IP Routing Primer - doesn't make good bed-time reading ;-)

Cisco Routers Black Book - very nicely written, but a bit too detailed for a quick job.

Those were given by my employer.

Practical Cisco Routers - thin and easy to read. Uses extensive examples to show you exactly how things work.

That one is a personal copy.

I only had to refer to my Practical book in order to setup the router and tell someone to set up the other end of the system.

This book will not tell you the intricacies of EIGRP or explain what the output of sh tech means, but you will be up and running in no time. I only had to read one chapter to get everything configured and integrated into my main global network.

Do yourself a favor and read it thoroughly before starting a configuration using a GUI tool. There is a lot more you need to know than you might believe otherwise.

So just how much do I like this book? I am not willing to sell it!

I have just read the first four chapters, but I have already formed an opinion: This book will become a best seller. The author explains the stuff in the way I want it. Thank you for wiriting this book.

This was an outstanding book with the little knowledge I had already on Cisco routers. This books brought me up to speed in a hurt in a fun easy to read type book. I loved it. And I look forward to reading more of the Practical Series of books from QUE.

This is a corner-stone of Cisco routing engine explanation. It doesn't contain any braindump stuff like many books do. But it covers many topics: theoretical basis, IOS pseudo code explanations, configuration examples and trace/debugging methods. There are also many interesting details and gismos that I didn't find anywhere . It's very useful as a preparation guide -- you have to read this book if you do want to pass some sort of serious Cisco's exams (I mean CCNP or CCIE). So it's outstanding title (in other words -- it worth to spend 50+ bucks for it guyz!) :))

Btw, now I'm waiting for your next book. Why not? Will it be dedicated to MPLS or MLOSPF? Huh? :))

If Jeff Doyle's book is a masterpiece so I'll say this is a classic. Oh boy! did I ever say I know routing? If I did, I am sorry because this book is an eye opener. I am still half way through it but cant resist to comment. Awesome work Sir Alex ;-)

Shahid Shafi

Great book! Every CCIE should have this book. Every CCIE candidate should read this book if they really need to understand how IP routing works on Cisco routers. This is very much like the IOS Architecture book (Russ White et al) in that it covers information that no other book covers. Another must have book!

This book offers in Part III (Chapters 6 through 8) a lucid explanation of Cisco Security. In addition, it was the best presentation for the layman of IKE and IPSec I've read. This book is definitely a must have if you are going to take the MCNS (Managing Cisco Network Security) exam. I wished I'd read this book before I passed the MCNS exam - it would've saved me tons of time in terms of understanding IPSec in general AND Cisco's implementation of IPSec. Part III, "Managing Security" was alone enough for me to use this book.

The writing style AND the LOGICAL presentation of the material really made me understand Cisco's implementation of Cisco Security, even though I had taken the Cisco course MCNS and had already pored over the courseware on IPSsec.

This book gave me good concept on each topic. Most of Cisco book focuses on what and how to do. But this book is difference. It explains why. Easy to read and understand also.Your pre-requisite for this book is basic routing protocol and Cisco router setup knowledge.

Don has done a brilliant job in writing this book. Not only did he cover IPSEC and VPN technologies. He also covered IOS, which was great. This is an all one book. Before I had this book I was reading a multitude of books to find out information I needed. Once I read Don's book the search was over. Great Job Cisco and Don!

I just finished with this new CCNA 640-607 study guide and feel like it is best exam prep book available for the CCNA exam. It is concise, gets right to the point in terms of objectives needed to master and is managable.

It is clearly a great value and is worth more than they are charging for it. The entire book is useful and you can tell that the author is a great teacher.

I recommend this book if you are serious about passing the new CCNA exam!

Not much else to add to the previous reviews. If you study for the CCNA certification, this guide would probably be all you need to pass the test. I would also get the Lammle's book as well to cover any blank spots... If you are ready to take it beyond the CCNA level, I would also look into getting the following books:

1. "Cisco IOS for IP Routing" by Andrew Colton. A lot of information on IP routing protocols (EIGRP, OSPF, IS-IS, BGP, etc.).
2. "Routing TCP/IP, volume I" by Jeff Doyle. Covers just as much as the Colton's book.
3. "Interconnections: Routers, Bridges..." by Radia Perlman. Good academic info on routing and bridging. Overkill for the CCNA to CCNP level though.

This is easily the best self-study technical book I've read in a long while. Chiarella explains CCNA topics in a way that makes you think he's personally talking to YOU. Although it is not an all inclusive "newbie" book, it's not supposed to be. If you already have a basic foundation in networking topics and technologies, this book can take you the extra step to fully understanding CCNA requirements. I found the subnet explanations to be especially impressive. While understanding subnets is not the most difficult thing, Chiarella makes it second nature. If you feel you're ready for the CCNA, I would definitely give this book a read. Oh, and the price is an outstanding bargain, while not a bookend like most of the texts out there today, this book is invaluable and has earned a permanent spot on my bookshelf.

This book is a must for every network engineer and designer! The content is very detailed and well structured, you may skip chapters and go back and forth if you don't feel that you don't need to read them (not suggested ;). The chapters on STP are probably the best material ever written.

It covers the whole lifecycle of a network - from the design to troubleshooting and every part of it is excellent and very well-explained which makes it easy to understand (as long as this could be "easy" ;).

Unfortunately the CLSC 1.0 test (from the CCNP track) focuses on a little different aspect than this book, which doesn't make this book less valuable. If you're planning on taking CLSC 2.0 (which is coming live later this year) this book fits so well like the test questions are written by the authors (quite likely ;).

In my opinion this book and "Routing TCP/IP" by Jeff Doyle are the best books on networking (and Cisco) ever written.

This book, along with Routing TCP/IP, are two of the best books ever written on Networking. This book is very well written, very concise, and the examples are very useful in presenting a problem and a solution.

The chapter on Multilayer Switching, Multicasting, and Spanning-Tree alone are very extensive and comprehensive. The explanations are very technical yet understandable for the novice readers. Superb illustrations and explanations leave no holes unturned.

This book may seem outdated but don't be fooled by the publish date. It's 2001, I'm redesigning our LAN network with Cisco 6509 Core switches and this book comes in handy every step of the way.

I usually hold my praise until I take and pass an exam but I'll make exception for this awesome book. Most CCNP books seem very disjointed and filled with numerous technical and egregious editing errors. Simply put they don't make a lot of sense because they seem like a collection of cut-n-paste from other techinical documents. If you were trying to learn and understand various switching technologies including LANE, STP, VTP, VLAN or etc.... i can truly say that this book is the best. It explains with authority, clearity, and humour. After you read this book, you'll feel like your time reading it was well spent because you will understand reasons and whys. Its just a beautiful book. Thanks to authors.

I read this book after getting information from various web sites and after reading many other books. This book has the most complete and precise information about IP Multicasting and has addressed several issues that were out of sight for me. It has many configuration examples and I think this is the best book to read if you want to get the most precise knowledge on multicasting.

This is the finest Technical book I have ever read. It is outstanding!! Beau Williamson has covered multicasting in great detail and has done so is such a way that everyone can understand it. It covers all aspects of the many different multicasts protocols and mechanism. He clearly explains the RFC's and their weak points. It takes a general approach to multicasting and is an excellent guide to any vender. There are very few Technical books that have been written is well. Great job!!!

I read this book after reading a lot of materials from different web sites. I also read many books and this book addressed most topics that were out of sight for me. This book also has configuration issues and a lot of information that is not available else where. I would say that this is the best book on IP Multicasting I have ever read.

This is a good book which will help you to perform better in basic troubleshooting but it's not great as I was expected. The best part of this book is easy to read and understand. However for anyone who is preparing the CCNP, this book will be very much useful.

Normally, I wouldn't buy a text that involves Cisco routers/switches from anyone else other than Cisco Press; but, after researching the author's background (and since this was backed by IDG books, which has a pretty good record of publishing quality texts), I decided to give it a try. I was not disappointed (well, only that I didn't purchased it sooner).

The book is excellent! When a book is about troubleshooting, I expect it to contain real-life situations that can help me at closing time, on a Friday afternoon. This book does not lack that, as opposed to Cisco Press' CIT guide. If you're a network engineer or administrator in-charge of administering and maintaining your Cisco environment, buy this book! I am sure you would not regret it.

This book is well-written and accurate. The writing is easy to follow. I read it very quickly, but didn't notice any errors. I plan to keep it as a reference for when I need to troubleshoot particular internetworking problems. I think it will be quite useful for typical problems. (It's somewhat basic, so may not cover the more bizarre problems, but that's OK. No book can cover every possible problem.) I have never met the author, but he seems like a wise fellow, with a lot of good advice to offer to the Cisco networking professional. This book is an accomplishment that he should be proud of.

This book is concise and well written. It covers most, if not all of the areas involved in locking down Cisco routers. And it does so in clearly defined chapters, making it very easy to navigate as a reference. In addition, each topic is accompanied by clear configuration examples.
I also found it very complete. Even covering information which I haven't yet come across in the various NSA guides and Cisco texts on the subject. As someone already mentioned, you'll no longer need to trawl the web and other sources for this info; Thomas Akin and O'Reilly's have done the hard work for you.

If you are just getting into router security, or just need a reference, this is the book for you. It is filled with useful information which can be quickly utilized and can pay off with huge benefits.

This is not a Cisco Security Book. BUT it is a book on how to make your Internet Routers virtually hack/crack proof. Great information on ACL's and gaping security holes that are open on default installs it makes you think.