Wiley Publishing - CCNA

Why Use This Book?

In what began as a way to ensure that its resellers could also properly support its products, Cisco Systems, Inc. developed what has become the most sought after and prestigious networking certification series available. To hold any Cisco certification indicates that you know your stuff regarding networking at a certain level. The exams developed to screen certification candidates are rigorous and downright hard. The result is that even the most knowledgeable and experienced Cisco networking professional needs at least a little help getting ready for the CCNA exam. The sole purpose of this book is to help you to shorten your preparation time for the CCNA exam.

As with all other For Dummies books, this book is a no-nonsense reference and study guide. It focuses on the areas that are likely to be on the exam, plus it provides a little background information here and there to help you understand some of the more complex concepts and technologies. This book presents the facts, concepts, processes, and applications included on the exams in step-by-step lists, tables, and figures without long explanations. The book focuses on preparing you for the CCNA exams, not on showing off our obviously extensive and impressive knowledge of networking and its related technologies (nor our modesty, I might add).

In developing this book, we made two groups of assumptions:

· You have an entry-level knowledge of networking, routers, bridges, switches, and other networking components, as well as a fundamental knowledge of electronics, computers, software, protocols, and troubleshooting procedures, and you only need a review and study guide for the exam.

· You have some experience with Cisco hardware and its integration into networking environments, but you need a refresher on the basics along with a review and study guide for the exam.

Using This Book

This book is organized so that you can study a specific area without wading through stuff you may already know. I recommend that you skim the whole book at least once, noting the points raised at the icons. For your last-minute cram before the exam, each part and chapter of the book is independent and can be studied in any order without confusing yourself.

Each chapter also includes a pre-test (Quick Assessment quiz) and post-test (Prep Test questions) to help you determine where your knowledge is weak and where you need to continue studying. The following sections tell you what we ve included between the covers of this book:

Part I: The Basics

Part I provides some general information about taking the exam, an overview of the topic areas you should study, and a primer of the terms and concepts you must know for the CCNA exam. This includes an overview of the CCNA exam, its objectives and benefits, how to arrange to take the test, and some general tips on what to study and how to get ready for the test.

Part II: The OSI Reference Model

Part II provides you with a review of the OSI Reference model and the related fundamentals and background information you should know for the exam. This includes a look at the four layers of this model that are emphasized on the test.

Part III: Routers

Part III deals with the heart of the CCNA exam routers. The exam concentrates on routers, their configuration, commands, and protocols. This may be the most important section of the book, not that the others are unimportant, but in the sense that the CCNA is actually the routing and switching exam, this part of the book represents at least half of what you should know.

Part IV: Network Protocols

Part IV has everything you need to know about the internetworking, including the infamous subnetting. Also included in this part are reviews on network (IP) addressing; the frames, protocols, and functions of TCP/IP; and security issues of the internetworked environment.

Part V: LANs and WANs

As its name implies, this part of the book covers the concepts and technologies used to organize networked resources into networks in local areas as well as wide areas. Although not obvious from the name, the use of switching systems is the focus in this part of the book. The CCNA exam focuses on routing and switching. This part covers the use of switches in a network and how they can be used to segment a LAN. The link types that can be used to create a WAN are also covered.

Part VI: The Part of Tens

This section provides additional motivation and study guides to help get you ready for the test, with advice about how to be sure that you re ready to take the test on Test Day and ten great Web sites where you can find study aids.
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