< I just completed my MCSE 2000, i have been a CCNA, CCNP since 1999, and now I was thinking about getting my CCIE. I had to get the MCSE 2000 cause my customers asked me of it. So i got it in two weeks. Pretty much i go to a book store and spend about a grand on books every couple months. but i have access to every kind of Cisco router, switch, NAS, Servers, cause I run a huge network that I choose to keep anonymous. However, I have decided to grace your presence with my word of advice. That advice is, open the book and read it, for example. ISBN 1-56592-942-x title = CISCO IOS in a nut shell, read that and learn it... next , wax the floor, and then, for the final lesson for today 2ccnpson,,, you must learn how to read the next book. and this important , i read all day long, and this book is very very good. you must read it, do you hear me... do you Fu*&^% hear me... the ISBN is 0-07-212083-5 and title is CISCO internetworking with windows NT & 2000. For a bonus I have decided to clue you in on not only knowing the IOS commands, and the networking infrastructure that they glue together, but also you need to know layer 2 functions, layer 3 functions, and the reason why we use both. Understanding the IOS is key because essentially the layer 3 router is compiled of a very simple config file which starts with a common first couple of lines like the following " version 12.1
no service pad
service timestamps debug uptime
service timestamps log uptime
no service password-encryption"
and then there is the image files, understand the meaning of each letter in the image file,
then there are the IOS commands
"ip cef
no ip domain-lookup"
then depending on the network architecture, you will have VLAN interfaces, with VLAN MEMBERSHIP MODES (3 types, usually) , remember a virtual lan , just like an ELAN, emulated Local area network, the golden rule for these bad boys is use VLSM, Variable length subnet masks save a whole lot of addresses. So once the Vlan is created by you add all your router interfaces to the VLAN, heres an example interface that is a member of a VLAN
interface GigabitEthernet1/1
no ip address
switchport
switchport access vlan 10
switchport mode access
no cdp enable
, notice all of the IOS commands, now , wouldnt a book with exact explanations be nice,,, wow, what a concept...
SO as far as passing your CCNP, good luck.
MASTERMAN....
p.s. just understand the everything, get those books , go to the beach , relax for a few weeks, and read them, if you have a lab, or a real network, then break it, its the best way to learn, remember when all the phones were out in north america, well, that never happened again...
later.