CISCO: A Beginner's Guide

by Tom Shaughnessy

You generally can't pick up knowledge of Cisco products casually, the way you can learn about Microsoft Windows, Unix, and other products that are more generally accessible. For this reason, A Beginner's Guide performs a valuable service. It introduces internetworking novices to the language and fact base that underlie routers, switches, network protocols, and the rest of the Internet's infrastructure. True enough, no book can teach you everything you need to know about a subject as complex as internetworking, but this one does a great job of giving you the background you need to perform well in a class or do hands-on experiments intelligently. The book goes heavy on prose, enabling you to slowly absorb the truth about complex systems as the author lays a foundation of knowledge and then builds upon it. Conceptual diagrams help drive home relationships among network devices, though the blueprints in the center of the book suffer from being split down the middle by the book's binding--foldouts would have been far better. This is a superb book, though, one of the best around on internetworking with Cisco. It would make an excellent first purchase for a future Cisco expert or a fine "fundamentals" reference for more accomplished network engineers. --David Wall

Topics covered: Internetworking from a theoretical standpoint, backed up by information on how Cisco products handle implementation (meaning, in part, that you get information on which Cisco lines and models are good for which jobs). Technically, readers get the goods on Cisco Internetwork Operating System (IOS), routers, switches, routing protocols, and security. There's great information on the pantheon of Cisco certifications too.

590 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1999

Reviews

[Betty Shields]

The IT industry is a very competitive one, and most of the candidates would like to increase their chances in it. The vast majority of people who want to start a career as an IT professional in the Cisco field and have no prior experience working with Cisco equipment. Here are some Cisco professionals who provide valid and updated Cisco exam practice questions. These Cisco exam questions will assist you in passing any Cisco certification exam and becoming a Cisco certified professional in 2k23. Visit:https://www.testschamp.com/cisco

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

...just what it says it is. When I was using IOS for the first time, to admin 2600 Series routers and Catalyst switches, this book helped me get the job done. Surely a more current, equally competent guide now exists, though.