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Book List for CCIE Routing and Switching Lab

Here is a list of materials that I have used in my journey. This post will be updated as the site material is generated. I decided to place the publication date next to the resource in the listing. Some of these resources (especially the Practical Studies books) are on the Cisco Recommended Reading list. Be aware that they are a bit dated and may not reflect current practices.

I really like the INE materials. I trust them to be up-to-date and I have to vouch for their Investment Protection Program. Of course, Vol I and Vol II were a lot of money up front (I got lucky and purchased a bundle - and got reimbursed by my employer). But I have to say that I am very pleased that when the CCIE Lab switched to v4, they were keeping up with the changes and had fresh material available for me to download.


Cisco Press - CCIE Practical Studies Vol I [2001]
Cisco Press - CCIE Practical Studies Vol II [2003]
Cisco Press - CCIE Routing and Switching Practice Labs [Shortcuts Series - 2008]
Cisco Press - CCIE Routing and Switching Practice Labs [Hardcover - 2004]

INE - Internetworking Expert - CCIE Routing & Switching Lab Workbook Volume I
INE - Internetworking Expert - CCIE Routing & Switching Lab Workbook Volume II

Update:

INE - Internetworking Expert - CCIE Routing & Switching Lab Workbook Volume III
INE - Internetworking Expert - CCIE Routing & Switching Lab Workbook Volume IV

Note: INE has a special bundle deal for those with an All-Access-Pass which makes the workbooks very affordable.

Really - if you're truly serious about getting your CCIE R/S, you're going to want to get an AAP and the workbook bundle. Then buy a bunch of tokens for rack time. This is an investment in your future. Think of it that way and you will find a way to gather the money to afford these things. Granted, there are other vendors that have workbooks and rack time. Pick one and stick with it. I can only speak about the INE materials because those are the ones that I have chosen to use on my path. YMMV.

Work through Workbook I while viewing the relevant videos. It will make your rack time for Workbook I - and then Workbooks II through IV - go much faster. Workbook I covers each topic on the Blueprint. Even if you know some of it, do it again until it's mastered. Yes, not until it's boring, but until it's mastered. You will know.

However, mastering of each task is not enough. You have to be able to pull the relevant bits of mastery together to complete a lab. This is what the other three workbooks cover. Workbook II covers both configuration and troubleshooting. There are two separate sections of Workbook II (one for config and one for troubleshooting). I can tell you from experience that you can't stop there. You have to take the next step and go through Workbook III and Workbook IV. These are the two workbooks that will take you from being good to being great. The scenarios are tough. Much tougher than Workbook II. It is worth the effort. [Unless you really enjoy $1500 lunches.]

Back to books (in case you're still working your way through the Written Exam). I've heard many people say that they 'prefer' to have a physical book in their hands. Great. That will cost you. Once you buy a physical book, it will never update. Never. The downloaded versions of the same books will not update themselves, either. Remember this is going to be a long journey. You need materials that stay current so that you stay current. There's only one way that I know for that to happen - virtual libraries.

Safari Books Online has both bookshelf subscriptions and library subscriptions. The library subscription allows you to see videos and also Rough Cuts. These are the books that are almost ready to be published, but are not yet available. I have actually read cover to cover one of these Rough Cuts books (for the ASA) and then bought the physical book. I needed that information to complete my CCSP at the time and didn't want to wait. The rough cuts book was missing some of the diagrams, but was enough to help me complete the track before the book was available. Another benefit of using online books is that you can have the vertical monitor display the content while you use your horizontal desk space for your notebook to write your notes. I have found this to be more convenient than a physical book.

Another online library that you may have access to would be Books 24X7. I have had access to this through my workplace at more than one position. It is good and if your workplace makes it available for free, the price is right! However, from my experience, I have found that Safari has a more comprehensive selection of Cisco Press material. However, the Books 24X7 library includes some computer-based training materials that I haven't seen on Safari. Basically, they are the slide shows (sometimes without the audio) for some of the classes that you would need for various certifications. These slide shows were very helpful when I was studying for my CCSP - at a time when there were very few resources available.

The final "libraries" that I would like to mention are Cisco's TKL (Technical Knowledge Library) and PEC (Partner E-Learning Channel). If you are working in the Networking field, you may have this available to you. Explore these avenues. Note - this is not something that you can just pay for and access. It's usually a part of whatever agreement your employer has with Cisco. But I find that many people who have this available do not know about it or use it. The TKL has every Cisco Press title available for download. I currently have access to this through the Advanced Services contract at work. You can download any of these books to your local machine and use the Araloc viewer to read it - which requires a sign in with your Cisco CCO ID. If your employer has an Advanced Services contract, talk to your HTOM (High-Touch Operations Manager) and ask about getting your CCO ID access to this resource. And if you're working for a Cisco Partner, check out the Partner Channel of the Cisco web site. Again, you may need to talk to some people in your company to get your CCO ID associated with your company and allowed access into this part of their site. However, it is worth the effort. I have used many of the available training materials on that site and they have been helpful in more than one certification. The high point of this access is that there are also labs that you can log into for practice on various technologies. These are the labs I used for SDM (Security Device Manager) and ASDM (Adaptive Security Device Manager) practice for the CCSP. I no longer work for that Cisco Partner, but I do remember there were a number of BGP labs that would be helpful in learning and practicing. The drawback is that each 'lab' focuses only on one specific technology and doesn't give you the full picture of how these things work together. But if you have it available to you, you should use these resources to build your knowledge base - so that other materials become more effective.