Network Warrior: Everything You Need to Know That Wasn't on the CCNA Exam

If you walk into any networking geeks secret lair and scan your eyes along the endless horizon of nerdomenclature, you'll undoubtedly find Gary Donahue's original Networking Warrior somewhere pressed up against a vast collection of Cisco Press, Sybex, O'Reilly and occasional Max Brooks literature. From the beginning Gary Donahue's masterpiece has been widely accepted as thee' post CCNA book for every Cisco guy since 2007. As the unofficial go to manual for everything untaught on the CCNA a Cisco network engineer needs to know, Gary has taken his place among the elite masters Cisco authors such as Jeff Doyle, Wendell Odom, Jeremy Cioara and David Hucaby just to name a few.Networking Warrior Second Edition has updated it's core example technologies to reflect the ever evolving industry we as network engineers work with on a daily bassis. Giving us operational examples on Cisco new cutting edge equipment including the Cisco ASA Firewalls 8.0+ IOS, 3750 & 6500 switches and even the super-cool new Nexis product line emerging from the dark shadows intending to over the world one packet at a time. Gary takes his time at the end of each applicable chapter to explain the differences of implementing each technology though the IOS, CatIOS and new Nexus NX-OS giving clear examples that are easy to follow doubling this book as an excellent field manual alongside the extremely popular Portable Command Guides published by Cisco Press.What make book unique from most publishing's is Gary's sparkling humor scatted throughout his writings. One moment he will be explaining the technical aspect of the subject, the next he'll be making a metaphor funny enough to make your Spouse look over your shoulder and ask "whats so funny?", and after the fourth or fifth time may or may not be a good thing. Even though this book flows very well, it is not without it's fresh off the print edition errors. There are areas in the text where examples have not been updated to reflect the new books updated example equipment, other areas have diagram abnormalities, but we're not here to judge Gary's wife's editorial skills. I'm sure it's hared enough just to put up with him (joking of course).Garry mentions and gives a great amount credit to his wife as being his front line editor though the many months involved in writing this book.Networking Warrior spans an impressive 41 chapters covering a slue of topics. Just holding this book in your hands and thumbing though the chapter indexes gives you an idea of just how much Gary covers. I'd like to say this book is an excellent cover to cover read, and in some major blocks it is, but there are some section that no matter how supper-geek status you give yourself you'll just find yourself over inundated with information or lack of understanding, especially if you're fresh off the CCNA boat. The clear cut and skinny on this book is: If you're a CCNA looking for the next step, or a networking nut wanting to freshen up your knowledge of Cisco solutions you're in for a treat. Because Gary Donahue has everything but gift wrapped you the next book to fill that empty slot on your bookshelf. If is, if it ever gets off your desk.

First off, thank you reviewers for your thoughts on this book, it's what lead me into buying this book. This book makes studying for my CCNA that much more enjoyable. This book helps to embolden my confidence towards the world of networking and specifically with Cisco. While watching study videos, reading my main ccna study book, and this, I seem to be retaining everything with confidence. I genuinely want to grasp a deep understanding with how all this works and the author helps to put you in an interactive mindset. He knows the questions your thinking and elaborates on issues expressed in real life network scenarios.Whether I'm labbing with his examples, or simply leaning back in my chair for a good read, this is the book I look forward to reading. I never would of thought picking it up would be this enjoyable, that helps me get through the studying grind in a totally different light.

I used the first edition all of the time at work. Very helpful guide. This edition 2, same information as the first with a lot of new content. The VoIP stuff is good, nice intro to CME, you're not going to be able to troubleshoot Call Manager or anything, but it nice for the voice gateways. The ASA stuff is good, though I wish they would have set it up like the rest of the book where their showing CatOS, IOS and NEXUS. I still deal with customers who have PIX and some have ASAs. Most things are very similar but not everything. The MPLS entry is a waste of only 6 pages. The wireless is a bit of a waste too. It good if you are dealing with autonomous AP's or single Cisco AP's at the house. Otherwise you should know this from the CCNA. The High availability stuff (HSRP) is good.I have relied on the first edition and I trust the second will be there too. As many topics were expanded upon and troubleshooting methods were added. This is definatly my field manual of choice.

Overall great read even if it is a bit dated to today protocols and standards. Started reading this right after passing the CCNA and really provided a huge bridge between knowledge and actually implementing these skills into the real world and troubleshooting you are likely to encounter. Definitely recommend this to anyone who wants to push their Networking knowledge.

Whether you're showing up on the job fresh from a Cisco certification with no job experience or you've been in the field for awhile this book has something to offer that you're not going to find elsewhere. In a nutshell, it is the networking book to help you get your job done. The book focuses on teaching what you need to know on the job and not just information to to pass a certification exam. It helps turn on light bulbs that you may not get when reading cisco Press books. It explains thing with simple examples and uses fun analogies. I have to say thisis the first networking book that I have read that I just didn't want to put down. (think spy thriller or mystery novel) If you are in the networking field, buy this book and read it cover to cover like I did. (or virtual cover to cover via Kindle in my case) Absolutely wonderful book!