CCNP Video Mentor (Video Learning) (Video Mentor)

CCNP Video Mentor is a is a DVD-ROM software product. The enclosed DVD contain a series of succinct instructional videos that demonstrate how to accomplish various CCNP-level configuration tasks on Cisco routers and switches. The 16 videos contained in this product total over 5 hours of instruction. In each individual 10-15 minute video, senior instructor Kevin Wallace walks you through basic configuration tasks. The videos consist of audio instruction, animations, and router and switch CLI video screen-casts. Each video lab presents suggested reading lists, detailed objectives, lab diagrams, command tables, and video captures. Audio instruction throughout offers tips and shortcuts that truly make learning easy. Animated network diagrams show you lab setup, device addressing, and how traffic flows through the network. Video screen-casts of the router and switch CLI demonstrate command entry, configuration techniques, and device response. For several years now, Cisco has included simulation-based assessment into its CCNP exams. These simulation questions require you to perform basic configuration tasks, adding another level of complexity to the certification process. CCNP Video Mentor helps you be better prepared for this aspect of the exam.

BSCI Lab 1 Configuring EIGRP

BSCI Lab 2 Configuring OSPF for Multiple Areas and Frame Relay Nonbroadcast

BSCI Lab 3 Configuring Multihome BGP

BSCI Lab 4 Configuring Multicast

BCMSN Lab 1 Configuring VLANs and VTP

BCMSN Lab 2 Routing Between VLANs

BCMSN Lab 3 Enabling and Optimizing HSRP

BCMSN Lab 4 Configuring IP Telephony Support

ISCW Lab 1 Configuring Frame Mode MPLS

ISCW Lab 2 Configuring a Site-to-Site VPN

ISCW Lab 3 Securing Cisco Routers

ISCW Lab 4 Configuring an IOS Firewall

ONT Lab 1 Placing and looking at VoIP Calls

ONT Lab 2 Configuring CB-WFQ and LLQ Queuing Mechanisms

ONT Lab 3 Configuring Class-Based Header Compression

ONT Lab 4 Configuring LFI


About The Author

Kevin Wallace, CCIE No. 7945, is a full-time instructor of Cisco courses and is also available for

network consulting projects (e-mail: kevin@kwnetworking.com). With 17 years of Cisco internetworking

experience, Kevin has been a network design specialist for The Walt Disney World Resort

and a network manager for Eastern Kentucky University. Kevin holds a bachelor of science degree

in electrical engineering from the University of Kentucky. Among Kevin’s other publication credits

are Cisco Voice over IP (CVoice) Authorized Self-Study Guide, 2nd Edition, Voice over IP First-

Step, CCDA/CCDP Flash Cards and Exam Practice Pack (coauthored with Anthony Sequeira),

CCIE Routing and Switching Flash Cards and Exam Practice Pack (coauthored with Anthony

Sequeira), and Cisco IP Telephony Flash Cards and Exam Practice Pack, CCVP CIPT Quick

Reference Sheets, CCVP CVoice Quick Reference Sheets, and CCVP QoS Quick Reference Sheets,

all of which are available from Cisco Press. Additionally, Kevin was a contributing author for the

Cisco IP Telephony Troubleshooting (IPTT) 2.0 course and has written for Packet magazine. Kevin

holds the Cisco IP Telephony Design Specialist and Cisco IP Communications Support Specialist

specializations.

Reader Reviews
I bought the video mentor hoping it would help get me back on track with my CCNP studies. I've been studying off and on for over a year on my CCNP while actively doing in-depth networking during my day job. First the negatives: there isn't much meat to this study guide. 5 hours for $50+ just doesn't cover it. I paid about half that through my Cisco Press discount and I still feel cheated. The CCNP is so much more detailed than what 5 hours can possibly cover. I've seen CCNA video study guides that forty hours or more in length. 5 hours to cover a single test really isn't enough in my opinion. I've taken the BSCI twice and didn't pass it either time. The first was due to lack of studying all the relevant IGPs (I never imagines that a full 1/3 of the test would be nothing but EIGRP! I'm much more of an expert IS-IS, BGP and OSPF by far so I bombed the EIGRP portion quite thoroughly). The second failure was due to lack of study time in the weeks leading up to my scheduled retake. Having seen the test twice I can say with absolute certainty that the material covered in Lab 1, which was little more than basic EIGRP, wouldn't be enough answer the EIGRP questions correctly. That brings me to my second gripe. The test material that was covered is more on par with entry-level CCNA material than CCNP material. Sure the MQC labs touched on some more advanced material like the LFI lab but the overwhelming majority of the material is the basic fundamentals at most. I feel in no way prepared to go back and take the new CCNP courses based on these videos. Either the material is way too basic or I'm really good, much more so than I think I am. This DVD is more like an Intro to the video mentor that mistakenly took on some of the more CCNA topics. My last gripe is on the use of the SDM in a couple of the labs. I haven't taken any of the new CCNP tests since they revised them this past winter. However I seriously doubt if they use the SDM for any of it. I really didn't get anything out of the SDM sections which covered configuring an IPSec L2L tunnel as well as going through the basic router hardening processes. I believe the IOS firewall section also relied on the SDM. I really got nothing from those sections. We didn't even get a good look at the config that the SDM applied. As far as my positive remarks: Kevin really did do a wonderful job of presenting the material. He clearly went out of his way to thoroughly explain what he was doing and why. For me it was too much hand-holding but I can easily see where others would need that level of quality attention. Kevin did an excellent job of presenting the material that they gave him to present. I would love to have had him present all the material that I thought should have been included. The video was edited pretty well. It did cut off the last few seconds of each video which might not be noticeable in some cases and in others it clipped a few of Kevin's words. I do however wish they'd done something else with the video player. There isn't an installer for the content on the DVD. You can copy it to your hard drive if you want. Otherwise it will spin up the DVD drive every few seconds to cache a few more seconds of the video. Ideally the content would either be installed to disk or the player would cache much more of the content at once. I also wish the presentation had been more than a single screen. I would have liked to have had the opportunity to refer back to the network diagram from each lab during a configuration stage without having to rewind the video. Something more akin to the online training on the CPN pages or the Partner E-Learning site would have been more useful. So, overall it's an alright product. It won't cover much of the CCNP material but I don't fault Kevin for that. For the price it's probably not a worthwhile purchase, especially for only 5 hours of material. The content is well-presented though. I would definitely buy any of Kevin's future works. Comment | | (Report this)