CCNA Virtual Lab E-trainer (CD-ROM)

The Cisco simulations are well done and appear to be thoroughly customisable. A large number of commands are supported, with the appropriate options enabled--it's not enough to quite get you through the next-level CCDP exams, but all of the major commands you need to know for the CCNA are feigned properly. A couple of hours spent tinkering around in the Virtual Laboratory is worth weeks of time spent memorising books; the commands come to mind a lot quicker when you've "seen" them in action, and the responses are generally what you would expect to see from a real router. However, be warned that the commands are not all supported in every iteration--particularly when using unabbreviated commands, expect to run into occasional misfires. Type in "interface serial 0" and that will work fine, for example, but typing "interface tokenring 0" will get you an "Invalid input" error. This isn't really a problem for test takers, though, and it won't keep you from getting a passing grade.

When you start up the program, the routers need to be configured from scratch. (WARNING: On our test machines, the installation had a slight glitch; although a shortcut was placed on the desktop, nothing was put in the start menu.) You can choose your own IP addresses and set the routers as you choose; generally, changing things works pretty much as it would in real life, with valid configurations resulting in a happily chugging network, and invalid configurations causing an Addams' Family-style train wreck. However, it's not perfect--when I inputted some different IP addresses and static routes and then tried to ping legitimate servers, I encountered some difficulties in connecting when it should have gone off without a hitch. (It's probably best to stick to the suggested IP addresses, anyway.) But if there is a genuine problem and you are confused as to why your tweaks have caused failure, Sybex has provided a "network visualizer" to show you your network, and also adds a "net detective" that ferrets out simple problems like shut interfaces and absent protocols.

If you find setting up a network intimidating, you can also use the Labs--tutorials that will walk you through setting your system up. While these are thorough and will do the job, some minor but extremely irritating glitches keep Labs from being top quality. For one thing, the labs are short on explanation: it's explained that the Labs are supposed to be a companion to Sybex's best-selling (and well-written) CCNA Study Guide, but many times the Labs consist of extensive lists full of arcane commands that you type in blindly, without any further explanation. It is possible to work through it manually, but if this is your only study guide you will be in for some work. However, a well-designed pop-up glossary helps ease the pain a bit.

Another problem is that the Lab interface is a bit off. When you go into Lab mode, the screen splits into two sections; a step-by-step tutorial on the bottom, and the router simulator up top (or in a pop-up box). The problem is that a) the tutorial does not keep track of what you typed, so you have to stop typing and use the mouse to scroll down to see the next screen after every third command, and b) when you DO scroll down, you then have to go back up and click in the router screen again before you can type. Add that to the fact that the tutorial scrolling is hyperfast--you will often accidentally scroll to the end, then have to hunt backwards to find your place again--and again, you are probably better off using a book tutorial in addition to the labs. The Labs can be printed out, however, and they also come pre-printed in the instruction manual.

But the Labs are not really the heart of this product; the virtual Cisco routers and switches are what people will buy this product for, and rightfully so. While it is not for the advanced user, the beginner who doesn't have access to expensive hardware will applaud this relatively inexpensive teaching tool. Get this, and a book to back you up, and you'll have that CCNA certificate emblazoned on your resume in no time. --William Steinmetz, amazon.com