Apply Cisco networking theory to modern enterprise environments with 40+ hands-on, CCIE-level labs

Enterprise networking has changed, and so have the Cisco certification paths. It’s crucial for networking professionals to bridge the gap between their current knowledge and the deep hands-on expertise they need to succeed at the pinnacle of the profession. Now, renowned Cisco instructor and practitioner Narbik Kocharians helps you make the leap with confidence, whether you’re preparing for your CCIE Labs or simply seeking to optimize your own network’s reliability, agility, and performance.

Based on Kocharians's widely admired CCIE prep classes, this progressive learning tool combines foundational topics with 40+ lab walkthroughs, revealing how mature technologies and today’s increasingly critical software-defined and policy-based solutions fit together. You’ll find detailed labs for widely-available emulators, structured illustrations of modern protocol and feature operation, a full lab walkthrough of a complex configuration reflective of the actual CCIE, and more.

Every lab scenario includes full solutions and in-depth explanations: read these as you practice, or solve on your own, and compare your results with the author’s. Either way, you’ll gain indispensable insight for applying theory to practice in real-world environments---including your CCIE Labs.

• Master core Layer 2 switching concepts, including STP, RSTP, MSTP, VTP, VTP Pruning, 802.1Q, ISL Trunking, LACP, and PagP
• Master route filtering with IP Prefix-lists
• Gain a rock-solid understanding of RIPv2, the Cisco Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (EIGRP), and classic Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) routing
• Understand Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), the protocol that routes the Internet
• Review the Cisco Dynamic Multipoint VPN (DMVPN) from the ground up, overlays/underlays, configurations, switching enhancements, network design, tunneling, and more
• Master MPLS and the suite of services it can provide: L3VPNs and beyond
• Make the most of IPv6: master address types, assignment, configuration, NDP, SLAAC, and IPv6-enabled DMVPN, OSPFv3, EIGRP, and BGP
• Explore the Cisco latest SD-WAN platform, from basic components to WAN edge devices and app-aware Policies
• Understand the Cisco SD-Access (SDA) solution for creating scalable, automated, and resilient enterprise fabrics