Foreword. (cisco certified professional)

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Foreword

CCNA Practical Studies is designed to provide you with another vehicle to obtain hands-on experience, which is a critical component of any preparation program for the Cisco Certified Network Associate exam. The detailed lab scenarios contained in this book illustrate the application of key internetworking concepts covered on the CCNA exam, helping you master the practical skills you need to install, configure, and operate LAN, WAN, and dial access services for small networks. With the introduction of performance-based testing elements to the CCNA exam, these hands-on skills are of critical importance to succeeding on the exam and in your daily job as a CCNA professional. This book was developed in cooperation with the Cisco Internet Learning Solutions Group. Cisco Press books are the only self-study books authorized by Cisco for CCNA exam preparation.

Cisco and Cisco Press present this material in text-based format to provide another learning vehicle for our customers and the broader user community in general. Although a publication does not duplicate the instructor-led or e-learning environment, we acknowledge that not everyone responds in the same way to the same delivery mechanism. It is our intent that presenting this material via a Cisco Press publication will enhance the transfer of knowledge to a broad audience of networking professionals.

Cisco Press will present lab manuals on existing and future exams through these Practical Studies titles to help achieve Cisco Internet Learning Solutions Group's principal objectives: to educate the Cisco community of networking professionals and to enable that community to build and maintain reliable, scalable networks. The Cisco Career Certifications and classes that support these certifications are directed at meeting these objectives through a disciplined approach to progressive learning. To succeed on the Cisco Career Certifications exams, as well as in your daily job as a Cisco-certified professional, we recommend a blended learning solution that combines instructor-led, e-learning, and self-study training with hands-on experience. Cisco Systems has created an authorized Cisco Learning Partner program to provide you with the most highly qualified instruction and invaluable hands-on experience in lab and simulation environments. To learn more about Cisco Learning Partner programs available in your area, please go to: www.cisco.com/go/training.

The books that Cisco Press creates in partnership with Cisco Systems meet the same standards for content quality demanded of our courses and certifications. It is our intent that you will find this and subsequent Cisco Press certification and training publications of value as you build your networking knowledge base.

Thomas  M.  Kelly
Vice-President,  Internet  Learning  Solutions  Group
Cisco  Systems,  Inc.
March  2002

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