CCNA and CCNP candidates hear it all the time: "you have to get some hands-on experience to pass the exams". Candidates tend to think that’s just so they can solve the simulator problems, but that’s only the more obvious reason. First, I want to make it clear that I’m not bashing learning from books you [...]

When you’re studying for your CCNA exams, you’re going to study the theory of technologies we basically take for granted in networking. CSMA/CD is one of those technologies. It works beautifully and you don’t even have to configure it. But to be an effective network troubleshooter (and to pass the 640-811, 640-801, and 640-821 exams), [...]