The Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) is the first step in your Cisco certification journey. It is the foundation and prerequisite to achieve higher level Cisco certification status and therefore it is the most popular certification. Many IT professionals regard CCNA as a ticket to enter the Cisco networking world. Many networking engineers get CCNA certified as a way to obtain more recognition and rewards from their existing jobs. They are heading the right way! In today's world, IT and networking industry do not see certification as something prestigious. Rather, getting certified is often a requirement in applying for a role.

Although CCNA is the most basic Cisco certification, it is not an easy exam in any way. No body should expect to pass by merely reading a book for a week or two and then sit for the exam. Cisco expects all CCNA candidates to fully understand the routing and switching concepts being tested. The exam has been created in a way to make sure that the candidates posses the knowledge and skills required to support a simple Cisco network. Fill-in-the-blank questions that ask you to type in a correct IOS command, select and place (drag and drop) questions, and especially the newly introduced router and switch simulation questions have been specifically designed to raise the level of difficulty of the exam. By maintaining or even increasing the exam standard, Cisco wants to make sure that every CCNA is actually better than those who are not certified.

However, please do not get discouraged by this. While difficult, passing the exam is certainly attainable with proper training and preparation. We are here to help anybody with a willingness to achieve success. If you plan your study correctly and assess your knowledge using our sophisticated SavvyEngine test simulator, you will have a good chance to pass the CCNA exam the first time.

CCNA Routing and Switching (CCNA 640-607) is the latest version of CCNA exam released by Cisco. The exam is the only requirement to achive a CCNA Routing and Switching certification. It will test the CCNA candidates basic Cisco routing and switching knowledge and skills. With the latest addition of a simulation type question, Cisco again increase the level of difficulty and therefore raising the value of CCNA certification. With this new question type, a test candidate is required to enter Cisco IOS commands as he/she would expect to get from a real Cisco router/switch in a real world environment. While its version and features have been updated, the exam still refer to the existing exam guidelines and course materials.

The CCNA certification indicates knowledge of networking for the small-office, home-office (SOHO) market and the ability to work in small businesses or organizations whose networks have fewer than 100 nodes, including but not limited to these protocols: IP, IGRP, IPX, Async Routing, AppleTalk, Extended Access Lists, IP RIP, Route Redistribution, RIP, Route Summarization, OSPF, VLSM, BGP, Serial, Frame Relay, ISDN, ISL, X.25, DDR, PSTN, PPP, VLANs, Ethernet, Access Lists, 802.10, FDDI, Transparent and Translational Bridging

A CCNA certified individual can do the following:

• Install and configure Cisco switches and routers in multiprotocol internetworks using LAN and WAN interfaces
• Provide Level 1 troubleshooting service
• Improve network performance and security

Combined with SavvyEngine CCNA Exam 640-607, we strongly suggest the following study materials:

• Cisco CCNA Exam 640-607 Certification Guide, Cisco Press 2002
• Internetworking Cisco Network Devices, Cisco Press 2002
• Cisco CCNA Practical Case Study, Cisco Press 2002
• Cisco CCNA Router Simulator, Cisco Press 2002

There are several different ways to prepare and pass the exam, depending on how much training bugdet you have:

• If you are lucky enough to afford a Cisco authorized CCNA training course Internetworking Cisco Network Devices (ICND), then we strongly suggest to attend it. For employees who work for Cisco authorized partners or resellers, there is a very good chance that they will send you to this training course. The course can be very beneficial for those who lacks of hands-on experience since it provides a networked lab of Cisco routers and switches.
• Otherwise, don't get too dissapointed because you can not afford this expensive course. Purchase Cisco CCNA 640-607 Certification Guide or Internetworking Cisco Network Devices from Cisco Press. They are very good books as starting point for the exam.
• Make sure to register at www.r1r2.com to get access to free live Cisco routers. Practice as much as IOS commands and scenarios as you can think of on those routers.
• Don't risk your chance of passing the exam by not getting SavvyEngine #640-607 Practice Test Simulator. You will not regret this important decision!
• Lastly, if you have additional budget and time to spend, you can expand your knowledge and skills by getting the CCNA Router and Switch eSim Simulator, and CCNA Practical Case Study, also available from Cisco Press.

If you have any doubts and want to have a bit of chat with us regarding every aspects of this exam, you can contact us at consult@certsavvy.com. This is a free non-obligatory exam consulation line that we provide to all customers who purchase our products. Even if you have not purchased any of our products yet, it may pay to drop us a line or two, and when we had time, you will probably get a reply.

The following topics are general guidelines for the content likely to be included on the CCNA Exam 640-607. However, other related topics may also appear on any specific delivery of the exam (excerpts from Cisco Certification web site).

1. Cisco Basics, IOS & Network Basics
1.1. Examine router elements.
1.2. Manage configuration files from the privilege EXEC mode.
1.3. Control router passwords, identification, and banner.
1.4. Identify the main Cisco IOS software commands for router startup.
1.5. Log in to a router in both user and privilege modes.
1.6. Check an initial configuration using the setup command.
1.7. Use the context-sensitive help facility.
1.8. Use the command history and editing features.
1.9. List the commands to load Cisco IOS software from: Flash memory, a TFTP server, or ROM.
1.10. Prepare to backup, upgrade, and load a backup Cisco IOS software image.
1.11. List problems that each routing type encounters when dealing with topology changes, and describe techniques to reduce the number of these problems.
1.12. Prepare the initial configuration of your router and enable IP.

2. OSI Reference Model & Layered Communications
2.1. Describe data link and network addresses and identify key differences between them.
2.2. Define and describe the function of the MAC address.
2.3. List the key internetworking functions for the OSI Network layer.
2.4. Identify at least three reasons why the industry uses a layered model.
2.5. Describe the two parts of network addressing; then identify the parts in specific protocol address examples.
2.6. Define and explain the five conversion steps of data encapsulation.
2.7. Describe connection-oriented network service and connectionless network service, and identify their key differences.
2.8. Identify the parts in specific protocol address examples.
2.9. Describe the advantages of LAN segmentation.
2.10. Describe LAN segmentation using bridges.
2.11. Describe LAN segmentation using routers.
2.12. Describe LAN segmentation using switches.
2.13. Describe the benefits of network segmentation with bridges.
2.14. Describe the benefits of network segmentation with routers.
2.15. Describe the benefits of network segmentation with switches.

3. Bridging/Switching
3.1. Name and describe two switching methods.
3.2. Distinguish between cut-through and store-and-forward LAN switching.
3.3. Describe the operation of the Spanning Tree Protocol and its benefits.
3.4. Describe the benefits of virtual LANs.

4. LAN Technologies
4.1. Determine the appropriate uses for full- and half-duplex Ethernet operation.
4.2. Describe the causes and effects of network congestion in Ethernet networks
4.3. Describe the benefits of network segmentation with various networking devices
4.4. Identify the cause(s) of LAN connectivity problem
4.5. Describe the function, operation, and primary components on a LAN

5. Routed Protocols
5.1. Describe the different classes of IP addresses including subnetting and private addresses
5.2. Configure IP addresses
5.3. Troubleshoot IP address schemes
5.4. Develop an IP addressing scheme to meet requirements
5.5. Identify the fundamental uses of various TCP/IP application layer protocols
5.6. Convert between decimal, hexadecimal, and binary
5.7. Define flow control and describe the three basic methods used in networking
5.8. Explain the functions of the TCP/IP network and transport layer protocols

6. Routing Protocols
6.1. Configure a router for inter-VLAN communication
6.2. Verify IP routing with show and debug commands
6.3. Compare and contrast the key operations that distinguish distance-vector, link-state, and hybrid protocols
6.4. Identify exterior and interior routing protocols
6.5. Configure static and default routes on a router
6.6. Enable RIP and IGRP on a router
6.7. Identify routing metrics used by IGRP and RIP

7. Network Management
7.1. Monitor and verify selected access list operations on the router
7.2. Configure authentification types (CHAP/PAP) on PPP links
7.3. Manage configuration files from the privilege EXEC mode
7.4. Manage IOS images and device configuration files
7.5. Load Cisco IOS software from: Flash memory, a TFTP server, or ROM
7.6. Perform backup, upgrade, and loading of Cisco IOS software and configuration files
7.7. Configure access lists to meet specified operational requirements
7.8. Use CDP to identify a network topology
7.9. Use ICMP to verify network connectivity and locate network problems

8. WAN Protocols
8.1. Explain key Frame Relay terms and features
8.2. Configure Frame Relay LMIs, maps, and subinterfaces
8.3. Identify ISDN protocols, function groups, reference points, and channels
8.4. Differentiate between the following WAN services: LAPB, Frame Relay, ISDN/LAPD, HDLC, PPP, and DDR
8.5. Identify PPP operations to encapsulate WAN data on Cisco routers
8.6. Use show commands to display network operational parameters so that anomalies are detected
8.7. Configure ISDN BRI and legacy dial-on-demand routing (DDR)
8.8. Configure a serial connection with PPP encapsulation