My own solutions may not fit all. I have several bookcases full of 
hard copies of RFCs, but, these days, I print a hard copy of a draft 
or RFC primarily to read it through the first time.  When I refer to 
it, I most often just download a copy -- with a fast link, it's 
actually quicker than digging through directories.  I also am on a 
number of IETF and operational (e.g., NANOG and RIPE) lists, and get 
a lot of the gist of things through constant discussion there.  I do 
have a large number of books, but I tend to use them either for 
business case analysis or getting oriented to the specifications.

Of course, experience helps. I'm honestly not trying to show off to 
say that I can't think when I've used a subnet calculator.  For many 
routine problems, I can do the subnetting/supernetting in my head, 
or, if I need to be more precise, I write the relevant address parts 
out in binary, do calculations there, and convert back to dotted 
decimal.  There are some tricks that help, such as having memorized 
certain mask patterns, but the real secret, as many have already 
said, is think binary.

There are tricks to RFC reading.  If there is an "applicability 
statement" for the protocol, read it before the protocol 
specification. Also, expect that the first few chapters of a protocol 
specification will be much easier reading than the detailed 
specification meant for implementer/programmers. At some point, you 
really need a computer science background in data structures, 
automata/finite state theory, etc., to internalize the 
specifications.  You probably also need to have a good sense of 
interprocess communication and operating system design to understand 
what timers are doing and how failover works.

There are some wonderful books that are probably out of print, such 
as Mike Padlipsky's "The Elements of Networking Style."  I'm not 
being completely facetious to say that British comedy often puts me 
into the right mindset to do protocol design and analysis.


>Where can you get manageable copies of the original specifications? 
>I've only been in this environment for 3 1/2 years, I'm trying to 
>grasp as much knowledge as possible as quickly as possible. Reading 
>certification books seems like a good first step. My goal is to 
>someday be precise to the point of being able to quote RFCs and 
>original specs. Does anyone have any book recommendations or do I 
>have to keep downloading RFCs?
>
>My reading list right now includes:
>
>Various Cisco Press books (taking CID test tomorrow)
>Computer Networks 3rd edition (Andrew S. Tanenbaum)
>Designing Routing and Switching Architectures for Enterprise 
>Networks (Berkowitz)
>IPSEC (Doraswamy)
>
>
>Christopher A. Kane, CCNP/CCDA
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Howard C. Berkowitz [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
>Sent: Wednesday, June 13, 2001 3:19 PM
>To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>Subject: Re: LLC Type 2 [7:8262]
>
>
>  >"Stephen Skinner"  raised the interesting points,
>
>
>
>  >So ,
>>
>>the answer to your question`s seem to be .....
>>
>>Yes if your doing a Cisco Exam ....
>>
>>No if your reading info from the CCO
>>
>>Yes/No depending on who you are talking too..
>>
>>a Question has just popped into my head......."What else that we quote as
>>law (given to us from Cisco and other sources )in incorrect".....
>>
>>now that i would like to know
>>
>>steve
>
>
>You've just crystallized in my mind the reason I'm always vaguely
>uncomfortable about the people that want more and more advanced Cisco
>certifications, as well as arguing the gospel according to various
>review books rather than the original specifications.
>
>There are definitely errors in Cisco material.  In the past, certain
>training developers simply didn't want to change them "because it
>would confuse people."  There are other reasons, significantly
>including that the average course or test developer is not a subject
>matter expert.  Indeed, I know of firms to which Cisco outsourced
>course development which actively did not want subject matter experts
>writing courses, but instructional methodology people -- even if the
>subject matter expert was an experienced instructor and course
>developer. I literally got a downcheck in my performance review at
>Geotrain because I insisted on being a technical authority rather
>than managing external experts.
>
>If I were hiring someone for a network design role, much less product
>development, I'd be far less impressed by someone that had nine
>specialized CCIE certifications, than someone who had published in
>independent technical forums, could document real network design
>experience, etc. Nortel's certified architect program, among other
>things, requires candidates to document five networks they have
>designed, with their assumptions and design choices.
>
>The US military has had a lot of success with intensive training --
>train like you fight, fight like you train.  But there is a huge
>difference in correspondence to reality of something like the CCIE
>lab, and running tank battalions around the National Training Center
>at Fort Irwin.  The CCIE lab has an artificially small number of
>routers; the NTC consciously outnumbers the US troops with people
>with home field advantage--but regards the experience first as
>learning and second as testing.
>
>  >
>>
>>>From: "Priscilla Oppenheimer"
>>>Reply-To: "Priscilla Oppenheimer"
>>>To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>>>Subject: LLC Type 2 [7:8262]
>>>Date: Tue, 12 Jun 2001 19:15:33 -0400
>>>
>>>I found myself writing this paragraph for a new writing project:
>>>
>>>When NetBEUI and SNA are used on Ethernet networks, they take advantage of
>>>the reliability of LLC Type 2. Because NetBEUI and SNA are legacy
>>>protocols, the use of LLC Type 2 is diminishing. However, it is still
>>>important to learn LLC Type 2 because WAN protocols, such as High-Level
>>>Data Link Control (HDLC) and Link Access Procedure on the D Channel
(LAPD),
>>>also known as ITU-T Q.921, are based on LLC Type 2. (Cisco's HDLC is
>>>non-standard and is not based on LLC Type 2, however. Cisco's HDLC is
>>>connectionless.)
>>>
>>>Do I have it backwards? Are HDLC and LAPD based on LLC2, or is it the
other
>>>way around? Any other lies you can pinpoint in my paragraph? I know it's a
>>>bit awkward still. I will polish it. ;-) Thanks for your help!
>>>
>>>Priscilla
>>>
>>>Thanks for your help!
>>>
>>>Priscilla
>>>
>>>________________________
>>>
>>>Priscilla Oppenheimer
>>>http://www.priscilla.com
>>_________________________________________________________________________
>>Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at 
>>http://www.hotmail.com.




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