Ron Gilster Boeken

Covers layering a Cisco network; transporting data over the internetwork; routing and switching: inside and out; working with WAN technologies; designing your own network; working with firewalls, proxies, and other safety measures; and implementing VPNs. This book is useful for students preparing for the CCNA or the CCDA exams.

Here's a CCNA guide that's actually fun -- but don't worry, you won't sacrifice accuracy. Lead author Ron Gilster formerly ran one of Cisco's Regional Training Academies, so he knows this stuff. It's all here: the OSI reference model, router basics, commands, and models; key protocols; network addressing, subnetting, and security; LAN switching; WANs; and much more.