A typical entry in Cisco"s Certification Training Series, Designing Cisco Networks is jammed with good technology and business information. Intended as an accompaniment to an eponymous course that is part of the Cisco Certified Design Associate certificate program, the book"s goal is to provide a blueprint for designing networks for small and medium-size companies. And it does a good job of that, even though it"s never clear how the editor, the technical reviewers, or Cisco define that particular market segment. Because the authors assume a fairly sophisticated level of networking knowledge, they buzz through the basics--technologies, protocols, and devices--in the first chapter. This section, and the rest of the book for that matter, is characterized by pithy phrasing that leaves no room for interpretation, which is a blessing for this type of publication. For example, local area networks (LANs) are given these attributes: "fast, belongs to you, is there all the time." Later sections deal with the steps involved in characterizing an existing network and determining how to update it for the customer"s needs. Obvious but good points are made, such as identifying technological and business-related bottlenecks. In addition, readers are pointed to a series of tools, such as NetFlow and CiscoWorks, that can help with network assessment and design. From there, the inner workings of developing a network technology are explored, as is the challenge of figuring out which protocols, devices, and management tools and strategies make the most sense for the environment. Case studies and sample CCDA test questions are woven throughout the book, and it wraps up with 12 appendices on topics such as PIX firewalls and DNS spoofing, plus a glossary. --Sarah L. Roberts-Witt