Cbt.nuggets.-.cisco.ccip.bgp..642-661..with.jeremy.cioara.training | Fully Tested
BGP version 4 has been the standard since 1994. While we now have MPLS VPNs, Flowspec, and SR-TE, the core BGP decision process (Weight, Local Pref, AS-Path) is identical to what Jeremy taught in 2006. An engineer who understands this course understands 80% of modern BGP.
Every student has that video where it finally clicks. For many, it was Jeremy explaining why iBGP needs a full mesh. He’d pace, grab a marker, and draw four routers. Then draw lines between them. Then dramatically throw his hands up and say: "See this mess? That’s why we invented route reflectors. You're welcome."
He treated BGP not as a protocol but as a relationship protocol—a system of trust, manipulation, and policy between companies (ASes). That metaphor turned abstract 32-bit numbers into human decisions.
Jeremy Cioara’s CCIP BGP (642-661) course is a masterclass in BGP fundamentals that has stood the test of time. While the exam is gone, the training is still an outstanding resource for any network engineer who wants to truly understand how BGP selects paths, filters routes, and scales in a service provider environment. Pair it with modern Cisco documentation and lab practice for best results today. BGP version 4 has been the standard since 1994
It looks like you’re referring to a classic piece of training material from CBT Nuggets: the Cisco CCIP BGP (642-661) course taught by Jeremy Cioara.
While I can’t reproduce the actual video content or copyrighted transcripts from the course, I can certainly write a descriptive and nostalgic piece about what that training represented, its structure, and why it became legendary among network engineers studying Border Gateway Protocol (BGP).
Here’s a piece capturing the essence of that training: It is important to note that this specific
It is important to note that this specific exam and certification path are retired.
Title: CBT Nuggets - Cisco CCIP BGP (642-661) Instructor: Jeremy Cioara Platform: CBT Nuggets Target Exam: Cisco CCIP BGP 642-661 (now retired) Technology Focus: Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) for service provider environments.
Note: The Cisco CCIP (Cisco Certified Internetwork Professional) certification and the 642-661 exam are retired. However, the training content remains highly valuable for learning classic, in-depth BGP concepts that are still relevant to modern networks (e.g., MPLS VPNs, route filtering, path selection). the core BGP decision process (Weight
The 642-661 exam required memorizing BGP’s best-path selection algorithm (often listed as 16 steps). Jeremy turned it into a sing-song acronym: "We Love Oranges AS Oranges Mean Pure Refreshment" (Weight, Local Pref, Originate, AS-Path, Origin, MED, etc.). Every student who took that course still whispers that phrase when troubleshooting route selection today.
BGP has a unique danger: If you misconfigure OSPF, you break your office. If you misconfigure BGP, you break the internet (or at least your upstream connectivity). Jeremy’s training focuses on the "safety rails"—the concept of neighbor shutdown and soft reconfiguration—while removing the fear factor through confidence-building labs.
The 642-661 exam focused specifically on BGP configuration and troubleshooting on Cisco IOS. The series breaks down complex topics into digestible "nuggets" (short video segments). Key topics include:
