Absolute Beginner's Guide to Networking

I bought this book about one year ago, and never got around to reading it. I ran into some Networking problems this evening and cracked open the book to find some answers. I started reading at page one and a few hours later Im nearly half way through the book. I consider myself to be quite computer savvy but networking has never been my thing. This book assumes no prior knowledge to networking as the title would suggest. The concepts are clear and they are broken up into relatively small chunks which are easy to digest. There are very few long winded explanations and I have not been left wondering "huh?" at any point thus far. Its not extremely comprehensive but the again, its not supposed to be, its a beginners guide and I think it delivers on the goods. Im not sure why its gotten poor reviews from other readers... I read a lot of computer books and I have found this to be one of the easiest to digest that I have ever read.

ReviewI'm the type of developer who really doesn't know much about the networking side of things. I can follow instructions OK, but when you start talking about subnet masks and DHCP, you lose me quickly. While I don't want to become a networking engineer, I do want to understand a bit more about the technology. To that end, I read through this book. Good reading...The book starts with the basics of networks and protocols. From there, you will learn about the different types of networks (peer-to-peer and network operating systems), and how you can set up networking with three major NOS packages. With that basic foundation in place, the author branches out into how networking works with the Internet. Finally, the topic of network security is covered in order to be able to keep yourself safe.The material is a good mix of explanation and usable instructions. For example, if you are setting up Linux to work in a networked environment, you can use the information in this book to help you get it set up and running. There are a number of Tip and Note sidebars that add additional information (such as disk partitioning on Linux) that may not be exactly network related, but is important information to know within the context of networking. Each chapter ends with an "Absolute Minimum" section that recaps the chapter with a number of bullet points that were covered.Some people might find the cutesy graphics a bit too much. But remember, this is a beginner's book, not a comprehensive "how to" for running your network. ConclusionIf you are looking for an understandable introduction to networking that doesn't assume you want to become a certified networking engineer, this book will work well for you.

I have virtually no networking experience, but this book provides a fairly detailed, easy-to-read, and complete coverage of the topic. There are obviously books that go into extreme detail, but this book is an introduction to the topic. This book deserves 5 stars just for being easy to comprehend and up-to-date. After reading this book and putting the knowledge to use, one will probably be ready for an advanced book on the subject. Well done. I notice a few complaints about the age of the book, but I purchased the 3rd addition and it was first printed in June 2001, so I don't see what the gripes are for; it's current.

I knew a little about networking before I read the book, but have learned so much more now. The book starts at the most basic level, giving you a very broad background to networking. My only small criticism is that some of the technologies mentioned, are perhaps, a little out of date.

Before I picked up this book, I knew nothing about computer networks and their associated jargon. Although slightly outdated (no discussion of Windows NT), this book walks you through networking fundamentals, plus gives a very good overview of the top NOS's (Networking Operating Systems) from the late 80's and early 90's. It really helped to prepare me for another good book, "Networking Essentials", and is a "must have" if you want to learn anything at all about how and why network systems function. I'd reccomend this book to anyone interested, in a heartbeat. (J. Lipscomb)