Your first step into the world of LAN switching

• No LAN switching experience required

• Includes clear and easily understood explanations

• Makes learning easy

Your first step to LAN switching begins here!

• Learn local-area network (LAN) key concepts and terminology

• Identify key issues involved with designing and managing a switched LAN

• Answer the question: do I need a hub, a bridge, or a switch?

Welcome to the world of LAN switching!

Network switches work by connecting network paths together and making intelligent decisions about moving traffic in a network. By keeping track of changes in the network, switches reduce congestion and improve speed.

No LAN switching experience needed!

LAN Switching First-Step explains the basics of LAN switching in easy-to-grasp language that all of us can understand. This book takes you on a guided tour of the key concepts behind how bridges and switches work. Whether you are looking to take your first step into a career in networking or are interested in just gaining a conversational knowledge of the technology, this book is for you!

Amazon.com® Reader Reviews (Ranked by Helpfulness)

Average Amazon.com® Rating:  Based on 6 Ratings

Bad book. - 2005-03-15
Reviewer Rating:
It is not worth reading it. Doesn't give you lots of information on the subject. Buy the Switch book. That is the best book about switching.

This is a fantastic intro to learning how a Switch works - 2009-05-25
Reviewer Rating:
I took a Cisco Switch course in college. The college course bull dozes into levels that I'm not prepared for. I read this book and I wish this book was around to help me ease into what Switches are conceptually. This book is perfect for getting the birds eye view without getting overwhelmed into Switch geek speak. If you are just looking to get your feet wet, I LOVE THIS BOOK. After reading this book, my light just turned on what the difference is between a Layer3 Switch vs Router. I GET IT! (now). If you need a high level view at 30,000 feet this is the book! I understand the difference between a Bridge and a Layer2 Switch, now. The VLAN chapter was beauty in its simplicity.. I understand what VLAN tagging and VTP is, now. The way the book lays it out is for the layman not the nerdy expert. If you are in Marketing and need a conceptual overview on this device, this book is gentle enough to learn a lot.


If you are into geek speak and need a reference book, this is not the book for you. If you need a step-by-step configuration book, this is not the book for you. If you need a *FIRST STEP* book that explains things conceptually before jumping into advance details, this book is perfect:-)

Great beginner book! - 2007-09-29
Reviewer Rating:
I picked up this book to help with my Routing and Switching class.

It focuses strictly on switch functionality, but is a great help. The book is written in such a manner that anyone should be able to understand the concepts, and there are many helpful diagrams.

If you are having trouble trying to wrap your head around bridge/switch functionality, then you should give this a try. I feel it is much better than some of the more dry, high-concept texts that are out there.

I am the author... - 2007-06-06
Reviewer Rating:
...and I apologize to those who were not happy with this book. This book had such promise when it started but at some point an author loses control of the final product even though it's their name on the cover. The editing and editorial process of this book was such a horrific experience (keep in mind this was my 3rd book with these publishers) that it has turned me off from doing any future work with this organization. This book was written during a "changing of the guard" at the publisher's and it showed in how the author(s), and their work, is treated. It is sad, if not heartbreaking, but when content is sacrificed because the editorial staff does not listen to the author the result is sadly self-evident.

Possible 2nd Step - 2005-04-03
Reviewer Rating:
LAN Switching First-Step
(Your first step into the world of LAN Switching)
Reviewer Name: Steve Owen Scheiderer, Network Administrator
Reviewer Certification: MCSE NT 4.0, CCNA

ISBN: 1-58720-100-3

For the most part LAN Switching First-Step by Matthew J. Castelli is a good review of the basic elements needed for success in setting up a switched LAN. This is increasingly important today due to the phasing out of hubs and the increased security threats facing today's LANS. In this light, I think Chapter 9, Switching Security, is the most useful chapter. I think Chapters 3 and 4 could have been combined for the sake of brevity and some discussions, like the Hierarchical Model on page 236, were redundant.

If there is an ongoing weakness it is the figures throughout the book. For example, in Figure 1-2 Train 2 and Train S do not connect at Times Square. It is hard to follow in 1-8 how the illustration relates to Half Duplex (and the discussion of half-duplex on pp. 40 and 92 is confusing). In 2-2 the combination of Frames & Bits was confusing (which also makes references on pp. 57, 61 and 67 confusing as well). The comparison in 3-15 between the LAN and railroad topology was hard to follow. The figures in Chapter 7 were not very helpful. Figure 8-8 would have been better with IP addresses represented. Figure 10-2 is supposed to represent "one host per port" (p. 221) but the graphic's Ethernet icon shows multiple systems on the segment. In one place in Figure 11-9 there is typo that says "user date" rather than "user data". Where is the router in Figure 12-8?

At times terms were introduced with definitions following later, like "frame" on page 8 and full mesh and star topology on page 57. Some topics were a bit advanced and would have been better found in an appendix, like the presentation of ITU (International Telecommunication Union) on page 37, and Long Reach Ethernet (LRE) [and] wave-division multiplexing (WDM) on page 47, and Layer 3 Switching on page 129.

With these things in mind, I think this book is would serve better as a review for those with some switching experience rather than first-steppers.

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