Hands-on networking experience, without the lab!

The best way to learn about network protocols is to see them in action. But that doesn't mean that you need a lab full of networking equipment. This revolutionary text and its accompanying CD give readers realistic hands-on experience working with network protocols, without requiring all the routers, switches, hubs, and PCs of an actual network.

Computer Networking: Internet Protocols in Action provides packet traces of real network activity on CD. Readers open the trace files using Ethereal, an open source network protocol analyzer, and follow the text to perform the exercises, gaining a thorough understanding of the material by seeing it in action.

Features

Practicality: Readers are able to learn by doing, without having to use actual networks. Instructors can add an active learning component to their course without the overhead of collecting the materials.

* Flexibility: This approach has been used successfully with students at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Appropriate for courses regardless of whether the instructor uses a bottom-up or a top-down approach.

Completeness: The exercises take the reader from the basics of examining quiet and busy networks through application, transport, network, and link layers to the crucial issues of network security.

Amazon.com® Reader Reviews (Ranked by Helpfulness)

Average Amazon.com® Rating:  Based on 10 Ratings

OK introduction, needs proofreading - 2008-09-15
Reviewer Rating:
This book is an OK introduction to networking, but has enough typos and contextual ambiguities to warrant a new edition. It walks a tightrope between giving a general overview and avoiding distracting details, a task rendered difficult by use of a protocol analyzer software which by definition exposes the reader to protocol details... this is sometimes not a bad thing as it makes you think and reflect (as do the typos and other mistakes :-) both within and beyond the scope of what the writer is saying about a particular topic.

The choice of top-down exposition of the Internet Protocol Stack layers has its problems, as this results in 'forward references' to lower-level material not yet explained, esp. due again to the use of the protocol analyzer which tantalizes us with details of the current and lower-level layers. A bottom-up approach might have been better.

The price is too high for the content given.

Informative and Enjoyable; great inro to networking protocols - 2009-08-05
Reviewer Rating:
I'm about half way through the book. It comes with a packet analyzer and pre-captured packets on a CD (make sure the CD is included!). The book walks you through analyzing the packets with the program and explains what you are looking at along the way. I feel I learned a lot. Maybe since I'm a newbie I don't know what should have been there if, in fact, the book is lacking. However, I would definitely recommend this to others looking for an intro book that guides you through the basics and then some.

Thin on content and explanations. - 2008-07-19
Reviewer Rating:
I bought this book because it received high customer reviews. However, this book is quite disappointing as it lacks details and gives very little explanation. Its price is also pretty high especially when considering the amount of content (which is very little). The examples in the book are few and rudimentary. Where is the beef??

A Hands-On Approach to Computer Networking Theory. - 2008-06-13
Reviewer Rating:
Studying computer networks without this book would be like studying to be a motor mechanic without any practical experience in taking an engine to pieces.The CD accompanying this book contains a large number of actual traces captured during a variety of tcp/ip processes and the ethereal program included allows you to closely examine the headers and data in each packet.This is a very practically oriented book and one which I can thoroughly recommend.

What a Great Introduction... - 2009-11-02
Reviewer Rating:
This is a small and very helpful book into learning the internet protocols...literally IN ACTION. There are some grammatical errors here and there, but obviously if you are smart enough you can still understand what she means. It is pretty harsh to base a review solely on some grammatical errors and then not say anything else about this book. This book is right-to-the-point with no overwhelming context on an author trying to proclaim how well they can sophisticate vocabulary. For a book that is less than 300 pages and ~$35 bucks, I didn't expect advanced features. If you google some of the context in the book, you can see how many universities and those alike use this to teach their classes. I think she did a great job for reaching those who need an entry level/beginners learning resource.

Having this book has really helped me to catch on quick! As one of the reviewers had stated, you should check out her website and see what the students are doing...it's actually really neat!

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Top Level Categories:
Networking

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Networking > Internetworking
Networking > Protocols