Frustrated with networking books so chock-full of acronyms that your brain goes into sleep mode? Head First Networking's unique, visually rich format provides a task-based approach to computer networking that makes it easy to get your brain engaged. You'll learn the concepts by tying them to on-the-job tasks, blending practice and theory in a way that only Head First can. With this book, you'll learn skills through a variety of genuine scenarios, from fixing a malfunctioning office network to planning a network for a high-technology haunted house. You'll learn exactly what you need to know, rather than a laundry list of acronyms and diagrams. This book will help you:

• Master the functionality, protocols, and packets that make up real-world networking

• Learn networking concepts through examples in the field

• Tackle tasks such as planning and diagramming networks, running cables, and configuring network devices such as routers and switches

• Monitor networks for performance and problems, and learn troubleshooting techniques

• Practice what you've learned with nearly one hundred exercises, questions, sample problems, and projects

Head First's popular format is proven to stimulate learning and retention by engaging you with images, puzzles, stories, and more. Whether you're a network professional with a CCNA/CCNP or a student taking your first college networking course, Head First Networking will help you become a network guru.

Amazon.com® Reader Reviews (Ranked by Helpfulness)

Average Amazon.com® Rating:  Based on 8 Ratings

Not of much value - 2009-08-21
Reviewer Rating:
I really cannot imagine who would benefit from reading this book. Hardly a worthy addition to O'Reilly's Head First lineup, it offers only the simplest introduction to the world of networking. I doubt that the authors, who are apparently instructors at a college on a reservation in Montana, were a wise choice to author this volume - 20 years to complete a degree? and a liberal arts instructor?

There are a few errors and apparent misunderstandings in the text. More seriously, much of the material is simplified to the point where the information content is at danger of disappearing altogether. The chapters on physical cable layout are particularly pointless, containing such insights as (and I paraphrase here): "if the AC ducts are in the way, reroute your cables". OK... thanks - I was going to cut right through them!

Little effort is made to provide useful references for further reading; only the networking RFCs are suggested. This is completely unhelpful, and suggests that the authors themselves are unfamiliar with the (abundant) literature on TCP/IP, routing, switching and network security.

With this volume, and some of the more recent Head First titles, O'Reilly risks returning to its previous bad practice of publishing ANYTHING which they think will make money. I very much hope they rethink their approach to what has, until recently, been a remarkably useful series.

disappointing and frustrating - 2009-08-24
Reviewer Rating:
I wanted to like this, but I think that it fails to cover its subject, fails to be useful for most people, and needs more careful editing. Overall, the book presents the networking material very slowly, but confusingly. The cute examples are distracting and often fail to illustrate the topics.
It spends many pages on basic undergrad comp sci mechanics that are neither necessary nor useful in building and maintaining a network, and rarely in troubleshooting network problems.
The text and exercises refer to material that has not been presented yet. I often had to look ahead a few pages to find a definition. A couple of the solutions appear to be wrong, or are not explained enough to understand.
Several times, the book suggests that something is possible, but does not tell how to do it. Often the discussion is limited to Cisco specifics and fails to address other equipment that a new networker might encounter.
Suggestions for improvement:
- thorough editing
- a straightforward summary at the end of each chapter
- an appendix of the common maintenance and diagnostic tools
I look forward to a second edition.

Great Refresher/Intro to Networking Topics - 2009-09-02
Reviewer Rating:
First off, to the guy who holds the CCNP docking the book to 3 stars I'm sure you forgot about the people who need the basics before getting to your level.

To everyone else, you're probably looking at this book and thinking "oh great, another silly take on a technical concept" and I can say I thought the very same thing. I've looked at these Head First books for other concepts and thought they were just too loose to be of any good. Maybe the others are, but this book, if you know just a little about networking and want some good basics or need a quick refresh, is GREAT. The way the book goes about explaining it can be a little silly, but they are basic real world scenarios that walk you through using the things you learn. There is also a "Dumb Questions" page in each section with things that you would likely ask in a classroom. There are little quizzes throughout the pages such as a few diagrams of routers linked, and in some the connection between 2 is broken or a router is down and you need to circle the ones that will update their routing tables. The following page has answers.

It really breaks it down, like a Dummies book but in a good way. If you're looking for a book on the basics of Routers, DNS, IP Addresses, Wireless, etc this is worth the price.

Highly recommended for any computer library catering to network admins - 2009-09-18
Reviewer Rating:
If computer networking is providing a systems challenge and you're making the journey from junior network admin to expert, HEAD FIRST NETWORKING is for you. It covers the basics of solving real-world networking problems, from breaks in fiber networks to common mapping or switching issues that can shut down a network. As part of the 'Head First' series, this uses a visually rich format based on the latest brain research to encourage quick understanding. Highly recommended for any computer library catering to network admins.

A very good intro/refresher read - 2009-08-28
Reviewer Rating:
Head First methodology, you either love it or hate it. I fall into the former category hence my 5 star review. I think those that give poor reviews and complain about the "distracting" captions and conversations should have known what the Head First series is about before buying the book.

I am a Comp Sci major that is 3 years removed from graduation and being "out of the game". Trying to refresh on a few key topics I picked this book up with intentions of studying towards a Network+ and eventually, down the road, a CCNA.

This book does a great job of bringing some key concepts together and presenting them in layman's terms, while also proposing real life problems that a network admin might come across.

The basic flow of the book is to introduce a concept, then see how that concept can be used to troubleshoot your network. This ebbs on the side of hands on action instead of theoretical concepts. Between the various, well thought out, excercises and the Head First metacognitive approach, the concepts of each chapter will, effortlessly, soak into your brain.

This is not a reference book, nor a study guide for a certification [it never claims to be]. In my opinion, this book would best fit as a supplimental/recommended read for a networking course OR an introductory book for someone just starting out in networking.