Rating: 
Summary: A Must-Have for the Network Professional!
Review: Networking your home? Perhaps your are preparing to network a Fortune 500 company? Maybe you just want to get your computer talking to your wifes downstairs. In any fashion, O'Reilly's "Ethernet: The Definitive Guide" is one of the best networking reference books I have purchased in quite some time.The author explains everything, from what Ethernet is all the way up to installation and troubleshooting. The comprehensive section on understanding how to plan for your network will save you time and headaches when it comes to implementing and supporting your network. One of the best features of the book, by far, is the explanation and breakdown of Ethernet/Networking terms. Do you know what a Fiber Optic Loss Budget is? How about 10Base5 Signal Encoding? The author does a terrific job of explaining, with great detail, terminology and networking concepts that even the most experienced network administrator may sometimes have trouble with. Performance issues are covered in great detail, along with troubleshooting an existing network. Through examples, you will be able to target bottlenecks in your existing setup, and diagnose failure issues with ease. I found it a great tool as I was attempting to find out why I had a high packet collision rate after a recent network card change in my Linux box. Even those who are writing network-aware software may find this book a goldmine of information. The technical explanation of the MAC protocol as well as the breakdown of information that is flowing over the network was of great value to me when I was attempting to write a device driver for a network card under BeOS. This book is geared heavily towards those who support and maintain networks for a living. However, there are many helpful examples and tips that will make this a great reference even for those who are looking to network their homes. From the pre-planning stage, to purchasing the right equipment, this book is a definitive guide to Ethernet networking.
Rating:
Summary: A Must-Have for the Network Professional!
Review: Networking your home? Perhaps your are preparing to network a Fortune 500 company? Maybe you just want to get your computer talking to your wifes downstairs. In any fashion, O'Reilly's "Ethernet: The Definitive Guide" is one of the best networking reference books I have purchased in quite some time. The author explains everything, from what Ethernet is all the way up to installation and troubleshooting. The comprehensive section on understanding how to plan for your network will save you time and headaches when it comes to implementing and supporting your network. One of the best features of the book, by far, is the explanation and breakdown of Ethernet/Networking terms. Do you know what a Fiber Optic Loss Budget is? How about 10Base5 Signal Encoding? The author does a terrific job of explaining, with great detail, terminology and networking concepts that even the most experienced network administrator may sometimes have trouble with. Performance issues are covered in great detail, along with troubleshooting an existing network. Through examples, you will be able to target bottlenecks in your existing setup, and diagnose failure issues with ease. I found it a great tool as I was attempting to find out why I had a high packet collision rate after a recent network card change in my Linux box. Even those who are writing network-aware software may find this book a goldmine of information. The technical explanation of the MAC protocol as well as the breakdown of information that is flowing over the network was of great value to me when I was attempting to write a device driver for a network card under BeOS. This book is geared heavily towards those who support and maintain networks for a living. However, there are many helpful examples and tips that will make this a great reference even for those who are looking to network their homes. From the pre-planning stage, to purchasing the right equipment, this book is a definitive guide to Ethernet networking.
Rating: 
Summary: Doesn't deliver what it promises....
Review: The back cover claims the text "provides everything you need to know to set up and manage an Ethernet network." More like everything you don't need to know - and little practical information on how to set up a network. The author takes an encyclopedic and general approach. Definitely not a how-to book. Perhaps it provides useful background information for network administrators, but little help for setting up a small network. Would more honestly be titled "Ethernet: The Encyclopedic Background of Standards and Options."
Rating:
Summary: well researched and covers all aspects, practically
Review: The RJ in RJ-45 stands for Registered Jack. Now I know. This book truly does provide all the information you will need to separate the wheat from the chaff when it comes to selecting a contractor to cable your new building, or to do the job right if you choose to become such a contractor. Compliance with local building codes is beyond the scope of the book, but guaranteeing that you don't have hard-to-trace problems with your wiring stemming from the power line being too close to the data line inside the wall is not, and suggestions about how to find the local building codes are included. With clear and readable descriptions of everything from electrons to hub management consoles, this book covers coax, twisted pair, fibre, at all current standards, up to 1000 bits per second, at all use case levels, from design of hardware protocols, to defending your requirements analysis design documents, to configuration of managed hub equipment. For those to whom reading equipment advertising is not dissimilar to interpreting the menu in a restaurant in a foreign land, industry terms are explained in non-industry terms, with etymological notes detailing the various jargons from which the ethernet equipment terms derive, and extended explanations on terms such as "terminator" that have different meanings in different contexts. After reading the Octopus book, I'm going to wire my charter school, rather than hiring a contractor. Armed with that experience, I will then be able to offer wiring buildings as yet another service. And you will too.
Rating:
Summary: Definitly the Definitive Guide
Review: This book covers a wide range of ethernet issues including fiber optics, 1000BASE-X, hubs, switches and trouble Shooting. This is an excellent reference. The glossary was better than average. Ethernet the Definitve Guide covers everything most people will ever want to know ethernet networking.
Rating:
Summary: The definitive guide - without a doubt
Review: This book covers everything most people will ever want to know about Ethernet. Protocols, Ethernet Media, system Configuration, hubs, switches and troubleshooting. Signal encoding "The 5-4-3 Rule" even fiber optics. It's all here. In one book. Read the glossary first if your new to networking. This is a must have reference for anyone dealing with Ethernet issues.
Rating:
Summary: The definitive guide - without a doubt
Review: This book covers everything most people will ever want to know about Ethernet. Protocols, Ethernet Media, system Configuration, hubs, switches and troubleshooting. Signal encoding "The 5-4-3 Rule" even fiber optics. It's all here. In one book. Read the glossary first if your new to networking. This is a must have reference for anyone dealing with Ethernet issues.
Rating: 
Summary: Perfect Ethernet Overview
Review: This book is exactly what I was looking for in a high-level overview of Ethernet. I an a non-IT engineer who just needs to know the principles of ethernet operation, especially troubleshooting and performance monitoring, and those subjects are covered well, although very briefly. The book doesn't bury the reader in ill-defined acronyms as so many other technical books do. It does use plenty of technical acronyms but they are well-explained in the text and are also defined in the glossary. The book starts by briefly covering the history of ethernet and how it developed, as an aid toward understanding it better. I find that all too often authors leave out just a few sentences on the background of something that can make all the difference in the world toward truly understanding the subject, because it gives you something interesting to remember it by. A standout feature is the clearness of the diagrams and illustrations, as well as the text. The book is an excellent example of technical writing. As an aside, I am very impressed by ethernet creator Bob Metcalfe's place in computer history. Ethernet is just an incredible example of a design that has stood the test of time and is still serving as the foundation of the latest networking technologies.
Rating: 
Summary: Thorough, but exceedingly formal and stilted
Review: To be fair, the subject matter is thoroughly explored -- there are no holes or "easy ways out" in this book. However, I kept getting distracted by the most unelegant, plodding, and totally humourless writing. Granted, one does not purchase books about ethernet for guffaws, but O'Reilly books usually are much more fun to read than this tome. I still haven't found anything as complete in one book, so I'd say get it if you need the info, but do have some strong coffee on hand.
Rating:
Summary: I like this book
Review: Well, when I borrow this book from San Jose public lib, I can not expect I will buy one. I like this book. thorough and I can find what I need in it.
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