Rating: 
Summary: Excellent introduction to rookies.
Review: I have read 2 other beginner-networking books and the advantage this book has over others are its language-simplicity plain-English, and attractive colorful illustrations.I really hooked-up with this book that I finished reading it cover to cover, 2 times, in 3 days. Even so, this book provide only basic and rough idea. But is sufficient for anybody who just want to get to know what networking is all about. I'm looking forward to the collections of Frank J Derfler, Jr's articles in PC Magazine. (Is it already available?)
Rating: 
Summary: Great Ongoing Reference Book for the Beginner
Review: I have read this book and recommended it to many people that are interested in an overview of networking. Reading some of the other reviews, I agree that this book is an effort to take something complex and make it understandable. This book accomplishes that and is not condescending about it. Other reviews that complain about missing a few details, well that is ok in an entry level book ( my first algebra book didn't cover any calculus). Buy this book to get started and when you decide to get more into networking, dive in deeper.
Rating:
Summary: Great beginner book
Review: I have read this book and recommended it to many people that are interested in an overview of networking. Reading some of the other reviews, I agree that this book is an effort to take something complex and make it understandable. This book accomplishes that and is not condescending about it. Other reviews that complain about missing a few details, well that is ok in an entry level book ( my first algebra book didn't cover any calculus). Buy this book to get started and when you decide to get more into networking, dive in deeper.
Rating: 
Summary: Not so good for the name of how it works
Review: I recommand sybex 'networking complete'. Almost parts of this book is consist of pictures,and little text. So many readers complain of this point. me too. If you want much information from one book, buy sybex.
Rating: 
Summary: If I could give it zero stars I would.
Review: If I wanted a history lesson of telecommunications, I would have bought a book on it. I thought I would be learning about networks, which you eventually do after 6 or so chapters of worthless history. I could care less how the telegraph impacted the modem. To the authors of this book...keep the history lesson and stick to the task at hand writing and introductory book on networks. If you have any knowledge about networks, I wouldn't even waste my money. On a positive note this book is a tremendous cure for insomnia.
Rating:
Summary: A good book for children who want to know about networks
Review: If you don't know anything about networks, this is a good book to start with. It has clear concepts and graphics to help understanding. Even a child can understand the whole book. About the depth of the concepts, I'd say it's a book for children.
Rating:
Summary: nice VOIP and p2p explanations
Review: The Internet is a special kind of computer network, though by now the most important. But have you ever puzzled at the innards of it or any other network? The problem is that most explanatory texts are aimed at the computer professional. And indeed, often for someone planning to specialise in writing applications to run on that network.
Derfler and Freed write for a different and far broader audience. They do not assume that you are a professional programmer, or plan to become one. So the jargon is not as impenetratable as in other texts. Plus, a distinguishing feature of this book is the skillful and generous use of diagrams, to illustrate ideas in the text. Takes a lot of the abstraction out of the problem of learning the material.
Furthermore, this edition contains explanations of 2 very hot topics. Voice over IP, which gives the potential of cheap (free?) phone calls. And peer-to-peer networks. For the latter, two cases are covered - with a central server, and without. Refreshingly, the example usages are not of copying music or video. To show that, yes, there are good usages of p2p networks.
Rating:
Summary: Too simple, yet too complicated
Review: This book makes the somewhat complicated technology of networks too simple to be of any real use in understanding what really goes on, but uses terminology that would confuse its target audience. It's a little like a tour guide who tells you how to get somewhere by telling you that the place you're looking for is right by the Foo, Bar, and Baz, Inc. Building--if you don't already know the city, you probably don't know where the Foo, Bar, and Baz Building is, either. At times, the authors' noble efforts at simplification succeed even too well, stripping out so many parts that the explanation is misleadingly simple; the section on IP addressing is a good example of this. In addition, the pictorial section on "How the Domain Name Service Works" is just plain wrong--it cuts out an important piece of what makes the system work. The pictures are simply there to appeal to visual learners. Unfortunately, they give so little information as to be useless. The mostly single-page introductions before the eye candy does little to fill in the gaping holes in the pictures. The only reason this book receives two stars from me is its breadth. Although it gives a minuscule amount of information on each subject, it at least covers a wide variety of them. Both Syngress and Sybex publish excellent works on networking ranging from beginner to professional level. In fact, most of their books on any subject are solid quality. I used many of their products while I was working on my A+, Network+, iNet+, Server+, Security+, CISSP, and MCSE certifications. At any rate, avoid this book.
Rating:
Summary: To learn important materials about networks in easiest way.
Review: This book uses lots of graphics which makes it easy and fun to tackle such an important subject. Learning about the history of the industry is also another positive aspects of the book. At the end of the book you find yourself familiar with lots of materials which is quite useful to get into advanced phase of learning about networks.
Rating: 
Summary: For those close to networking, but not necessarily in it!
Review: This is a great book for people who have to sell to networking companies, for people who supervise or work with network managers, and for people who want to understand the principles and buzz words without working at it sixteen hours a day. You'll like the diagrams and illustrations.. they are top-notch!
-- Frank Derfle
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