Computer Networking First-Step

Rating:
Summary: Computer Networking first-step
Review: Reviewer Certification(s): MCSE, MCP+I, MCP, i-Net+, Network+, Server+, A+, and former CCNA

ISBN: 1-58720-101-1

Whether you are approaching network technology for the first time and just want to learn to talk the talk, or are interested in pursuing a career in networking and really want to learn to walk the walk, Computer Networking first-step provides a sure-footed, easy to follow guide into the ubiquitous world of computer networking.

Author Wendell Odom, both a Cisco Certified Internetworking Engineer and a senior instructor, helps you get up to speed effortlessly as you develop your networking knowledge. Using everyday terminology and examples familiar to every reader at any level, concept upon concept is introduced and discussed within the framework of the layered approach to networking. All concepts are presented through analogy, or comparisons, that allow the reader to benefit from direct associations between the known -- things that are already familiar -- and the unknown -- new or unfamiliar topics. For the reader, this translates into a drastically shortened learning curve, significantly improved practical aptitude at the foundational level, and substantially increased conversational grace in explaining computer networking topics to the less informed.

Computer Networking first-step covers the most relevant fundamentals necessary to those new to networking. Topics include: 1. Networking hardware; 2. Network connections; 3. Network communications; 4. Local Area Networks; 5. Network routing; 6. Wide Area Networks; and 7. Network security. You will learn from an expert how to set up and establish basic networking, and by default, what to consider when the network malfunctions.

Ample step-by-step illustrations throughout the discussions allow readers the opportunity to learn at a graduated pace as each concept is applied to the development of various, but similar, small-scale computer networks. Readers therefore benefit immensely from the visual presentation of networking technology, concepts, and fundamentals in meaningful style -- as basic network development skill are employed to demonstrate practical application both clearly and concisely. Consequently, basic network design is learned transparently -- in building block fashion -- while the reader moves through each topic.

Computer Networking first-step also includes two appendixes - appendix A which reiterates all questions from every chapter, answers included and appendix B which demonstrates converting IP addresses between decimal and binary. In addition, the book provides a glossary full of useful and perhaps easily forgotten terms and an index -- allowing for seamless cross-referencing and search of the contents of the book.

Computer Networking first-step provides excellent grounding in the basic operating characteristics and functions of network technology and provides readers, unfamiliar with networking, that vital first step toward understanding and working with network technology -- not to mention earning an entry-level certification in networking. Every topic is presented in the richly informative style consistent with Wendell Odom's earlier works -- each of which Odom has

Rating:
Summary: Computer Networking First-Step
Review: Cisco has raised the bar on helping people understand networking. Computer Networking first-step is by far the best introduction to the complex world of networks and networking! This book is definitely written for those who want to get into networking, but do not know where to start. The first chapter takes you through and answers the question "What is a network?" and by the end of the book you have an understanding on what to look out for those intending to do harm to your network via the Internet and such.

Computer Networking first-step is one of the most easily read and understandable books out there on networking. Most books out there state to be an introductory book but lack the fundamentals principles by which to teach its reader. You really get a feel for what the world of networks, the concepts that build networks and how everything falls into place right from the very beginning.

The illustrations in the book are extremely helpful while teaching each lesson. This preps the reader on what to expect if the decide to continue their journey with Cisco while pursuing one of their many certification paths.

One of the greatest aspects of this book is the superior writing of each and every chapter. The author talks to you in a very upbeat and conversational way. There is a kind of mentorship occurring by which he uses everyday examples and incorporates them into learning about the subject at hand.

The chapter summaries in Computer Networking first-step are right on target. The author stresses the most fundamental and vital points again to make sure the reader is completely ready to move on and build upon what each chapter has to offer. This book is again by far the best thing I have read concerning this topic of Networking. I wish this series had come out sometime sooner when I was just starting out years ago.

If you are thinking about getting into the world of Networking, Computer Networking first-step is definitely the only book you will need to start your journey of understanding and learning from the world leader of networking, Cisco Systems. Cisco and Wendell Odom have done it again!

Rating:
Summary: Computer Networking First-Step
Review: Cisco has raised the bar on helping people understand networking. Computer Networking first-step is by far the best introduction to the complex world of networks and networking! This book is definitely written for those who want to get into networking, but do not know where to start. The first chapter takes you through and answers the question "What is a network?" and by the end of the book you have an understanding on what to look out for those intending to do harm to your network via the Internet and such.

Computer Networking first-step is one of the most easily read and understandable books out there on networking. Most books out there state to be an introductory book but lack the fundamentals principles by which to teach its reader. You really get a feel for what the world of networks, the concepts that build networks and how everything falls into place right from the very beginning.

The illustrations in the book are extremely helpful while teaching each lesson. This preps the reader on what to expect if the decide to continue their journey with Cisco while pursuing one of their many certification paths.

One of the greatest aspects of this book is the superior writing of each and every chapter. The author talks to you in a very upbeat and conversational way. There is a kind of mentorship occurring by which he uses everyday examples and incorporates them into learning about the subject at hand.

The chapter summaries in Computer Networking first-step are right on target. The author stresses the most fundamental and vital points again to make sure the reader is completely ready to move on and build upon what each chapter has to offer. This book is again by far the best thing I have read concerning this topic of Networking. I wish this series had come out sometime sooner when I was just starting out years ago.

If you are thinking about getting into the world of Networking, Computer Networking first-step is definitely the only book you will need to start your journey of understanding and learning from the world leader of networking, Cisco Systems. Cisco and Wendell Odom have done it again!

Rating:
Summary: Computer Networking first-step - no experience necessary
Review: Computer Networking first-step (Cisco Press, 2004, isbn 1-58720-101-1, $24.95) by Wendell Odom fills a long standing void for a truly introductory book which can be read and understood by anyone in less than a month. There are other excellent publications in Computer Networking (e.g. classics by Kurose and Ross, Stevens, Tannenbaum, Comer, and Cisco Press CCNA and CCNP companions, etc) but they all embody different degrees of complexities and typically need at least one college semester to go over. What about those who do not have the time or inclination to spend a semester in a computer science class? Odom's book might be the answer.
When I am sitting in front of a computer in San Francisco and exchanging email with a friend in New Delhi, or we are chatting using MSN or Yahoo! Messenger program, there is a mind-boggling array of transformation of data between the sender and the receiver. All our analog data (speech, type face, etc) is transformed to digital data (binary digits of 0 and 1.) We are analog creatures but the infrastructure for computer communication on which we are so hopelessly dependent is strictly digital. This infrastructure is responsible for various layers of encapsulation/decapsulations, encoding/decoding, etc to move the data through a "cloud" of intermediary hubs, switches, and routers (the "cloud" is a black box to us) and establish communication between the end users. The rules (or protocols) at different layers are complex enough, and to make matters worse, the rules inside a Telco network through which our data travels can be very different from the rules in our LAN data network (the Telco network is usually a black box to the data communication folks.) Breaking this highly complex phenomenon to smaller, simpler constituent parts is what this book is about.
This book is 515 pages long and is divided into 18 chapters. Odom starts by defining a network in terms of its constituent elements, and goes on to explain how three blind guys - the Server Guy, the Cabling Guy, and the Network Guy - perceive the Network "Elephant". The authors and the editors have tried hard to explain abstract concepts with real life examples; for example, they tell us how to how to eat a dinosaur (OSI 7-layer model) versus how to eat an elephant (tcp/ip 4 layer model.) The whole narration takes place in terms of the human experience of fictitious characters named Fred, Wilma, Barney, Betty, Keith, Conner, Larry, Archie, Bob, and Hannah, etc who internalize the electronic data communication protocols into their own behavioral model. This tactic makes for easy reading by helping us understand the unfamiliar in terms of the familiar. Many newcomers to networking get discouraged by the learning curves for OSI and tcp/ip, and quit before getting to LAN and WAN. The author addresses this concern by strictly focusing on the concepts and leaving the details out for another day.
Odom's description of LAN as roadway and sharing of the local roadway through hub to find destinations is easy to follow. The rules to follow on the roadway cover wrecks, and also how to recover from the wrecks. His description of WAN as leasing hundreds of miles of network cable drives home the basic concepts. Hosts file is explained as a phone book, and AAA as a means to allow the right people and keep out the wrong people. Under the veneer of lightheartedness Odom manages to sneak in the concepts ranging from 4-wire WAN circuit to 802.1Q trunking, VLAN to VPN.
This book introduces many contemporary networking concepts, and would have been more complete with a chapter on wireless networking and VOIP. The diagrams are uncluttered and easy to follow for reinforcing the concepts. The index is manageably short but to the point. The best thing going for the book is its relaxed, you-can-do-it tone. However, this is not for everyone, certainly not enough for anyone seeking IT certifications. If you are looking for a conceptual understanding of computer networking to untangle the underlying mystery, read this book. I think this is a great text for high school students, home computer users, and even computer professionals who do not deal with networking in their daily work. If you are looking for details about networking standards (necessary for any certification test), find a more advanced text.

Disclosure: As an instructor at a Community College I get educational books from various publishers for review.

Rating:
Summary: Computer Networking first-step
Review: Computer Networking first-step (ISBN 1-58720-101-1)
by: Wendall Odom

This is by far the best beginner???s book on networking I???ve read. Anyone interested in starting or just beginning a career in the networking field should read this book. The chapters are broken down into easily digestible sections that are easy to understand even for the novice. I liked the way that Wendall used common comparisons throughout the chapters to describe how networking functions, such as comparing ip functionality and networking in general to the postal service and how they do shipping. The ip routing and subnetting chapters are not as confusing as other books I???ve read, even though all of the details of subnetting and routing aren???t covered in detail, there is more than enough information for even a beginner to grasp the concept of subnetting and routing quite easily.

I liked the way that Wendall takes the reader from the very basics of networking, such as how hubs and switches works to routing, wan connectivity and even touching on security.
The appendixes has a very good dictionary of terms that can be very useful for someone new to the field. The question and answer sections for each chapter were also very useful in that they helped me to remember the material I had just read.

Overall this book would be a perfect addition to any networking library, the only thing I would have added, would have been a CD containing a larger question answer section.



Rating:
Summary: Computer Networking first-step (ISBN 1-58720-101-1)
Review: Computer Networking first-step (ISBN 1-58720-101-1)
by: Wendall Odom

This book is very deceiving by the title. Computer Networking first-steps. At first glance you think this book is for people that have never been involved with this topic. However reading this book quickly dissolves your negative thoughts. I was really quite surprised at the detail presented in this book at a very easy to understand level. It can be used as a new learner book or an expert review book on the topic. The books author Wendell Odom is a very knowledgeable person with a gift of being able to present complicated material in layman terms and the author of a few other great titles. I'm impressed with his writing style and methods, I used his CCNA book a few years ago for my CCNA test, I recently read his DQOS book for another test I took, which is one of the reasons I chose this book to use as a review guide

Why should you read this book? I have a few reasons. First I let my computer illiterate Sr. VP of Operations read this book. His response was "thank you, now I finally understand some of what my engineers are talking about, and I can hold conversations and speak reasonably intelligently on the subject. The next reason is the book uses dinosaurs, cartoon characters and everyday examples that allow the reader to rapidly, learn easily and retain the material presented. This saves time in having to re-read the material multiple times to truly understand what the author is trying to say. I personally think this first-step series is a very smart idea to allow people new to any subject area to learn quickly in an entertaining environment.

My favorite things about this book are it is a medium sized book. The author presents things in order that builds on the previous chapter in order to help the reader follow along easier. The material is presented with enough material to help the reader gain knowledge and feel confident on what they just read. The last reason I like it is that it has everything form basic network concepts to more advanced topics, giving the reader a step up on a wide range of topics.

I plan on buying all the first-step series books to either quickly learn a new subject or to review long forgotten or seldom used information If only they had the CCIE first-step series, I would have passed my lab the first time.

If you need a fun, and proven way of learning anything in the IT field, I would highly recommend looking for it in the first-step series. The first-step series continues the awesome Cisco Press tradition of providing of getting knowledgeable authors to write outstanding books, which help people learn.



BW
Senior Network Engineer


Rating:
Summary: The text is thoroughly "learner friendly"
Review: Computer Networking First-Step by Wendell Odom (Senior Instructor, Skyline Advanced Technologies Services) is an ideal introduction into the phenomena and usages of networking for personal or professional purposes. Novices computer networking will learn basic networking terminology; understanding how information is routed on the internet from computer to computer and place to place; explore internet connectivity; find out how to best protect a network-linked computer from intrusion; and how to build local-area networks (LANs). Enhanced with illustrative line drawings, the text is thoroughly "learner friendly" and very highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Computer Networking First-Step
Review: Computer Networking first-step, (ISBN 1587201010) by Wendell Odom earns 4.5 jalapenos out of 5 as an excellent book for someone who is completely new to computer networks and is looking to gain a basic level of knowledge. If you are looking for a "conversational" level of understanding, this book will serve you well.

As advertised, Computer Networking first-step requires no experience and makes learning very easy. The format employed is one of relating the concept of computer networking to a roadway transportation system. This presentation makes the ideas easy to learn and understand since it simply flows as an extension of a known system the most people already understand.

If you are looking for a certification reference, this book doesn't provide enough depth for adequate exam preparation, but then it doesn't claim to either. What it does lay claim to is explaining, "The basics of computer networking in easy-to-grasp language that all of us can understand." And in that regard, it wholeheartedly delivers.

Each chapter begins with a "What you will learn" page that lists the major objectives of that particular chapter and ends with short list of review questions to ensure you have understood the topics presented. The answers to the questions are located towards the end of the book with thorough and clear explanations.

As a networking professional in the telecom industry, I have used this book as a reference and guide to explain computer network concepts to folks on the telephone side of the business. This has been of great benefit in the collaborative environment of designing and deploying IP Telephony solutions and is just one example of how an "entry-level" book such as this one can utilized by professionals in their daily operations and earns it a well deserved place on the reference shelf.

If I were to make one suggestion, it would be to include a CD with an electronic version of the book, but that is just a personal preference that could perhaps raise the cost of the book. If you are in the market for an introductory book on computer networking, this book definitely provides the bang for your buck.

Rating:
Summary: Network Introduction for the Whole Family
Review: In addition to my regular network engineering job, I am also a networking instructor at a local university branch campus. As such, I am always on the lookout for good analogies I can use in the networking courses I teach. When you explain networking to beginners, you really have to step back to the first principles ever so often, in order to make sure you have the basic in your head, as well as the complex. For this reason, I decided to check out Computer Networking First-Step (ISBN 1-58720-101-1) from Cisco Press. The first thing I noticed when I picked up the book was the author. I first discovered Wendell Odom a few years ago when I was recertifying my CCNA certification. I like how he uses examples and humor to explain concepts and has an easy, conversational style to his writing which makes it easy to read. With a lot of technical authors, reading their books can seem like a job, but not with Odom. I recommend everything he's written.

The book itself is substantial, at over 400 pages, and is priced quite reasonably, at just $24.95. It's broken down into 18 chapters which can each be read in a short sitting. Since each chapter encapsulates a single topic, you reach a feeling of accomplishment and completion at the end of each one. This is good for people new to computer networking. If you make the chapters too long, they can easily feel overwhelmed. These chapters are just right. In the intro, the book says that it is divided up into bite sized pieces for easy digestion. I thoroughly agree with that assessment.

The chapters are grouped together into sections covering networking basics, LANs, protocols, routing, WANs, and security. As you can see, the book covers a lot of ground. The thing that impressed me most was that at no point does it get overly technical. Odom picks an analogy (networks = roads) and sticks with it throughout the entire book. In the early chapters, it works perfectly. In some of the later chapters, it's a stretch, but he makes it work. I will be using the analogies from this book in teaching my beginning networking courses and would recommend it as a textbook, or at least as suggested reading for a freshman level networking course. I am also recommending this book to spouses of computer geeks (my wife, in particular). She's never really tried to understand what I do, saying that it's far too technical. I think the easy-to-read style and the bite-sized information may make this the book that gets my wife into networking. My son, who's an exceptional 2nd grader, has begun picking up this book during his reading time at night (the scary part is that he understands the material). While I don't recommend this book to the average 2nd grader, I do think that it could be used to help teach networking to middle and high school students. The review questions at the end of each chapter provide a good way for students to check their learning and the answers at the back of the book provide good explanations.

On my 5 ping rating scale, I give this book a rating of 5 pings.
!!!!!


Rating:
Summary: Not Quite What I Was Hoping For...
Review: Just a brief comment. As a small business owner, I was needing to set-up a small LAN network within my office between three computers. While this is an excellent book for networking concepts...its not what I hoped.

I had hopes that it would also address common software applications, such as Microsoft Windows XP, as many of us out thre are using that software for small business networking. Well.....not a word.

So, while I gained conceptual knowledge in the book, I gained very little practical application. I returned the book. I hope, should you purchase it, that you are pursuing only the basic network design, and not software application help.