Internetworking Technologies Handbook

Rating:
Summary: Must Have Reference Book
Review: A collaborative effort from the people at Cisco Systems, this will help the newcomer in understanding the working of the Internetwork. The Bridging and Switching Basics are the concise and readable. A good addition to your library and also for those preparing for Cisco Certifications.

Rating:
Summary: In One's Own Hand
Review: A handbook or manual literally means, "In ones own hand". Providing you have a large hand, the fourth edition of Internetworking Technologies Handbook is an overview of at least 52 major protocols in 59 chapters and two appendices.

The topology of the book is advantageous for an academic textbook, as well as a general reference. Instructors of networking courses should consider it for a class on networking in general, or as a supplement to any course since it is a book that will benefit the student through out there study of networking.
The book is a bargain if one plans to pursue numerous networking certifications, since there is at least one chapter that would supplement the preparation for almost any exam.

If one reads through the entire book she/he will find that some of the information is dated, yet some is clearly recent. For example in chapters on security recent virus attacks are mentioned. The reader will also note that the handbook is a smorgasbord of a broad assortment of technologies. It is unlikely that any reader would not find several topics that they were previously unfamiliar with.

The main benefit of a book in this day of instant information via the Internet is the organization and summation of many (emphasize many in this case) different references. This handbook provides quick answers to many topics. In some cases the list of references alone is several pages long. You certainly won't learn enough about any of these technologies to design, install, or administer them from this book alone. But you will get a good understanding of how they work.

Rating:
Summary: In One's Own Hand
Review: A handbook or manual literally means, "In ones own hand". Providing you have a large hand, the fourth edition of Internetworking Technologies Handbook is an overview of at least 52 major protocols in 59 chapters and two appendices.

The topology of the book is advantageous for an academic textbook, as well as a general reference. Instructors of networking courses should consider it for a class on networking in general, or as a supplement to any course since it is a book that will benefit the student through out there study of networking.
The book is a bargain if one plans to pursue numerous networking certifications, since there is at least one chapter that would supplement the preparation for almost any exam.

If one reads through the entire book she/he will find that some of the information is dated, yet some is clearly recent. For example in chapters on security recent virus attacks are mentioned. The reader will also note that the handbook is a smorgasbord of a broad assortment of technologies. It is unlikely that any reader would not find several topics that they were previously unfamiliar with.

The main benefit of a book in this day of instant information via the Internet is the organization and summation of many (emphasize many in this case) different references. This handbook provides quick answers to many topics. In some cases the list of references alone is several pages long. You certainly won't learn enough about any of these technologies to design, install, or administer them from this book alone. But you will get a good understanding of how they work.

Rating:
Summary: A must for the CCIE written exam 350-001
Review: I review many technical books in the fields of telephony and data communications every year and this text is among the most concise, and well written I have incountered.

Rating:
Summary: Internetworking Technologies Handbook- A Must Have
Review: Internetworking Technologies Handbook, 4th Ed. (ISBN 1-58705-119-2) is a well written book compiled from the contributions of top networking engineers at Cisco Systems. The book is well laid out and meticulously works its way from the very basics and early beginnings of networking topologies and standards right up to the most current technologies in use today such as VoIP. This edition has added such recent networking topics such as QoS, EAP, and VoIP. This book easily tackles the most complicated topics and puts them into terms that are quite simple to grasp and understand in surprising detail for the novice, as well as the expert. Anyone who is involved in networking from day to day will find this resource invaluable in its explanation of each protocol and technology.
The book is broken into nine Parts that focus on different aspects of networking technology such as Lan Protocols, Wan Technologies, Bridging and Switching, and Routing Protocols. Every Part is then composed of several chapters focusing on individual topics. Each chapter within winds it way though the topic presenting it so that the reader understands the topic. It also provides Cisco design details and examples to assist the reader in any real world applications of the topic. Finally, each chapter ends with a summary and review questions that identify the most important topics of the chapter and test your grasp of them. Also provided are references for further reading on items discussed in each chapter.
Throughout the book detailed diagrams are provided to give a clear picture of what is being discussed. Each diagram is simply presented and not cluttered with unnecessary detail that sometimes accompanies technology books.
Personally, this book was able to really pull together all the little extras that I may find on my CCIE written test I am currently preparing for. There are many different books out there that will help you in preparing for the written test, but they tend to focus strictly on the test, such as a study guide, and less on giving an overall picture of networking so that the reader is both ready for the test and ready for applying their knowledge in the real world. I find that this type of book, one that assists in obtaining a certification and still teach real world fundamentals, is invaluable.
Whether you are a novice just starting out in networking or a well seasoned network engineer preparing for the dreaded CCIE written exam, this book is more than capable in providing the information needed to be successful. And best of all, it is written by the very people who understanding internetworking, Cisco Systems!
As I own many titles written on many different networking and computer topics, I would have to rank this book as 5 out of 5 in terms of content, format, and execution. I would highly recommend this book to anyone involved in network design and implementation and especially to anyone who is about to embark on the CCIE exam.

Rating:
Summary: Good buy
Review: This book concisely and succintly explains all Internetworking (LAN ,WAN) concepts in a way useful to the novice and also serves as a ready reference to the experienced professional. The print is also pleasing to the eye. However this compendium is a collection of all the Cisco Tutorials on the website.ALso many technologies are dealt with at a cursory level and the treatment could have been more in depth. But to sum up,a good buy.

Rating:
Summary: Not an easy read, but a good, solid reference.
Review: This book is not an "easy read", but it's very informative. With over 1,000 pages of in-depth networking technologies, you would think a book like this would put you into "Snoozeville" immediately; but, surprisingly, I found it to be well-written and easy-to-understand. The smaller chapter sizes helps you learn in bite-sized chunks.

Eventhough I'm not going for my Cisco certifications right away, this book helped answer many networking questions I had while studying for my MCSE tests.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Reference Material
Review: This book provides up to date information on a wide variety of topics. Of course this book does not give an in depth explanation of every topic it can give you a sufficient answer. I would reccomend this book especially to those who are just getting started in the internetworking field.

Rating:
Summary: Internetworking Technologies Handbook, Volume 2
Review: While somewhat technical in nature, I have found this handbook to be a most valuable resource. The clearly defined terms and simple diagrams make this a must have for those in the ever-changing world of Cisco networking environments.