Customer Reviews

Cabling Handbook, The (2nd Edition)

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This second edition of Mr. Vacca's Cabling book is a big improvement over the first edition published in 1999.
This book contains a lot of good practical advise on telecommunications cabling, probably drawn from the author's practical experiences. Designing Cabling systems and cable installation sections are pretty good. However most of this information is also available in BICSI Telecommunications Distribution Methods Manuals, which you should already have a copy if you are working in the telecom field. I feel like a cabling book should have a lot more detail on cabling than topics like Virtual area networks, VPNs, Wireless future, Fiber optic electronics (instead, more info on Fiber cable installations here would be helpful). There are lot better books in those technical areas and you wander why a cabling book should include them. Also, a minimal amount of information is given on the testing cables; so I believe you would be doing better by reading ANSI/EIA/TIA-568-B.2 and B.3 standards. BICSI Telecommunications Cabling Manual for some more details on the subject. If you are planning to install a telecommunication system in an industrial facility and are not familiar with manufacturing environment please look for much more advice than you find here.

I wish I had had this book during the many diverse network specifications and configurations I was involved in. All the research I had to do (and more) has been done here by Mr.Vacca. The information is assimilated in an organised structure, and, best of all, is expressed in readable and unpretentious English.

Standards are fully described. Rules and advice are provided in clear DO and DON'T format. Practical considerations and constraints are detailed. The appendices alone are a valuable reference, but the body of the book is incredibly informative, and is truly a hands-on resource.

My only problem with this book is its title: it is far more than a "Cabling" handbook. It covers most practical aspects of networking and communications. We are applying some of the information in here as we analyse the feasibility of satellite in our wireless MAN implementation, with not a cable in sight!

I would suggest that, for anyone involved in the technical aspects of networking, this could be your primary reference resource.

This book is one that you need to have in your library to give you an in-depth overview of the latest structured cabling technology and the emerging global standards. It discusses the background work you need to perform to develop a cabling technology plan and how to apply the plans for your home, organization, church or educational institution. It shows how to install a network cabling system, the technology to test the system and then certify the systems performance. The book is well organized into seven parts with appendices, a network cabling term glossary and acronyms. The seven parts are: Overview of Cabling Technology; Designing Cabling Systems; Planning for High-Speed Cabling Systems; Installing the Cabling System; Maintaining Cabling Systems; Future Directions and the Appendices. This handbook provides you a step-by-step approach to everything you need to know and research about network cabling as well as information about planning, design, implementing and maintaining a high-performance network cabling system. Many more artifacts are given such as: part numbers; top cable installation companies; fiber optics cable companies; a cabling directory and much more.

If you are a new comer to the telecommunications and want to read on an overview go ahead you are in the right place. There isn't much information here about cabling, nothing ordinary. For cabling information you may want to check out James Trulove's LAN Wiring.

As a professional cabling designer for a large international engineering firm of 150 offices, I found that this second edition book by Vacca was out of date as soon as it was released. Much of the standards information is out of date and is no longer valid. This edition published in 2001 (per publication data) is missing many of the major EIA/TIA standards that were modified and updated in 2000. This book should be viewed as an overview to perhaps help get started, but the reader should look elsewhere for real details. The author also includes much information that is irrelevant in a "cabling handbook".

If you require the best "non-engineering" book for network cabling, buy Cabling: The Complete Guide to Network Wiring by Groth. It is five stars.

I recommend passing on this one.

This is the BEST reference book, available today. One can use it to teach a network cabling class, and feel sure that the information wil be great for ALL students. It has proved to be one of the best classes I've ever taught, using this book. It contains up-to-date information, and covers every aspect of cabling. the best book available on the market. Thank You.

The Cabling Handbook provides an excellent reference for the MOST important aspect of any type of network--the cabling infrastructure. Mr. Vacca covers all aspects of cable installation, standards and maintenance in an extremely thorough manner. He is truly an expert in this field.

The second edition of John Vacca's Cabling Handbook goes even further beyond cabling than the first edition did.

I found the extensive information on wireless connectivity particularly informative, and the chapter on its futures (Bluetooth, UMTS, and practical implications) was eye-opening and fascinating.

On a more mundane level, fiber optic technology and implementation were explained such that I have a far better understanding than before. And I recommend reading through the very practical steps in the chapter on Implementation Plan Development. These will certainly reduce the problems encountered in network installations - physical, technical, and scheduling. Been there, done that...

Being software oriented, I have often kept my distance from such hardware technologies as cabling. However, John Vacca explains it all in a reader-friendly style which makes perfect sense!

"Comprehensive" is the term that best describes the 1310 fact-filled pages of John Vacca's second edition of The Cabling Handbook. The book has a broad audience. It serves the beginner with its five-chapter overview of cabling technology; the designer with its discussions of standards, architecture, cost justification, and wireless; the hands-on practitioner with its installation and maintenance chapters; and the expert with its discussions of fiber optics, high-speed cabling, and future directions. Given the book's range and thoroughness, it can be used as both a reference and a textbook.

The Cabling Handbook by John Vacca describes a complex subject matter in easy-to-understand terms. I found the chapters "Types of Networks," "Standards," and "Network Design Issues" informative, especially as they relate to the Internet and Intranet environments. As a software engineer, I have had little experience with cabling technology, but this is an area with which I must become familiar due to the projects in which we are involved. Not only does this book describe what cabling technology is all about, but it also provides the reader with detailed descriptions that are easy to understand from a layman's perspective. Vacca's book is well organized considering the amount of information contained within and the illustrations helped me visualize the subject matter. In summary, The Cabling Handbook is an excellent reference for those who need to quickly understand the intricacies of cabling technology in order to develop and implement networks.