Cisco Networking for Dummies [Paperback]

Ron Gilster (Author), Kevin Ulstad (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 15, 2000 | ISBN-10: 0764507400 | ISBN-13: 978-0764507403 | Edition: 1

This authoritative guide is a great tool for beginning network administrators, covering basic terminology, router and switch fundamentals, and explanations of more advanced configuration concepts and procedures.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Discover how to:
* Design the right network for the job
* Use various addressing techniques
* Integrate firewalls and proxy servers
* Store data in different router memory types
* Set up internetworks

From the Back Cover

Your friendly guide to routers and switches

Packed with real-world networking tips and solutions

Explains complex technologies -- in plain English!

Your road map to Cisco components, protocols, and terms
Whether you're a beginner or an experienced system administrator, these handy tips will help you set up and manage a network using Cisco software and hardware. This friendly guide offers easy-to-follow explanations of everything from different Cisco router models and their uses to the pros and cons of various types of network structures.

Discover how to:
* Design the right network for the job
* Use various addressing techniques
* Integrate firewalls and proxy servers
* Store data in different router memory types
* Set up internetworks
THE DUMMIES WAY
* Explanations in plain English
* "Get in, get out" information
* Icons and other navigational aids
* Tear-out cheat sheet
* Top ten lists
* A dash of humor and fun
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See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 470 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies; 1 edition (January 15, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764507400
• ISBN-13: 978-0764507403
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #525,913 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Ron Gilster was born in Vallejo, California in 1947. Which is the last time he actually lived in any one place for very long at all. Ron began his computing and technology career in 1965 in the Air Force, in which he took refuge from the draft, but ended up a Vietnam vet anyway. Over the years, he has been a punch-card machine operator, a computer programmer, a systems analyst, a database manager, a manufacturing production manager, a consultant for what was then a Big 8 accounting firm, an executive in the audio/visual and telecommunications industry, a college instructor and administrator, and, oh yes, a writer.

Ron has had a number of best-selling books, including his first "A+ Certification for Dummies," "CCNA For Dummies," "Cisco Networking For Dummies," and a dozen more. He lives in Spokane, WA and continues to write at least four books per year; the latest being "MCAS: Exam Guide."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cisco Networking for Dummies: Everything you wanted to know, October 3, 2000

By 

"networkwizard" (Orange, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cisco Networking for Dummies (Paperback)

I recently enrolled in a Internetworking class and was not impressed with some of the books available for someone new to this field. Some books had too much or not enough information. I happened to read a friends copy and decided to purchase one for myself. This book is perfect for those of us that are new to Cisco Internetworking and being introduced to the ever challenging Internetworking world. I like the way the information is presented in a straight, but humorous manner that keeps me going back for more. Although this book may not appeal to those that may already have the knowledge, this book is well suited for anyone wanting to start from the beginning as well as those that have aquired CCNA. Great book to use in combination with course recommended materials. Excellent!

29 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Vanilla, November 1, 2000

By 

Keith "SkydivingNerd" (Wisconsin) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Cisco Networking for Dummies (Paperback)

If you've got any sort of experience with networking Chapter 1, 3, 5, and 8 are worthless "basics" stuff (thin-net, thick-net, 10-Base-T, etc.). Except for some limited information on doing a little router programming, this isn't a Cisco book at all. It's just a vanilla overview of network topologies, protocols, switching, and routing.

I bought it based largely on the statement in the book description above that "This friendly guide offers easy-to-follow explanations of everything from different Cisco router models..." These "explanations" are the same little blurbs you can find on Cisco's Web site. I was hoping for a guide that showed you how to select the proper device, modules, WICs, flash memory options, etc. from the baffling array offered by Cisco and was very disappointed.

If you're looking for a guide on using Cisco equipment to set up a network, look somewhere else.

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars I'm sorry but Vanilla is right, July 18, 2001

By 

"mr_lucky_1" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cisco Networking for Dummies (Paperback)

I purchased a copy of this book before reading the reviews - it was so bad I thought I'd come here and see what others thought. I know Networking for Dummies implies that the absolute basics are par for the course but the "basics" stuff is really stale material for a recently written book. If one is a beginner, they should be treated to modern information & new advances in technology that make networking simpler & accessable to the "beginner".The cisco product info is weak, the Cisco site offering way more information on each and every product mentioned in this book. If you want a good Cisco book, my all time favorite is Cisco: A Beginner's Guide (It's a beginners guide but not for dummies !) To be fair, I have read quite a few networking guides and several beginners guides and may very well be beyond the beginner level so perhaps I'm expecting too much. However, I can't say I'm happy spending the money - the info is old, too basic, and often I was able to get better information on the cisco site. Oh well...