Communication Networks: A First Course [Hardcover]

Jean Warland (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0256174040 | ISBN-13: 978-0256174045 | Publication Date: January 1, 1998 | Edition: 2

The second edition of Communication Networks is designed for junior level engineering and computer science students with no prior knowledge of communication theory and computer networks. It is self-contained and fuses together descriptions of concrete networks with a conceptual understanding of the subject to further student understanding.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Science/Engineering/Math; 2 edition (January 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0256174040
• ISBN-13: 978-0256174045
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #222,644 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A student currently using text, March 19, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Comm Netowrks A First Course (The Aksen Associates series in electrical and computer engineering) (Hardcover)

This book is not worth the price!!!!!

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars North worth the time reading, February 21, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Comm Netowrks A First Course (The Aksen Associates series in electrical and computer engineering) (Hardcover)

A very poorly written book. It is not suitable for beginners because it assumes prior knowledge of communication networks. It is also not suitable for network veterans because it is too basic and just touches on a lot of subjects.

Organization: First few chapters will make you wonder how much you were suppose to know to read this book. In the beginning 2 chapters, there is too much jumping around and nothing really gets done. Some concepts are barely mentioned while others, seemingly without reason, are heavily drilled upon. Chapter 3 is heavy on routing algorithm with hard to understand figures. Ch. 4 and 5 are well written on the different LAN's. Suddenly, ch. 6 talks about data link layer. And then ch 7 talks about the layer before that, the physical layer. I couldn't understand this organization. Why not describe each of the 7 layers? Why start from data link and then go down to physical?

Figures and plots: very very hard to understand. Almost cryptic. Sometimes words in the plots to describe a transmission or node do not correspond to the words used in the text.

Text: Concepts are not explained clearly. Having typos that mislead you don't help either. The author assumes that the reader already understand some of the notations used in describing network systems, like notation for sets and binary arithmetics.

On many parts of the text I have read it over 5 times trying to understand the concepts but still gave up at the end. Now I have given up reading the text completely.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Avoid this book and any course that uses this book, December 25, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Comm Netowrks A First Course (The Aksen Associates series in electrical and computer engineering) (Hardcover)

1. This 2nd edition has tons of typos and poorly-stated questions and ambiguous diagrams 2. It does a LOT of handwaving. This is frustrating beyond description. 3. It DOES NOT EVEN say what fields are in a TCP header! Yet it asks a question on it! 4. We used this for a course and EVERY WEEK, the instructors and TAs had to interpret, re-word or explain text and problems from the book that were part of weekly homework. 5. I dont see how that reviewer from San Jose can give this 5 stars. I can only guess that s/he got this book confused with the other Walrand books. To add insult to injury, this awful book has an exhorbitant price (it is but 3/4" thick). There is much more i could say!

TRUST ME: Do NOT buy this textbook and if a prof is using it for a course, DROP the course and/or BEG the professor to use ANY OTHER book (like Tanenbaum or Peterson&Davie). Avoid this book at all costs!