Networking Essentials is one of the core courses every prospective MCSE must pass - and in order to pass, you must truly master a wide range of technologies, both Microsoft and non-Microsoft. This insightful expert's guide won't just help you pass the test with flying colors: it'll help you be a great network administrator, too! Coverage includes basic network architectures, network types and components; LANs/WANs; network administration; remote access; internetworking and Internet services; network troubleshooting, and much more. The book includes test questions at the end of each chapter, sample texts in the appendix, access to an interactive training Web site - even a free CBT Systems course on the CD-ROM worth $225!
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From the Inside Flap
Preface
Corporations throughout the world are converting to Windows NT networks, which is creating high demand for qualified technicians to design and run those networks. Until recently, IS recruiters were in a dilemma. They had no sure-fire way of knowing if the technician they hired had the skills to do the job.
This changed in recent years with the onset of the Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer program. Microsoft's certificate program requires network engineers and those seeking to take on such roles to pass six tests prepared by Microsoft. If they pass, Microsoft certifies them as a network engineer giving them professional recognition-and a ticket to a rewarding career.
IS recruiters now have an objective tool to use when assessing the skills of a candidate for a network technicians position. The MCSE certificate tells the IS recruiter that the candidate met Microsoft's standards for a network technician. This book is designed to help you take your first step towards receiving your MCSE certificate. You'll need to pass six tests to qualify for the certificate and the test every MCSE candidate must pass is Networking Essentials. The Networking Essentials test challenges your basic understanding of network technology and how to implement Windows NT in a real-life situation.
Whom Is This Book For? I assume that you have a basic understanding of computers enough to know how to maneuver around Microsoft Windows 95, which has a similar interface to Windows NT 4.0. This means you'll know how to click the mouse, locate the Start button, display and highlight selections on a menu.
I don't assume you know anything about computer networks nor Windows NT 4.0 although a general knowledge of such will let you skip the basics and get to more challenging topics. Everything you need to know about networks and Windows NT 4.0 to take the Networking Essentials test is presented in this book. Much of the Network Essentials test addresses generic networking issues that cross all product lines. The test does not exclusively cover Windows NT networking. This means I don't expect you to have access to Windows NT 4.0. However, you'll find having access to Windows NT 4.0 very useful when learning about Windows NT 4.0 networking tools.
I also assume that you are likely to be rusty on test-taking skills, so I've included an appendix that reviews some of the basic techniques for studying and taking a test. Following the steps contained in that appendix will relieve test anxiety and give you an edge when sitting for the test.
And I threw in a few sample tests to let you practice your skills before you enter the test room. You'll find questions on the sample tests very similar to the ones on the Network Essentials test. I expect to you to take the sample test as if you were taking the real test. Don't cheat and look up the answers until you have completed the test. And be sure you don't exceed the time limit.
I also expect you to review the material in the book that covers questions you missed on the sample test. This is a proven method used to strengthen your weak points.
About the Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer
(MCSE) Tests Microsoft decided that there are four areas of knowledge a certified systems engineer should possess. These are networking, clients, Windows NT 4.0 server, and the Windows NT 4.0 Enterprise server.
The network component is addressed in the Networking Essentials course and test-referred to as 70-058. The client component is satisfied with either the Implementing and Supporting Windows NT Workstation 4.0 course/test (70-073) or Implementing and Supporting Microsoft Windows 95 course/test (70-063). Both server components are satisfied by the Implementing and Supporting Windows NT Server 4.0 course/test (70-067) and the Implementing and Supporting Windows NT Server 4.0 course/test (70-068).
In addition to these required tests, you must pass two of ten possible electives.
An advantage of the MCSE program is that you don't have to attend classes to become certified. All that is necessary is to pass the tests. This means if you already have the skills to implement and support Windows 95, then you can sit for the test. If you pass, then you've completed a requirement to become certified.
If you don't have these skills, you can use books and courseware material to learn at your own pace. You'll find all the necessary material you'll require to become certified in the Microsoft Certified Program.
What You'll Need Unlike other computer books you've purchased, you don't require any hardware or software to use this book. Chapters 1 through 8 provide the information you need to learn to pass the Network Essentials test.
You will find it useful to have available Windows NT 4.0 with administrator rights when you read Appendix A. Appendix A provides a step-by-step guide to set up, use, and troubleshoot a Windows NT 4.0 network. You'll be able to practice using these steps only by having access to Windows NT 4.0.
You'll also need a PC with a CD drive to use the CBT course that is provided on the CD. This course provides you with an online, hands-on-learning supplement to this book. You won't need this to pass the course, but it's well worth a look for it provides an interactive way to prep for the test.
How This Book Is Organized A network is composed of a complex hodgepodge of computer components that can baffle even the most skilled computer programmer. You are probably wondering how you are going to learn this imposing technology after skimming through the pages of this book. There are abstract modeling concepts you need to master, new terminology to memorize, and techniques that you must be able to apply when designing a network.
I have taken particular care to present these topics in a simple, logical way that is very similar to how you and I learn. You'll begin your education using the same technique as is used in building a skyscraper. You start with an empty hole, which represents a void in your knowledge about networks, and then slowly fill the hole with the terms and concepts used in data communications. You will end up with a solid foundation on how a basic network functions.
With the foundation in place, you begin to learn more challenging network concepts, which aren't difficult to understand because I relate the new material to topics you have already learned. At the end of each chapter you'll find a synopsis of the chapter followed by a little quiz you can use to test your knowledge about lessons presented in the chapter. These questions are similar to those found on the Network Essentials certification test.
In the first chapter, you'll receive an overview of networking beginning with the fundamentals of information, data, and computer networks. When you're finished with Chapter One, you'll have a good idea of what is in store in the remaining pages of the book.
Chapter Two explores the network model that specifies the rules called protocols that network software and hardware manufacturers must follow. These rules enable error-free data communications between unlike computers. You won't need to learn the details of these protocols, but you will develop an understanding of what they are and how you can implement specific protocols on a network.
In Chapter Three I introduce you to how computers, cables, and other network components are assembled. The technical term for this is called the network topology. A number of different topologies can be used to provide the most efficient data communication network for an organization. You'll know the advantages and disadvantages of each topology by the time you finished this chapter.
Chapter Four begins your look into the depths of networks with a penetrating look at network architecture. You'll learn about Ethernet, Token Ring, and other blends of hardware and software that enable network resources to be shared amongst computers. These terms may sound a bit imposing now, but they'll be second nature to you before long.
In Chapter Five you take a step back for a broad look at computer networks. Here you'll learn about servers and clients and how the network operating system manages the flow of data across the network. You'll explore how clients communicate with the network through the use of a redirector and about the various kinds of services that are typically available on the network. Once you have the big picture of network operations, you're ready to move ahead to the details.
Chapter Six shows you the information you need to manage a network. Yes, networks are smart, but you're smarter. You'll learn about user accounts and group accounts and how network-monitoring tools are used to identify bottlenecks on the network. A bottleneck slows down the flow of data causing network performance to falter. This is a nuts-and-bolts kind of chapter that shows you buttons to push to get the network rolling.
In Chapter Seven you are introduced to Wide Area Networks (WAN). A WAN is used to extend your Local Area Network beyond the walls of the building. It is in this chapter where you learn about Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM); Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN); and other network technologies that lets computers on your LAN communicate with the outside world.
Chapter Eight brings you into the real-life, imperfect world of networks. All of us assume networks run smoothly without any problems once the connections are made and the network is activated. Unfortunately, this is not always the case in the real world. In this chapter you'll learn to handle day-to-day problems such as network security, how to prepare for a network disaster, and how to troubleshoot network problems when they occur. You might say this is the chapter that gives you the tools to become a professional network engineer.
I round off the book with four important appendixes. The first contains hands-on exercises that show you step by step how to perform various network-engineering tasks using Windows NT 4.0 network features. You'll find this to be a valuable resource even after you pass your Network Essentials test. You'll learn everything you need from setting up user accounts to using network-monitoring tools to troubleshoot the network.
The next appendix gives your mind a wake-up call to prepare for the test. It has probably been more than a few months since you've sat in a classroom taking a test. You're likely to have forgotten those test-taking tricks you used back in school. All of them and more will come back to you after reviewing this appendix.
The third appendix is a glossary of buzzwords you should know. I found reviewing the glossary a good way to test your knowledge of networking terms and concepts. The fourth appendix is a sample test. This is where you prove to yourself that you have mastered Network Essentials-before you sit for the Microsoft certification test. Pass the sample test and you're in good shape to take the certification test. Fail the sample test and you will know which topics you need to review.
About the CD I found a great companion CD to this book. It is a CBT CD that contains two of their online, interactive courses covering Network Essentials topics. CBT offers a variety of CD-based courseware that is designed to fine-tune your knowledge about Network Essentials and other topics in the Microsoft Certification program.
CBT has a course for each area of the Network Essentials test. I reviewed all of them and decided to include the Administrative Issues course and the Network Troubleshooting course with this book. You'll find these two courses are good representative samples of the quality of the other courses.
The courses are easy to install. Follow the directions that accompany the CD. You'll have the choice to either install the courses on your hard disk or use them interactively from the CD. I preferred to install the courses on the hard disk because this frees my CD player for playing a little music while studying. You'll notice a listing of all the available courses displayed on your screen when you select CBT from the Program listing. The list contains names of courses you installed. You can install addition courseware from the CD contained in this book or from others purchased from CBT by using an installation program provided on the CD.
Once you begin a course, you'll find yourself reading text on the screen then clicking a few buttons to go forward or backward in the course. Watch out for sneak pop quizzes. They'll appear suddenly and you'll be graded too. Fortunately, if you're stumped by any question, you can click a button and get the answer.
The grades measure your performance in the course. You can always skip quizzes and ignore the grade, but you'll be missing out on an excellent feature of the course. You need this feedback to tell you how close you're coming to your goal-to pass the Networking Essentials test.
CTB courseware also contains Windows NT 4.0 screens that can be used to simulate using the features of Windows NT 4.0. For example, you can interact with Windows NT 4.0 screens to set up user accounts and group accounts and run the network monitor along with other features. This gives you the opportunity to develop your hands-on skills if you don't have access to Windows NT 4.0 or lack administrator's rights to Windows NT 4.0 on your computer.
Special thanks to CBT Systems for permission to use some of the artwork in their excellent computer-based training modules. Please see the advertisement in the back of this book for more information about how you can receive their full line of products.
Corporations throughout the world are converting to Windows NT networks, which is creating high demand for qualified technicians to design and run those networks. Until recently, IS recruiters were in a dilemma. They had no sure-fire way of knowing if the technician they hired had the skills to do the job.
This changed in recent years with the onset of the Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer program. Microsoft's certificate program requires network engineers and those seeking to take on such roles to pass six tests prepared by Microsoft. If they pass, Microsoft certifies them as a network engineer giving them professional recognition-and a ticket to a rewarding career.
IS recruiters now have an objective tool to use when assessing the skills of a candidate for a network technicians position. The MCSE certificate tells the IS recruiter that the candidate met Microsoft's standards for a network technician. This book is designed to help you take your first step towards receiving your MCSE certificate. You'll need to pass six tests to qualify for the certificate and the test every MCSE candidate must pass is Networking Essentials. The Networking Essentials test challenges your basic understanding of network technology and how to implement Windows NT in a real-life situation.
Whom Is This Book For? I assume that you have a basic understanding of computers enough to know how to maneuver around Microsoft Windows 95, which has a similar interface to Windows NT 4.0. This means you'll know how to click the mouse, locate the Start button, display and highlight selections on a menu.
I don't assume you know anything about computer networks nor Windows NT 4.0 although a general knowledge of such will let you skip the basics and get to more challenging topics. Everything you need to know about networks and Windows NT 4.0 to take the Networking Essentials test is presented in this book. Much of the Network Essentials test addresses generic networking issues that cross all product lines. The test does not exclusively cover Windows NT networking. This means I don't expect you to have access to Windows NT 4.0. However, you'll find having access to Windows NT 4.0 very useful when learning about Windows NT 4.0 networking tools.
I also assume that you are likely to be rusty on test-taking skills, so I've included an appendix that reviews some of the basic techniques for studying and taking a test. Following the steps contained in that appendix will relieve test anxiety and give you an edge when sitting for the test.
And I threw in a few sample tests to let you practice your skills before you enter the test room. You'll find questions on the sample tests very similar to the ones on the Network Essentials test. I expect to you to take the sample test as if you were taking the real test. Don't cheat and look up the answers until you have completed the test. And be sure you don't exceed the time limit.
I also expect you to review the material in the book that covers questions you missed on the sample test. This is a proven method used to strengthen your weak points.
About the Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer
(MCSE) Tests Microsoft decided that there are four areas of knowledge a certified systems engineer should possess. These are networking, clients, Windows NT 4.0 server, and the Windows NT 4.0 Enterprise server.
The network component is addressed in the Networking Essentials course and test-referred to as 70-058. The client component is satisfied with either the Implementing and Supporting Windows NT Workstation 4.0 course/test (70-073) or Implementing and Supporting Microsoft Windows 95 course/test (70-063). Both server components are satisfied by the Implementing and Supporting Windows NT Server 4.0 course/test (70-067) and the Implementing and Supporting Windows NT Server 4.0 course/test (70-068).
In addition to these required tests, you must pass two of ten possible electives.
An advantage of the MCSE program is that you don't have to attend classes to become certified. All that is necessary is to pass the tests. This means if you already have the skills to implement and support Windows 95, then you can sit for the test. If you pass, then you've completed a requirement to become certified.
If you don't have these skills, you can use books and courseware material to learn at your own pace. You'll find all the necessary material you'll require to become certified in the Microsoft Certified Program.
What You'll Need Unlike other computer books you've purchased, you don't require any hardware or software to use this book. Chapters 1 through 8 provide the information you need to learn to pass the Network Essentials test.
You will find it useful to have available Windows NT 4.0 with administrator rights when you read Appendix A. Appendix A provides a step-by-step guide to set up, use, and troubleshoot a Windows NT 4.0 network. You'll be able to practice using these steps only by having access to Windows NT 4.0.
You'll also need a PC with a CD drive to use the CBT course that is provided on the CD. This course provides you with an online, hands-on-learning supplement to this book. You won't need this to pass the course, but it's well worth a look for it provides an interactive way to prep for the test.
How This Book Is Organized A network is composed of a complex hodgepodge of computer components that can baffle even the most skilled computer programmer. You are probably wondering how you are going to learn this imposing technology after skimming through the pages of this book. There are abstract modeling concepts you need to master, new terminology to memorize, and techniques that you must be able to apply when designing a network.
I have taken particular care to present these topics in a simple, logical way that is very similar to how you and I learn. You'll begin your education using the same technique as is used in building a skyscraper. You start with an empty hole, which represents a void in your knowledge about networks, and then slowly fill the hole with the terms and concepts used in data communications. You will end up with a solid foundation on how a basic network functions.
With the foundation in place, you begin to learn more challenging network concepts, which aren't difficult to understand because I relate the new material to topics you have already learned. At the end of each chapter you'll find a synopsis of the chapter followed by a little quiz you can use to test your knowledge about lessons presented in the chapter. These questions are similar to those found on the Network Essentials certification test.
In the first chapter, you'll receive an overview of networking beginning with the fundamentals of information, data, and computer networks. When you're finished with Chapter One, you'll have a good idea of what is in store in the remaining pages of the book.
Chapter Two explores the network model that specifies the rules called protocols that network software and hardware manufacturers must follow. These rules enable error-free data communications between unlike computers. You won't need to learn the details of these protocols, but you will develop an understanding of what they are and how you can implement specific protocols on a network.
In Chapter Three I introduce you to how computers, cables, and other network components are assembled. The technical term for this is called the network topology. A number of different topologies can be used to provide the most efficient data communication network for an organization. You'll know the advantages and disadvantages of each topology by the time you finished this chapter.
Chapter Four begins your look into the depths of networks with a penetrating look at network architecture. You'll learn about Ethernet, Token Ring, and other blends of hardware and software that enable network resources to be shared amongst computers. These terms may sound a bit imposing now, but they'll be second nature to you before long.
In Chapter Five you take a step back for a broad look at computer networks. Here you'll learn about servers and clients and how the network operating system manages the flow of data across the network. You'll explore how clients communicate with the network through the use of a redirector and about the various kinds of services that are typically available on the network. Once you have the big picture of network operations, you're ready to move ahead to the details.
Chapter Six shows you the information you need to manage a network. Yes, networks are smart, but you're smarter. You'll learn about user accounts and group accounts and how network-monitoring tools are used to identify bottlenecks on the network. A bottleneck slows down the flow of data causing network performance to falter. This is a nuts-and-bolts kind of chapter that shows you buttons to push to get the network rolling.
In Chapter Seven you are introduced to Wide Area Networks (WAN). A WAN is used to extend your Local Area Network beyond the walls of the building. It is in this chapter where you learn about Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM); Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN); and other network technologies that lets computers on your LAN communicate with the outside world.
Chapter Eight brings you into the real-life, imperfect world of networks. All of us assume networks run smoothly without any problems once the connections are made and the network is activated. Unfortunately, this is not always the case in the real world. In this chapter you'll learn to handle day-to-day problems such as network security, how to prepare for a network disaster, and how to troubleshoot network problems when they occur. You might say this is the chapter that gives you the tools to become a professional network engineer.
I round off the book with four important appendixes. The first contains hands-on exercises that show you step by step how to perform various network-engineering tasks using Windows NT 4.0 network features. You'll find this to be a valuable resource even after you pass your Network Essentials test. You'll learn everything you need from setting up user accounts to using network-monitoring tools to troubleshoot the network.
The next appendix gives your mind a wake-up call to prepare for the test. It has probably been more than a few months since you've sat in a classroom taking a test. You're likely to have forgotten those test-taking tricks you used back in school. All of them and more will come back to you after reviewing this appendix.
The third appendix is a glossary of buzzwords you should know. I found reviewing the glossary a good way to test your knowledge of networking terms and concepts. The fourth appendix is a sample test. This is where you prove to yourself that you have mastered Network Essentials-before you sit for the Microsoft certification test. Pass the sample test and you're in good shape to take the certification test. Fail the sample test and you will know which topics you need to review.
About the CD I found a great companion CD to this book. It is a CBT CD that contains two of their online, interactive courses covering Network Essentials topics. CBT offers a variety of CD-based courseware that is designed to fine-tune your knowledge about Network Essentials and other topics in the Microsoft Certification program.
CBT has a course for each area of the Network Essentials test. I reviewed all of them and decided to include the Administrative Issues course and the Network Troubleshooting course with this book. You'll find these two courses are good representative samples of the quality of the other courses.
The courses are easy to install. Follow the directions that accompany the CD. You'll have the choice to either install the courses on your hard disk or use them interactively from the CD. I preferred to install the courses on the hard disk because this frees my CD player for playing a little music while studying. You'll notice a listing of all the available courses displayed on your screen when you select CBT from the Program listing. The list contains names of courses you installed. You can install addition courseware from the CD contained in this book or from others purchased from CBT by using an installation program provided on the CD.
Once you begin a course, you'll find yourself reading text on the screen then clicking a few buttons to go forward or backward in the course. Watch out for sneak pop quizzes. They'll appear suddenly and you'll be graded too. Fortunately, if you're stumped by any question, you can click a button and get the answer.
The grades measure your performance in the course. You can always skip quizzes and ignore the grade, but you'll be missing out on an excellent feature of the course. You need this feedback to tell you how close you're coming to your goal-to pass the Networking Essentials test.
CTB courseware also contains Windows NT 4.0 screens that can be used to simulate using the features of Windows NT 4.0. For example, you can interact with Windows NT 4.0 screens to set up user accounts and group accounts and run the network monitor along with other features. This gives you the opportunity to develop your hands-on skills if you don't have access to Windows NT 4.0 or lack administrator's rights to Windows NT 4.0 on your computer.
Special thanks to CBT Systems for permission to use some of the artwork in their excellent computer-based training modules. Please see the advertisement in the back of this book for more information about how you can receive their full line of products.
About the Author
Jim Keogh is a systems developer for a major international investment firm on Wall Street. He is author of more than 25 books, including C++ Programmer's Handbook and COBOL Programmer's Handbook, both published by Prentice Hall PTR.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Worthless,
By A Customer
This review is from: Core MCSE: Networking Essentials (Hardcover)
This book is absolutely worthless for passing the exam, teaching, or learning networking in general. Amazon needs a -5 Star rating for this book. There are numerous typos, information that was not researched and very wrong, multiple concepts thrown out in the same paragraph that have nothing to do with each other, and topics and information that are beyond the scope of the test and most beginning students. Save your money and buy the New Riders book.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
SKIP THIS BOOK,
By A Customer
This review is from: Core MCSE: Networking Essentials (Hardcover)
This was a pitiful excuse for a textbook. So many typos in the first two chapters I seriously doubted the validity of anything in this book. Text obviously cut and pasted but never read. Chapters disagree with one another. Acronyms constantly misspelled, wrong photos for captions. Meaningless diagrams and third grade sketches plagerized from the cbt systems CD rom (included) and farsically photocopied in stunning shades of gray and darker gray. The CD rom (yawn) was suitable for my 9 year old. If you have a competitor who is taking the Networking Essentials test, give him this book, better yet, give him mine.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Very basic and not worth the money I paid for it.,
By Melissa Molloy (reddog@senet.com.au) (Australia) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Core MCSE: Networking Essentials (Hardcover)
Was disapointed with the basic structure of a book that was labled as intermediate to advanced level. would not recomend it to anyone with basic knowledge.
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