How the Internet Works (6th Edition) [Paperback]

Preston Gralla (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 7, 2001 | ISBN-10: 0789725827 | ISBN-13: 978-0789725820 | Edition: 6

How the Internet Works, Sixth Edition is divided into eight parts, starting with a brief introduction to the Internet and followed by seven additional parts talking about connecting and communicating on the Internet, security and privacy, multimedia, Intranets and more. This book is up to date on the hottest technologies!

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

How the Internet Works promises "an exciting visual journey down the highways and byways of the Internet," and it delivers. The book's high quality graphics and simple, succinct text make it the ideal book for beginners; however it still has much to offer for Net vets. This book is jam- packed with cool ways to visualize how the Net works. The first section visually explores how TCP/IP, Winsock, and other Net connectivity mysteries work. This section also helps you understand how e-mail addresses and domains work, what file types mean, and how information travels across the Net. Part 2 unravels the Net's underlying architecture, including good information on how routers work and what is meant by client/server architecture. The third section covers your own connection to the Net through an Internet Service Provider (ISP), and how ISDN, cable modems, and Web TV work. Part 4 discusses e-mail, spam, newsgroups, Internet Relay Chat (IRC), and Net phone calls. In part 5, you'll find out how other Net tools, such as gopher, telnet, WAIS, and FTP, can enhance your Net experience. The sixth section takes on the World Wide Web, including everything from how HTML works to image maps and forms. Part 7 looks at other Web features such as push technology, Java, ActiveX, and CGI scripting, while part 8 deals with multimedia on the Net. Part 9 shows you what intranets are and covers groupware, and shopping and searching the Net. The book wraps up with part 10, a chapter on Net security that covers firewalls, viruses, cookies, and other Web tracking devices, plus cryptography and parental controls. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Back Cover

How the Internet Works, Sixth Edition is divided into eight parts, starting with a brief introduction to the Internet and followed by seven additional parts talking about connecting and communicating on the Internet, security and privacy, multimedia, Intranets and more. This book is up to date on the hottest technologies!

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Que; 6 edition (September 7, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789725827
• ISBN-13: 978-0789725820
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 7.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,026,137 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent current information presented clearly & concisely, November 3, 1999

By 

George Orfanedes (New Hampshire) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How the Internet Works (Paperback)

This book presents this somewhat complicated subject in clear understandable language and diagrams. Both the novice and the experienced user/surfer will discover new facts or clear up a misconception about the technologies of the Internet. Many terms are defined and explained, including the interactions of computers and associated hardware devices, communications, software, and protocols.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simple but Thorough - A Great Introduction, December 20, 2000

By 

Fred "Technology is your friend." (CHAPEL HILL, NC, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How the Internet Works: Millennium Edition (Paperback)

I purchased this book a year or two ago and have come back to it many times as a reference. This is a visually-based book, which uses many illustrations to explain the functioning of the internet to the reader. Yes, there are a lot of areas where it glosses over things and it is very repetitive, but there are many parts where the large, clearly illustrated examples are without question the best explanation of some very complex systems. The book does spend a lot of time on simpler, less awe-inspiring technology like email and explaining how HTML works, but this is well balanced out by the visually-based explanations of how routers and other more dynamic aspects of the internet work together.

The book also clearly spells out the differences between various access systems (DSL vs. Cable modems, vs. dial-in modems, vs. Satellite access) and also spends enough time outlining wireless internet access and other systems to allow the reader to see how the same 'system' used for the internet applies to these newer, more cutting edge applications. I think the book does a great job of showing and explaining all of the complexities behind the internet, without bogging the reader down with too much jargon and detail.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Guide for Beginners--buy one for your Parents, November 9, 2002

By 

Frater V "The Truth is Absolutely Not Absolut... (Louisville, KY) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: How the Internet Works (6th Edition) (Paperback)

I work in the IT / Computer Repair industry, and I personally feel that this book is very helpful to most individuals who have little familiarity with The Internet and all the intricacies of email, firewalls, modems, Instant Messaging, etc.
This book is very, very Basic..., yet I can guarantee you, as a Help-Desk Agent, that many adults (including myself) can gather useful information from this book. The old saying is true: "a picture is worth a thousand words." In this book, that is mostly what you get...a lot of illustrations.
There is much reiteration of the same material throughout the book, which creates Filler, but the Illustrations are very helpful to the average beginning Internet user.
This book is not designed to be the Ultimate Internet Guide, but it IS a wonderful book to read through and donate to your local library, or to give your parents or grandparents to help them understand the Wonderful World of the Web.
Most people generally tend to forget that not everyone is hip to the Internet technology and terminology. This book caters to individuals who are struggling to incorporate all this new-fangled gadgetry into their lives. I wouldn't recommend this book to Techs, but I would certainly recommend it to anyone trying to integrate with the rest of society, online.