How Networks Work [Paperback]

Frank J., Jr. Derfler (Author), Les Freed (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1998 | ISBN-10: 0789715953 | ISBN-13: 978-0789715951 | Edition: 4th

An excursion through the inner workings of all the network pieces, this book provides the reader with the information needed to understand the fundamentals of connectivity. Each detailed illustration is labeled and annotated in easy-to-comprehend terms. Full color.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then Frank Derfler and Les Freed's fourth edition of How Networks Work is worth about a quarter of a million words. With lavish illustrations on almost every page, this book--like the entire How It Works series--teaches technology with detailed visuals on everything from the inner workings of a modem to the configuration of a Token Ring network. Departing somewhat from the usual form of the series, however, the authors take a historic approach. Part 1 briefly discusses the operation of the telegraph, telephone, and printing telegraph. This material is of interest, but is not presented with any detail (Edison's Carbon Transmitter, for example, is depicted as a museum piece with a bit of textual explication). Where the volume excels is in its diagramming and simplifying of complicated networked systems. The Network Interface Card is dissected, fiber optic and STP wires are cut open, and Server-Based LANs are mapped out. While Derfler and Freed don't address the nitty-gritty issues of picking specific machines and setting up specific networks, How Networks Work offers an essential first step toward understanding and implementing multiuser systems. --Patrick O'Kelley

From the Publisher

For those who need a solid introduction to networking concepts, there is no other book on the market that so clearly addresses their needs. This new edition of the original bestseller adds chapters on the Internet and the Web, ISDN, ATM, and more. The authors assume no prior knowledge of networking. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 212 pages
• Publisher: Que; 4th edition (August 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789715953
• ISBN-13: 978-0789715951
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,381,704 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Overview for Novices, November 21, 1999

By 

Michael J. Dargan (Waterloo, IA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How Networks Work (Paperback)

Bleary eyed geeks cramming for their MCSE or CNE exams needn't bother with this text. However, people who are new to networks and in need of a context in which to place the many parts of networks will find that this book fills the bill. I especially appreciate the history of communications which allows the reader to see that contemporary networks didn't spring to life with the WWW but are part of a long, sophisticated, evolutionary process. Any professor of education will tell you that learning is facilitated by cultural literacy (see E.D. Hirsch) which is just what Derfler and Freed have created.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Ongoing Reference Book for the Beginner, July 10, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: How Networks Work (Paperback)

I borrowed this book from a friend and decided it's so clear and essential, I had to buy my own copy. I agree that it's for a total beginner (like me), so I teamed it with a $40 book called Understanding the Network: A Practical Guide to Internetworking (Networking) by Michael J. Martin. Now I have both the overview and as much depth as I can handle.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great beginner book, June 14, 2000

By 

Joseph Mckinney (San Jose, Ca) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How Networks Work (Paperback)

I have read this book and recommended it to many people that are interested in an overview of networking. Reading some of the other reviews, I agree that this book is an effort to take something complex and make it understandable. This book accomplishes that and is not condescending about it. Other reviews that complain about missing a few details, well that is ok in an entry level book ( my first algebra book didn't cover any calculus). Buy this book to get started and when you decide to get more into networking, dive in deeper.