Customer Reviews

Illustrated TCP/IP (Illustrated Network)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

If what you need is a detailed reference of the bits and bytes, this is not the right book. If what you need is familiarization with the concepts and basics of TCP/IP buy this book.

In general, I find very few technical books that are error free. Most of the errors could best be caught by the editing and publishing process. This book, as pointed out, has a few errors. None of these errors detract from its value as a top level reference and explanation of the spectrum of functions and facilities provided by TCP/IP.

The included PowerPoint slides are generally error free, and are worth the price of the book. These slides are made from the illustrations in the book (wish they were visio, but ...). The book provides the equivalent of notes, or facing page text for these illustrations.

Get Comer or Stevens if you need the technical details. Get this if you need to figure out what TCP/IP is and how to use it.

This is not a book that I would read cover to cover but it is a great reference tool and I use it daily as a great source for graphic TCP/IP explanations. I also use it as a teaching aid for TCP/IP and to explain router protocol theory. I would definitely recommend buying this book!

This book badly needs to be edited all over again. I could spend the next hour typing out problems with either the statements and/or the editing. Here's a few examples:

1) On page 2, TCP is identified as "Transmission Control Protocol". On page 12, TCP is identified "Transmission Control Program". On the slide at the bottom of page 38, TCP is identified as "Transmission Control Protocol" On the slide at the bottom of page 39, TCP is identified as "Transport Control Protocol"

Which one is correct? A protocol is certainly not a program and Transport is not interchangeable with Transmission. Since this is the title of the book, you'd think a consistent name would be nice.

2) The book starts out by talking about Netware and how TCP/IP may someday rival Netware. On page 5 the author states "As of this writing, NetWare is still the best constructed client-server program available"

Funny, but I thought I was buying a book on TCP/IP and learning the innards of it, not an opinion essay on Netware vs Vines vs NT. Leave that for the columnists and stick to the subject at hand. Netware was not a founding component of the Internet and it shouldn't even be in the introduction.

As I stated earlier, I could go on, but I feel the above items are enough examples. I'm sorry I spent money on it and I'm even more sorry I can't take it back. I know I won't be buying any more books from this author/company anymore.