Network Warrior (Paperback)

by Gary A. Donahue (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Written by networking veteran with 20 years of experience, Network Warrior provides a thorough and practical introduction to the entire network infrastructure, from cabling to the routers. What you need to learn to pass a Cisco certification exam such as CCNA and what you need to know to survive in the real world are two very different things. The strategies that this book offers weren 't on the exam, but they 're exactly what you need to do your job well.

Network Warrior takes you step by step through the world of hubs, switches, firewalls, and more, including ways to troubleshoot a congested network, and when to upgrade and why. Along the way, you 'll gain an historical perspective of various networking features, such as the way Ethernet evolved. Based on the author 's own experience as well as those he worked for and with, Network Warrior is a Cisco-centric book, focused primarily on the TCP/IP protocol and Ethernet networks -- the realm that Cisco Systems now dominates. The book covers:

The type of networks now in use, from LANs, WANs and MANs to CANs

• The OSI Model and the layers involved in sending data
• Hubs, repeaters, switches, and trunks in practice
• Auto negotiation and why it 's a common problem in network slowdowns
• Route maps, routing protocols, and switching algorithms in Cisco routers
• The resilient Ethernet -- how to make things truly redundant
• Cisco 6500 multi-layer switches and the Catalyst 3750 switch
• Telecom nomenclature -- why it 's different from the data world
• T1 and DS3
• Firewall theory, designing access lists, authentication in Cisco devices
• Server load balancing technology
• Content switch module in action
• Designing QOS and what QOS does not do
• IP design and subnetting made easy

The book also explains how to sell your ideas to management, how networks become a mess as a company grows, and why change control is your friend. Network Warrior will help network administrators and engineers win the complex battles they face every day.

About the Author
Gary A. Donahue is a working consultant who has been in the computer industry for 25 years. Gary has worked as a programmer, mainframe administrator, Technical Assistance Center engineer, network administrator, network designer, and consultant. Gary has worked as the Director of Network Infrastructure for a national consulting company and has been the president of his own New Jersey consulting company; GAD Technologies. Having designed and built networks ranging from simple LANs to world-wide converged VoIP networks, Gary has worked with people from all levels of IT and management. From small local businesses to Fortune 500 clients Gary observed many misunderstandings regarding routing and switching technologies, even among people with high-level certifications. Gary's goal as a consultant has always been to help his clients understand the technology at hand. Over the years he has written many documents outlining complex technologies in order that others might better understand. Much of this knowledge has been transformed into this book. Being a teacher by nature, Gary enjoys the process of imparting newfound understanding to others. Gary has taught Tae Kwon Do, Photography and Astronomy both informally and through professional schools. Being someone who disdains boredom, Gary has many hobbies including amateur radio, astronomy, bicycling, computers of all kinds, gadgets, guitar, hiking, home theater, martial arts, photography, SCUBA diving, and competitive shooting. Gary is the owner of the Newf-Net Newfoundland Dog forum and is the author of the Newf-L F.A.Q.

Product Details

• Paperback: 598 pages
• Publisher: O'Reilly Media, Inc.; First edition (May 11, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0596101511
• ISBN-13: 978-0596101510
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #5,909 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #1 in	Books > Computers & Internet > Networking > Networks, Protocols & APIs > LAN
  #7 in	Books > Computers & Internet > Networking > Intranets & Extranets
  #10 in	Books > Computers & Internet > Networking > Network Security

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

68 of 69 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Maybe the best book I will read in 2007, July 16, 2007

By	Richard Bejtlich "TaoSecurity.com" (Metro Washington, DC) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Network Warrior is the best network administration book I've ever read. I spend most of my reading time on security books, but because I lean towards network security I like reading complementary sources on protocols and infrastructure. Gary Donahue has written a wonderful book that I highly recommend for anyone who administers, supports, or interacts with networks. Network Warrior may be the best book I will read in 2007.

Why is Network Warrior so great? I think the key is the author's willingness to share personal recommendations. There are plenty of books about technology and syntax. I've read and reviewed many, most of which I liked for what they offered. However, it's rare to read a network book that says "here's how you should implement this," rather than just list options. I'm at the point in my career where I know what I might do; now I want to know what a real expert would do. Donahue provides that wisdom in many sections, but especially in Part VIII on network design.

A second reason I really enjoyed Network Warrior was its coverage of a variety of Cisco features. Sure, I had read of many of these elsewhere, but I thought Donahue made many of them clear, especially in comparison to each other. There are better references for ACLs, like Cisco Router Firewall Security by Richard Deal, but when ACLs are described next to route maps or VLAN maps, Ciscoland becomes a little easier to understand. Donahue's explanations of EtherChannel, switching algorithms, and autonegotiation are other good examples. I even admit that the author corrected my misunderstanding of QoS, as he says "QoS does not limit bandwidth, it guarantees it, which is not the same thing" (p 429). Elsewhere he says "When there is no congestion, any protocol can use any amount of available bandwidth it needs" (p 428) and "while scheduling of packets always takes places, the limits set are really only enforced during congestion" (p 427).

The third reason I like Network Warrior is the attention paid to understanding the fundamentals of certain technologies and products. The author ensures the reader gets a real grounding in telecom terms and technology, like T-1 lines. For products, I liked chapters on the 6500 series switch, content switches, and layer 3 switches.

Finally, the writing is exceptionally clear. The diagrams are excellent and make their point very well. The author's suggestions for being a better administrator apply to any technical operator. I liked Donahue's repeated suggestion to "never assume anything" and to start troubleshooting at layer 1.

Although I rated Network Warrior five stars, in a second edition I would like to see more on layer two fundamentals. I would also like to read about 802.1X and perhaps even Cisco NAC, since it seems to be becoming popular. Overall, however, you should buy and read Network Warrior right now. I loved it and will recommend it to anyone who wants to be a better network administrator.

37 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best networking book of 2007!!, August 16, 2007

By	Sean E. Connelly "Just a bithead - CCIE#17085" (Alexandria, VA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Network Warrior by Gary Donahue may just be the best gem of 2007. I purchased this book solely based on Richard Bejtlich's glowing recommendation. To be honest, I'm typically a little weary of these `all-in-one' books, because it is hard to master `all' areas (not to mention to easily discuss `all' areas). Unquestionably, Mr. Donahue has been able to buck this trend by providing a great resource that answers many questions efficiently and quickly.

To begin with, where does most networking start - layer 2, correct? Concerning NICs and layer 2, most people take auto-negotiation to be (dare I write) plug-n-play. This is the first book I've seen where it discusses `parallel detection'. Donahue is correct on page 20 as stating auto-negotiation is a protocol. He goes on to explain the `why was it built like this' of auto-negotiation. It actually makes sense now. I showed these 2 or 3 pages to a couple of other network engineers, and they both found this information to be both novel and enlightening. Right from the start, I knew I was going to be hooked on this book.

Another gem in this book, this is the first book where I see Dr. Radia Perlman's `Algorhyme' rhyme printed since Perlman's own book. Again, probably stupid, useless info to most, but Donahue gives the foundation for a lot of the topics discussed. The discussion starting on page 207 for the 6500 backplane, Chapter 18 dedicated to the 3750, the section starting on page 156 discussing GRE tunnels and the pits and perils of recursive routing, Content Switch Modules starting on chapter 28 - all topics that are both helpful and well documented in `Network Warrior'.

I could go and on about this book. Overall, this is a great book. I've gone back to it at least 5 times a week since I purchase it last month. I can't imagine a better resource.

I give this book 5 pings out of 5:
!!!!!

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Reference Book, December 7, 2007

By	Todd Hawley (San Francisco CA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This book is one of the best reference books about network security you're going to find currently on the market. It covers a wide variety of topics and issues every network administrator will face at one point or another. The author in the typical O'Reilly style also takes great steps to insure the book is not some dry tome, but occasionally puts in light comments to keep your attention. One thing I really liked about this book was its explanations of various parts of networks, how each part works, and steps to take when something fails.

Among topics covered are VLANs, Trunking, Spanning Tree Protocol, routers, tunneling, switches, firewall theory, even chapters on designing networks, all topics that any networking security book should cover and the book's author covers all of these topics well. Also included are examples of screens that you will see while installing a network feature or troubleshooting a problem.

This book is not for the squeamish or the novice, but any network admin will be glad to have it.