Networking: A Beginner's Guide [Paperback]

Bruce Hallberg (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0072122269 | ISBN-13: 978-0072122268 | Publication Date: December 22, 1999

This introductory guide focuses on networking fundamentals, including design and configuration, hardware, networking protocols, network clients, and security issues.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

There's a chapter in Networking: A Beginner's Guide called "Network Servers: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know but Were Afraid to Ask." The chapter title encapsulates this book's raison d'être. It's a compendium of network engineers' essential knowledge, the stuff you really need to have a handle on to build, operate, and grow local area networks (LANs) and wide area networks (WANs). Author Bruce Hallberg lays down a lot of conceptual material and then takes a three-pronged approach to implementation specifics. For Novell NetWare 5, Microsoft Windows 2000 Server, and Linux 2.2.x (particularly in its Red Hat Linux 6.1 form), the reader will find specific directions for setting up and running a particular kind of network infrastructure. One might wish for more information on setting up services (such as Samba under Linux, which isn't covered), but you'll likely want to buy at least one other book dedicated to the operating system you choose, and that book should cover services in detail.

This book derives a lot of its value from the fact that Hallberg isn't shy about sharing his opinions. For example, he comes out against managing your own modem farm (and in favor of access via the open Internet) in most situations, citing the considerable nuisance aspect of such work and the appeal of Internet Service Provider (ISPs) technical support resources. The procedural information in this book is strong as well, but most readers will especially like the general wisdom the author shares. His approach to administration decisions is to describe his thought process, in which he identifies the relevant issues, weighs the importance of each, and investigates the suitability of competing solutions to the problem. He also uses sidebars to great effect, answering small but important questions ("What's a thread?") concisely and accurately. --David Wall

Topics covered: Networking for newcomers to network administration, with emphasis on hardware, cabling, topologies, protocols, directory services, and remote access. Operations of clients and servers are detailed. Platform-specific information on Novell NetWare 5, Microsoft Windows 2000 Server, and Red Hat Linux 6.1 is also included.

From the Back Cover

Your hands-on resource for networking essentials. Build a concrete foundation in networking technology using this real-world reference and tutorial. Networking: A Beginner's Guide focuses on core networking fundamentals, including design and configuration, hardware, networking protocols, network clients, and security issues. You'll get hands-on instructions for Windows 2000 Server, NetWare 5, and Red Hat Linux installation, configuration, and administration. Plus, you'll get blueprints that map out basic network design topologies. The bonus companion Web site includes additional coverage of network troubleshooting, protocols, network security and updated information on networking with Windows 2000. Learn to: understand the OSI model, LANs, WANs, network cabling, and topologies; utilize network hardware devices--hubs, repeaters, bridges, routers, and switches; implement network protocols, such as TCP/IP, IPX/SPX, NetBEUI, and other options; enable data communication with Frame Relay, ISDN, and xDSL; explore directory services, including X.500, LDAP, Active Directory, NDS, and Windows NT domains; set up and maintain network client computers; install, set up, and administer Windows 2000 Server, NetWare 5, and Red Hat Linux; handle network security, including password policies, files system permissions, and internal and external threats; select, connect, and troubleshoot server hardware, including buses, RAM, RAID arrays, and hot-swap components.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 365 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Professional Publishing (December 22, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0072122269
• ISBN-13: 978-0072122268
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,976,065 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beginners, get this book, August 15, 2001

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Networking: A Beginner's Guide (Network Professional's Library) (Paperback)

If you are new to networking and just can't figure out where to begin, this is the book for you. It goes into almost everything that you might want to know. To what depth it goes into them, I don't know, I'm not a networking expert. But I can tell you that I've wasted a lot of time reading other books without getting a grasp of networking as a whole. This book will do it for you if you are new to the field.

One other feature that some might like, I know I liked it, is that almost a third of the book, deals with setting up and administering, win2k, novell netware and linux. This is the last part of the book after hallberg finishes with explaining networking.

It is one of the easiest reads in my experience, and I bet most of you will finish the first half on a saturday morning and use the second half of the book on sunday as you setup the NOS of your choice. Get the book, if you are a newbie like me.

I hope BH will start working on "Networking: A Professional's Guide"

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good coverage but biased, February 25, 2002

By 

Michael McKee "mystic cowboy" (Port Townsend, WA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Networking: A Beginner's Guide (Network Professional's Library) (Paperback)

First off this is the best introduction to networking I've seen. The text is clear and straightforward. The balance of theory and details is excellent. I'm glad I have the book.

That said, I do have a couple of gripes. For a networking book to basically ignore Unix and Linux for the first 70% of the book is absurd. Halberg mentions Windows 7 times in the first chapter and does not mention Linux until chapter 6 and then only to state that Unix and Linux treat each computer as a host.

I understand that Windows dominates the corporate server market but to ignore the fact that 'nix dominates the web server market is silly. Does Redmond hold his first-born captive?

When Linux is mentioned it is suddenly with instructions on how to install Red Hat 6.1, an already dated release. And, the sudden introduction of Linux seems odd, since it was basically ignored through the rest of the book. The discontinuity is strange.

I didn't read the first edition of this book but wonder if the Linux information was updated. For a book written in 2001 the failure to include current information on Linux, Mac OS X and 802.11b networking, which Apple had fully introduced as a home/small office solution is almost criminal.

Conclusion: A good primer on general networking principles and practices especially in the Intel/Microsoft world. Somewhat lacking when it comes to the larger world of the net.

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A superb "how to" introduction for the complete novice., February 3, 2000

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Networking: A Beginner's Guide (Paperback)

Networking: A Beginner's Guide provides a core of networking fundamentals, including design and configuration, hardware, networking protocols, network clients, and security issues. Offered are hands-on instructions for Windows 2000 Servers, NetWare 5, and Red Hat Linux installation, configuration, and administration. Networking: A Beginner's Guide is enhanced with blueprints mapping out basic network design topologies. There is a bonus companion Web site which includes additional coverage of network troubleshooting, protocols, network security and updated information on networking with Windows 2000. Networking: A Beginner's Guide is an ideal introduction for the novice and holds much of value for even experienced users needing an information refresher on Windows upgrades and networking.