The Switch Book: The Complete Guide to LAN Switching Technology [Hardcover]

Rich Seifert (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0471345865 | ISBN-13: 978-0471345862 | Publication Date: June 27, 2000

The most in-depth guide to the capabilities, application, and design of LAN switches and switched internetworksWritten by an innovator who has been at the forefront of networking technology for more than two decades, this comprehensive book covers everything you need to know about LAN switching. From understanding switch functions and features to technology integration and network management, it provides valuable insights for network planners, developers, and managers. Seifert helps you gain a clear understanding of the often-complex features and options available in LAN switches, along with detailed explanations of the latest technology enhancements-including previously unpublished information on Link Aggregation, Virtual LANs, and Layer 3 switches. Packed with the most up-to-date and complete information on LAN switches, this book:
* Explains how switches and bridges operate, and explores implementation and performance issues
* Details how switches can be deployed in both homogeneous and heterogeneous LAN environments
* Provides a comprehensive explanation of the Spanning Tree Protocol
* Covers source routing, which is available on Token Ring and FDDI networks
* Explains full duplex LAN operation and link flow control methods
* Looks at the applications and IEEE 802.3ad standard for aggregated links and their effect on system and higher-layer protocol behavior
* Introduces Virtual LANs and the IEEE 802.1Q standard
* Discusses the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) as well as other forms of itch management
* Explores the architecture and data flow through a typical switch, including an analysis of switch fabric options

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

The most in-depth guide to the capabilities, application, and design of LAN switches and switched internetworksWritten by an innovator who has been at the forefront of networking technology for more than two decades, this comprehensive book covers everything you need to know about LAN switching. From understanding switch functions and features to technology integration and network management, it provides valuable insights for network planners, developers, and managers. Seifert helps you gain a clear understanding of the often-complex features and options available in LAN switches, along with detailed explanations of the latest technology enhancements-including previously unpublished information on Link Aggregation, Virtual LANs, and Layer 3 switches. Packed with the most up-to-date and complete information on LAN switches, this book:
* Explains how switches and bridges operate, and explores implementation and performance issues
* Details how switches can be deployed in both homogeneous and heterogeneous LAN environments
* Provides a comprehensive explanation of the Spanning Tree Protocol
* Covers source routing, which is available on Token Ring and FDDI networks
* Explains full duplex LAN operation and link flow control methods
* Looks at the applications and IEEE 802.3ad standard for aggregated links and their effect on system and higher-layer protocol behavior
* Introduces Virtual LANs and the IEEE 802.1Q standard
* Discusses the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) as well as other forms of itch management
* Explores the architecture and data flow through a typical switch, including an analysis of switch fabric options

About the Author

RICH SEIFERT is President of Networks & Communications Consulting. He was the chair and editor for numerous LAN and switch-related standards and is the author of the bestselling book Gigabit Ethernet. During more than thirty years in the computer and communications industry, he has contributed to the design of a wide range of products including LAN switches, consulted to hundreds of companies on network architecture and implementation, and taught thousands of students in professional seminars and at the undergraduate and graduate levels at the University of California.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 720 pages
• Publisher: Wiley (June 27, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471345865
• ISBN-13: 978-0471345862
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.6 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #675,916 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of ze best !!, May 2, 2001

By 

Praveen Mohan (San Jose, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Switch Book: The Complete Guide to LAN Switching Technology (Hardcover)

The main reason I'm writing this review is that I feel that this book is not getting the readership it "rich"ly deserves.Rich covers the basics of Lans with elan (all puns copyrighted).You will understand the concepts and implementation of bridging thus allowing you to view routing in a better perspective.Rich's laws of networking are absolutely gems: a chapter summarized into a line.His excellent and generous use of flowcharts and diagrams deserve some stars by themselves.Also the description of the protocols, the tradeoffs made during their design leaves you with an insight as to how to (and in some cases how not to) design a working protocol.

The last chapter is a gem - it covers the life of a packet as it enters the bridge till it exits on one of the ports.If you're a router guy, read this and you'll never sneer at a bridge again.

The explanations are lucid,simple to the point and are peppered with the odd bad engineering joke (better than Radia Perlman's sarcasm :)]I bought this book based on other readers recommendations and am glad for the same.

This book is a networking bible along with those by Stevens,Comer,Perlman and of course thomas maufer.

While you can more or less read any chapter in isolation, you are recommended to go in order to maximize your output from this book.

PS: A layer 1 switch is a shared hub or a repeater * A layer 2 switch is a bridge * A layer 3 switch is a router *

The rest of this review was lost due to collisions on the lan. Back off Rich,Back off !! :)

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book for learning all about switching, July 5, 2000

By 

Craig L Wiesner - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Switch Book: The Complete Guide to LAN Switching Technology (Hardcover)

Rich Seifert has played a significant role in the development of Ethernet and other high-speed LAN standards and is the perfect person to write a book on this subject. Also an excellent teacher, Rich knows how to take the reader from basic introductory information through comprehensive technical details, with an often humorous writing style that works for advanced-level engineers and ordinary people like me who are mathematically-challenged!

If you need to design, install, or manage networks with switching and need to fully understand Layer 2 and 3 switching, Virtual LANs, Link Aggregation, QoS, and more, this book is a must-have. Simply understanding the terminology used when talking about switching will help the reader select the correct products for his or her needs. Rich does a great job of cutting through the marketing hype.

Of course, I am biased in that Rich and the publisher asked me to be one of the early reviewers of this book and I thought it was great then and am thrilled that it is finally available for the rest of the world.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is perfect!, August 31, 2005

By 

H. Khazaal "7sain" (California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Switch Book: The Complete Guide to LAN Switching Technology (Hardcover)

I have been in the telecom industry for 8 years and have worked with ATM, TDM and SONET/SDH. The time has come for me to join the switching and routing folks. I have read a number of technical books relevant to what I do, and I have never finished one (cover to cover). It was not until I bought "The Switch Book" that I actually could not stop reading this book. It is the perfect book if you want to get into the switching world. In fact he explains fundamentals, history and technology so well that you cannot help but learn it.

His style of writting, his sense of humor and the way the book is organized is fantastic.

A must have and a must read.