Customer Reviews

Upgrading and Repairing Networks (3rd Edition) (Upgrading & Repairing)

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1 star:		(1)

 

 

I was once highly skeptical of any book making claims to help in upgrading and repairing networks. Most books on the subject are shallow or lack real information or they simply fail to explain in enough detail what needs to be done. Scott Mueller's book has restored my confidence.

Mueller has put together a 975 plus page book that has information and helpful hints than just about any other book I have read in this subject. Mueller explains the complex with ease and in a language even the basic user can understand.

The books is broken down in a great working order and covers areas like NICs, testing cables, tools, hardware, topologies, Network Operating systems, Protocols, Printing and so much more. The wealth of information in this book makes it a must have for all network technicians.

Included with the book, on the bonus cd, is a copy of Server Image, a $475.00 value, which allows you to resize any network partition on the fly. The software supports FAT, FAT32, NTFS and Novell. Mueller is a respected name in computers and this book is proof.

In the world of networking it is very important to make sure and ensure that you have up to date information right at your fingertips. I have reviewed previous versions of this book and thought some of the information fell short of the mark, which is not the case this time as the author seems to have gone to great lengths to make certain what you read is as accurate as possible.

The book, which has over 1100 pages, has been written not any certification exam but will help with several exams like Network+, Server+ and Security+. Also I was impressed by the fact that the front and back covers are setup as quick reference cards, using every part of the book to provide technical information.

With 58 chapters broken down into 10 parts the author's attention to detail and technical accuracy make this book standout above other in the genre. You have section dealing with planning and designing. Over 100 pages on hardware, over 160 pages on network solutions like Ethernet and token ring.

The most impressive section was the 170 pages dealing with TCP/IP, a breakdown that would rival just about any book out there and the information is written for every technical skill level. There is also section on Network Operating systems, security, troubleshooting and upgrading and migration.

In the Appendixes there is an outstanding breakdown of the OSI model, TCP & UDP ports and well as a very listing of resources. The cd included has networking utilities both free and demo versions. This is a great manual for all technicians and administrators alike, overall excellent

Anyone in networking needs to keep up to date with the changes in technologies and doing this requires constant reading of the latest material. Trying to keep up could very well be a full time job, so thank goodness that Terry Olgetree is around to make it a little easier for all of us.

Having had the opportunity to read the 2nd and 3rd editions, this 4th edition is a continuation of the outstanding work Olgetree is and has done. The books get better with each edition; in fact this is a perfect companion for several networking certifications.

In 1200 plus pages, you are taken from the history of networking right up to migration. Olgetree starts you with hardware and works to security applications. You are working with Windows, UNIX, Linux and Netware, so everyone is involved.

From the opening of the book; which has a very good subnetting chart, to the closing, which has Ethernet information, this book takes apart the network and helps you put it back together. Form the LANs and WANs to IP and IPX, you have protocols and the information is up to date and technically accurate.

The book does covers troubleshooting in a how to and why it happens and what to do manner, which I found to very helpful. In fact I was able to learn a few new tricks along the way.

Overall this is one of the best network reference manuals to have around, in the next edition there could be a cd-rom with a few networking utilities.

This book covers a lot of general terms and concepts but doesn't provide much in the way of useful practical advice. There are a lot of generalities like "it's good to have backups" or "take your budget into consideration" (wow, really?) but nothing about comparing actual systems and their costs.

There is no actual case studies, no formulas or design guidelines. How many users should you have on a subnet? How many users per switch port? How should you measure current network traffic? Which test tools should you use to make the measurement? How much additional capacity do you need to support multicast? What conformance tests are useful for certifying your cable installation? Any real-world questions like these are unanswered by this book.

When I read through the bios of the three co-authors, I noticed that none of them listed an actual network design reference. They all seem to be technical writers that write books about PCs. Caveat emptor.

If you need to actually upgrade a network you would be far better off with one of the Cisco titles on the subject.

I'm a small business owner & self-taught computer & network user and make-do tech. If you're in a position such as I am, with a very small operation in a rural area, finding and affording computer service can be prohibitive, making it necessary to learn how to maintain and repair your own equipment, network and software. I have a small library of books on various operating systems, hardware and networking, and if one of Mueller's books covers whatever issue I'm dealing with at the time, I look there first as I'll usually find an answer. His books contain alot of information so are quite thick and can look rather intimidating. However, they're also well organized and indexed, making it easy to find what you're looking for, and his writing style makes technical topics easy to follow and understand, even for the untrained reader. If you work on computers, either as a professional or a must-do-it-yourselfer, like me, I highly recommend anything by Mueller. They are invaluable additions to any computer/networking library.

This book holds quite a bit of knowledge about networking. It is very thorough and includes all you could ever want to know. The reading is more technical because of the kind of book it is. Explanations of topics are very simplistic and you are able to understand. The organization of the book is excellent and provides links to other chapters in the book covering topics mentioned in more detail. Great book for a networking enthusiast.

As I am considering going for my Network+ certification, I picked up this book to fill in the massive gaps in what I thought was my networking knowledge.

This book provides detailed explanations on everything from TCP/IP, Microsoft NT configurations, and DHCP to Topologies, Hardware and Print Serving. This book covers a bit on Novell, Unix, and Linux as well!

It also has an interesting section on security, an entire section dedicated to firewalls and extemely useful information on internet trouble-shooting! Each page is a monument of networking wisdom!

I can't say enough good things about this one! It has all you need to know... and more!

Now in a fully updated and expanded fourth edition, Upgrading And Repairing Networks is the collaborative effort of computer network experts Scott Mueller and Terry Ogletree and specifically designed for users of all experience levels. Readers will swiftly learn the basics of network repair and the networking world. Included are real world, in-depth, accessible explanations of how the protocols, architectures and hardware used in a network operate and how to repair them when they don't. Upgrading and Repairing Networks starts with the fundamentals and methodically works through more advanced concepts. An accompanying CD contains a wealth of troubleshooting tools, including a virtual library of networking and PC troubleshooting and repair books from Que Publishing.

As a recent graduate with an A.S. in network administration, I wanted to get a reference that I could use to refresh my memory on networking concepts and serve as a guide if I ever needed to look something up.. this book does all that and much more. I would highly reccomend this book to anyone serious about networking. It practically contains everything there is to know about the theory and concepts involved.

The work has a good description of basic topology consisting of the bus,
star, ring, mesh and hybrids. Both shared and non-shared network topologies
are described in some considerable detail. The system life cycle is explained. This consists of project management steps. i.e.
o upgrade definition and goals
o planning
o scheduling
o downtime
o testing
o documentation and revision

Servers and workstation issues are covered. i.e.
o backup
o rotation schedules
o offsite storage and maintenance

The centralization of the telecommunications closet and cable distribution
is set forth. Limiting factors of ethernet technologies are set forth.
These are network transmission media, interconnected devices, media
access etc. Firewalls and network gatekeepers are described in detail
together with diagrammatic representations. The work would be helpful
for network administrators and other network systems personnel.