Computer Networking: Internet Protocols in Action (Paperback)

by Jeanna Matthews (Author) "If you use network software like web browsers or e-mail clients, then you know they require a network connection to work properly..." (more)
Key Phrases: protocol pane, raw pane, incoming data connection, Internet Protocol, File Edit View Capture Analyze Help, Time Source Destination Protocol Info (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Hands-on networking experience, without the lab!
The best way to learn about network protocols is to see them in action. But that doesn't mean that you need a lab full of networking equipment. This revolutionary text and its accompanying CD give readers realistic hands-on experience working with network protocols, without requiring all the routers, switches, hubs, and PCs of an actual network.
Computer Networking: Internet Protocols in Action provides packet traces of real network activity on CD. Readers open the trace files using Ethereal, an open source network protocol analyzer, and follow the text to perform the exercises, gaining a thorough understanding of the material by seeing it in action.
Features
* Practicality: Readers are able to learn by doing, without having to use actual networks. Instructors can add an active learning component to their course without the overhead of collecting the materials.
* Flexibility: This approach has been used successfully with students at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Appropriate for courses regardless of whether the instructor uses a bottom-up or a top-down approach.
* Completeness: The exercises take the reader from the basics of examining quiet and busy networks through application, transport, network, and link layers to the crucial issues of network security.

From the Back Cover
Hands-on networking experience, without the lab!

The best way to learn about network protocols is to see them in action. But that doesn’t mean that you need a lab full of networking equipment. This revolutionary text and its accompanying CD give readers realistic hands-on experience working with network protocols, without requiring all the routers, switches, hubs, and PCs of an actual network.

Computer Networking: Internet Protocols in Action provides packet traces of real network activity on CD. Readers open the trace files using Ethereal, an open source network protocol analyzer, and follow the text to perform the exercises, gaining a thorough understanding of the material by seeing it in action.

Features

• Practicality: Readers are able to learn by doing, without having to use actual networks. Instructors can add an active learning component to their course without the overhead of collecting the materials.
• Flexibility: This approach has been used successfully with students at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Appropriate for courses regardless of whether the instructor uses a bottom-up or a top-down approach.
• Completeness: The exercises take the reader from the basics of examining quiet and busy networks through application, transport, network, and link layers to the crucial issues of network security.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Wiley (January 3, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471661864
• ISBN-13: 978-0471661863
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #270,267 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A phenomenal introduction to packet analysis for newbies, February 18, 2005

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

I eagerly anticipated reading Jeanna Matthews' 'Computer Networking: Internet Protocols in Action' (CN:IPIA). I am always looking for good networking books to recommend to people asking how to enter the digital security field. I am pleased to report that CN:IPIA is an excellent, hands-on, packet-oriented introduction to networking, suitable for all entry-level analysts. Even those with several years of experience may learn a trick or two, as I did.

The book is very logically organized. Section 1 is an introduction to using Ethereal to collect and inspect packets. I was unaware of Ethereal's ability to color packets based on user-specified 'color rules'. Section 1 also describes the various Ethereal panes and what they mean.

Section 2 starts the hands-on packet analysis work. The CD accompanying the book offers 30 MB of packet traces collected by the author. She uses these traces to expertly illustrate a variety of networking concepts. Section 2 introduces the top of the protocol stack by looking at application protocols. I learned about HTTP Last-Modified, If-Modified-Since, Cache-Control, and ETag headers.

Section 3 discusses transport layer protocols like TCP and UDP. I really liked the author's exposition on TCP Selective Acknowledgement (SACK), and I was glad to see she fully understood and explained TCP sequence numbers. I also finally grapsed the idea behind TCP time sequence graphs by reading this part.

Section 4 covered network layer protocols. After fairly standard material on DHCP, ping, and traceroute, I was surprised and pleased to read about routing protocols. Both interior protocols (RIP and OSPF) and an exterior protocol (BGP) made appearances. Better yet, analysts can examine traffic traces to understand how these protocols work.

Section 5 talked about link-level protocols (wired and wireless), and section 6 concludes the book with a few examples of security-related network events.

My few problems with CN:IPIA are overshadowed by the excellent material elsewhere. On p. 79 the author writes that a mail server involved in exchanging a message is the system which makes a DNS query. In fact, the trace shows it's the mail client, a laptop, making the query. Since the mail server in the example is also the sample network's DNS server, any query it makes would be answered by itself -- and wouldn't appear on the wire. On p. 109, in the second paragraph, the last two references to 'packet 7' should be 'packet 6'. I also think readers should have seen an example of active FTP to complement the book's discussion of passive FTP.

If you're looking to gain a packet-oriented understanding of networking, you must buy this book. It's a fast read, but I have not seen a better hands-on introduction to network traffic. Those wishing to learn packet analysis should start their journey with CN:IPIA, and spend plenty of time inspecting the traces on the book's CD.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Concept, Great Implementation., March 3, 2005

By	John Matlock "Gunny" (Winnemucca, NV) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a great concept. We all read about networking protocols but here you get to see them in action and without a whole laboratory full of equipment. This book is based on a series of experiments that you can do yourself using a network protocol analyzer. Aaaaah, there's a buzzword, network protocol analyzer. This book is written around using Ethereal, a software network protocol analyzer that is included on the CD that comes with the book (but you may want to download the latest version - it's open source software and free).

So in this book you don't just read about network protocols, you analyze them yourself using this software package. You get to actually see what the various packages like your internet browser are actually sending and receiving. This is a great way to remove the mystery of what networks are actually doing.

At the end of the book there is some discussion and illustrations of ways networks get attacked. There's quite a bit of discussion and demonstration of what the Blaster worm does, including the network traces of its action.

Great Concept, Great Implementation.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best value, practical introduction to networking, July 23, 2006

By	J. Felipe Ortega Soto (Spain) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As Associate Professor with several years of experience teaching Computer Networking to undergraduate and graduate students, i think practical exercises are crucial for students to really understand this field.

Jeanna Matthews does a very good job introducing featured aspects of computer networks. The book follows a tipical top-down approach, which has proven to be the most reasonable option for practical networking (specially at the introductory level). Each chapter begins with a brief theoretic introduction (in the style of 'basic concepts about TCP', and then presents the rest of the practical topics in a 'learn by example practice' way.

Another great point is the CD included with all the network traffic traces you need to follow each example. The book also includes a brief introduction to Ethereal (now renamed as Wireshark).

Super-recommended to students and self-learning people that really want to understand TCP/IP in practice from the ground up. It is also useful as a guide for a lab-based computer networking course (introductory level), along with 'TCP/IP essentials' by Panwar (if you want to cover more advanced topics).