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

by Scott Mueller (Author), Terry Ogletree (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Though he didn't do the writing himself, Scott Mueller's involvement in Upgrading and Repairing Networks is evident in the thoroughness of the book's coverage and the quality with which documentation has been written and compiled. Like Mueller's highly respected books on personal computer hardware, this book treats its subject in great depth, acknowledging that information about older technologies is valuable to the significant numbers of people who still run those technologies. Pretty much every local area network (LAN) technology from the past 15 years--as well as the most popular internetworking technologies and the emerging wireless networking protocols--are documented here. Author Terry Ogletree explains how the technologies work in order to help you figure out where to turn when they're misbehaving. One difference between this book and the PC hardware book: this one is much less hardware-centric, focusing instead on software, protocols, and network services.

Ogletree relies heavily on text, and takes time to explain everything from the histories of various protocols to Microsoft's design goals for Active Directory in Windows 2000 networks. Reading his text is rewarding, particularly if you have an appropriately networked system nearby with which you can investigate the features he points out. Operating system coverage is broad--Unix, Linux, NetWare, and Windows are all covered in turn--though most generic sections (such as those having to do with protocols) use Windows NT or Windows 2000 in their examples. --David Wall

Topics covered: The state of the art in local and wide area networking technology (emphasis on LANs), and the older technologies that led us here. Physical network design, protocols, operating systems, and services all get attention.

Product Description

Upgrading and Repairing Networks makes it easier to fix your networks, and do it right the first time. It is a comprehensive reference guide to help network administrators address and resolve daily network problems and understand exactly how to upgrade their network. This book enables the reader to stay in tune with the increasingly complex task of computer networking by covering topics such as: network planning and design, expanded coverage of Windows 2000, expanded coverage of NetWare, Wireless Networking including WAP, detailed coverage using Virtual LANs, increased coverage of gigabit Ethernet, security and firewalls, and in depth coverage of VPN.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 1152 pages
• Publisher: Que; 3 edition (September 25, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789725576
• ISBN-13: 978-0789725578
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,507,669 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Networking at its very best!, February 13, 2000

By	Michael J Woznicki "Michael J Woznicki" (Holland, MA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Upgrading and Repairing Networks (2nd Edition) (Paperback)

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.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars All generalities - No expertise., October 4, 2006

By	Barry Mcgrath (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Upgrading and Repairing Networks (5th Edition) (Paperback)

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.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Only 5 stars because 10 wasn't a choice!, March 25, 2002

By	Michael J Woznicki "Michael J Woznicki" (Holland, MA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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