Using and Managing PPP (Paperback)

by Andrew Sun (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) plays a big role in modern networks, from the Internet on down. It's the most popular way of sending and receiving datagrams across a serial connection--typically a telephone line. In Using and Managing PPP, Andrew Sun reveals the details of this widely used networking technology.

Sun starts with an overview of how PPP fits into the Open Systems Interconnect (OSI) networking model and then details the operation of RS-232 (Recommended Standard 232) connections and modems. He describes the anatomy of a PPP link, explaining how a connection gets established and how the protocol breaks data into frames for transport--with particular attention to how TCP/IP packets move across a PPP connection.

Using and Managing PPP also attacks PPP from a practical perspective, conveying information about how to set up and use the protocol on several popular platforms. It provides specific instructions for setting up PPP under Solaris, Linux, Windows 3.x, Windows 98, and both versions of Windows NT 4 for both dial-in and dial-out applications.

Even Sun acknowledges that those planning to implement PPP in software ought to consult the IEEE documents that define it, though this book lacks sufficient low-level detail for that kind of work. However, Using and Managing PPP serves the purposes of administrators and others interested in getting the most out of PPP from a network-management perspective. --David Wall

Product Description
The Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) has overwhelmingly taken the lead for use with modems and other serial communications because it is powerful and widely available. PPP permits all kinds of traffic, using popular Internet protocols (TCP/IP) and some proprietary ones. PPP is more secure than its older cousin SLIP, supporting several ways to authenticate users. This book is for network administrators and others who have to set up a computer system to use PPP. It covers all aspects of the protocol, including how to set up dial-in servers, authentication, debugging, and PPP options. In addition, it contains overviews of related areas, like serial communications, DNS setup, and routing.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 444 pages
• Publisher: O'Reilly Media, Inc.; 1 edition (March 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1565923219
• ISBN-13: 978-1565923218
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #999,646 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book on PPP!, July 24, 1999

By A Customer

This book is excellent. It goes into the really technical side of PPP: how frames are structured and so forth and also shows you options to specify for dial-in and dial-out PPP. The book is well-balanced in theory and examples.

If you want to know about PPP on unix/win32, this a great book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must have for network admins, February 10, 2002

By	Gerald Ford "pho_kin" (The Jack n' the Box at the corner) - See all my reviews

When most people think of PPP, they just think of antiquated modem connections, but PPP is capable of much more. PPP can also be used as T1 lines and other such high speed connections.

This book is definitely intended for the network admins who are running (or hope to run) some sort of PPP-related service. The book explains how PPP connections work, from PPP packet header information to network and routing setups as well as debugging them. The information is very detailed and comprehensive, and well-written.

A user who just wants to setup a modem connection from home will probably find this book is not for them though. The topics covered focus more on using the PPP protocol in a network setting, rather than just a home computer. However, the chapter on setting up a dial-out modem does show a home-user how to setup a modem connection on several operating systems, and answers questions that even modem "veterans" like me have. :)

In closing, this book is well-suited for network admins, but regular users should find a book more suited for home use. However, I think this book has something for everyone interested in PPP.

4.0 out of 5 stars Very good for beginners looking for the overall picture, January 30, 2001

By	Rizos Christos (Athens, Greece) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a very good book for beginners wanting to understand the technology behind the title PPP. It provides a step by step approach to the world of PPP, introducing the reader even to the OSI 7 layer model in two pages. I liked reading this book, and I liked the comparison between the implementations of PPP on different platforms (Linux, SUN, Windows 95/98/NT). But I do not think it is a complete reference book, therefore administrators should be aware.