A contemporary, yet classic, introduction to today's key networking technologies
Computer Networks, Fifth Edition, is the ideal introduction to the networking field. This bestseller reflects the latest networking technologies with a special emphasis on wireless networking, including 802.11, 802.16, Bluetooth™, and 3G cellular, paired with fixed-network coverage of ADSL, Internet over cable, gigabit Ethernet, MLPS, and peer-to-peer networks. Notably, this latest edition incorporates new coverage on 3G mobile phone networks, Fiber to the Home, RIFD, delay-tolerant networks, and 802.11 security, in addition to expanded material on Internet routing, multicasting, congestion control, quality of service, real-time transport, and content distribution.
This is a textbook on computer networking, this is not a book you pick up looking to gain a quick understanding of computer networks. This is a dense book that goes deep into the details of network communications and it is intended to convey the whys of networking as well as the whats and hows. I find I use this book as a supplemental background book, if I have a question on a networking topic this is one of the two books I will turn to for answers.
I have read this book in 1990 when it was in second edition. This book in its structure has unchanegd over past 22 years. The technologies have changed from X.25 networks to ATM networks to multi gigabit ethernet networks. some of the fundamental technologies like Ethernet, IP, TCP have largely remains unchanged. IP has its new incarnations in IPv6 which is covered in this edition. The book is fun to read with Tanenbaum's sense of humor. He has many exercises which motivate and make people think deep into the problems. WARNING! It is a giant book. It is a reference book. Don't think you can read, grasp things in one sitting! The fifth edition is very thorough and I checked with the author. A new edition is not coming out soon, so this book should last several years.
I only read a little bit into the book so far, but the questions at the end of the chapter are insane!!! example is chapter 1 about a sog running with tape drive and whens the maximum read time or something like that. Its great as a refernce, but hopefully any course wont make you use those questions.
This book is very informative but has little or no educational value. The prerequisites for at least understanding it (learning from it set aside) are a high degree of mathematical knowledge and knowing the C programming language (and a lot of patience).
Before I continue, I want to recommend another book that's way better than this one - computer networking: a top down approach by K&R.
Now my experience with Tanenbaum's book.
The material in his book is presented in a very dull, dry and academic style. There is a lot of information in the book but reading it is a really painful experience. It's definately not for beginners and I guess it's not for pro's either because it gives a lot of info that pro's already know. It's supposed to be an intro text but it's not.
The only reason I'm reading it is because it's a required text for a course in networking that I'm taking.
On the other hand, if you're good at math and know C and you're not put off by extremely dull academic style, this book might be for you.
I personally don't fit in the above categories. I don't like books that unnecessarily complicate already complex subjects like networking.
Note to the author: to write a technical textbook requires not only tech expertise but most of all the desire and the ability to teach your audience and not just drown them with a torrent of incomprehensible and dull explanations.
This has been a disappointing purchase because I bought so I could use it for a reference book on my Kindle App for iPhone, however it can only be viewed on Kindle App for Mac. This means I cannot read it in 90% of the places I need to. As a result, I had to buy another book "Computer Networking" by Peterson which is great and in ePub format for iBooks.
Computer Networks is one of the best books that I have had while at engineering school. But my review is not really about the contents of the book. By the time I finished reading the first chapter I noticed the first few pages coming out of the binding. I ordered this directly from Amazon. I just wanted to let people know 'buyer beware'.
The author clearly knows his stuff, and the book covers most of what you will need to know (at least from a students point of view); however, that doesn't say very much.
With so many books on the subject, there's a lot to be desired. It's very, very boring and dry. The author's attempts at humor are not the silly/nerdy attempts you normally come across in a technical books, but instead actually make you want to put the book down. (I wish I could quote some of them, but I promptly sold the book after the course was over).
It's just mediocre, that's all.
This book is a general review of the today networks, the best introduction on the market in my opinion. Includes also a view to the latest technologies and infos about wireless networks. I have also the 4th edition and I have noticed some updates have been made since the last revision. This is the book on which I have learned during the studies at university and the standard for networks.
Good product to start with, has some topics well introduced. what it lacks is detailed explanation of important topics and some real world examples. Need an upgrade to newer technologies.
I was assigned this text for a graduate class on computer networks. The instructer called it the least offensive of the many choices out there, which obviously isn't much of a complement. Personally, after reading through the chapters, I find it well written and informative. Having no networking experience, and very little knowledge of how networking works in general, I feel that I have learned something.
I would have given this four or more stars if it wasn't for the poorly chosen questions that accompany each chapter. For example, after reading the first chapter from beginning to end I was ready to be tested on what I had retained. Instead, it seemed as if the author forgot what subject he was writing about. The questions in many places are only tangentially related to the subject matter of the chapter. This particular problem occurs throughout the book. Another painful example, in chapter three, Is where several of the questions require you to read through lines of C code and examine "what if" scenarios. Personally, I don't understand why the author even included such novice protocol implementations in the text to begin with. But to ask us to inspect it is laughable.
The book maintain the classic structure of subjects based on the OSI model (which is good and proven to work for those who learn about networking)...you will notice the author has updated contents in several sections of the book: from entire new paragraphs, going trough the examples to the jokes itself, adapting them to the modern context in which we live.
New interesting topics as RFID and 3g-4g cellular networks are also commented in good detail...I would say not "mile wide, inch deep", but "mile wide, two inches deep"
I received this book yesterday (10/26/10)and here is my quick review: while other books on computer networks give a general overview, this book goes into minute details on the going ons of information transmission. As I skimmed through the book, Professor Tanenbaum used a lot of mathematical data and charts to show the inner workings of information transmission (and believe me, my math skills are horrible!). This book is geared to students who attend colleges like MIT, IIT in Chicago, and the Polytecs of the world. In closing, if you're a person who love computers and have a mind for numbers, this book is for you!
I'm not going to lie: I learned everything I needed to from the outstanding artwork on the book's cover. The artist is truly in touch with subject matter. Computer networks have never been so eloquently portrayed as they are here due to the masterful adaptation made by this budding star. Art has quickly become my preferred vehicle for learning. Thank you, nameless artist, for opening my mind to new and improved ways of receiving information. I look forward to more educational art and I am excited for future educational pieces, perhaps in the areas of data-processing and/or wireless networking.
Product Details :
Hardcover: 960 pages
Publisher: Prentice Hall; 5 edition (October 7, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0132126958
ISBN-13: 978-0132126953
Product Dimensions: 7 x 1.3 x 9.1 inches
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