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| Computer Networking First-Step | 
 enlarge | Author: Wendell Odom
Publisher: Cisco Press
Category: Book
List Price: $29.95
Buy New: $13.99
You Save: $15.96 (53%)
New (39) Used (16) from $9.71
Avg. Customer Rating:  20 reviews
Sales Rank: 196685
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 552
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2
Dimensions (in): 8.9 x 7.1 x 1.3
ISBN: 1587201011
Dewey Decimal Number: 004.6
EAN: 9781587201011
ASIN: 1587201011
Publication Date: May 1, 2004
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Your first step into the world of computer networking
- No experience required
- Includes clear and easily understood explanations
- Makes learning easy
Your first step to computer networking begins here! - Learn basic networking terminology
- Understand how information is routed from place to place
- Explore Internet connectivity secrets
- Protect your computer from intrusion
- Build local-area networks (LANs)
Welcome to the world of networking!
Networking and the Internet touch our lives in untold ways every day. From connecting our computers together at home and surfing the net at high speeds to editing and sharing digital music and video, computer networking has become both ubiquitous and indispensable.
No experience needed!
Computer Networking First-Step explains the basics of computer networking in easy-to-grasp language that all of us can understand. This book takes you on a guided tour of the core technologies that make up network and Internet traffic. Whether you are looking to take your first step into a career in networking or are interested in just gaining a conversational knowledge of the technology, this book is for you!
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| Customer Reviews: Read 15 more reviews...
 Learned more from this book than in my introductory networking course August 17, 2008
Simply put, this book is well-written for learning the basics of networking. This books clearly breaks down everything you would need to know and uses real life examples for clarification. I was enrolled in an introductory networking course and learned nothing compared to what I've learned since reading this book. Now that I've completed this book, I've moved on to the TCP/IP first-step book.
Surprising book February 29, 2008
Well, when I read some of the reviews for this book, I thought it might not be that good or be too basic for me. However, it wasn't. This book has taught me a lot and I really like the way it explains things. Maybe it won't make sense to someone that knows all this networking stuff, but to me the way he explains things helped me learn. It also has good diagrams. I believe anyone can learn networking using this book. Great job Wendell Odom!
Great Book, Great Read! February 5, 2008
I originally bought the book because it had fairly good reviews, and I had a poor understanding of networking and how it actually works (although I've networked computers in my home and such). I'm a CS major so I find this stuff interesting, and needed a good place to start on networking since it is not my area of expertise.
I've been inspired to write a review of my experience with the book, partially in response to a long review stating that the book was rather verbose.
To start, this is an excellent book aimed at those interested in networking. Not 'how to set up a home network' or 'how to configure windows XP to network', but on the specifics of what networking actually is, how it came about, and how it works. It's a perfect first step, but also a big step in that you come out knowing more about how networks work than many people in computer fields (perhaps not IT professionals who network for a living).
The book is definitely taught using analogies and language that anyone familiar with computers will understand, yet vocabulary terms actually used are also defined and you learn them throughout the text.
The book is verbose, yes. Nevertheless, I think the way the book is written is very, very good. The truth is I read through the whole book in a week because I couldn't put it down. I would read 2-3 chapters a day. It's simply interesting, and the author makes the read enjoyable. If you shorten it and say 'there are networking standards that are a good thing', you not only are slightly limited in the fact that you do not truly consider how beneficial standards are, but you also would be very bored reading through a book that was written in such a manner. Instead, the author can be enjoyable, funny, and allows you to sit back and learn the material without forcing yourself to. You will find that you want to keep reading.
In contrast, I am interested in databases and database design. I have a book that is full of high quality concepts and material. It definitely covers everything I need to know. The problem is I am having the hardest time getting through the book. I have to force myself to read 10 pages. It's boring, even though the topic is interesting.
So while this book has some text that you do not need to read, there is a high chance you come out with more knowledge simply because you actually do get through the learning part of the material - you simply don't realize it until you're done with the book and realize how much more you actually understand.
The first few chapters are fairly basic. They discuss the internet and simple networking concepts that many people interested in this book will already know. Do not let this stop you, however, as a few chapters into the book you truly begin to hit the core of networking and understanding how it works - all of it. From the physical wiring, to the different methods of connecting, transfering, routing, sending, receiving, data...it's all there.
Therefore I truly recommend this book to anyone interested in the whole concepts of networking. If you are looking for a specific application of networking (windows xp configuration, only tcp/ip, etc), then get a different book. If you want to understand what networking really is - all of networking - then get this book. It's good, and chances are high you will actually finish the entire book unlike most other textbooks people purchase where you only finish a few chapters before you retire the book for 'reference' purposes only. The knowledge gained will put you exactly where you need to be to move onto more complex topics relating to specific areas of networking, and you will know what you want to look more into and already have a good foundation for the topic before you even begin.
Great book for a green newbie that doesn't want the Dummy/Idiot series April 24, 2007
"This book is intended for anyone who needs to know a 'little' about networking, but it also requires almost 'no' prerequisite knowledge." It is an "easy first step toward learning about networking." If you are intimidated about "taking a doozy of a step off the networking ledge" or about getting a book "geared toward people who want to be networking geeks", then this book is just about perfect. I've read other books that don't flow well, or are too "chatty," but this book strikes a good balance. They were a few parts that were a bit redundant, and dragged on a bit long, but it was done in a clear fashion, and re-enforced the ideas just to make sure you got it. It covers quite a bit of material for it's style compared to most other of the newbie books that I've read. If you are a newbie who catches on fast to technical books, then you will not like it (better to get Sams Teach yourself TCP/IP in 24 hours). This book will give you the information and then explain it pretty thoroughly, and show examples.
True it does have some pretty basic coverage of what a Network really is, and terms like URL, ISP, NICs, but it did a good job talking about Ethernet frames, and subnetting. It may not be a five, but some of the reviews were too harsh for a "first step" book that tells you what to expect in the introduction. If you read this book, "you will understand the basic concepts behind a wide variety of technologies used in a typical network today."
Chunking March 17, 2007
I've built a computer from scratch, self taught myself to troubleshoot computer problems. I rate my computer skills at intermediate. New to networking. Most of the networking books that I've looked at are over my head. Mr Odom dose a really good job of breaking the topic into easy to grasp pieces. Very good starter book. Will probably buy other books by Wendell Odom
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