Internet Core Protocols: The Definitive Guide: Amazon.co.uk: Eric Hall: Books

Amazon.co.uk Review

For network administrators, support professionals and system designers, intimate knowledge of the network protocols that form the nuts and bolts of the Internet is crucial. Internet Core Protocols: The Definitive Guide is a superb summary of the nitty-gritty details of the most important Net standards.

This book assumes a working knowledge of networks and basic familiarity with the TCP/IP set of protocols. Unlike the cursory coverage of TCP/IP found in many Internet-related titles, this presentation includes low-level details that aid in troubleshooting. The book also includes a copy of Shomiti Surveyor Lite--a utility for analysing network traffic. The author uses screenshots of Surveyor Lite extensively throughout the work to illustrate data fields.

Each protocol is examined through a consistent presentation that includes network diagrams and detailed breakdowns of the fields and flags. In addition to TCP, IP and UDP, there is coverage of multicasting and error communication protocols as well. There is more than just discussion of the standards here; practical application issues such as caching and time-outs are discussed to provide a real-world perspective on how each protocol operates.

This reading is too technical for most casual Net enthusiasts but is a valuable resource for those who work with networks. In addition to an education into the particulars of the Net's underpinnings, the book is an excellent reference tool. --Stephen W Plain, Amazon.com

Topics covered: TCP/IP overview, Internet Protocol (IP), Address Resolution Protocol (ARP), Multicasting, Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP), Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP), User Datagram Protocol (UDP) and Transmission Control Protocol (TCP).

Review

'This book moves beyond the older O'Reilly book TCP/IP Network Administration, and covers the protocols in much more depth. It will be a useful book to refer to, but I suspect will be one which lives mostly upon the bookshelf, only coming out occasionally during a troubleshooting session.' - Joel Smith, news@UK, June 2000 '...the author does make the point that this book is not intended for absolute TCP/IP newcomers. If you don't know what a subnet mask is, or how it relates to the maximum number on a particular network, then you should probably read something else first. But if you understand a little about TCP/IP and you want to deepen your understanding and appreciation of how the PCs in a network communicate with one another, then you will find this book a fascinating read.' - Dave Jewell, Developers Review, June 2000.

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

Generally covers its subject well but one or two omissions. 8 May 2002

By A Customer

Format:Paperback

This is generally a good book covering the subjects of IP, ICMP, TCP and UDP quite well and in some detail. It also included an excellent chapter on IGMP and Multicasting. It's really another book on TCP/IP though, rather than on the subject of the Internet. I would have liked to have seen some chapters on routing particularly such things as OSPF, RIP and BGP etc which are also important to how the Internet works. It didn't cover DNS in any great detail either though I would recommend DNS and BIND also from O'Reilly as the source on that subject.
Generally however as someone who already owns a couple of dozen O'Reilly titles I would say that this book is up to their usual high standards.

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

You asked for details, so you got it! 18 April 2000

Even though there are several things I miss in this book its truly a marvelous piece of text. For instance the schematics on the diffrent frames and packets are missing, they also use an unorthodox way of displaying the various values that goes in to the frames and packets.

This book really goes into the nitty gritty details of how the core of the Internet works. Detailing how every type of packet, message or frame is built-up. Just the kind of detail i was looking for.

Some understanding of Networking is needed, but with that and some common sense you`ll get far!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

Covers the material but a dull read 22 Feb 2004

By "nenieorg"

The coverage of the topic is quite good and detailed enough for a general overview (it is not aimed at TCP implementers). The main problem is style: it is quite dull and it is very slow going, with most things repeated 2 or 3 or more times, illustrated by too many packet sniffer screenshots(!). There is about 200 pages worth of information in 400. A more concise version could have used the remaining space to cover other essential protocols like DHCP and DNS, which are missing. Not a bad book, but the author is no Andrew Tanenbaum.