Introduction to Data Communications & Networking

This is one of the all-time best books on computer networking and data communications. The diagrams make it perhaps the simplest to understand, of all books. The style is lucid, plenty of examples are given and there are exercises after every chapter. Apart from Tanenbaum and Comer, this is a must for every serious student of data communications.

I've been in the computer industry for over 16 years in design and verification of processors, multi-media devices and buses (USB, PCI, etc.). I never had the opportunity to work on Data Communication and Networking projects. New to this field, I was looking for a book that gave me thorough overview of the topics with clarity and sufficient detail/analysis. I read quite a few 'latest' books but did not find any with clear explanation of fundamentals or detail covering all essential topics. I found this book extremely well written. The descriptions have excellent clarity and gradually lead you to the real complexity of the topic at hand. No room for misunderstanding or confusion! Figures and Tables are liberally used and illustrate the topics really well. My knowledge of Datacomm/Networking increased tremendously after reading the book just for a few days. The book includes basics as well as the latest in data comm. protocols and networking devices. I highly recommend this book to a beginner as well as an expert.

This book gives real life situations to explain the terms used in networking. Any one who is not a techie but wishes to know about networking should buy this

As a student I personally found this book very helpful.It makes networking more interesting and less complicated.

I am a network designer/engineer and I own 50+ networking books, anywhere from Netware for Dummies book to super-duper-technical books about ATMs and Frame Relays, and by far this is the most useful book that I've ever read and owned. It is full of good all around information and very well written. I find many of my books to be either to introductory or too technical(too dry) or don't answer a lot of fundamental questions. This book serves as a good introduction book but with excellent technical mix. It explains things that I didn't quite understood how it worked before (eventhough I knew how to use those technology in the real working world). I learned more about data and voice communications through this book than my entire 4 years of computer scinece college education. Ever wondered how networks really worked? After reading this book you will finally understand how everything from the cable and hardware levels, to ISDN, FDDI, T1, SONET OC3, to routing, switching and etc, all work together. This book covers computer networks as well as the voice and other parts of telecommuncations, which I wasn't particulary too familr with before. If you are a serious student or professional who want to learn more about fundamental networking, you should pick up this book. I highly recommend it.