Prof. Appleby's Blog

Are you interested in computer networking and looking for some self-study materials?  There are plenty of good resources.  I recommend the following to students looking to develop a basic understanding of the subject.

(1) Computer Networking first-step by Wendell Odom (published by Cisco Press) is a good introductory book on networking.  If you have little or no networking experience, then this book can advance your knowledge rapidly and it’s easy to read.

(2) TCP/IP Illustrated, Volume 1 by W. Richard Stevens is an excellent reference for understanding the various protocols and the data formats they use.  It’s moderately technical, yet even a  beginner will find it useful.  This is a good place to start adding depth to your understanding.  Combined with a network protocol analyzer (for example, see Wireshark at www.wireshark.org), you can learn plenty about what’s going on behind the curtain.

(3) Computer Networks by Andrew S. Tanenbaum offers an in-depth treatment of the layers of the OSI reference model (giving you a good understanding of the concept of a layered architecture) and also provides a broad treatment of virtually every area of computer networking – possibly more than you would want if you’re at the introductory level.  But it’s an interesting tour through the subject matter.  It’s a good book for adding breadth and depth.

You can find quite a bit of good information on the Internet, as you would expect.  Take a look at these excellent CISCO links:

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/internetworking/technology/handbook/Intro-to-Internet.html

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/internetworking/technology/handbook/Intro-to-LAN.html

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/internetworking/technology/handbook/LAN-Switching.html

I hope these links and references are helpful to you.