Internetworking Technologies Handbook review

Before we go any further, it's probably just as well to point out that this 'essential reference for every networking professional', as the front cover shamelessly proclaims, is published by Cisco Press. This doesn't mean that you'll only get the best out of it if you're studying towards CCNA certification, or running a Cisco-powered enterprise, but naturally it helps if you're applying its concepts and referencing its technical insights within the proprietary arena of a Cisco networking environment. Of course, the simple truth is that you're an exception to the rule if Cisco kit doesn't feature in your working life somewhere along the line anyway.

What is surprising is just how much of the core content - of what is after all the condensed technical wisdom of Cisco tutorials and support documentation - applies to the networking world at large. What's more, it cuts through the dross and gives clear, authoritative advice that will help anyone working with networks, from the smallest enterprise LAN to the biggest WAN. All but the student reader can skip the first hundred or so pages covering internetworking basics, LAN protocols and WAN technologies and instead jump straight in further along. One of the book's strengths is its modular structure, so you can quickly flick to the section on downstream and upstream user bandwidth allocation, for example.

The authors assume that you have a certain level of understanding. They tend not to hold back with complex concepts, preferring instead to hit you with the information you need. The handy conceptual diagrams dotted around the text clarify the really hard stuff, and you can easily reference the oft-quoted RFCs if you need to do a little more digging to get up to speed. This is an essential reference book for any professional involved with internetworking technology implementation, updating the previous version to include such things as VoIP and DSL.

Part of the Cisco Press 'Core Series', each chapter starts with a set of goals and ends with some review questions. In between is some of the most comprehensive technical advice you're likely to find at any price, let alone the bargain that this tome represents. Whether you just want to swot up on your internetworking skills or lay the foundations for building a scalable cost-effective network, you won't be disappointed.