Product: 0470534052

This (6th ed., 2016) is a widely available and affordable primer on networking. It focuses, perhaps rightly, on Microsoft networks, though Linux gets some modest coverage and Macs are, albeit briefly and insufficiently, mentioned. Written in a conversational style, it is worth mentioning that sometimes the author’s style isn’t to everyone’s taste, and that his interpolated remarks are sometimes distractive. He does seem knowledgeable, though he has apparent biases, sometimes acknowledged, sometimes not.

It is perhaps inevitable that a ‘for dummies’ book covering such a subject as computer networking will have a few holes in its contents and presentation. There are several in this text–for example, while a shortish chapter discusses backups, the solely discussed means of doing backups is that of tapes; mentioned are CD/DVD (mainly to point out the drawbacks) and NAS (mentioned, but, curiously, not discussed at all). Another significant hole: wireless security gives prominent mention to WEP, but WPA/WPA2 only gets notice that it is actually more secure–nothing else about it is discussed. [Full disclosure: I strongly recommend NOT relying on WEP is security is at all important for your network.]

Finally, it should be noted that sometimes the discussion of a topic reaches the ‘almost good enough’ level, something I find frustrating. To see that a newbie would learn, say, 90% of what he/she needs to know about a topic to do the job effectively, when inclusion of the other 10% would be of negligible cost, seems to indicate the need for a better editor, perhaps one a bit more knowledgeable about the field.

Recommended, with reservations, and largely in light of the modest competition at this level.
Rating: 3
0470534052
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