Please recommend a good book on networking

**Loopy** · August 27th, 2007, 07:10 PM

I hope I posted this in the correct place,

I'm looking for a good book on wiring,planning out networks, and general set up/install.
Could anyone recommend a good book to me?

**Ferrit** · August 28th, 2007, 11:20 AM

I dont really know a good book but certainly anything to do with networking is dealt with at
www.practicallynetworked.com

**Guts3d** · August 29th, 2007, 12:59 PM

I usually recommend the series of " blank for dummies " books, as they seem to speak to people at al skill levels.

**mhubbard24** · August 30th, 2007, 06:12 AM

Its pretty technical but my Networking textbook in my master's program is good. It is Computer Networks: A Systems Approach by Davie and Peterson 4th Edition. It's past tthe dummies book if they are too basic for you.

**Wizard of Wiring** · September 4th, 2007, 03:36 AM

Two completely separate topics wire installation & network installation

Proper cabling follows very rigid guidelines:
For wiring/cabling installation you can primarily refer to EIA/TIA standards and the National Electric Code

Others have already suggested networking books. Whatever you read, I would highly recommend learning some networking history. It will help you sort out the simplicity of networks from the complexity of network security.

**NooNoo** · September 4th, 2007, 10:39 AM

Loopy, what skill level do you want to start at? Cisco have some excellent reference books

**Loopy** · September 4th, 2007, 06:27 PM

I'm not sure at which skill lvl? I'm thinking at least intermediate based on the fact that it will help expand my skillset. My plan is that I want to wire up my house with ethernet and coax, I want to be able to figure out what I need and wire/configure it myself, basically a D.I.Y project.

Therefore I know I need a book that will tell me how to put heads on coax/ethernet cable etc.

**Loopy** · September 4th, 2007, 07:00 PM

I saw these two http://www.amazon.com/Networking-Dum...8948899&sr=8-2
http://www.amazon.com/Networking-All...8948899&sr=8-1
(as far as these two dummies books go I'm not sure which is the better choice) and this one http://www.amazon.com/Ethernet-Netwo...949888&sr=1-12

Any advice on whether they would be good choices or not?
P.S after taking a look at the books, I think a begginer to intermediate book would be a good choice for me?

**NooNoo** · September 5th, 2007, 04:31 AM

OK, why both ethernet and coax? Is the coax for TV only?

this is the one for those who want to do the sort of thing you describe the other two get much more technical.

**Loopy** · September 5th, 2007, 09:04 PM

Yes, the coax will be for tv, I'm going to have to run new lines and reconfigure old ones, the ethernet will be for computers and maybe other things such as media boxes etc. BTW would it be unreasonable to have 2 ethernet jacks in each bedroom and 2 in the living room?

**NooNoo** · September 6th, 2007, 06:00 AM

you need an ethernet jack for each computer or "node" on the network. What you can do is have one jack and then plug a switch in (which is also a node) and then you can run as many as you like... (well there are restrictions, but unless you are running 50 pcs or more at the same time off the same switch you are not going to notice)

So the question is, why did you want two jacks?

**Loopy** · September 6th, 2007, 09:12 AM

Well for the bedrooms I realize that one jack will be enough except for mine, because of future expansion, and the reason I want two in the living room is because it's a large room. The other reason I thought about having two in each room is because that way I wouldn't have to run cables across the room.
I might end up putting three jacks in the computer room, again for equipment and exspansion. I'm I going about this the wrong way NooNoo?

**NooNoo** · September 6th, 2007, 09:40 AM

Have you not thought about a wireless network?

The three jacks in the computer room... ok, where are all these jacks connecting to?

Assuming you have a broadband modem, that connects to a router, (or is integrated in a modem/router) and then depending on how many ports you have on the router, against how many you need... this is where a switch comes in. You have one cable to the router to the switch, and then depending on how many ports you have on the switch, is how many more switches or computers you can plug in... yes, you can daisy chain them like that.

Take a look at the diagram below.
1. Is the big internet cable at your ISP
2. Is the connection to your house (phone or cable)
3. Is your modem
4. Is your two port router
5. Are the two cables leading to two 8 port switches
6. Are the two 8 port switches
7. Are a total of 16 computers - equally they could be 16 more switches each with 8 ports!

**Loopy** · September 6th, 2007, 05:11 PM

Wow!, Thanks now I understand it and I'm amazed.
I wanted to have everything wired so I could avoid wireless and it's shortcomings. The three jacks would be for any computer I set up in that room, and anything else I might add, like for example a networked hard drive.

based on your plan I have an idea of how I'd run it, I have a cable modem and a Netgear WGR614v6 router. I need a better performing router because it can't keep up with the cable modem, what I mean about that is I can only get the full speed of my cable modem by linking my computer directly to the modem bypassing the router.

from what I see in your diagram I'd run all of my lines to a switch and the switch would connect to the router, and so forth and so on. Would there be any impact to performance by doing it that way? and what would be the expense on average of adding a switch(I only ask because I've no clue which or what to buy, but I will take a look at various online stores)

**NooNoo** · September 7th, 2007, 02:31 AM

Switches are dirt cheap, managed switches (switches with software in them to do something clever on your network) are more expensive.

OK imagine a water pipe, say half inch wide coming into your house. Now imagine every room is a bathroom, if everyone turns on the taps at the same time, what's going to happen? Much the same happens with the internet - you have a finite bandwidth that can be shared amongst all the computers. Like the taps, if only one tap is going you get the full flow to that tap, if you have two taps, the flow is halved. Now with the internet bandwidth, it tends to be first come first served - the computer downloading a large file will continue to hog all the bandwidth leaving any computer logging on to grab the odd bits left over. This can be "balanced" but in a domestic situation, yelling at the bandwidth hog user is more productive and a hellova lot less expensive!