Network Warrior

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 598 pages
• Published by: O'Reilly Media, Inc. June 21, 2007
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0596101511
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0596101510
• Book Dimensions: 9 x 7 x 1.4 inches
• Weighs: 2.2 pounds

Book Description
Written by networking veteran with twenty years of experience, Network Warrior provides a thorough and practical introduction to the entire network infrastructure, from cabling to the routers. What you need to learn to pass a Cisco certification exam such as CCNA and what you need to know to survive in the real world are two very different things. The strategies that this book offers weren 't on the exam, but they 're exactly what you need to do your job well.

Network Warrior takes you step by step through the world of hubs, switches, firewalls, and more, including ways to troubleshoot a congested network, and when to upgrade and why. Along the way, you 'll gain an historical perspective of various networking features, such as the way Ethernet evolved. Based on the author 's own experience as well as those he worked for and with, Network Warrior is a Cisco-centric book, focused primarily on the TCP/IP protocol and Ethernet networks -- the realm that Cisco Systems now dominates. The book covers:

The type of networks now in use, from LANs, WANs and MANs to CANs

• The OSI Model and the layers involved in sending data
• Hubs, repeaters, switches, and trunks in practice
• Auto negotiation and why it 's a common problem in network slowdowns
• Route maps, routing protocols, and switching algorithms in Cisco routers
• The resilient Ethernet -- how to make things truly redundant
• Cisco 6500 multi-layer switches and the Catalyst 3750 switch
• Telecom nomenclature -- why it 's different from the data world
• T1 and DS3
• Firewall theory, designing access lists, authentication in Cisco devices
• Server load balancing technology
• Content switch section in action
• Designing QOS and what QOS does not do
• IP design and subnetting made easy

The book also explains how to sell your ideas to management, how networks become a mess as a company grows, and why change control is your friend. Network Warrior will help network administrators and engineers win the complex battles they face every day.

About The Author
Gary A. Donahue is a working consultant who has been in the computer industry for 25 years. Gary has worked as a programmer, mainframe administrator, Technical Assistance Center engineer, network administrator, network designer, and consultant. Gary has worked as the Director of Network Infrastructure for a national consulting company and has been the president of his own New Jersey consulting company; GAD Technologies. Having designed and built networks ranging from simple LANs to world-wide converged VoIP networks, Gary has worked with people from all levels of IT and management. From small local businesses to Fortune 500 clients Gary observed many misunderstandings regarding routing and switching technologies, even among people with high-level certifications. Gary's goal as a consultant has always been to help his clients understand the technology at hand. Over the years he has written many documents outlining complex technologies in order that others might better understand. Much of this knowledge has been transformed into this book. Being a teacher by nature, Gary enjoys the process of imparting newfound understanding to others. Gary has taught Tae Kwon Do, Photography and Astronomy both informally and through professional schools. Being someone who disdains boredom, Gary has many hobbies including amateur radio, astronomy, bicycling, computers of all kinds, gadgets, guitar, hiking, home theater, martial arts, photography, SCUBA diving, and competitive shooting. Gary is the owner of the Newf-Net Newfoundland Dog forum and is the author of the Newf-L F.A.Q.

Reader Reviews
Network Warrior is the best network administration book I've ever read. I spend most of my reading time on security books, but because I lean towards network security I like reading complementary sources on protocols and infrastructure. Gary Donahue has written a wonderful book that I highly recommend for anyone who administers, supports, or interacts with networks. Network Warrior may be the best book I will read in 2007. Why is Network Warrior so great? I think the key is the author's willingness to share personal recommendations. There are plenty of books about technology and syntax. I've read and reviewed many, most of which I liked for what they offered. However, it's rare to read a network book that says "here's how you should implement this," rather than just list options. I'm at the point in my career where I know what I might do; now I want to know what a real expert would do. Donahue provides that wisdom in many sections, but especially in Part VIII on network design. A second reason I really enjoyed Network Warrior was its coverage of a variety of Cisco features. Sure, I had read of many of these elsewhere, but I thought Donahue made many of them clear, especially in comparison to each other. There are better references for ACLs, like Cisco Router Firewall Security by Richard Deal, but when ACLs are described next to route maps or VLAN maps, Ciscoland becomes a little easier to understand. Donahue's explanations of EtherChannel, switching algorithms, and autonegotiation are other good examples. I even admit that the author corrected my misunderstanding of QoS, as he says "QoS does not limit bandwidth, it guarantees it, which is not the same thing" (p 429). Elsewhere he says "When there is no congestion, any protocol can use any amount of available bandwidth it needs" (p 428) and "while scheduling of packets always takes places, the limits set are really only enforced during congestion" (p 427). The third reason I like Network Warrior is the attention paid to understanding the fundamentals of certain technologies and products. The author ensures the reader gets a real grounding in telecom terms and technology, like T-1 lines. For products, I liked chapters on the 6500 series switch, content switches, and layer 3 switches. Finally, the writing is exceptionally clear. The diagrams are excellent and make their point very well. The author's suggestions for being a better administrator apply to any technical operator. I liked Donahue's repeated suggestion to "never assume anything" and to start troubleshooting at layer 1. Although I rated Network Warrior five stars, in a second edition I would like to see more on layer two fundamentals. I would also like to read about 802.1X and perhaps even Cisco NAC, since it seems to be becoming popular. Overall, however, you should buy and read Network Warrior right now. I loved it and will recommend it to anyone who wants to be a better network administrator. Comment | | (Report this)