This book enables you to master the concepts behind today's internetworking industry and to build a solid understanding of local and wide area networking, as well as the hardware, protocols and services involved.
Data communications technologies are evolving and expanding at an unparalleled rate. This publication provides technical information addressing Cisco-supported internetworking technologies. It is designed for use in conjunction with other Cisco manuals, but can also be used as a standalone technology reference. The book is aimed at all those who want to understand internetworking.
The first part provides an overview of internet-working technologies and terminology. Individual chapters describe various topics including internet- working basics, LAN protocols, WAN technologies, bridging and switching, routing and network manage-ment, with special attention to the OSI network management model.
The latter chapters of the book build up on the introduction. All the LAN and Ethernet technologies are covered including the new Gigabit Ethernet draft. The section devoted to WAN technologies summarises the specifications and operational characteristics of key WAN protocols and technologies, including Frame Relay, ISDN and SMDS, just to mention a few.
Bridging and switching is addressed with particular attention to the difference between the two technologies. All forms of switching, such as ATM, Data-Link switching, LAN switching and the Cisco Tagged Switching system are covered in great detail. The various forms of bridging concepts such as Source-Route Bridging, are also explained.
The principal components of today's most widely implemented networking protocols such as AppleTalk, DECnet, TCP/IP and all the others are explained. Routing protocols such as for example BGP, IP multicast, SMRP, RIP, RSVP, complete the picture.
A most important aspect of networking is network management. The features and functions of Remote Monitoring (RMON), IBM network management and the widely used Internet network management protocol, SNMP, are discussed.
This book enables you to master the concepts behind today's internetworking industry and to build a solid understanding of local and wide area networking, as well as the hardware, protocols and services involved. If you want to learn how specific internetworking technologies can fit into your network, then read this book. It is also most convenient to have it on your bookshelf if, like me, internetworking fascinates you.
