Synopses & Reviews
This clearly written and logically organized book allows the reader to gain a deeper understanding of computer networks and internets by asserting that the best way to learn is by doing: it allows for hands-on experience with a real network. The book is organized into six sections that each consider a hardware platform, from the most basic (free-standing, single computer) to the most advanced (powerful and expensive facilities), and outlines experiments that can be carried out using these platforms. Through experiments, readers learn that interconnecting hardware, configuring software, measuring performance, observing protocols in action, and creating client-server programs over a network all help sharpen understanding.