Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach (4th Edition) | James F. Kurose, Keith W. Ross |...

Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach (4th Edition) | James F. Kurose, Keith W. Ross | Most readable book in my entire CS curriculum

books:

Computer Networkin...

	Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach (4th Edition) James F. Kurose, Keith W. Ross Addison Wesley, 2007 - 880 pages average customer review:based on 54 reviews view larger image
	for more information click here

highly recommended

Building on the successful top-down approach of previous editions, the Fourth Edition of Computer Networking continues with an early emphasis on application-layer paradigms and application programming interfaces, encouraging a hands-on experience with protocols and networking concepts. With this edition, Kurose and Ross bring the issues of network security to the forefront, along with integration of the most current and relevant networking technologies.

Computer Networks and the Internet; Application Layer; Transport Layer; The Network Layer; The Link Layer and Local Area Networks; Wireless and Mobile Networks; Multimedia Networking; Security in Computer Networks; Network Management.

For all readers interested in computer networking technologies.

for more information click here

Excellent textbook for teaching principles of the Internet

This is a very good textbook for students and practitioners, who want to understand the stratum on which many modern applications are built: the Internet. For such readers, this book will be a very good source of information. If you want to build Internet-based applications, the knowledge that you can acquire from this book is indispensable.

If you are interested in networks other than the Internet, or if you are interested in network theory, or in network engineering, this book is not for you.

Most readable book in my entire CS curriculum

Lots of other reviewers have said it so I won't go on at length, but this is a fantastic book. Very easy to read, while still presenting gobs of information. Authors have a great sense of humor. They are able to make the broad concepts as well as the nitty gritty of networking crystal clear, without undue effort from the reader. Highly recommended.

for more information click here

Forty-two previous edition customer reviews averaging 4.5 stars!

It's too bad that Amazon doesn't include reviews for previous editions of textbooks. The previous editions of this book had forty-two total reviews, and they average out to 4.5 stars. Unfortunately, this edition's rating is skewed by some students who appear to attributing their poor grade to the book.

I'm a fan of these authors. If you look at a previous edition of Computer Networking you'll see just how great this book's reviews are.

reference

I am a very beginning student in computer networking and find the chapters dense but clearly written. My instructor has encouraged us to keep the book for future classes because even though we may not cover all the material in this course, it will be a handy reference for us in more advanced ones. The labs and Java applets are great for visualizing a lot of the more tricky concepts. The top down approach of working from the things you know (applications) helps you not feel totally lost right at the beginning before you get hit with all the acronyms. I would recommend this book to networking students at any level of expertise.

for more information click here

Textbook Review (Student's Perspective)

As an introductory textbook, the homework in the fourth edition of "Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach" by James F. Kurose relies to a degree on the PowerPoint slides available on the textbook's website. Some homework questions cannot be answered from the textbook alone. Those homework questions can only be answered by reading through the PowerPoint slides or using an outside source (such as the relevant RFCs).

Example: A homework question gave that an HTTP message was version 1.1 and did not mention anything else about the connection. That homework question then asked if the HTTP connection was persistent or non-persistent. The PowerPoint slides go into HTTP versions and persistence; however, the textbook doesn't mention that HTTP 1.1 defaults to a persistent connection . . . it only mentions persistence in general while discussing HTTP.

IMO, it would be better to have all the information relevant to a homework question in the textbook . . . or clearly indicate, that a student needs to search outside of the text or attain the answer.

All in all, the 4th edition is a good book . . . that could be better.

Hope This Helps,
Joshua Burkholder

for more information click here