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Data Communications, Computer Networks, and Open Systems (4th Edition)
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by F. Halsall
Sales Rank: 431845
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$1.99
At Amazon
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Hardcover: 928 pages
Publisher: Addison Wesley; 4 edition January 15, 1996
Language: English
ISBN-10: 020142293X
ISBN-13: 978-0201422931
Product Dimensions:
9.5 x 7.8 x 1.8 inches
Shipping Weight: 4.2 pounds
Book Info
Author presents the complex world of data communications and networks with clarity and thoroughness. Extensively updated to reflect the rapid developments in this field.
Back Cover Copy
Highlights of the book include detailed coverage of: - The essential theory associated with digital transmission
- Digital leased circuits including PDH, SONET and SDH
- Protocol basics including specification and implementation methods
- Legacy and wireless LANs
- High-speed LANs including 100BaseT and 100 VG AnyLAN
- Transparent and source routing bridges
- Packet switching and frame relay networks and their protocols
- Internetworking architectures, protocols and routing algorithms
- Multiservice broadband networks including ATM LANs and MANs
- The TCP/IP and OSI application protocols including X.400 and X.500
- Data encryption and network security algorithms
- Network management architectures including SNMP and CMIP
020142293XB04062001
Customer Reviews & Comments
I have been using Fred Halsall's book in my computer engineering degree and it has been very useful. This is a dense, fat book that will provide lots of information. It covers the basics, from the essential theory about digital transmission, protocol basics and implementation methods, legacy and wireless LANs, HS LANs, transparent and source routing bridges, packet switching and frame relay networks/protocols, internetworking architectures, protocols and routing algorithms, multiservice broadband networks, TCP/IP and OSI application protocols, data encryption and network security, network management structures like SNMP and CMIP and other stuff. I can complain about some of the excessive use of acronyms that leave some areas of the book much harder to read. I'm talking about hundreds of acronyms here. Also, Fred's writing is sometimes a bit too dry, sometimes forgetting to give the reader a general idea about the subject, instead of just jumping into all the details. This is something that is better done in other books, especially Andrew Tanenbaum's "Computer Networks". Tanenbaum also shares his sense of humour, which, in a dense volume about telecommunications, ends up refreshing the user. Also, Tanenbaum's dares to share his opinion sometimes, something Halsall seldom does, giving us only the facts and nothing more. But if it's the facts you want, he's good at it. I found most of the book clear; the section about Huffman data compression for instance, was excellent. I remember having some trouble with the Viterbi EC algorithm, which isn't very well explained. The book also lacks information about some more modern technologies like GSM. In general, this is a very competent title, and a great resource to the student or the computer professional. Be sure to check Andrew S. Tanenbaum's "Computer Networks", since you might prefer it to this title, or, the perfect choice, get both. (I have them both and some subjects are a lot better in one book, and others are a lot better in the other title).
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Data Communications, Computer Networks, and Open Systems (4th Edition)
Available from Amazon
Price: $1.99
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