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| Communications Systems and Networks | 
| Authors: Ray Horak, Harry Newton, Mark A. Miller
Publisher: Wiley
Category: Book
List Price: $54.99
Buy New: $13.99
You Save: $41.00 (75%)
Buy New/Used from $3.60
Avg. Customer Rating:  (31 reviews)
Sales Rank: 718755
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Paperback
Edition: 3
Number Of Items: 10
Pages: 678
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.2
Dimensions (in): 9 x 7.3 x 1.5
ISBN: 0764548999
Dewey Decimal Number: 621.382
UPC: 785555102613
EAN: 9780764548994
ASIN: 0764548999
Publication Date: September 5, 2002
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
* Convergence is confusing. Convergence is critical. And convergence is real. In this book, industry pundit Ray Horak describes how the merging of voice and data networks has evolved and is likely to evolve as we move toward an information-based economy.
* Beginning with the fundamentals of communications technology, the book grounds the reader in basic telecommunications concepts including circuits (dedicated, switched and virtual), switches (circuit, packet, and frame), and the issues involved in digital and analog transmission.
* Describes the rudiments of transmission media, from twisted pair and coaxial cable to satellite and fiber-optic transmission.
* Introduces the basics of voice systems, beginning with legacy networks like key telephone systems and including PBXs, Centrex, Automatic Call Distributors, and Computer Telephony Integration (CTI).
* Explains the fundamentals of data communications, including basic LAN and WAN engineering, modems and other forms of data communications equipment, broadband infrastructure and network services, and the protocols and equipment that make the global Internet a reality.
* Considers some of the emerging technologies and applications just now gaining widespread acceptance, including wireless networks and digital video networks, along with the economic and regulatory forces likely to determine the shape of the networked world of the 21st Century, as well as the speed with which we can expect to see it implemented.
* Previous edition sold 40,000+ copies.
Amazon.com Review
Living in an era of instant communication has certain drawbacks. Not too long ago, the living was simpler. People had one or two telephone numbers, a street address, and access to four or five television channels. Now, we have phone numbers for home, work, mobile phone, fax machine, and pager. We have multiple e-mail addresses. We have access to unlimited information over the Internet. With digital cable or a personal satellite dish, we choose from hundreds of television channels. The communication technology behind this revolution continues to evolve--becoming faster, cheaper, and more prolific. What technology is behind the scenes, and how does all of this information get delivered? That is the question that's answered by this remarkable tome, Ray Horak's Communications Systems & Networks. Horak explains communication technologies in 15 chapters, using the growing convergence of voice, data, and video as the narrative thread that holds the book together. He starts at the beginning--telegraph and early telephone--and details the progression from analog voice signals to modern high-speed digital networks. Along the way, he emphasizes technical breadth. For exhaustive detail on any one subject, Horak enumerates relevant sources and suggests additional reading at the end of each chapter. This feature makes this book the ideal place to start when researching any communications topic. Another good thing about this book is its pragmatic approach to communications. Horak blends a high-level view of the subject with implementation and deployment issues, as well as the relative costs of different technologies. This book is valuable for both engineers and managers. It's a perfect resource for inquisitive engineers who are well versed about one area of communications and want to explore the rest of the communications world. For a manager who wants a technical overview of a given subject, the depth is perfect--just enough knowledge to become dangerous. The conversational style of the book also is a welcome touch. In contrast to technical books that require a can of Jolt to stay awake, Horak presents complex material concisely. Historical perspective is integrated with technical details, and reflects the author's many years of experience. Topics such as the Telecommunication Act of 1996 are explained in the context of technological change, and give the reader a comprehensive overview of virtually all communication technologies. This book is the perfect complement to such industry mainstays as Perlman's Interconnections, Comer's Internetworking with TCP/IP, and Tanenbaum's Computer Networks. --Pete Ostenson
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| Customer Reviews: Read 26 more reviews...
 An Awful Introduction April 22, 2005
0 out of 4 found this review helpful
I'm an electrical engineer and in the Telecomm buisness. I've read a lot of books on communications and this has to be one of the worst, luckily I didn't pay for it. The writing is poor and it doesn't commuicate ideas clearly. There is better books out there on the exact same subject.
 Light reading January 18, 2004
4 out of 6 found this review helpful
There are many telecom books around that try cover as much as topics as possible, this one is no different.
Main advantage of Ray Horak's book is it simplicity, it is very easy to read and understand and organization of the overall text is also quite good. Book also covers fairly large portion of today's telecom world, although, due to the sheer size of the subject, it is lacking in details.
I'd recommend this book for junior (very junior) students or for new-commers in the field.
On the other hand, european engineers should try to avoid this book due its US-centrism. Author mostly ignores European systems or provides very shallow and short reference.To finalize, good book, but don't ecpect it to make you an expert in the field.
 Communications Systems and Networks September 25, 2003
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
A wonderful and essential book for all telecom engineers. It is a great work that should have scored my 5 but for the paper quality.
 Communications Systems and Networks July 25, 2003
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Review of Communications Systems and Networks by Ray HorakDuring the mid 1970's in our Voc Tech High School Data Processing class we were taught that all our information either acquired or given must be Pertinent, Accurate, and Understandable. Or PAU.
Currently a Cisco Networking Student I have many questions about communications systems. This book is more than a PAU resource. With clear explanations and illustrations .From UTP to STP to Coax to Fiber to the Wireless! From LAN's to WAN's to Multi-Media to the WWW. All explained and tied together. Chapter 12 has a section dedicated to the Misuse & Content of the WWW. Also Internet Oddities,Screwball Applications, and Some Really Good Ideas. Each well worth the few minutes it takes to read. Last but not least is the Accronyms, Abbreveations & Symbols Appendix because everyone remembers what VSLEP,JBOD,MEO,and WMBTOTCITBWTNTALI stand for right?
Thank You Ray for balancing the tech language with the human !!! Communications Systems & Networks gets my 5 star PAU rating!
Excellent Resource February 21, 2003
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Communications Systems and Networks by Ray Horak is and excellent resource for anyone in the communication industry, whether experienced or not. I advise every new person in my group to purchase it and keep it close at hand. It has been helpful on many occasions when I needed to help an upper level manager understand a technical issue.
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