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| Network Warrior | 
| Author: Gary A. Donahue
Publisher: O'Reilly Media, Inc.
Category: Book
List Price: $44.99
Buy New: $27.32
You Save: $17.67 (39%)
Buy New/Used from $20.00
Avg. Customer Rating:  (30 reviews)
Sales Rank: 10621
Format: Illustrated
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Paperback
Edition: First
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 598
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.2
Dimensions (in): 9 x 7 x 1.4
ISBN: 0596101511
Dewey Decimal Number: 004.6
EAN: 9780596101510
ASIN: 0596101511
Publication Date: June 1, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
| Showing reviews 26-30 of 30 | | « PREV | | |
Maybe the best book I will read in 2007 July 16, 2007
57 out of 58 found this review helpful
Network Warrior is the best network administration book I've ever read. I spend most of my reading time on security books, but because I lean towards network security I like reading complementary sources on protocols and infrastructure. Gary Donahue has written a wonderful book that I highly recommend for anyone who administers, supports, or interacts with networks. Network Warrior may be the best book I will read in 2007.
Why is Network Warrior so great? I think the key is the author's willingness to share personal recommendations. There are plenty of books about technology and syntax. I've read and reviewed many, most of which I liked for what they offered. However, it's rare to read a network book that says "here's how you should implement this," rather than just list options. I'm at the point in my career where I know what I might do; now I want to know what a real expert would do. Donahue provides that wisdom in many sections, but especially in Part VIII on network design.
A second reason I really enjoyed Network Warrior was its coverage of a variety of Cisco features. Sure, I had read of many of these elsewhere, but I thought Donahue made many of them clear, especially in comparison to each other. There are better references for ACLs, like Cisco Router Firewall Security by Richard Deal, but when ACLs are described next to route maps or VLAN maps, Ciscoland becomes a little easier to understand. Donahue's explanations of EtherChannel, switching algorithms, and autonegotiation are other good examples. I even admit that the author corrected my misunderstanding of QoS, as he says "QoS does not limit bandwidth, it guarantees it, which is not the same thing" (p 429). Elsewhere he says "When there is no congestion, any protocol can use any amount of available bandwidth it needs" (p 428) and "while scheduling of packets always takes places, the limits set are really only enforced during congestion" (p 427).
The third reason I like Network Warrior is the attention paid to understanding the fundamentals of certain technologies and products. The author ensures the reader gets a real grounding in telecom terms and technology, like T-1 lines. For products, I liked chapters on the 6500 series switch, content switches, and layer 3 switches.
Finally, the writing is exceptionally clear. The diagrams are excellent and make their point very well. The author's suggestions for being a better administrator apply to any technical operator. I liked Donahue's repeated suggestion to "never assume anything" and to start troubleshooting at layer 1.
Although I rated Network Warrior five stars, in a second edition I would like to see more on layer two fundamentals. I would also like to read about 802.1X and perhaps even Cisco NAC, since it seems to be becoming popular. Overall, however, you should buy and read Network Warrior right now. I loved it and will recommend it to anyone who wants to be a better network administrator.
Well worth purchasing! July 13, 2007
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
I don't normally write reviews, so that in itself should mean something. This book is great for anyone who wants to get an overview of many aspects of networking, or for the current professional who wants an easy to understand refresher. The details given are just enough to keep you interested and learning, but not too much that it will leave you bored and confused. This book covers a lot more than a CCNA level person would know, so I consider it a great step if you're working on a CCNP, or just interested in deciding what topic you should master next. It also covers a lot of real-world material, which is usually not in most other Cisco books. This book is definitely worth the read!
Excellent practical info for all network admins and designers July 7, 2007
9 out of 13 found this review helpful
I don't know why the title page on this book says "Everything that wasn't on the CCNA Exam", because that might mislead some people to believe that this book is extremely Cisco-specific or is for network admins that are just starting out. Neither is true. Instead, this book is a very good survey of the various skills, network equipment, and technology that you need to know about in the year 2007 to be a successful network administrator and for that matter, successful network designer. This book is Cisco-centric in that mentions problems and algorithms specific to Cisco equipment, but it should be useful to anyone involved in network administration and design. Also, if you are a student taking a course in computer networking, this book is full of accessible explanations that you might not find in your typical textbook. For the relative low price of admission, it might be worthwhile to have it around as a supplemental text. The following is the detailed table of contents:
Part I. HUBS, SWITCHES, and SWITCHING
1. What Is a Network?
2. Hubs and Switches
Hubs; Switches;
3. Auto-Negotiation
What Is Auto-Negotiation?; How Auto-Negotiation Works; When Auto-Negotiation Fails; Auto-Negotiation Best Practices; Configuring Auto-Negotiation;
4. VLANs
Connecting VLANs; Configuring VLANs ;
5. Trunking
How Trunks Work; Configuring Trunks;
6. VLAN Trunking Protocol
VTP Pruning; Dangers of VTP;Configuring VTP;
7. EtherChannel
Load Balancing; Configuring and Managing EtherChannel;
8. Spanning Tree
Broadcast Storms; MAC Address Table Instability Preventing Loops with Spanning Tree; Managing Spanning Tree; Additional Spanning Tree Features; Common Spanning Tree Problems; Designing to Prevent Spanning Tree Problems;
Part II. ROUTERS AND ROUTING
9. Routing and Routers
Routing Tables; Route Types; The IP Routing Table ;
10. Routing Protocols
Communication Between Routers; Metrics and Protocol Types; Administrative Distance; Specific Routing Protocols;
11. Redistribution
Redistributing into RIP; Redistributing into EIGRP ;Redistributing into OSPF; Mutual Redistribution; Redistribution Loops; Limiting Redistribution;
12. Tunnels
GRE Tunnels; GRE Tunnels and Routing Protocols; GRE and Access Lists;
13. Resilient Ethernet
HSRP; HSRP Interface Tracking; When HSRP Isn't Enough;
14. Route Maps
Building a Route Map; Policy-Routing Example;
15. Switching Algorithms in Cisco Routers
Process Switching; Interrupt Context Switching; Configuring and Managing Switching Paths;
Part III. MULTILAYER SWITCHES
16. Multilayer Switches
Configuring SVIs; Multilayer Switch Models;
17. Cisco 6500 Multilayer Switches;
Architecture; CatOS Versus IOS;
18. Catalyst 3750 Features
Stacking; Interface Ranges Macros; Flex Links; Storm Control; Port Security; SPAN; Voice VLAN; QoS;
Part IV. TELECOM
19. Telecom Nomenclature
Introduction and History; Telecom Glossary;
20. T1
Understanding T1 Duplex; Types of T1; Encoding; Framing ;Performance Monitoring; Alarms; Troubleshooting T1s; Configuring T1s;
21. DS3
Framing; Line Coding; Configuring DS3s;
22. Frame Relay
Ordering Frame-Relay Service; Frame-Relay Network Design; Oversubscription; Local Management Interface (LMI); Configuring Frame Relay; Troubleshooting Frame Relay;
Part V. SECURITY AND FIREWALLS
23. Access Lists
Designing Access Lists; ACLs in Multilayer Switches; Reflexive Access Lists;
24. Authentication in Cisco Devices
Basic (Non-AAA) Authentication; AAA Authentication;
25. Firewall Theory
Best Practices; The DMZ; Alternate Designs;
26. PIX Firewall Configuration
Interfaces and Priorities; Names; Object Groups; Fixups; Failover; NAT; Miscellaneous; Troubleshooting;
Part VI. SERVER LOAD BALANCING
27. Server Load-Balancing Technology
Types of Load Balancing; How Server Load Balancing Works; Configuring Server Load Balancing;
28. Content Switch Modules in Action
Common Tasks; Upgrading the CSM;
Part VII. QUALITY OF SERVICE
29. Introduction to QoS
Types of QoS; QoS Mechanics; Common QoS Misconceptions
30. Designing a QoS Scheme
Determining Requirements; Configuring the Routers;
31. The Congested Network
Determining Whether the Network Is Congested; Resolving the Problem;
32. The Converged Network
Configuration; Monitoring QoS; Troubleshooting a Converged Network;
Part VIII. DESIGNING NETWORKS
33. Designing Networks
Documentation; Naming Conventions for Devices; Network Designs
34. IP Design
Public Versus Private IP Space; VLSM; CIDR; Allocating IP Network Space; Allocating IP Subnets; IP Subnetting Made Easy;
35. Network Time Protocol
What Is Accurate Time?; NTP Design; Configuring NTP;
36. Failures
Human Error; Multiple Component Failure; Disaster Chains; No Failover Testing; Troubleshooting;
37. GAD's Maxims
Maxim #1; Maxim #2; Maxim #3;
38. Avoiding Frustration
Why Everything Is Messed Up; How to Sell Your Ideas to Management; When to Upgrade and Why; Why Change Control Is Your Friend;
A Braindump of real information July 6, 2007
I'm a seasoned network and security architect, well versed in the land of Cisco. This is bar none one of the best books out there.
It has something for everyone; for the junior admins just starting out, to intermediate and advanced who can use a no no-nonsense reference. (as well as a reference point to defend your designs)
It's literally a brain dump of useful information that only real world experience can teach. For the more advanced folk out there, you will find plenty of information to sink your teeth into. There are tidbits of information that we all were not sure on or thought was true, but never found in writing in the official Cisco press books.
The best example I can think of in there, is a crucial difference of CSS and CSM. ... Now I have the official Cisco press book (designing content switching solutions); but no where did it tell me that a CSM uses the bus which in turn will cause my 6500's sup720-3b to drop down from using the cross-bar to using the bus, effectively negating the coveted 720gig forwarding rate. (the closest thing they have to referencing it is a picture on page 54 of the CSM, with a line pointing to the connector saying "shared bus connectivity". A far cry from saying this is what is going to happen to your 6500)
It's little things like that which makes this book just as invaluable as the IOS Cookbook and the hacking exposed series.
Junior level admins will find the first chapters enlightening (he explains spanning tree better then I ever could). The chapter on telco is great and goes into enough detail for everyone.
This book is a must have.
Highly Recommended...
Easy to Read - Real World Experience June 29, 2007
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
I found many of my questions answered very quickly and in an easy to understand format. Items like "Gad's Maxims" which you would think have nothing to do with network isues - have everything to do with how you will get your job done.
The real world examples - even the more bizarre ones like the police cruiser crashing a system overnight - sound like Hollywood has some new ways to take over the world. you jsut can't make this stuff up.
It was worth the time to read.
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