Book Recommendation!

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Preliminary remark: Why am I writing this?

Every now and then I browse through the forum and I realize that MANY postings and sometimes whole discussions could be avoided if some of the participants would have a better or at least a basic understanding of computer networks. Of course, IPFire is a really great motivation but it’s not a starting point, it’s a firewall! And to understand firewalls and how they work, one should understand networks in the first place. And please don’t be offended, we’ve all been there once! :slight_smile:

So, here we go:

I don’t want to do any advertising here but I HIGHLY recommend to everyone, who is new to computer networks, to look for “wendell odom icnd1”. Maybe add the term “download” as well but for obvious reasons I won’t post any links.

Explanation: I did my CCNA a few years ago and despite already being familiar with “computer stuff” at that time, I did almost know nothing about networks (I was able to set up a FritzBox but that was it).

This book is extreeemly good. Despite it’s branding and bias, it’s written in a way that even people who are not into IT at all (and I mean that!), will get an understanding of what computer networks are and how they… ehm… “work”. :smiley:

Get this book, get a cup of coffee or tea (or better a can), skip the preliminaries and start with chapter 1. Give yourself a couple of days (for starters) and you will know what you are doing. IMHO this could help the whole IPFire community and improve the quality of some contributions. And again, please don’t be offended!

Concluding remark: I don’t work for Cisco or any affiliated company, I do not even have a CCNA anymore (you have to renew it every three years) and I also don’t know the author of the book. I just found it to be interesting and also a lot of fun!

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I like the general idea. But I wonder if a (dry) CCNA book is the way to go about it. One does not start on a Ferrari when learning to drive… if that example makes sense.

Maybe there’s a “for dummies” series book, I’ve not searched, yet.

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there may be something here that helps:

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Can someone put this on it?

Maybe not the most relevant, but a good read.

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ipv6 book added

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Another recommendation is the Security Now! podcast. I’ve been listening to it for at least 15 years and have learned a lot just on my daily commute. The host, Steve Gibson, is very good at explaining complex topics in a way that most people can understand, with some humor and plenty of geek thrown in. I’ve gone back and listened to all the episodes I missed during free time. Not every episode covers networking, but it’s a great listen for general IT topics presented in a geeky, entertaining way, with emphasis on security.

Mr. Gibson has also written a few programs that a lot of people use:
-DNS Benchmark (tests DNS servers for speed, reliability, and filtering)
-Shields Up! (checks your router for open ports and ping response)
-Spinrite (mass storage maintenance, recovery and performance enhancer)

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Have you read the book? That’s why I suggested it. :wink: He does not start on a Ferrari, he starts on a soap box! :smiley:

Odom starts with comparing networks, clients and IP adresses to cities, streets, houses, house numbers, letter boxes, etc. That’s why I wrote that even people who are not into IT at all will get a basic understanding of how networks work (believe me!). It is really good explained even for the completely uninitiated. :slight_smile:

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