Ethernet is a core networking technology used by every high tech business. While the basic protocols have changed little, new options such as Fast Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet have increased the complexity of the topic.
Ethernet has been the flavor of choice for networking administrators since the early 1980s because of its ease of use and scalability. Written by one of the foremost experts on Ethernet standards and configuration, Charles E. Spurgeon, Ethernet: The Definitive Guide includes everything you need to know to set up and maintain an Ethernet network.
Ethernet: The Definitive Guide teaches you everything you need to know about the IEEE 802.3 Ethernet standard and its protocols. The book is logically separated into five parts:
- Introduction to Ethernet provides a tour of basic Ethernet theory and operation, including a description of Ethernet frames, operation of the Media Access Control (MAC) protocol, full-duplex mode and auto-negotiation.
- Ethernet Media Systems is the heart of the book. This sectionof Ethernet: The Definitive Guide shows you how to build media-specific Ethernet networks, from a basic 10BASE-T Ethernet offering 10 Mbps over twisted-pair cables, to an advanced 1000BASE-X Gigabit Ethernet, providing up to 1 Gbps of data transfer over fiber optic cables.
- Building Your Ethernet System teaches you how to build twisted-pair and fiber optic media segments, as well as how to build your Ethernet using repeaters and hubs.
- Performance and Troubleshooting is divided into two chapters. The first describes both the performance of a given Ethernet channel, as well as the performance of the entire network system. The second includes a tutorial on troubleshooting techniques and describes the kinds of problems network administrators are likely to encounter.
The last part of the book includes a complete glossary of terms used throughout the book, a resource list, descriptions of thick and thin coax-based Ethernet systems, a guide to AUI equipment installation and configuration, and a listing of troubleshooting numbers.
This book is the definitive guide for anyone wanting to build a scalable local area network (LAN) using Ethernet.
Charles E. Spurgeon is the senior network architect at the University of Texas at Austin, overseeing a network that supports more than 30,000 computers. He has worked on large campus networks for 20 years, beginning in 1979 when he used to "test" network equipment by using it to read the Science Fiction Lover's Digest over the ARPANET. In the 1980s he helped develop the Stanford University network, which included building a number of prototype Cisco Systems routers and linking them together with Xerox PARC's experimental Ethernet running at 3 Mbps. In 1994, he created what is widely acknowledged as the most comprehensive and popular Ethernet Web site (http://www.bellereti.com/ethernet/ethernet.html). Charles, who attended Wesleyan University, lives in Austin, Texas with his wife, Joann Zimmerman, and their cat Sophie. In his spare time he reads seafaring novels, science fiction, mysteries, and anything else he can find on the shelves of their 4,000 volume home library. This is his third book on Ethernet.
