Network Warrior

by Gary A. Donahue

Book Overview

Pick up where certification exams leave off. With this practical, in-depth guide to the entire network infrastructure, you'??ll learn how to deal with real Cisco networks, rather than the hypothetical... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0596101511
• ISBN13: 9780596101510
• Release Date: June 2007
• Publisher: O'Reilly Media
• Length: 576 Pages
• Weight: 2.16 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 7.1" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Essential reading for both the exams and everyday networking.

In preparation for the CCNA exam, I have gone through several networking books, both Cisco-specific and otherwise. I had thought that the official Cisco Press CCNA set was the best resource... until I took a chance on this tome. While I have found the Wendell Odom CCNA set to be the definitive guide to CCNA/CCENT material, I now must admit that this book is nearly - or even exactly - as essential as a CCNA exam prep guide. While the other guides read like textbooks, giving the reader adequate conceptual and theoretical information, this book felt like a nice long chat with a seasoned "network warrior" about real-world, everyday issues faced by network engineers. What set this book apart from the thousands of pages (hey, I'm dedicated!) of material I'd already covered? - CatOS commands; the new Cisco Press books barely mention that CatOS exists! - anecdotes and real-world examples; even if you know how it *should* work, this book reveals how it *does* work - objective viewpoint on Cisco technology; no "Cisco's way is the best way" dogma here - meaningful discussion of high-end, core-strength equipment; everything in the Wendell Odom set focused exclusively on Catalyst 2960 switches and one model of router - frank, direct, humorous, and engaging style; half the material I've covered previously was dreadfully dull - illustrations for every concept; this makes my life so much easier when trying to explain things to fellow junior technicians While the book may seem daunting at nearly 600 pages, I'm flying through it at about 80-100 pages per day. The text is very engaging, and the author's way of phrasing things is informative and structured yet very flowing and casual. I feel that every chapter contains some point, if not several points and concepts, that I wouldn't have known from the other books out there. What is possibly the best feature of this book is the real-world, realistic approach to every concept and issue. The Cisco Press books seem to assume that the reader will be using 2960 access layer switches running IOS 12.2 or better. Network Warrior does not make this assumption. The author makes the realistic assumption that the reader's network could have all kinds of gear networked together, and thus includes information about CatOS as well as a wide variety of Cisco hardware. Also included are some quick and dirty tricks to save time, money, and effort. For example, I didn't know that I could abbreviate almost any command in IOS ("sho" instead of "show", etc.) and still get the same result until I read this book. While I feel that the by-the-book approach of the Cisco Press material is necessary for building a clear foundation, I feel that this book's get-the-job-done take on networking is a necessary follow-up. The book assumes some working knowledge of networking, but not too much. It doesn't explain the bare basics of networking, nor does it give a history lesson about the histories of each and every cabling standard and networking

Excellent Reference Book

This book is one of the best reference books about network security you're going to find currently on the market. It covers a wide variety of topics and issues every network administrator will face at one point or another. The author in the typical O'Reilly style also takes great steps to insure the book is not some dry tome, but occasionally puts in light comments to keep your attention. One thing I really liked about this book was its explanations of various parts of networks, how each part works, and steps to take when something fails. Among topics covered are VLANs, Trunking, Spanning Tree Protocol, routers, tunneling, switches, firewall theory, even chapters on designing networks, all topics that any networking security book should cover and the book's author covers all of these topics well. Also included are examples of screens that you will see while installing a network feature or troubleshooting a problem. This book is not for the squeamish or the novice, but any network admin will be glad to have it.

The best networking book of 2007!!

Network Warrior by Gary Donahue may just be the best gem of 2007. I purchased this book solely based on Richard Bejtlich's glowing recommendation. To be honest, I'm typically a little weary of these `all-in-one' books, because it is hard to master `all' areas (not to mention to easily discuss `all' areas). Unquestionably, Mr. Donahue has been able to buck this trend by providing a great resource that answers many questions efficiently and quickly. To begin with, where does most networking start - layer 2, correct? Concerning NICs and layer 2, most people take auto-negotiation to be (dare I write) plug-n-play. This is the first book I've seen where it discusses `parallel detection'. Donahue is correct on page 20 as stating auto-negotiation is a protocol. He goes on to explain the `why was it built like this' of auto-negotiation. It actually makes sense now. I showed these 2 or 3 pages to a couple of other network engineers, and they both found this information to be both novel and enlightening. Right from the start, I knew I was going to be hooked on this book. Another gem in this book, this is the first book where I see Dr. Radia Perlman's `Algorhyme' rhyme printed since Perlman's own book. Again, probably stupid, useless info to most, but Donahue gives the foundation for a lot of the topics discussed. The discussion starting on page 207 for the 6500 backplane, Chapter 18 dedicated to the 3750, the section starting on page 156 discussing GRE tunnels and the pits and perils of recursive routing, Content Switch Modules starting on chapter 28 - all topics that are both helpful and well documented in `Network Warrior'. I could go and on about this book. Overall, this is a great book. I've gone back to it at least 5 times a week since I purchase it last month. I can't imagine a better resource. I give this book 5 pings out of 5: !!!!!

Maybe the best book I will read in 2007

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!

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!