Linux Networking Clearly Explained: A Book Review

Title: Linux Networking Clearly ExplainedAuthor: Bryan PfaffenbergerPublisher: Morgan KaufmannISBN: 0125331711

After reading the back cover of the book or its description on major bookseller's web sites, you might be enticed to believe that Linux Networking Clearly Explained will provide the tools to create a Linux-based network--a fairly advanced one, at that. Unfortunately, for most users this would not be the case.

The book is aimed obviously at novices. If the novice happens to be a modem user, it is a stellar resource, if only in the areas of dealing with the installation or configuration of a modem. In most other areas of networking, it falls miserably short.

For instance, approximately 25 pages of Chapter One (including screenshots) consist of step-by-step instructions detailing exactly how to install and configure various types of modems. Network Interface Cards received only five pages; there were no effective step-by-step instructions and no screenshots whatsoever. Disturbingly, this trend continues throughout the book.

Another prime example is Chapter 11, "Sharing High Speed Connections". This chapter is 30 pages long, the first 19 of which describe high-speed Internet connection options (xDSL, Cable, etc.). Four pages provide a cursory overview on configuring the connection (again, no step-by-step instructions), and the remainder of the chapter is spent, inexplicably, on how/why to configure your Netscape cache.

The book is also filled with inaccuracies--some glaring and some, presumably, deliberate in order to ease the novice user into the more technical aspects of networking. Unfortunately, this does the novice no good and harms the author's credibility with more advanced and/or knowledgeable users. Some of the worst errors were:

After the previous inaccuracies, the ability, expertise and authority of the author to write such a text is called seriously into question. After all, the author talks about such topics as the OSI Model of networking, the origin of Ethernet and the difference between Circuit and Packet Switched networks. If time is spent on these topics--arguably superfluous at best to a novice user--then why not be completely accurate in the more useful topics as well?

Despite the numerous failures of the book, mention needs to be made of the areas in which this book was both thorough and useful. The step-by-step modem installation and configuration instructions were top notch. Chapters Six, 14 and 15 were very clear and helpful; they dealt with file permissions, backing up data and network troubleshooting, respectively. Chapter 15, while not overly detailed, provides an excellent overview of basic troubleshooting.

Sadly, these few shining parts do not enhance the worth of the whole. Overall, the book is sadly deficient in several key areas. In others, it is confusing, incomplete and inaccurate. It offers little help in any area other than modem configuration and installation. The author continuously delves into matters that a novice would probably find tedious, if not completely extraneous. Further, the author skims shallowly over areas that need considerable attention, such as how to configure Linux to use a broadband connection, especially considering the reluctance (even outright refusal) of broadband ISPs to provide any technical support whatsoever for Linux users. Certainly, there are far better books available to aid the novice on his way to Linux networking.

Ron Powell has been an IT Professional for over six years. Primarily working with Microsoft base solutions, he has recently discovered and embraced Linux--both on a personal and professional level.