TCP/IP for Dummies, Fifth Edition

The first of the book's four sections explains the background of TCP/IP and its relationship to the Internet and provides general information on networking and network terminology. Part 2 details TCP/IP itself, covering the components, how to make Net connections, how to share files, e-mail, and more. The third part looks at important related issues: system security, the fine points of system names and addresses, and tips on which hardware will make your system work as you want it to. The final section is the traditional Dummies series "Part of Tens," where the authors give you assorted lists of 10. Some are informative, such as the lists of top 10 online documents pertaining to the Internet, top 10 documents pertaining specifically to TCP/IP, and the list of 10 most frequently asked questions about TCP/IP. Other lists are more for entertainment, such as the lists of 10 strange but real TCP/IP network devices and 10 synonyms for the Internet.

Product Description
TCP/IP is always a hot topic because it is and always will be the glue that holds the Internet and the World Wide Web together. To be well connected (network-wise, that is), sooner or later you have to become familiar with TCP/IP. So if you want to understand what it is, what it does, what it’s for, why you need it, and what to do with it, but you just don’t know where to start– this book is for you. If you have to install and set up TCP/IP on your computer at home or on lots of computers for your company, you'll find lots of Hands-On sections that take you through the process step by step.

TCP/IP For Dummies, 5th Edition, is both an introduction to the basics and a reference to help you use TCP/IP applications and tools on all kinds of computers connected to networks. Here are some of the many subjects that this book covers:

As to the accuracy of some statements, I don't know because I am not an expert. However, the writers are not dummies, in fact, when someone can take a difficult and complex subject, and bring it down to a layperson's understanding it often is a sign that they really understand what they are talking about.

Furthermore, this is an excellent introduction to the workings of the Internet. I had a very incomplete understanding of the hardware/software of the internet, it helped me greatly to better understand many of the terms that I've heard discussed in techie circles. True, the dinner plate allegory did not help at all, but when they discussed matters in a more simple technical way, it was great. I give it a **** four-star because although the organization may not have been perfect and the title is slightly misleading, it still did an excellent job of explaining the internet software/hardware in a thorough fashion.


Book that will satisfy no one   February 15, 2004
 14 out of 15 found this review helpful

I was looking for a book that explained the nuts and bolts of TCP/IP. Instead the book dedicates six chapters or so to TCP/IP. The rest of it is a superficial treatment that a new computer user might find useful, but that contains little material for the intermediate user (and only intermediate users, not beginners, would even know what TCP/IP is, much less want to read a book titled "TCP/IP for Dummies.")

For example, page 197 lists plug-ins for Web browsers, such as Shockwave, Flash, and RealOne Player. Useful for a rank beginner, but not for an intermediate user wanting to learn about TCP/IP. Page 188 explains how to "understand URLs," giving the example of http://www.ibm.com. Again, not very useful for the intermediate user.

Meanwhile, there are some TCP/IP basics that are never explained. Ports are not explained very well, and ICMP receives barely a mention. (However, page 64 tells me to "see RFCs 1256 and 2463 for more information on ICMP. This is not at all helpful.)

Some of the information is dated or, worse, just plain wrong. One passage suggests that gigabit Ethernet hardware costs a fortune, which is no longer true. Page 298 states that NetBIOS is a "Windows proprietary protocol." It is not; IBM originally developed NetBIOS.

Overall, the first few chapters of this book are much too technical for new Internet users, but barely meaty enough for someone who wants to understand TCP/IP in depth. All the remaining chapters are fine for new Internet users, but mere filler for anyone experienced enough to understand what a URL is. This confused mishmash of a book will satisfy no one.


A Great intro to the subject   April 3, 2003
 7 out of 8 found this review helpful

I had heard that previous versions were so-so, but this edition had everything a non-expert would need to understand the basics of the TCP/IP protocal. It easily explained the differnce between IMAP and POP3; how FTP works; HTML vs XML; and the section on security (SSL, SSH, etc.) was excellent, as was the hardware section.

It truly is dummied down, and don't rely on it if you really want to configure telnet in a linux environment, but for basics it's excellent.