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Recommended book on TCP/IP

EildorEildor Member Posts: 444
in CCIE
TCP/IP Illustrated: Protocols
Internetworking with TCP/IP
The TCP/IP Guide

These three seem to be the most popular out of the vendor independent books on TCP/IP; can't decide which one I should go for. TCP/IP Illustrated has quite a lot of good reviews, so I'm drawn to it more than I am to the other two. The TCP/IP Guide is about 1600 pages, which I don't particularly fancy right now.

Which one would you recommend?
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    ZartanasaurusZartanasaurus Member Posts: 2,008 ■■■■■■■■■□
    I don't recommend the 2nd edition of TCP/IP Illustrated. Nowhere near is good of a writing style as the original.
    TCP/IP Guide can be read for free on the author's website.
    I've never read Internetworking with TCP/IP, but I know it's considered the gold standard for books of its kind.

    I ended up getting TCP/IP Protocol Suite. It's more expensive than the others, but I wanted something I could get on an e-reader.
    Currently reading:
    IPSec VPN Design 44%
    Mastering VMWare vSphere 5​ 42.8%
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    EildorEildor Member Posts: 444
    i have access to many ebooks, but i much prefer physical copies... can't read from the monitor for too long.
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    ZartanasaurusZartanasaurus Member Posts: 2,008 ■■■■■■■■■□
    I have an Asus tablet with the Kindle app. Do 90% of my reading on it.
    Currently reading:
    IPSec VPN Design 44%
    Mastering VMWare vSphere 5​ 42.8%
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    EildorEildor Member Posts: 444

    I don't know how people can read like that... I just find reading from a book so much better... maybe it's psychological, I don't know ;p
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    YuckTheFankeesYuckTheFankees Member Posts: 1,281 ■■■■■□□□□□
    I can't do E-books either, I need to be able to go through the pages when I need too...

    Amazon.com: TCP/IP Protocol Suite (Mcgraw-Hill Forouzan Networking) (9780073376042): Behrouz Forouzan: Books pricey

    Amazon.com: TCP/IP Illustrated, Vol. 1: The Protocols (Addison-Wesley Professional Computing Series) (9780201633467): W. Richard Stevens: Books
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    IvanjamIvanjam Member Posts: 978 ■■■■□□□□□□
    Eildor wrote: »
    I don't know how people can read like that... I just find reading from a book so much better... maybe it's psychological, I don't know ;p

    I have no clue how they do it. I have been using computers since the late 'eighties and still can't read books on the screen.
    Fall 2014: Start MA in Mathematics [X]
    Fall 2016: Start PhD in Mathematics [X]
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    EildorEildor Member Posts: 444
    YuckTheFankees wrote: »
    I can't do E-books either, I need to be able to go through the pages when I need too...

    Amazon.com: TCP/IP Protocol Suite (Mcgraw-Hill Forouzan Networking) (9780073376042): Behrouz Forouzan: Books pricey

    Amazon.com: TCP/IP Illustrated, Vol. 1: The Protocols (Addison-Wesley Professional Computing Series) (9780201633467): W. Richard Stevens: Books

    Do you recommend I get the first edition of TCP/IP Illustrated as opposed to the second edition then? It would seem that some are complaining about the writing style of the second edition.
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    YuckTheFankeesYuckTheFankees Member Posts: 1,281 ■■■■■□□□□□
    I would recommend the 1st edition.
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    Ryan82Ryan82 Member Posts: 428
    Agreed, the writing style of the 1st edition is easier to digest.
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    paul78paul78 Member Posts: 3,016 ■■■■■■■■■■
    I learned tcp/ip using Rich Stevens' UNIX Network Programming 1st Edition. I would recommend any of his books. One of prized possesions is an autographed copy of the first edition.
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    EildorEildor Member Posts: 444
    Ordered TCP/IP Illustrated (First Edition). Thank you.
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    Forsaken_GAForsaken_GA Member Posts: 4,024
    I've read TCP/IP Illustrated, and I think it's great (especially since it teaches you how to use tcpdump, a lost art these days), but for someone looking to learn TCP/IP, I'd recommend Comer's book (Internetworking with TCP/IP) as the first place to start. I think it's a little bit easier to digest
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    EildorEildor Member Posts: 444
    TCP/IP Illustrated will do me for now. If I need another book on TCP/IP it will definitely be Cromer's book.
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    PsychoFinPsychoFin Member Posts: 280
    I really liked Radia Perlman's book:

    Amazon.com: Interconnections: Bridges, Routers, Switches, and Internetworking Protocols (2nd Edition) (978020163448icon_cool.gif: Radia Perlman: Books

    But any of the ones mentioned are great, and TCP/IP Illustrated is good too!

    Regards,
    Fin
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    EildorEildor Member Posts: 444

    I was under the impression that Radia Perlman's book was more for layer 2 technologies.
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    Forsaken_GAForsaken_GA Member Posts: 4,024

    It's not. I do recommend Interconnections as well, but it's TCP/IP coverage isn't that in depth, and knowing TCP/IP is pretty darn important if you're going to be a network engy. Interconnections covers bridge and router theory, though, it tends to be regarded primarily as a layer 2 book because Radia invented STP
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    EildorEildor Member Posts: 444
    My plan was to go from TCP/IP Illustrated > Interconnections: Bridges, Routers, Switches and Internetworking Protocols > Routing TCP/IP

    Sound ok to you? Not sure what I'll read after, but those books should keep me busy for a month or two.
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    PsychoFinPsychoFin Member Posts: 280
    That sounds good; going from vendor neutral to vendor specific. Might not benecessary to read both of those books, but it won't hurt. Good luck!
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