Best books/tutorials to learn about Networking for beginners

klhatchett

I really want to learn more about networking and/or A+ type of material to begin to build a foundation in network security and networks in general, but there are soooooo many books out there, I wanted to know if anyone had any suggestions for appropriate books for complete noobs to the subject. Thank you for any suggestions!

P.S. not sure if I am going after the Network+ certification, but I would like to learn the information that and also information contained on the A+

instant000

If you feel like you might be a beginner, then I believe that the TCP/IP Guide is fairly approachable.

To test it out, you can find it free online: Welcome to The TCP/IP Guide!

This provides a really painless way to get into it.

I would advocate getting a capture utility, so you can get familiar with what packets look like (Wireshark is a free download).

Also, I'd advise having an old el cheapo computer, you can take apart and put back together again, to experiment with for A+. (That's, of course, considering that you haven't done this stuff much before.)

If you want to really know networking, dig into the packets. If you want to really know how the computer works, dig into the hardware.

I was trying to find some free resources to learn about A+, but ... that might best be handled within the A+ forum. (For that matter, intro to networking might be served best in the Network+ forum.)

If you're looking for general knowledge, something like TCP/IP guide and a packet sniffer can get you far in understanding the network protocols.

What about this for A+? (I cannot vouch that this material is legitimate ... but it looks like something I'd explore if I had free time. ... the concept behind the site, that is ...)

Business 104: Information Systems and Computer Applications Course - Free Online Video Lessons | Education Portal

ajs1976

If you are a beginner to networking, I would recommend: Sams Teach Yourself TCP/IP in 24 Hours (5th Edition) - Amazon.com: Sams Teach Yourself TCP/IP in 24 Hours (5th Edition) (9780672335716): Joe Casad: Books

An early version was one of the first networking books I read along with Syngress Study Guides for A+ and the old MS Network Essentials exam. Yes, i'm dating myself back to '99. It was the right book at the right time for me.

Qord

Not a book, but...
Professor Messer’s CompTIA N10-005 Network+ Training | Professor Messer - CompTIA A+, Network+, Security+, Linux, Microsoft Technology Training

klhatchett

Thanks for the suggestions guys, I realized after I posted that I should have put this thread into a different forum, sorry about that. But relly good suggestions I will definitely utilize the suggestions made!