Business Data Communications: Introductory Concepts and Techniques, Fourth Edition

Author - Gary B. Shelly ... [Goo?] [Posters]
Author - Judy A. Serwatka ... [Goo?] [Posters]
Author - Thomas J. Cashman ... [Goo?] [Posters]

This Paperback Book item from Course Technology was reviewed on 10-Aug-2008.

Search ISBN:0789568063 offer from Abebooks or used books from Alibris. Business Data Communications: Introductory Concepts and Techniques, Fourth Edition Reference Book. Classifications : Neural Networks Artificial Intelligence Computer Science Computers & Internet Subjects Books General Networks, Protocols & APIs Networking Computers & Internet Subjects Books General Computers & Inter .

Related topics: Neural Networks. Computer Science. Subjects. Books. General. Networking. Subjects. Books. General. Subjects.

1) Paperback Book Business Data Communications: Introductory Concepts and Techniques, Fourth Edition by Course Technology. I am using this book for a data communications class at a local technical school. This review refers to the Fourth Edition of the book, which is current at the time of this review (7 July 2005).

I agree with the last reviewer who said this book was out-of-date. The book devotes much discussion to hierarchical networks that use mainframes, front-end processors, concentrators, and multiplexors. I consider this to be acceptable since the book is meant for data communications classes and not networking fundamentals classes. Data communications texts should be expected to cover phone systems and evolutions of communications networks, in my opinion. However, the fact that the text discusses these types of networks as though they are the current norm is unacceptable and misleading to new IT students.

In addition, the book has several significant technical and grammatical errors in almost every chapter. Take the following example, which serves as a (false) example of CIDR notation for IP addressing:

"For example, the IP address 186.100.0.0 would appear as 186.100.0.0/20 in the CIDR system. The /20 in this example means that the first 12 bits are used to identify the particular network, leaving the rest of the bits to identify the specific host." (Page 12.12, fifth paragraph)

This example--the only example of CIDR given, and vital to understanding the system--is ABSOLUTELY BACKWARD! The /20 signifies that the first twenty bits of the address are used as the subnet mask, and that the last twelve are used for the host. Fortunately, I have studied for many technical certifications like the CompTIA Network+ and Cisco CCNA and was able to recognize this as I read it. Other students may not be so fortunate.

Here´s another example, from the chapter on network security:

"Hackers often try to plant a Trojan Horse (a program that is designed to be hidden on the computer and then start at some predetermined time in the future to do some damage to the computer) or ..." (Page 10.13, second paragraph)

This is also absolutely false. The first part of the definition, that trojan horse programs are hidden, could be considered true, but that they start at a predetermined time in the future, and that they do damage to a computer are both completely false. The widely-accepted definition of a trojan horse is a program that performs a different or an addition function to the one it seems and purports to do. Furthermore, I don´t know of a single trojan horse program that does damage to a computer when it executes. Usually, these types of programs open a port and run a daemon on a computer, or perform some other function to leave a security vulnerability. Any damage that results comes after an intruder compromises the system. A "time-bomb" is the common term for a program set to execute at a predetermined time.

This last example seems to me to be far more disturbing: not only is there a technical falsehood (or two) in the statement, it seems that the author(s) sincerely did not know the material. Shelly Cashman publishes a lot of texts for technical schools, and perhaps the authors were too concerned with meeting deadlines or including a comprehensive number of topics, even if they didn´t necessarily have experience in these areas. Books from other technical publishers, such as O´REILLY, Deitel & Deitel, and No Starch Press would never consider such errors acceptable. The fact that these errors are still present in the fourth edition is disturbing.

What´s more, there is no errata page at the Shelly Cashman website to inform readers of typos or errors in the text. In my opinion, this is absolutely unacceptable for any technical publisher.

Unfortunately, not having a great deal of experience in other areas of the data communications field, like telephony systems and older network architectures, I cannot at present recommend an alternative text, other than one that has a number of good reviews and comes from a more prestigious publisher.¤

2) Paperback Book Business Data Communications: Introductory Concepts and Techniques, Fourth Edition by Course Technology. This book is a big disappointment. In the rapidly changing field of information technology, it is important to stay somewhat up to date with technology. Although the copyright date is 1997, most of the book has not changed since its first edition (circa 1990?).

This book contains such gems as "Today the ARCNET protocol is widely used in a variety of LANS (Page 7-16)" Ha!

The authors also go into great detail about the wonderous SNA protocol, choices regarding terminals, etc.

TCPIP is listed as a ´Wide Area Networking Protocol´ and is not listed under the LAN section.

Some ´recent updates´ to the second edition talk about the Internet. The inform the reader about valuable Internet utilities such as Gopher and Archie?

According to this book and a question from the exam pool, Ethernet is used on bus networks only...not star.

This is the worst excuse for a technology book I have ever seen. They should rename it ´History of Data Communications´¤

3) Paperback Book Business Data Communications: Introductory Concepts and Techniques, Fourth Edition by Course Technology. Business Data Communications Introductory Concepts and Techniques covers fundamental business data communication concepts, beginning with an overview and the companies and government agencies involved in the field; the effects of communications on today´s society; types of networks and security; the importance of wireless technologies; e-business applications; and the increased speed in communication services.¤

Page Updated: Robert N. Goolsby, 7-Sep-2008, 07895680639780789568069, 3X0-630-801-791-701-251-8

Search: Course Technology, Book Posters, Book Art