Network+ Guide to Networks (Network Design Team)

This book was quite a disappointment. I found the material oddly organized, poorly explained and wordy. The one plus is that the book does go into depth on topics if you want to the know the nitty gritty details. Okay, you expect the reading to be dry but this was mega boring and a chore to read. After four chapters I stopped reading this book and picked up the Net+ Passport by Mike Meyers. I found his book much more practical, focused and a surprisingly a good read. The Passport book stays on topic and feeds you the critical info you'll need to know for the test minus the extra fluff. I read Net+ Passport in two weeks and passed the Net+ with a score 801.Don't get this poorly written text book. The author clearly isn't focused on the main object- obtaining the knowledge to pass the Net+ exam but just covering general topics. Save yourself money and time get the Net+ Passport book

Unlike many of the reviewers in this thread, I actually found this textbook to be a very useful guide in studying for the 2009 edition of the CompTIA Network+ exam. Admittedly, it was not completely adequate in and of itself; I supplemented with computer-based practice tests (another reviewer has already named names ;-), and would not have fared as well on the exam without them. At the same time, I don't think there's a textbook out there that can substitute for a good set of practice exams, nor for live, human-to-human instruction. IMHO expecting a textbook to provide 100% of what you'll need to pass a fairly complex 90-minute professional exam is a little naive.As for the book's readability and accuracy, I agree with some of what has been said. The style is awfully dry and there is a tendency to just dump reams of details. On the other hand, reams of details is what the CompTIA exams are about, so I can't totally fault the author for this. I ran across a handful of technical errors, but fewer than I've found in a lot of other IT textbooks. Maybe there's some errors I missed -- I'm fairly new to the networking end of IT (I'm a former programmer) -- but seeing as I also had the sample tests and a live college course to compare with, I don't think I missed a huge number.After reading the _Network+ Guide to Networks_ cover-to-cover, completing an in-person companion course, and doing about half of the aforementioned sample topic tests, I passed the Network+ exam with a score of 870/900. It worked for me, maybe it will work for you!

This was a good book I passed the CompTIA Network+ exam, after not being involved in IT for 12 years! My only back ground was WAN/LAN and phone admin for about 8 years. It taught the need information and tied a lot of loose ends together for me. It was written well and was not like a typical tech book, what a surprise!I decided to keep this book until I was done with school and use it for a refresher, and it has paid off. I use this to cross reference some topics that I did not retail well enough the first time. It has some very good skills practice projects and other useful information in it.

I purchased this book for a class and it's a bit basic, but covers all of the points needed for a Network+ exam. It is definitely geared toward teaching for the exam and highlights key items in the test that you'll need to know.The only negative is that the amount of focus on each item seems a little haphazard. In Chapter 4, it talked about TCP/IP protocols and gives a number of them a just a few sentences, but then delves into a few pages about DHCP, describing the negotiation process in detail. I'm not sure why the author decided to spend so much time on that particular item and not others. I've found the same to be true in other subjects in the book.If your goal is to learn about networking, there are probably better options, but this isn't bad. If your goal is to learn for the Network+ exam, this is a good bet for you.

I found this book a great introduction to Networking and study guide for the Network+. It covers all of the necessary topics in a thorough and logical manner, with explanation that are also understandable and keeps you engaged. It's not easy to write this style of book and achieve what Tamara Dean has. I thank the author for the efforts she put in to making such a sound resource for those looking to get in to Networking.

This book sucks. From beginner to intermediate. I am now an IT professional in the big boy world and looking back I have no clue why my professor required this piece of junk. Buy it and you will be sorry

Fairly easy to look up the terms you need to learn. Explains things & simplifies it pretty well. It's kind of a complicated subject to learn for those of us who are brand new to the material, however, this book does break it down and even offers helpful chapter quizzes.

It came at the right time and was the right book, but I was not interested in the reading, but was mandatory for my class.Thanks for the quick shipping!