Network Analysis and Troubleshooting [With CDROM]

by J. Scott Haugdahl

A guide to troubleshooting networking problems so that the network is kept operating efficiently and error free. The text teaches how protocols work in the real world and how to apply the protocol... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0201433192
• ISBN13: 9780201433197
• Release Date: December 1999
• Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 1.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 7.2" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

Casts new light on network traffic; great for IDS operators

I am an ex-Air Force officer with 2+ years of hands-on intrusion detection experience, and I rate books on how well they deliver technical content to front-line operators. Scott's book is absolutely first-rate, written in a clear, friendly style that keeps the reader's attention. Backing up the technical content, the book offers plenty of history and answers to the "why?" questions asked when learning network protocols. For example, why do various Ethernet frame formats exist (Ethernet/DIX/Ethernet II vs. IEEE 802.3 w/LLC Header vs. IEEE 802.3 w/LLC SNAP extension)? Short answer -- blame IBM! Long answer -- read pages 82-86.The logically arranged material makes Scott's book a powerful learning tool. After introducing protocol analysis in chapter 1, he devotes a full chapter to each of the seven layers of the OSI model. (No, he doesn't skip the session and presentation layers!) By taking a layered approach, Scott compares same-layer protocols and makes each understandable in context (i.e., DNS vs. NetBIOS vs. Netware SAP, all at layer 5 -- somewhat controversially; DNS at layer 5?) Chapter 9 finishes with advice on measuring latency and throughput. I learned something new about protocols at each layer, even after reading many authoritative TCP/IP volumes. For example, Scott's explanation of NetBIOS as a session protocol and Server Message Block (SMB) as an application protocol finally made it clear how these standards interact on Windows networks. The text is backed up by numerous screen captures of protocol decodes, adding to the learning value.....The few typos or mistakenly omitted material do not detract from the book's overall message. If you've read Richard Stevens, Eric Hall, etc., and you think you've run out of resources for understanding network traffic, give Scott's book a try. You'll be informed and pleasantly surprised!

Must-Have Network Analysis Tips

I've read numerous texts on Analysis and Troubleshooting Networks and this was the best. Taking years of experience and training and creating an outline for use in the field is what the Author's done. Having studied everything from the 802.3 standard itself to analysis handbooks by vendors and other authors, I found this to be concise and direct in application and use in the field. Being the Lead Analyst in a company with over 150 nations globally, this text will be valuable to our teams and is being disseminated as a field handbook for troubleshooting. It's a thorough review of protocols from physical through application layers over the majority of topologies extant in today's corporate infrastructures. My Thanks to the Author and those responsible for it's publication.

Been there done that!

I just finished a course by the Author..... He really knowshis stuff! The book is a must have for any analyst! It walks you allthe way up the protocol stack and gives you real world examples. Thebook is also loaded with tips and problem solving ideas. END

A must have for your technical library !

Written with depth and clarity for the intermediate to advanced network analyst. Scott's book provides a variety of case studies that decipher detailed trace samples. It's a great check-point for all those details you should remember, but often don't. This is a one of a kind book, and a must have reference for the serious networking professional !

Making sense of protocols

How many times have you used a network protocol analyzer and wished you knew more? The Expert system didn't solve 100% of the problems? This is the first book I've found which takes a sensible, systamatic approach to decoding protocols from the bottom up. It does not go into every protocol in existence, but covers general rules of how to use a protocol analyzer properly. It is essential reading if you are just starting out or have been consulting for years, and is equally applicable if you have a low-end analyzer like Microsoft NetMon or a high-end analyzer such as Sniffer PRO from NAI. In fact I gained more knowledge from one book than I did from a several thousand dollar course. Excellent stuff!