Ask HN: Best books or online courses to learn networking?

#1

Post by clbrook » Mon, Aug 20, 2018, 8:23 PM UTC

Any tips on the best beginner books for learning computer networking? I'd really like books/courses that explain 'why' something is done along with (or more than) the 'how' something is done.

Similar request for network security...if anyone has good tips to share. Thanks!

Re: Ask HN: Best books or online courses to learn networking?

#2

Post by xenihn » Mon, Aug 20, 2018, 8:32 PM UTC

Beej's Guide to Network Programming

https://beej.us/guide/bgnet/

Re: Ask HN: Best books or online courses to learn networking?

#3

Post by otras » Mon, Aug 20, 2018, 8:33 PM UTC

Stanford has a free online class Introduction to Computer Networking through their Lagunita site that you can take for free. I've worked through part of it and very much enjoyed it.

https://lagunita.stanford.edu/courses/Engineering/Networking...

Re: Ask HN: Best books or online courses to learn networking?

#4

Post by itamarst » Mon, Aug 20, 2018, 8:47 PM UTC

The book "Silence on the Wire" is worth reading.

Re: Ask HN: Best books or online courses to learn networking?

#5

Post by Wheaties466 » Mon, Aug 20, 2018, 8:47 PM UTC

I was considering making a course or youtube video series on this. Are you looking to learn Networking as in Route/Switch/Firewall? Or more of a Network Programming? Or more of a Network Security(by that I mean pwn and pivot style, SOCKS)?

Re: Ask HN: Best books or online courses to learn networking?

#6

Post by collinf » Mon, Aug 20, 2018, 8:51 PM UTC

Here is a free one I really enjoyed! Goes through the history of networks and a lot of the performance tradeoffs that we must make as engineers.

https://hpbn.co/

Re: Ask HN: Best books or online courses to learn networking?

#7

Post by ConSeannery » Mon, Aug 20, 2018, 8:56 PM UTC

The CCNA & CCNP curriculum will give you a solid base in networking as it relates to actual network engineering. Skip over the cisco specific stuff if you feel it's not relevant.

Re: Ask HN: Best books or online courses to learn networking?

#8

Post by yagibear » Mon, Aug 20, 2018, 8:59 PM UTC

Radia Perlman's books ("Interconnections" about switches/routers and "Network Security") are great at explaining why with a sense of humour.

Re: Ask HN: Best books or online courses to learn networking?

#9

Post by skovorodkin » Mon, Aug 20, 2018, 9:03 PM UTC

Not a book, but an overview of networking by Gary Bernhardt:

https://www.destroyallsoftware.com/compendium/network-protoc...

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14468471

Re: Ask HN: Best books or online courses to learn networking?

#10

Post by kspy » Mon, Aug 20, 2018, 9:11 PM UTC

collinf wrote: post #6

Here is a free one I really enjoyed! Goes through the history of networks and a lot of the performance tradeoffs that we must make as engineers. https://hpbn.co/

Great info in here, pushed me to buy the book after I got through this version, definitely keep it on my desk!