Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Ask HN: Good books/courses to learn networking essentials for web developers?

news.ycombinator.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

61–70 of 76 posts

Re: Ask HN: Good books/courses to learn networking essentials for web developers?

#61

Post by kroltan »

teleforce wrote: post #3

I'd recommend Kurose's Computer Networking: A Top Down Approach (now in 8th edition) book if you want to learn a proper computer networks concepts because this is the definitive textbook. If you want the practical aspects of computer networks, you can try Niall Manfields' Practical TCP/IP designing, using and troubleshooting TCP/IP networks on Linux and Windows book. Granted it's a bit old (2nd edition is essentially…

Can recommend too, it is a great book indeed.

Read it while interning, I knew some amount of programming but had never really figured out networks.

Re: Ask HN: Good books/courses to learn networking essentials for web developers?

#62

Post by grammers »

shubik22 wrote: post #5

I’d recommend High Performance Browser Networking by Ilya Grigorik[0]. It’s definitely less in-depth/comprehensive than some of the other suggestions here but I’ve found it to be a really clear, accessible exploration of networking concepts relevant for web development. [0] https://www.amazon.com/dp/1449344763

Seconded! This one is awesome.

Re: Ask HN: Good books/courses to learn networking essentials for web developers?

#63

Post by nikisweeting »

arman_ashrafian wrote: post #16

I really like this textbook that was used in my undergrad networking course. https://book.systemsapproach.org/index.html The “perspective” sections at the end of every chapter are really interesting!

Was about to post this as well.

I think these two articles are also a great launch point before diving into the whole stack:

- https://apenwarr.ca/log/20170810 The World in Which IPv6 was a good design (which is actually a mini CS history course on networking in disguise)

- https://tailscale.com/blog/how-nat-traversal-works/

Re: Ask HN: Good books/courses to learn networking essentials for web developers?

#64

Post by inopinatus »

mr_toad wrote: post #55
inopinatus wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On the contrary, I’d say the details of TCP/IP are inseparable from the design, implementation, and practical understanding/configuration of these elements.

The whole point of the internet stack is to abstract away the details of the lower layers. A web developer does not need to know TCP. They need to know HTTP. Even if they did know stuff about lower level networking the browser completely locks you out of that level.

The abstractions are super leaky. Infrastructure fundamentals are consequently significant in all applications. Failure or refusal to understand and inwardly digest this leads inexorably to bad software, or more precisely, bad systems. Web developers that do not know TCP/IP and do not wish to are a consequent burden to everyone else; a fountain of horrors arises, from latency issues to security blunders, when mechanical sympathy is disregarded.

Re: Ask HN: Good books/courses to learn networking essentials for web developers?

#65

Post by inopinatus »

tootie wrote: post #53
inopinatus wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On the contrary, I’d say the details of TCP/IP are inseparable from the design, implementation, and practical understanding/configuration of these elements.

I disagree. I learned the structure of TCP frame in college and that's the last time I've looked at one. 99% of my job is at layer 7. Understanding bits like TLS handshake and http headers is plenty.

And now you’re here handing out authoritative and contextual advice on what to study. Like it or not, you’re still using what you learned. A merely superficial awareness wouldn’t suffice.

Re: Ask HN: Good books/courses to learn networking essentials for web developers?

#66

Post by danielmarkbruce »

teleforce wrote: post #3

I'd recommend Kurose's Computer Networking: A Top Down Approach (now in 8th edition) book if you want to learn a proper computer networks concepts because this is the definitive textbook. If you want the practical aspects of computer networks, you can try Niall Manfields' Practical TCP/IP designing, using and troubleshooting TCP/IP networks on Linux and Windows book. Granted it's a bit old (2nd edition is essentially…

+1.

I read a few different books and Kurose was the best.

Re: Ask HN: Good books/courses to learn networking essentials for web developers?

#67

Post by j1elo »

eatonphil wrote: post #19
mephitix wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Out of curiosity, what are your other top 4 books?

As luck would have it, my blog on Github pages is down. So here's the post describing the four in markdown. Tldr; Designing Data Intensive Applications, Effective Python, The Google SRE book, and High Performance Browser Networking. https://github.com/eatonphil/notes.eatonphil.com/blob/master...

Looking at https://sre.google/books/, I find that "Site Reliability Engineering: How Google Runs Production Services" is the third one, after two others that are very similar (judging solely by the titles...) Any insight about them? Maybe some of the other two has become a better first read?

Re: Ask HN: Good books/courses to learn networking essentials for web developers?

#68

Post by eatonphil »

j1elo wrote: post #67
eatonphil wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As luck would have it, my blog on Github pages is down. So here's the post describing the four in markdown. Tldr; Designing Data Intensive Applications, Effective Python, The Google SRE book, and High Performance Browser Networking. https://github.com/eatonphil/notes.eatonphil.com/blob/master...

Looking at https://sre.google/books/ , I find that " Site Reliability Engineering: How Google Runs Production Services " is the third one, after two others that are very similar (judging solely by the titles...) Any insight about them? Maybe some of the other two has become a better first read?

The SRE workbook doesn't sound like a book focused on teaching (it sounds like a book on application for after you've been taught).

But no I haven't read that or the "Building Reliable..." book.

I'll look into the Building book. In general though all these Google books are really fantastic for anyone who has been a developer for a while and at any company size. I often feel like the chapters just couldn't explain the problem better.

My biggest problem is that the books kinda drone on and cover so much at once. I think they could have been better edited/cut down to make getting through them easier.

Re: Ask HN: Good books/courses to learn networking essentials for web developers?

#69

Post by tsjq »

teleforce wrote: post #3

I'd recommend Kurose's Computer Networking: A Top Down Approach (now in 8th edition) book if you want to learn a proper computer networks concepts because this is the definitive textbook. If you want the practical aspects of computer networks, you can try Niall Manfields' Practical TCP/IP designing, using and troubleshooting TCP/IP networks on Linux and Windows book. Granted it's a bit old (2nd edition is essentially…

+1

That's a fantastic reco. I've read this book..

Re: Ask HN: Good books/courses to learn networking essentials for web developers?

#70

Post by j1elo »

eatonphil wrote: post #68
j1elo wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Looking at https://sre.google/books/ , I find that " Site Reliability Engineering: How Google Runs Production Services " is the third one, after two others that are very similar (judging solely by the titles...) Any insight about them? Maybe some of the other two has become a better first read?

The SRE workbook doesn't sound like a book focused on teaching (it sounds like a book on application for after you've been taught). But no I haven't read that or the "Building Reliable..." book. I'll look into the Building book. In general though all these Google books are really fantastic for anyone who has been a developer for a while and at any company size. I often feel like the chapters just couldn't explain the…

Thanks for your impressions; I will definitely have a look at "How Google runs..." first.
Post reply on HN