Recommend me a good network book please!

[gizmo1990]

I'm fed up with not knowing about networks and 'just getting by' where their setting up is concerned. ft:

So I'm after a good book that will give me a working understanding of the subject. I don't want to become a systems administrator, just enough to know what I'm doing and why!

Anyone got any good recommendations?

I'm currently looking at this one linky but I'm a little worried that because it was published in '04 it won't cover XP in its present form, ie with SP2's feature set.

[EvilBoris]

Dummies guide to Networking?

[oblivion_6]

Cant go wrong with a cisco book, the introductory books the the CCNA are a good start, assuming you know some general pc stuff

[gizmo1990]

Thanks for the thoughts guys. I'm still mulling this over...

[kernow]

you could use google and the RFC's to learn about TCP/IP, its well documented online, and probably in lots of free e-books and pdf downloads from o'reilly too

[gizmo1990]

Yeah I know, others have suggested the same.

I guess I'd just like it all in one place and explained to me in nice simple terms and lots of pretty pictures!

[marcus]

Ive read a few of Sams books, I read the 2000-based Netowrking one a few years back. It was pretty good I thought, explained things well and gave some good troubleshooting advice. As good a place as any to start methinks.

[Ginger Tosser]

I've got a couple of Sams 'Teach yourself' books and would recommend them.

[Freddo]

networking for dummies or home networking for dummies are both good I found.