BKETHTPT.RVW   951011
 
"Ethernet Tips and Techniques", Byron Spinney, 1995, 1-878956-43-4, U$15
%A   Byron Spinney
%C   1300 Virginia Drive #400, Fort Washington, PA   19034
%D   1995
%G   1-878956-43-4
%I   CBM Books
%O   U$15.00 +1-800-285-1755 +1-215-643-8000 fax: +1-215-643-8099
%O   76702.1565@compuserve.com books@propress.com
%P   106
%T   "Ethernet Tips and Techniques"
 
Aside from the change of name, this is very little altered from the earlier
"Ethernet Pocket Guide" (cf BKETHPKT.RVW).  As the subtitle says, this is "For
designing, installing and troubleshooting your ethernet network."  The book
(almost a booklet) is quite practical, although some decisions regarding what
to include and what to leave out are a bit odd.
 
Chapter 1 is an introduction to Ethernet, and the standards around it.  The
description covers the various aspects of Ethernet operation and definition. 
The picture painted of "Carrier Sense Multiple Access/Collision Detection"
(CSMA/CD) will be clear to any intelligent reader.  On the other hand, the
detail given of the ISO OSI model is difficult to understand, since it is never
referred to again.  An addition to this edition is a very clear and detailed
overview of the framing of Ethernet packets.
 
Chapter 2, dealing with cabling media, is the beginning of the heart of the
book.  Cabling is really the strong point of this work.  Chapter 3 (Hardware)
provides useful background information in terms of the various other parts to
the net.  Another improvement to this edition, however, is the inclusion of a
number of new diagrams which add greatly to the ease of understanding these
topics.  Chapter four, on Design, gives good basic rules of thumb for doing
your own design, but you will still need some technical smarts to actually come
up with a design, let alone generate several and assess the best.
 
Chapter 5, Installation, again deals primarily with cabling and cable runs. 
Chapter 6, Maintenance, while giving brief nods to management aspects, is again
primarily concerned with finding breaks in the cable.
 
Given that the book deals exclusively and particularly with Ethernet, the
cabling emphasis is understandable.  However, even within this limited scope
there could be some improvement.  Although the 2.5 meter markings on "thick
coax" are mentioned often, there is no explanation of "half-wave lengths", the
reason for them.  Table 2-5 offers, as an advantage of glass fiber-optic cable,
that it yields "extended length".  This is, in fact, the opposite of the
reality: while fiber-optic cable can be used for "long haul" communications,
under Ethernet standards it must be shorter than coaxial cable because of
timing considerations.
 
However, with the proviso that this work is not "gospel", the book would
provide handy background information for those who don't have the time for a
full study of the field.  For the novice who must face putting a network
together for the first time it may provide a false sense of security, although
it definitely *will* provide some helpful advice.  It may be best for the IS
manager who needs to know just enough to keep network contractors honest.
 
copyright Robert M. Slade, 1993, 1994, 1995   BKETHTPT.RVW   951011

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