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Douglas E. Comer
Computer Science Department
Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN 47907
webmaster: W. David Laverell
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Hands-On Networking: Chapter 1
Home > Student > Chapter Notes > Chapter 1
Chapter 1
The Chinese proverb quoted in 1.1 explains a lot
about Hands-On Networking. Professor Comer
has written some very good books, and you can learn
a great deal from them, but his point is that
you have to learn-by-doing if you "Really Want To
Understand Computer Networking".
It is remarkable how much has changed since I first taught a
course in computer networks in 1994. Students know more about
the subject coming in, and many of them have access to
networks in their homes or where they work. In the Fall of
2001 I asked the networks class how many had networks in their
home. More than half of the students raised their hands.
This gives today's students a great deal of opportunity
to do things such as sniff packets for analysis. As I write
this on March 14, 2002, the failure of the dotcoms has
produced a silver lining in terms of the used equipment
available at low prices. A friend just yesterday bought a Sun
Ultra 5 on ebay for $295 including keyboard and mouse. PC's
are routinely replaced by schools, businesses, and individuals
after three years or so, and many of those older machines make
great Linux boxes. The idea of just building a network just to
have one is not far fetched.
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