Computer Networks By Tanenbaum

 

This article reviews the book “Computer Networks” by Andrew S. Tanenbaum and David J. Wetherall.

The article covers-

• Special features of book
• Analysis of Content
• Analysis of Exercises
• Necessary Instructions
• Conclusion

 

Why Should Be Read?

 

Special Features of Book-

 

The special features of this book are-

• It contains the most well-balanced text for this subject.
• It covers the concepts in detail without getting verbose.
• It contains clear and concise diagrams and tables.
• It is a good choice for beginners and intermediate level students.
• The chapters covering Data Link layer and Network layer are explained in great detail.
• No other text book has as clear explanation for Transport layer as this book has.
• Exercise questions are numerical as well as conceptual in nature.
• The difficulty level of exercise questions is at par with the level of questions asked in GATE.

 

Analysis of Content-

 

The following table analyzes sections of the book that are relevant for GATE-

 

Chapter No.	GATE Relevant Sections	GATE Topics Covered
1	1.4	Reference Models (OSI and TCP/IP)
2	2.5.1	Transmission Encoding (NRZ, Manchester etc)
	2.6.5	Switching (Circuit and Packet)
3	3.1	Basics of Data Link Layer
	3.2	Error Detection and Correction
	3.3.2	Flow Control (Stop and Wait, Sliding Window Techniques)
	3.4
4	4.2.1	Multiple Access Protocols (Aloha and CSMA)
	4.2.2
	4.3	Ethernet
	4.4	WiFi
	4.8	Networking Devices (Bridge, Hub, Switch etc)
5	5.1	Network Layer Introduction
	5.2.1 to 5.2.5	Routing (Distance Vector and Link State Routing)
	5.4.2	Traffic Shaping (Leaky and Token Bucket)
	5.6.1 to 5.6.3	Internet Protocol (IPv4 and IPv6)
6	6.1.3	Sockets
	6.4.1	User Datagram Protocol (UDP)
	6.5.1 to 6.5.10	Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)
7	7.1 to 7.3	Application Layer Protocols
8	8.3	Public Key Algorithms
	8.4.2	Digital Signatures and Message Digests
	8.4.3
	8.5.1	Digital Certificates
	8.6.2	Firewalls
	8.7.2	Diffie-Hellman Key Exchange

Covering Only These Sections Is Enough

 

Analysis of Exercises-

 

The following table analyzes exercises of the book that are relevant for GATE-

 

Chapter No.	Question No.
1	15, 16, 22, 27, 28
2	37, 38, 39
3	1, 2, 6, 8, 11, 13, 15, 16, 18, 20, 22, 32, 33, 35
4	2, 4, 6, 10, 13, 15, 16, 38
5	6, 7, 16, 18, 19, 23, 24, 25, 26, 28, 30, 31, 33, 37, 40
6	7, 9, 22, 26, 28, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 36, 42, 43
7	4, 20, 42
8	17, 18, 22, 32, 33

Practicing Only These Exercises Is Enough

 

Necessary Instructions-

 

Keep the following instructions in mind while reading the book-

• Competitive exams focus mainly on numerical questions in this subject.
• Make sure to solve the exercises of relevant chapters.
• Keep making notes while reading the relevant sections.
• The well-illustrated diagrams and tables can directly be a part of your short notes.
• Be thorough with the understanding of header formats and frame formats of various protocols.
• Most of the questions require knowing the concepts of TCP, UDP, IP etc in detail.
• The book covers all the topics of GATE syllabus.

 

Conclusion-

 

• The book balances the theoretical and practical aspects of the subject pretty well.
• The numerical exercises are quite good and strongly recommended for practice.

 

THIS BOOK IS SELF-SUFFICIENT FOR GATE EXAM.

 

 

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