Once he's laid his addressing groundwork, Huitema sets out to explain interior routing. He begins with the relatively simple (and relatively weak) Routing Information Protocol (RIP), using it as a vehicle for introducing routing terminology and concepts before explaining why RIP is not a good solution for most real-world internetworking problems and moving on to more robust routing algorithms. His coverage of Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) compares favorably to others'--he is careful to explain each aspect of OSPF (including link state databases) thoroughly. Exterior protocols are covered similarly well. Huitema isn't stingy with coverage of special situations, such as those created by mobile IP and IP multicasting.
Huitema's style tends to emphasize the theoretical aspects of the subjects he covers, and he writes with a somewhat academic tone. (You'll appreciate his liberal notes if you want to follow up on particular details of his presentation.) He makes good use of packet and network diagrams. You'll be pleased by the depth and detail of the material in Routing in the Internet and, despite its lack of practical material, will find it useful in real-life router configuration work and in studying for Cisco certification exams. --David Wall
Topics covered: Internet Protocol (IP) addressing (including versions 4 and 6), address resolution, routing metrics, distance vector protocols, and (especially) routing algorithms. Covered interior routing protocols include Routing Information Protocol (RIP, versions 1 and 2) and Open Shortest Path First (OSPF), while covered exterior routing protocols include Exterior Gateways Protocol (EGP) and Classless Inter-Domain Routing (CIDR). Futures, especially multicasting, receive attention as well.