Gigabit Ethernet (McGraw-Hill Computer Communications Series)

A highly ambitious undertaking, Data Communications Gigabit Ethernet Handbook does a good job of escorting you from the theoretical to the practical and back again. Masterminded by Data Communications Executive Editor Stephen Saunders, this seven-part book covers everything from the historical context of Gigabit Ethernet to tutorials on implementing the technology on your own network. Particularly impressive are the sections on Gigabit Ethernet and related specs, Gigabit Ethernet design tutorials, and available Gigabit Ethernet hardware. Though these sections won't answer all the questions you may have, they will get you thinking.

Saunders assembles an impressive collection of Gigabit pioneers and networking heavyweights to author the book's various chapters. Though there is some information overlap toward the end of the book, the writing and content quality is consistently high. For example, Allen Beasley's chapter on IP switching offers a brilliant dissection of the high-speed networking market that explores economic as well as technical issues.

Many of the chapters point out what is lacking in Gigabit Ethernet and then expound on the technology that can fix the problem. The only caveat is that these solutions have either been developed by the authors or the companies that they are affiliated with. Though this undoubtedly brings the authors' objectivity into question, the chapters do offer clear insights, and terrific technologies do emerge. All of the authors appear to share a common goal--advancing Gigabit Ethernet in the marketplace. --Sarah L. Roberts-Witt