Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach
Kurose and Ross
25 people recommended it in 9 threads, 2013–2024.
1 commenter pushed back on it — worth reading the threads.
What people on Hacker News said
Ultimately after you have finished the book, you can appreciate the fact that how the Internet has become so successful and how we can create a reliable connectivity out of unreliable connections.
For me Computer Networking: A Top Down Approach (CNTDA) by Kurose is still the best textbook out there to learn modern networking:
The book, Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach by Kurose and Ross was very good, but the obvious abuse of their monopoly by forcing students to buy the newer editions gave me my first look into how the textbook industry operates.
Computer Networking - a Top Down approach is a technical book, but oh boy what an awesome read it is.
Top of mind - there is a logic to it and it’s quite interesting technology. Learn to thing in terms of protocols and their rules and it’ll open up.
I'd recommend Kurose's Computer Networking: A Top Down Approach (now in 8th edition) book if you want to learn a proper computer networks concepts because this is the definitive textbook.
I like that it starts with loading a web page, instead of bits on a wire. And they have pcap files so you don't even need a lab.
I found the design of the internet, at times intentional and very often emergent / working around constraints, absolutely fascinating.
Where it comes up
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