Computer networking
a top-down approach featuring the internet
by James F. Kurose, Keith W. Ross · first published 1900
67% recommend31% neutral2% critical
Why HN recommends it
Accessible, top-down introduction that starts at the application layer (HTTP, sockets) and works down to the link layer. Suits self-taught developers and CS students; free knowledge checks and video lectures help.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
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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. If you want the practical aspects of computer networks, you can try Niall Manfields'…
on “Ask HN: Good books/courses to learn networking essentials for web developers?” ↗…to telco engineers, work as an embedded engineer, network engineer and more. TCP/IP Illustrated Volume 1: The Protocols TCP/IP Illustrated Volume 2: The Implementation Network Flow Analysis Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach Introduction to Sockets Programming in C using TCP/IP Beej's Guide to Network Programming Programming and Automating Cisco Networks CCNA Routing and Switching Official Cert Guide CCNA…
on “Ask HN: What is a good book to learn about the network stack?” ↗Computer Networking: A Top-down Approach, Jim Kurose I read this about 2 years into my study of CS. I found the design of the internet, at times intentional and very often emergent / working around constraints, absolutely fascinating. I couldn’t…
on “Ask HN: The book that did it for you in math and/or CS?” ↗…blending concepts with programmatic examples. So the above is maybe a spectrum within this style of writing that I've found helpful. b. a more "textbook" / algorithmic approach? I remember thinking "Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach" (Kurose, Ross) was one of the lighter texts that didn't necessarily feel "textbook." "Introduction to Information Retrieval" (Manning, Raghavan, Schutze) also comes to mind, but more academic.
on “Ask HN: Examples of good writing in computer science?” ↗…really nice... other such books... D Crockford's JavaScript: The Good Parts; B Eckel's Thinking in Java; Skiena's The Algorithm Design Manual; M Nielsen's Neural Networks and Deep Learning; J Kurose's Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach; R Lafore's Data Structures and Algorithms; J Bloch's Effective Java.
on “Book Review: Designing Data-Intensive Applications” ↗…Leiserson, Harald Prokop.) - algorithms and datastructures (Widmayer's book) core: - systems (Computer Systems: A Programmer's Perspective" (3rd Edition) by R. Bryant and D. O'Hallaro) - network (Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach, James F. Kurose and Keith W. Ross) - numerical methods - data modeling and dbs - formal methods and functional programming (Miran Lipovača. Learn you a Haskell for great good!) (eth zurich's bachelors)…
on “Ask HN: Self taught programmer, now wanting to learn more about CS theory” ↗…finishing up my first year of Informatics/CS after changing my major. For school, I'm learning networking. Finding it a bit dry, especially learning about packet structures and such. The book we're using, "Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach" by Kurose & Ross[1] is great and the authors' personalities really shine through! For work I'm learning about databases and how to gain access to it from a web app. The world of databases (specifically…
on “Ask HN: What are you learning?” ↗In my field it is Computer Networking: A Top-down Approach by Kurose. I've been using it as the main textbook for computer networking course for more than ten years. On related notes, for the past few weeks I've spent countless hours searching and compiling…
on “Ask HN: What, in your opinion, are the greatest and most useful textbooks?” ↗Please check this book "Computer Networking : A Top-Down Approach" By Kurose & Ross. It is the best textbook on computer networking, bar none. The latest edition also covers modern networking concepts, for example Software Defined Networks (SDN). [1]https://www.amazon.com/Computer-Networking-Top-Down-Approach...
on “A brief history of router architecture” ↗I cannot recommend Kurose's textbook high enough since I've been using it from the 1st edition and it's by far the best textbook on the computer networking subject. In the latest 8th edition the authors have removed the multimedia networking chapter for good and add more contents on Software Defined Network (SDN). Also finally in the latest edition the…
on “Wireshark Labs” ↗…Once you understand the basics you can likely cover what you're looking for with a small open source home router or some other similar hardware. If you prefer books check out https://www.amazon.com/Computer-Networking-Top-Down-Approach... Or for video lectures: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLoCMsyE1cvdWKsLVyf6cP...
on “Ask HN: How can a total beginner start with self-hosting?” ↗…Overview * Forta - Teach yourself SQL in 10 minutes * Stallings - Computer Organization and Architecture * Stallings - Operating Systems - Internals and Design Principles * CLRS * Kurose, Ross - Computer Networking - A Top Down Approach * Sipser - Introduction to The Theory of Computation * Stallings, Brown - Computer Security - Principles and Practice * Aumasson - Serious Cryptography * Russell, Norvig - Artificial Intelligence…
on “Mathematics for Computer Science (2018) [pdf]” ↗…understand why they exist and why people love them, perhaps pick one of them up as your secondary language. Also read a few of the good books you would get to read if you had done a university. IMO read "Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach" by Kurose, and "Operating System Concepts" by Silberschatz. Unlike most CS books these are very practical and easy to read. If you'd really like some more heady stuff, try "Computer Algorithms" by Van…
on “Ask HN: Chances for Restarting a Career in CS @ 30+ ?” ↗…interesting: * Head First Networking (O'Reilly, 2009): http://shop.oreilly.com/product/9780596521561.do * Hands-On Networking Fundamentals, 2nd Edition (Cengage Learning, 2013): https://shar.es/1EUsPD * Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach (7th Edition) (Pearson, 2016): https://www.amazon.com/Computer-Networking-Top-Down-Approach...
on “Ask HN: Recommended Networking primer books?” ↗Try Kurose's "Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach". The points you mention are not the focus of the book but get touched on the way, plus it's extremely accessible. I vividly remember reading it as a CS student and being happy that I finally reached…
on “Ask HN: Where can one learn about the history of the internet and the protocols?” ↗