How This Book Is Organized | Network Sales and Services Handbook (Cisco Press Networking Technology)

Although this book could be read cover-to-cover, it is designed to be flexible so that you can move easily among chapters and sections to cover only the material you want to learn. The 22 chapters cover the following topics:

Chapter 1, "Internetworking Basics," introduces foundational concepts and discussions of how networks interconnect.
Chapter 2, "OSI Reference Model," discusses how the OSI Model is fundamental for moving information between computers on an internetwork.
Chapter 3, "TCP/IP Introduction," introduces the TCP/IP Protocol Suite's functionality, addressing, and protocol operation.
Chapter 4, "Customer Premise Equipment (CPE)," provides a discussion of the hardware found at a customer site.
Chapter 5, "Local Area Networks (LANs)," discusses local area networking (LAN) implementations, such as Token Ring and EtherNet, and LAN equipment, such as bridges, hubs, routers, and switches.
Chapter 6, "Local Access," illustrates the different methods by which a customer site can access a network service provider's services.
Chapter 7, "DSL and Cable Modem Networks," introduces two alternative ways to connect to an IP service provider.
Chapter 8, "WAN Basics," introduces wide area networking (WAN) concepts and architecture.
Chapter 9, "Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) Introduction," introduces ATM wide area networking (WAN) concepts.
Chapter 10, "Frame Relay Introduction," introduces Frame Relay wide area networking (WAN) concepts.
Chapter 11, "Understanding Routers and Routing," introduces router and routing functionality in an internetwork.
Chapter 12, "Virtual LAN (VLAN) Introduction," discusses Virtual LANs and how they can be used within an organization's network.
Chapter 13, "Quality of Service Introduction," discusses a network's capability to provide better service to select network traffic over various internetworking technologies.
Chapter 14, "Network Architecture Introduction," introduces the concepts of geographic-based networks and the three-tiered network hierarchy.
Chapter 15, "Network Security Basics," discusses threats to a network and methods of protecting a network against such threats.
Chapter 16, "Remote Access Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)," discusses available methods to remote users to securely access organizational resources.
Chapter 17, "Voice Networks," discussion of the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) services and customer access to those services.
Chapter 18, "Network Management Basics," discussion regarding the fundamentals of a network management system and protocols, including Telecommunications Management Network (TMN) and the Fault, Configuration, Accounting, Performance, and Security (FCAPS) Management Model.
Chapter 19, "High Availability Networking," includes discussion of how to measure the availability of a network and methods for minimizing the impact of a network outage on its users.
Chapter 20, "The Internet," explores what the Internet is and how the Internet functions from a user's perspective.
Chapter 21, "MPLS Introduction," discusses Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) and how it is used in a network backbone.
Chapter 22, "Introduction to Fiber Optics," provides a discussion of the fundamentals of fiber optic networks, including Synchronous Optical Network (SONET) and Dense Wave Division Multiplexing (DWDM).

The first appendix lists the Primary Interexchange Codes (PICs) used by Local and Interexchange Carriers (LECs and IXCs). The remaining six appendices briefly discuss the common routing protocols used in an internetwork.

Appendix A: PIC Codes
Appendix B: RIP (Routing Information Protocol)
Appendix C: RIP Version 2 (RIPv2)
Appendix D: Border Gateway Protocol, Version 4 (BGP4)
Appendix E: Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (IGRP)
Appendix F: OSPF (Open Shortest Path First)
Appendix G: EIGRP (Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol)