Learn Cisco Network Administration in a Month of Lunches

Preface

Computer networks are one of the most difficult concepts for IT professionals to fully grasp. A network isn’t a discrete thing like a piece of software, a printer, or a motherboard. It’s a vast, sometimes nebulous collection of hardware and software all working together to move bits from one place to another. The level of complexity in a network is overwhelming, which is one reason so many brilliant and dedicated IT professionals tend to stay away from it. It often seems unapproachable.

If you’ve tried to read other networking books, you’ve probably found that they’re far too academic and dripping with theory. They steep you in a brew of counterintuitive concepts and terms without tying them to practical, hands-on skills. My goal in writing ...