Computer Networks – Andrew S. Tanenbaum – 5th Edition

This set of a dozen labs complements the textbook with hands-on exercises to let students explore the Internet protocols in a real-world setting.

All the handouts and traces that students need to complete the exercises are included. The exercises run on Windows, Mac and Linux platforms, and may be used for labs, homeworks, and demonstrations. The protocols that are examined include Ethernet, 802.11, IP, ARP, ICMP, DHCP, UDP, TCP, HTTP, DNS and SSL. The labs also build useful skills by making use of popular networking tools including Wireshark, curl and wget, ping, traceroute, and dig. The instructor version of the labs includes solution handouts and source materials.

Tanenbaum takes a structured approach to explaining how networks work from the inside out. He starts with an explanation of the physical layer of networking, computer hardware and transmission systems; then works his way up to network applications.