If you are designing a real network, if you are the one that gets it done, then this book should be your bible and your guidebook. This volume contains a complete and practical approach to designing a data network, from beginning to success.
-David Clark, Massachusetts Institute of Technology,

My 1st edition is dog-eared, highlighted and annotated to the point where certain pages are unreadable. The spine is broken - the result of stuffing altogether too many sheets of paper with notes and network designs I developed using Jim's methodology. After my first read of the 2nd edition, I have no expectation that this copy will look any better for wear five years hence.
-From the Foreword by David M. Piscitello, Core Competence Inc.

The first edition of this book guided thousands of network professionals during a period of breakneck technological and economic development. The second comes at a time when a measured, truly systematic approach to planning and building networks is more possible and more desirable than ever.

Inside, you'll learn a coherent, highly effective systems methodology that has been fully updated to incorporate the latest innovations in the analysis of user needs, performance requirements, and traffic flow. An increased emphasis—represented by five all-new chapters—on network architecture teaches you ways to introduce critical issues of addressing and routing, security, and management earlier in the design process.

This is vital, hands-on information, whether you're building a network from scratch or working to optimize and expand an existing one.