I have read many Cisco Press books in the last several years. They usually fall into 2 separate categories. Certification and Other. This book is not geared towards any certification in particular, even though Cisco has several for wireless. This book is also one of the more non-Cisco books that Cisco Press has put out in that the book is not filled with a ton of Cisco specific examples and hardware references. There are some, but overall, the book really has a vendor neutral feel to it.
I was expecting a book that primarily focused on the recently ratified IEEE 802.11n. If that is what you are looking for, then this book is not it. You are better off reading the standard straight from IEEE. However, you would be missing out on a really good book about wireless in general. Jim Geier has authored a fantastic book that really shows his experience in the wireless field. He doesn't have the same pedigree that a lot of Cisco Press authors usually do in the way of a CCIE #, but don't let that fool you. After a few chapters of reading this book, I was completely satisfied with the author's technical abilities. The overall level of the book is probably somewhere between the CCNP Wireless and CCIE Wireless skill levels, or CWNP and CWNE for the vendor neutral types. What really made the book extra relevant was the breadth of topics covered.
The book starts with an introduction to wireless concepts. Then it moves into the 802.11 standard and the various portions of that standard explaining the MAC and PHY. After that, design is covered from all major aspects such as performance, frequency use, security, and roaming. After the design aspect is covered, the site survey, installation and testing are covered. Finally, the support of the wireless network is covered.
You get the whole wireless experience from this book. If you are weak on the fundamentals of wireless technology, this book covers them. If you are deficient in the design or installation, this book covers it as well. However, it does not cover anything in exhaustive detail. To do so would require a book much larger than the 450 plus pages that are in the book. It covers everything in sufficient detail to drive home the concept, but does not overwhelm you with acronyms or technical minutiae. What is a big help to the reader are the various examples the author tells regarding past installations, designs, etc that his company dealt with. There are many of these examples scattered throughout the book.
Overall, this is a good book for all-around wireless education. All major topics are covered. I didn't see anything major in the book that I disagreed with. If you want to know how 802.11b/g/a/n works, this book is a great start down that road. Designing and Deploying 802.11n Wireless Networks
Daniel Molinares
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Industry Tech Talk [dot] com
If your looking for an encyclopedic guide that will help you become fluent in the design and deployment of 802.11n networks, this is the book for you. Jim Geier, the author of this excellent title is the founder and principal consultant at Wireless-Nets Ltd. Jim has taken his 25 years of industry experience and utilized it to create a unique experience for his audience. This book is structured into five parts and 20 chapters, each encompassing key topics ranging from basic wireless fundamentals to design and operation methodologies.
Part I - Fundamental Concepts
Part II - The 802.11 Standard
Part III - Wireless Network Design
Part IV - Wireless Network Installation and Deployment
Part V - Operational Support Considerations
Throughout the book the author uses real world case studies to reinforce concepts and provide readers insight into the applications of the knowledge they are acquiring. Depending on your level of knowledge, some readers will find parts one and two of this book to be pretty straightforward and self explanatory. In part three, the author begins to depict the fundamental concepts that the reader will need to become proficient in designing wireless networks. The author breaks down the design process into 7 manageable steps which will guide you to creating successful network designs.
The fourth and fifth parts of the book instruct readers on how to perform site surveys, what tools to use, how to install and configure a wireless LAN, and the correct ways to test, manage and troubleshoot your design. Overall this book does an excellent job of teaching the reader the core elements he or she will need to successfully design wireless n networks. Jim Geier has created a great guide and thus i would highly recommend this book to anyone trying to gain a better understanding of 802.11n networks.
Thanks for reading.
This book is a winner if you are just getting started with 802.11 wireless networks. The author takes you from the basics, and I do mean basics, through the technologies including radio wave fundamentals and the 802.11 and related standards. Quite a bit of detail is provided, in some cases more than I was really looking for but all good information to have as a reference just the same.
One of the most useful features of this book for the engineer in the field are the real operational experience he shares with you. You get a chance to learn about defining & scoping customer requirements, an understanding of systems architectures, and implementation considerations such as performance, RF, and security. In addition, he walks you through installation and acceptance procedures as well as testing and support.
From my perspective, this book is as complete as any I have read. Very well written; at a level even the novice engineer can appreciate.
I have been disappointed with some of the Cisco press books recently, i was looking for book to help with my wireless studies, although not exam aligned, this is excellent book to give you an understanding of wireless networks in the 802.11n environment. - Wireless N - Networking - Wireless'
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