This book reviews modern computer networks with a particular focus on performance and quality of service. There is a need to look towards future, where wired and wireless/mobile networks will be mixed and where multimedia applications will play greater role. In reviewing these technologies, I put emphasis on underlying principles and core concepts, rather than meticulousness or completeness.

Audience
This book is designed for upper-division undergraduate and graduate courses in computer networking. It is intended primarily for learning, rather than reference. I also believe that the book’s focus on basic concepts should be appealing to practitioners interested in the “whys” behind the commonly encountered networking technologies. I assume that the readers will have basic knowledge of probability and statistics, which are reviewed in the Appendix. Most concepts do not require mathematical sophistication beyond a first undergraduate course.

Most of us have a deep desire to understand logical cause-effect relationships in our world. However, some topics are either inherently difficult or poorly explained and they turn us off. I tried to write a computer networking book for the rest of us, one that has a light touch but is still substantial. I tried to present a serious material in a fun way so the reader may have fun and learn something nontrivial. I do not promise that it will be easy, but I hope it will be worth your effort.