Telecommunications and Data Communications Handbook

Telecommunications and Data Communications Handbook

By Ray Horak

Publisher: Wiley-Interscience

Number Of Pages: 791

Publication Date: 2007-09-21

ISBN-10 / ASIN: 0470041412

ISBN-13 / EAN: 9780470041413

Binding: Paperback

Book Description:

This book will provide a comprehensive survey of telecommunications technologies and services, at a reasonable level of technical depth, and in the author’s unique plain-English, commonsense style. Recent developments in technology to be explored will include:

Power Line Carrier (PLC) Broad over Power Line (BPL) Passive Optical Network (PON) 802.11g Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO)

802.16 & WiMAX

This work will expand on the discussion of a number of other technology topics that have become subjects of greater interest in the last three or four years since the publication of Communications Systems and Networks, 3rd Edition and competing works:

Fiber Optics Storage Area Networks (SANs) Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) CATV Networks Wireless

Bluetooth

Cellular

2.5G & 3G Photos Video

Ring Tones & Ring-Back Tones

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)

IP PBX

IP Centrex

Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) vs. H.323

Regulation & Convergence

Divestiture and Revestiture, Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A)

Summary: The Definitive Reference Manual for Telecommunications

Rating: 5

Ray Horak's "Telecommunications and Data Communications Handbook" is a definitive reference manual for all types of computer, telecom and data communications networks, devices and models. What impresses most is the fact that this book takes the most important elements and concepts from both telecom and datacom and squeezes them into one reference. I have dozens of books in my telecommunications library and I'd happily trade in most of them for this single reference. The second thing that impresses is the no-nonsense style in which it is written. I expected no less from Ray, whom I have worked with over the years on numerous educational projects including face-to-face workshops, and conference tutorials for over a decade. His straightforward and easy-to-understand approach is powerful and effective both in person and in print. If you had but one book to buy on networking and communications, this would be it.

Summary: Very comprehensive text

Rating: 5

Most network managers are strong in either voice or data, but may not have as much experience in the other discipline. To further complicate this challenge, expertise is required in a number of specific areas, including LANs and WANs, legacy and emerging technologies, and new applications. If you have any of these educational gaps (and most of us do) pick up a copy of this book. Ray Horak provides the most comprehensive review of communication technologies that I have seen, and you will do yourself a favor to have this text in your personal library.

Summary: An Excellent Piece of Work

Rating: 5

This is a book I believe you will soon see in many college bookstores. It is an excellent piece of work. Horak provides the relevant core infrastructure information for anyone building their telecommunication and data communications knowledge. For those just entering college through professional non-engineering types, this is the book for you.

Summary: Solid Fundamentals for all Telecom Pros

Rating: 5

The Telecom & Data Comm Handbook by Ray Horak is a well organized, accurate, and very through text that belongs in the library of any telecom professional.

I review hundreds of books every year in my job as a VoIP Trainer for TrainingCity.com. I know I can always count on Ray Horak to present complex technical material in an easy to understand and well researched format. I strongly recommend this text to anyone who is looking to get up to speed on the latest technologies, or in search of a guide to get started in the industry.

Summary: The Best We Can Make It

Rating: 5

Admittedly, this review is from a somewhat biased perspective, since I am the author. As Amazon requires a rating for every review, I'll give myself 5 stars. Heck, it took me the best part of a year to write this book, even though I based it on 30+ years of experience in the industry and drew considerable background content from the 3 editions of my best-selling Communications Systems and Networks. Bill Flanagan, my Technical Editor, is a big part of the reason for the long gestation period. Bill has an extensive background in telecom and, as a formally trained mathematician and physicist, possesses a different perspective on the subject. Coupling all of that with his unswerving attention to technical detail, his insistence on absolute accuracy, and his experience as an author of a dozen or so books ensured that this encyclopedic piece of work is not only complete, but also correct in every detail. As we so firmly believe that this book really is something special, I have to offer some comments.

The Telecommunications and Data Communications Handbook details the origin, evolution, current status, and application of every relevant technology in the contemporary telecommunications and data communications landscape. By every, I mean voice, computer, facsimile, video, and multimedia data, whether organized, transmitted, and switched or routed as a bit stream or in frames, packets, or cells over wireline or wireless networks employing electricity, radio, or optical energy, whether transmitted through the airwaves or conducted by metallic, glass, or plastic media in the LAN, MAN, or WAN domain. Further, this book discusses every major relevant protocol, modulation technique, and encryption mechanism employed in contemporary networking.

This book is targeted primarily at the professional and academic markets, but it is not a typical engineering text full of formulas. Rather, it is--as much as possible--a plain-English, commonsense treatment of a very technical subject. We think that anyone with a compelling need for a complete and accurate understanding of telecommunications can benefit from it. Whether you are a student seeking to understand the basics of telecom, an experienced engineer or other technical professional seeking detailed information on a new technology, or a regulator, manager, analyst, or other non-technical professional looking for a thoroughly understandable discussion of telecom and datacom, you will find that this book will suit your requirements.

I own hundreds of books on telecommunications and data communications, have read at least some of all of them, and have learned something from each. In many cases, I learned how not to write a book. This book is the best we could make it. That said, please contact me with your comments and any errors or omissions you might discover. With your help, I am confident that the next book will be even better.

By the way, the perfect companion to this book is Webster's New World Telecom Dictionary (Webster's New World), also by Ray Horak (me). Bill Flanagan served as Technical Editor for both books. We made sure that each complemented the other. Your compliments (as well as your constructive criticisms) are welcome.