Written by an internationally recognized expert, this book covers all topics of networking—from Internet applications and protocols to low-level details such as data transmission and cabling—and enables the reader to understand how protocols utilize the underlying hardware and how applications leverage the protocol stack to provide functionality.

This is an invaluable tool for both developers and computer scientists seeking a clear, broader understanding of computer networks. The new (sixth American) edition is fully revised and updated, and includes: a new chapter dedicated to SDN technology, a new technology that has the potential to change both the economics of networking and the way networks are managed, adopting open standards and allowing administrators to automate the mass control and configuration of network elements.

New material covering a new use of the Internet: communication between machines with the aid of embedded systems that may be contained in various devices. Applications include home automation, smart grids, security, and retail systems. Additionally, the ZigBee wireless networking technology is examined, which is designed with the aim of creating energy-efficient low-cost mesh networks.

Updated content that incorporates IPv4 and IPv6 protocols in every chapter, along with an improved description of MPLS technology. The scientific editing of the Greek edition was carried out by Panagiotis Fouliras, Assistant Professor of the Department of Applied Computer Science at the University of Macedonia.

Dr. Douglas E. Comer is a distinguished professor of Computer Science at Purdue University, where he teaches courses on computer networking, internetworking, computer architecture, and operating systems. He previously served as vice president of the research department at Cisco Systems, is a consultant to companies, has written a series of bestselling technical books, and is one of the researchers who contributed to the shaping of the Internet in the late 1970s and the 1980s.