Before you is the next, fifth edition of the most authoritative book on modern network technologies, written by a recognized expert in this field, Andrew Tanenbaum, in collaboration with University of Washington professor David Weatherall. The first version of this classic work was published back in 1980, and since then, each edition of the book has invariably become a bestseller and has been used as a basic textbook in leading technical universities. The book consistently sets out the basic concepts that determine the current state and trends in the development of computer networks. The authors explain in detail the structure and principles of operation of hardware and software, consider all aspects and levels of network organization - from the physical to the application program level. The presentation of theoretical principles is complemented by vivid, illustrative examples of the functioning of the Internet and computer networks of various types. The fifth edition has been completely revised to take into account changes in networking technology over the past years and, in particular, covers such areas as 802.12 and 802.16 wireless networks, 3G networks, RFID technology, CDN content delivery infrastructure, peer-to-peer networks, streaming, Internet telephony and much more. 5th edition.