COMPUTER NETWORKING ESSENTIALS starts with an introduction to networking concepts. You will learn computer networking terminology and history, and then dive into the technical concepts involved in sharing data across a computer network. A survey of networking hardware and software will show you how the hardware components, the server and client operating systems, and the networking protocols work together to make that data sharing possible. Several specialty areas of networking are explored, including security, remote access, virtual private networking (VPN), and network monitoring and troubleshooting. And you will also learn about some of tomorrow`s technologies, with a section on the future of networking. Written at a level that requires little computer experience, COMPUTER NETWORKING ESSENTIALS incorporates elements from a variety of popular introductory networking courses into a comprehensive all-in-one guidebook.