Product Description

Stallings presents thorough, up to date introductions to every key aspect of wireless communications and networking: technology, architecture, types of wireless networks, design approaches, applications, standards, and more. Softcover.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #370989 in Books
• Published on: 2001-08-23
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 596 pages

Review

"The author is focused on his topic, precise in his use of words, and balanced in his approach. Advantages to the text's approach include the author's ability to: a) explain complex concepts clearly and concisely, b) present detailed information succinctly, and c) use figures and tables to further explain difficult concepts." — Anne M. Cox, Austin Community College

From the Back Cover

Wireless Communications and Networks, by best-selling author William Stallings, covers both wireless communications and wireless networks in a comprehensive fashion. Designed for students and professionals, this text explores the key networking topics with a unique approach covering: technology and architecture, network design approaches, and types of networks and applications.

• Full treatment of cellular networks, including a discussion of cellular technology, plus a survey of first-, second-, and third-generation systems.
• Cellular technology is perhaps the most important aspect of wireless communications and networking and also one of the most complex. Provides readers with a well-organized and thorough survey of this area.
• Comprehensive treatment of spread spectrum.
• Spread spectrum is pervasive in wireless technology and the author provides a thorough presentation.
• Coverage of essential elements of antennas and propagation, including modes of transmission, propagation effects, and fading.
• Readers need a basic foundation in the areas of antennas and propagation to understand the design issues for various wireless communication and networking schemes.
• Full coverage of forward error correction techniques, including conventional codes and turbo coding.
• FEC is an essential part of all wireless communications system and the author provides an accessible overview.

About the Author
William Stallings has made unique contributions to understanding the broad sweep of technical progress in networking and computer architecture. He has authored 41 books on these topics, including Data and Computer Communications, Sixth Edition (Prentice Hall), the standard in the field. In a career spanning more than two decades, he has been a technical contributor, technical manager, and executive; and currently, an independent consultant working with leading manufacturers, customers, software developers, and research institutions worldwide.

Customer Reviews

A concise introductory textbook
If there is one word by which I would have to describe this book, it would be: "complete". The author assumes that the reader has nothing but very basic mathematic and scientific training and takes him all the way from first principles in those disciplines to the details of cellular networks, wireless LANs and Bluetooth to mention three of the latter chapters. The ample usage of illustrations, review questions and www-references position this as a high-quality textbook.

Then again, if you are an experienced engineer, looking to solve a concrete problem for the wireless system you are presently sitting in front of, you will find that Stallings' book, because of its breadth of treatment, does not reach the necessary depth. In that case: read one of the many references for further study that the author offers.

Very comprehensive.
First of all, this is a high quality book. Hardcover and fine paper makes it a pleasure to handle. The chapters are well organized into four parts, from Technical Background to Wireless Lans. Beware however, that this is a quite theoretical book. If you are looking for a fast approach to WLAN technologies, perhaps you should try simpler books like O'REILLY's 'Wireless Community Networks'.
Nevertheless, it is an ideal textbook for academic purposes. I am using it as a reference for undergraduate courses. Chapters related to Signal Encoding and Spread Spectrum are really well written, and 802.11 and Bluetooth fundamentals are fully explained.
Even if several parts of the book are taken (with little or none modifications) from other Stallings' books, the book is still worth to have since this fact makes it a completely self-contained reference.

Wireless Communications & Networks
Very suitable for beginners and intermediates. Easy to understand the sentences and main points but I think it would be much better if there is a solution guide for selected question at the end of the book.