Rating: 
Summary: Comprehensive reference
Review: "Comprehensive" is the term that best describes the 1310 fact-filled pages of John Vacca's second edition of The Cabling Handbook. The book has a broad audience. It serves the beginner with its five-chapter overview of cabling technology; the designer with its discussions of standards, architecture, cost justification, and wireless; the hands-on practitioner with its installation and maintenance chapters; and the expert with its discussions of fiber optics, high-speed cabling, and future directions. Given the book's range and thoroughness, it can be used as both a reference and a textbook.
Rating: 
Summary: Too Much Attempted...Too Little Offerred
Review: As a professional cabling designer for a large international engineering firm of 150 offices, I found that this second edition book by Vacca was out of date as soon as it was released. Much of the standards information is out of date and is no longer valid. This edition published in 2001 (per publication data) is missing many of the major EIA/TIA standards that were modified and updated in 2000. This book should be viewed as an overview to perhaps help get started, but the reader should look elsewhere for real details. The author also includes much information that is irrelevant in a "cabling handbook". If you require the best "non-engineering" book for network cabling, buy Cabling: The Complete Guide to Network Wiring by Groth. It is five stars. I recommend passing on this one.
Rating:
Summary: Comprehensive reference
Review: As usual, Mr. Vacca provides his readers with an excellent book full of informative details that describe the latest in cabling and network technologies. For IT managers such as myself, it provides a one-stop knowledge source that can be used in support of network related hardware and software strategic planning, acquisition, and consulting activities. I found the following sections especially useful: 2 - Types of Networks, 3 - Standards, 4 - Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) Versus Cable, 6 - Network Design Issues, 11 - Wireless Design Considerations, 21 - Data Compression, and 28 - Cableless Connectivity: The Wireless Future. Finally, the book contains a comprehensive set of appendices, and an excellent glossary.
Rating:
Summary: The Cabling Guy has done it again!
Review: As usual, Mr. Vacca provides his readers with an excellent book full of informative details that describe the latest in cabling and network technologies. For IT managers such as myself, it provides a one-stop knowledge source that can be used in support of network related hardware and software strategic planning, acquisition, and consulting activities. I found the following sections especially useful: 2 - Types of Networks, 3 - Standards, 4 - Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) Versus Cable, 6 - Network Design Issues, 11 - Wireless Design Considerations, 21 - Data Compression, and 28 - Cableless Connectivity: The Wireless Future. Finally, the book contains a comprehensive set of appendices, and an excellent glossary.
Rating:
Summary: General Review
Review: having read and enjoyed the forst edition I couldn't but buy also the 2nd edition. As I am now accostomed to say, John did it again. A very complete, useful, pleasant to read book, nothwistanding the highly technical and specialized matter. I invite anybody that has to contend with cables for any reason to read it and make it part of its Company technical library. I wish when I went to school there were authors like John Vacca. What more can I say ? Hit Amazon.com and buy it.
Rating:
Summary: The cabling book 2nd edition
Review: having read and enjoyed the forst edition I couldn't but buy also the 2nd edition. As I am now accostomed to say, John did it again. A very complete, useful, pleasant to read book, nothwistanding the highly technical and specialized matter. I invite anybody that has to contend with cables for any reason to read it and make it part of its Company technical library. I wish when I went to school there were authors like John Vacca. What more can I say ? Hit Amazon.com and buy it.
Rating:
Summary: It's finally here!
Review: I can't believe it. John Vacca has taken on a task that should have been done long ago. There is finally ONE book on my shelf at the office that contains everything I need to know about cabling, network design, cable troubleshooting, standards, etc. There's even quite a bit of useful information about wireless networks where cables aren't involved! Whether you want to build a small telephone hookup for your hotel room while you travel to New Zealand, or you're planning a multiple user drop 100 base-T backbone, this book will solve your problem. Perhaps the best part about it is that you can find the information you need quickly and the information is presented very consistantly. Once you're comfortable with Vacca's style, presentation, and ordering of the material, you can quickly get the information you need and put the book back on the shelf and start working on your project in minutes. Simply stated, I firmly believe that this book will be the one on my shelf that's earmarked, coffee stained, spine bent, circled, and highlited to death. I only hope it can last until the author presents us with a third edition...
Rating:
Summary: General Review
Review: I found this book to be quite comprehensive for someone who needs information about how to set up computing environment requiring cable connectivity. The author's approach in describing the technology is quite good from the standpoint of someone with little knowledge of cabling and with the desire to reach higher levels of expertise. The author begins the book describing the basic elements involved in cabling and continues with discussions of more complex elements and concepts. For instance, the descriptions given on the early stages of cabling technology using copper medium evolving through DSL and into the use of the latest medium of fiber optics is a comforting progression in developing expertise for a professional in this type of technology. This book is not only a good reference for those who are involved in configuring networks but also for those who need information on the maintenance of such configurations.
Rating: 
Summary: A good overview, lacking some details
Review: I got this book because I thought it would help me as an IS manager better understand what it will take to go from a legacy network (thinnet) to a mix cat5 network and fiber backbone. This book is a good overview of current network installations and was a good introduction, but when things got interesting this author skipped some major details and dwelled on things that even the most basic reader already knew. This book turned out to be not very helpful when it came to move on to our new network as all the numbers presented were completely inaccurate. The numbers included costs, number of cables to run, and capacity of the network with his recommendations. I honestly believe that this author has never actually managed a cable installation project nor has ever had to be the one on the job to determine problems after the installation was complete. I do enjoy reading this author, it is an easy and quick read. And it was helpful for a first book, but there are better books out there, and the one that was most helpful is out of print.
Rating:
Summary: STEAL THIS BOOK!!
Review: I have the 1st edition of The Cabling Handbook, but the 2nd ed is completely updated and is even one inch thicker with even more terrific information. Keep this one on your reference shelf since it covers A-Z of all aspects of cabling for telecommunications and computer networking. Greatly expanded coverage of DSL and fiber technology. Once again, there's a well balanced content of theory and practice. My favorite sections are those which take the reader through design issues and considerations. My brother in-law installs telecom line-- he's definitely getting this book for his birthday.
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