Introducing the ISP bible for the networking and telecomm industry.
To put it mildly, cyberspace business is booming. There are presently more than 6,000 Internet Service Providers worldwide, and about 600 new providers are springing up each quarter. However, the ISP business is still very young and without precedent–no how–to manual or foolproof start–up recipe exists for those who want a piece of the action. As ISPs mount an ambitious challenge against phone companies for control of the $300 billion telecommunications market, they need a step–by–step planning guide to creating, developing, and profiting from a solid service provider business. Networking pioneer Geoff Huston describes the technologies, business practices, and policies required to be a formidable player in the ISP business, covering architecture principles, network management, infrastructure, business models, public policy, future growth, and much more.
ISP (Internet Service Provider) companies provide access for end–users to the Internet. ISPs range from small, regional providers to larger, well–known companies like America Online and Sprint.
The Wiley Networking Council′s mission is to fill an important gap in networking literature by publishing books that put technology into perspective for decision makers who need an implementation strategy, a vendor and outsourcing strategy, and a product and design strategy. It is comprised of four of the most influential leaders of the networking community:
Lyman Chapin: Founding trustee of the Internet Society; chief scientist of BBN, a division of GTE Internetworking.
Scott Bradner: Trustee of the Internet Society; Director of the Harvard University Network Switching Test Lab; Network World columnist.
Vinton Cerf: Founding trustee of the Internet Society, often called the "Father of the Internet;" Senior Vice President, MCI/WorldCom.
Ed Kozel: CTO and Senior VP for Product Development, Cisco Corporation,
ISP Survival Guide does a good job of explaining all sides of running a successful Internet Service Provider (ISP). Such a task requires excellence in many areas. Good ISPs must keep on top of all the technical issues involved in high-traffic Internet connectivity. They must deal with the public, including its most technically incompetent segments. On top of all that, they have to make a profit in a competitive business environment.
Rather than tie his book to the specifics of particular hardware and software products, Geoff Huston explains ISP technologies without implementation details. He writes at great length about the various interior and exterior routing protocols without mentioning specific products. He also covers the pros and cons of various data-transmission technologies, including ATM, ISDN, Frame Relay, and other systems, in addition to analogue modems. Huston pays attention to quality-of-service issues--a subject that is not well covered elsewhere.
ISP Survival Guide also provides insight into the business aspects of running an ISP. Huston provides specific monetary figures that you can use to estimate capital, equipment, purchase costs and per-account annual maintenance costs. The book also contains advice on doing business with other providers that you're connecting to. --David Wall
