To get the most out of this book

This book makes a few assumptions about the reader. You should have a solid understanding of networking essentials; layered interconnection concepts, such as the OSI model; and you should be self-sufficient with OS basics and troubleshooting. We won't cover getting your OS installed, and though basic installation instructions are provided for some tools, you need to be self-sufficient in troubleshooting any dependency problems you may run into in your unique environment.

This book tries to be as useful as possible even without a lab. It's a hands-on book first and foremost, but with the provided examples and coverage of concepts, you should be able to benefit from the information without your computer.