Computer Networking Problems and Solutions cuts through the issues facing modern networks in a unique way, explaining why computer networks and protocols are designed the way they are by explaining the set of problems any network protocol or system must overcome, then considering the common solutions to those problems, and finally providing examples of these solutions as implemented in protocols both old and new.

This book is arranged in three sections, each covering a different set of problems and solutions. The first section considers data transport, or the data plane. The second covers the protocols used to discover and use topology and reachability information, or the control plane. The third considers some common network designs and architectures, including data center fabrics, MPLS cores, and software defined wide area networks (SD-WAN). The principles that underlie such technologies as Software Defined Networks (SDNs) are considered throughout the book as solutions to the common problem set all networking technologies face.