With the advent of the World Wide Web the global Internet has rapidly become the dominant type of computer network‎.‎ It now enables people around the world to use the Web for E‎-Commerce and interactive entertainment applications‎,‎ in addition to e‎-mail and IP telephony‎.‎ As a result‎,‎ the study of computer networking is now synonymous with the study of the Internet and its applications‎.‎ The 5th edition of this highly successful text has been completely revised to focus entirely on the Internet‎,‎ and so avoids the necessity of describing protocols and architectures that are no longer relevant‎.‎ As many Internet applications now involve multiple data types ¿ text‎,‎ images‎,‎ speech‎,‎ audio and video ¿ the book explains in detail how they are represented‎.‎ A number of different access networks are now used to gain access to the global Internet‎.‎ Separate chapters illustrate how each type of access network operates‎,‎ and this is followed by a detailed account of the architecture and protocols of the Internet itself and the operation of the major application protocols‎.‎ This body of knowledge is made accessible by extensive use of illustrations and worked examples that make complex systems more understandable at first glance‎.‎ This makes the book ideal for self‎-study or classroom use for students in Computer Science or Engineering‎,‎ as well as being a comprehensive reference for practitioners who require a definitive guide to networking‎.‎