BKMDWLAN.RVW  970914

"Mobile Data & Wireless LAN Technologies", Rifaat A. Dayem, 1997,
0-13-839051-7
%A   Rifaat A. Dayem
%C   One Lake St., Upper Saddle River, NJ   07458
%D   1997
%G   0-13-839051-7
%I   Prentice Hall
%O   416-293-3621 201-236-7139 fax: 201-236-7131
%O   betsy_carey@prenhall.com
%P   294
%T   "Mobile Data & Wireless LAN Technologies"

In this book, as in the companion "PCS and Digital Cellular
Technologies" (cf. BKPCSDCT.RVW), Dayem does not specify an audience. 
It is, however, quite clear from the material that both books are
introductory rather than reference works, and aimed primarily at the
non-technical, or at least non-specialist, audience.

As with the PCS book, Dayem's technical level is quite uneven;
sometimes getting bogged down in too much detail, and other times not
providing enough.  Of the two, though, this current work comes off the
worse in regard to consistency.  This may be because the LAN field
requires more technical specifics, and a more thorough set of
explanations.  The section on media access control (MAC) is
fundamental to understanding later material, but is particularly
poorly explained.  Besides carrier sense multiple access (CSMA) and
time division multiple access (TDMA), a variety of other access
methods are mentioned--but not taught.  (Some don't even make it into
the index or glossary.)  This lack of material may be justified on the
basis of the author's later admission that the first two methods are
effectively the only ones used in the commercial systems reviewed in
chapter seven--but in that case, why mention the others in the first
place?

In the absence of other references with the same practical coverage
and introductory aim, this book does provide a very useful guide for
those looking into the wireless LAN field.  It is not, though, without
flaws.

copyright Robert M. Slade, 1997   BKMDWLAN.RVW  970914