Essential reading for telecommunications engineers at all levels, this book is the definitive reference on how networks transmit information. It offers professionals and students a solid understanding of the broad scope of technologies, fundamental concepts, and techniques used in transmitting information over wire-line, optical, and wireless networks. Moreover, the book provides practical solutions that network engineers can use everyday on the job. Practitioners learn how to overcome performance limitations to provide efficient, fast, and reliable transmission. The book discusses all standard networking protocols and the physical characteristics of optical fiber, copper cable, and wireless networks. By emphasizing systems and architectures, the book shows how hardware, circuits, software, and techniques work together to transmit information.