# Beej's Guide to Network Programming by Brian Hall

16 Hacker News commenters recommended Beej's Guide to Network Programming by Brian Hall and 1 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 7 of 13 months; owners who said how long report a median of 23 years (3 owners). It meets the Hacker Approved badge rule.

**Verdict:** A free, quick-read guide to socket and network programming that people credit with getting them into networking and systems work. Critics note it does not cover BGP.

## Why people recommend it

- Gets you up to speed (2 comments): "it was invaluable. It gets you up to speed without overwhelming you with detail." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46117673)) "He dives into code and actual network function so well for such a quick read." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46122771))
- Clear, practical code examples (2 comments): "you'd be better off following Beej's guide to socket programming instead of 100 g4g pages" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46867517)) "He dives into code and actual network function so well for such a quick read." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46122771))
- Helped careers and jobs (3 comments): "Because of it I got into networking, systems programming, my first job and all that followed." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50219291)) "His guide to network programming was instrumental to both my understanding and career." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46117965)) "By applying the knowledge gained in his networking guide, I've won many contracts" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46120336))
- Still kept up to date (2 comments): "Beej has really done the world a solid, it's also making me happy that they're still around and being kept up to date" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46119393)) "Your networking guides have long been a great contribution to everybody" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47044585))

## What people warn about

- Does not cover BGP (1 comments): "probably not the best point to start. The article discuses BGP protocol, which is totally absent in the linked guide." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46539525))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [Let's Build a Compiler by Jack Crenshaw](https://hackerapproved.com/p/let-s-build-a-compiler.md): 12 recommend

## Where to get it

- [See price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/1705309909?tag=hackerapprove-20) (affiliate link)
- [Bookshop.org](https://bookshop.org/a/130825/9781705309902) (affiliate link)

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Beej's Guide to Network Programming by Brian Hall", https://hackerapproved.com/p/beej-s-guide-to-network-programming/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).