TCP/IP Illustrated
TCP/IP Illustrated by W. Richard Stevensby W. Richard Stevens
The most recommended of 3 networking books
Recommended as the most authentic source on TCP/IP and a reference that is helpful again and again. Critics say it is a less than ideal introductory textbook.
Recommended as the most authentic source on TCP/IP and a reference that is helpful again and again. Critics say it is a less than ideal introductory textbook.
8 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 7
- criticize it
- 1
- approval share
- 88%
Recommended in 6 of 13 months
- November 2025: recommended
- December 2025: recommended
- January 2026: recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: recommended
- May 2026: recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 7 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- 7 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 6 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Authoritative, packet-level TCP/IP explanation
“Internet engineering, packet by packet. Slow going, but I'm into it.”
Comment from 30 Sep 2026 in “Ask HN: What are you reading?” “still the most authentic source of all things TCP/IP related”
Comment from 9 Apr 2026 in “Understanding Traceroute” Deepens practical networking understanding
“I definitely understand networking better than the majority of programmers at my company because I read Stevens' TCP/IP Illustrated 10 years back”
Comment from 26 May 2026 in “Nobody cracks open a programming book anymore” “that progressed me from the larval hacker stage”
Comment from 13 Nov 2025 in “A Commentary on the Sixth Edition Unix Operating System (1977)” Useful reference to return to
“That makes for a very good supplemental reference, but makes for a less than ideal introductory textbook”
Comment from 9 Jan 2026 in “Mathematics for Computer Science (2018) [pdf]” “is not of the same quality, both in content and physical properties.”
Comment from 22 Dec 2025 in “Show HN: Books mentioned on Hacker News in 2025”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Weak as an introductory textbook
“That makes for a very good supplemental reference, but makes for a less than ideal introductory textbook”
Comment from 9 Jan 2026 in “Mathematics for Computer Science (2018) [pdf]”
Other networking books people recommend
The two most recommended other networking books, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TCP/IP Illustratedby W. Richard StevensThis page | 7 | 1 | 88% | 6 | — | — |
| The Book of PFby Peter N. M. Hansteen | 5 | 0 | 100% | 3 | — | — |
| High-Performance Browser Networkingby Ilya Grigorik | 4 | 2 | 67% | 4 | — | — |
What people said
7 of the 8 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“Internet engineering, packet by packet. Slow going, but I'm into it.”
“I definitely understand networking better than the majority of programmers at my company because I read Stevens' TCP/IP Illustrated 10 years back”
“still the most authentic source of all things TCP/IP related”
“That makes for a very good supplemental reference, but makes for a less than ideal introductory textbook”
“It's been so helpful for me, so many times.”
“is not of the same quality, both in content and physical properties.”
“that progressed me from the larval hacker stage”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.