nowfound

Life & fun · March 27, 2022

IM

I'm writing a free book called Computer Networks from Scratch

I'm writing a free book called Computer Networks from Scratch launched on March 27, 2022 with 792 votes, #2 of 3,153 launches that month and more than 99% of that year's launches. The site was still online in September 2026, 4 years on.

Visit networksfromscratch.com ↗Alternativestop 1% of March 2022

In plain words

I'm writing a free book called Computer Networks from Scratch" is a free educational resource launched in 2022 that teaches computer networking concepts. The book is designed for people wanting to understand how networks work from fundamental principles. It covers networking topics in an accessible way, making it suitable for beginners or those seeking to build foundational knowledge in the field.

written from the facts on this page · September 2026

From the sources

Have you ever really wanted to know what happens when you click on a link, enter a search term, or upload photos to the cloud? Computer Networks From Scratch is a tour of the inner workings of the biggest computer network of them all--the internet. However, the internet wasn't built in a day. It's the result of decades of inventions and discoveries building on each other. The best way to understand it is to retrace that path, so we'll start from scratch assuming no prior networking knowledge. First we'll build an example system that will allow two people to send messages back and forth using plastic tubing and marbles instead of wires and electrical signals. Then we'll gradually work our…from networksfromscratch.com

Does a similar job

all alternatives →
  • Computer Networks2016 · amazon.in · ▲55

    Ideal introduction to the networking field

  • I built a(nother) house optimized for LAN parties2024 · lanparty.house · ▲1,117

    I wasn't quite sure if this qualified as "Show HN" given you can't really download it and try it out. However, dang said[0]: > If it's hardware or something that's not so easy to try out over the internet, find a different way to show how it actually works—a video, for example, or a detailed post with photos. Hopefully I did that? Additionally, I've put code and a detailed guide for the netboot computer management setup on GitHub: https://github.com/kentonv/lanparty Anyway, if this shouldn't have been Show HN, I apologize! [0]…

  • Free e-book about WebGPU Programming2024 · shi-yan.github.io · ▲471

    I am excited to announce the launch of my e-book on Graphics/WebGPU programming! This project has consumed much of my spare time, during which I developed various tools to facilitate the publishing process, including a code playground and a static site generator that can reference sample codes. However, I'm feeling burnt out and ready to call it finished, even though it may not feel completely done. Avoiding another abandoned side project has been my primary motivation in reaching this point.

  • TC
    The Cyber Plumber's Handbook – SSH Tunnel Like a Boss2019 · ▲277

    Looking to get some feedback from the Hacker News community. I wrote the book with a focus on penetration testers and red teamers, but there are great examples for network admins, developers, and blue team defenders as well. You can pick up a copy for free here through May 19, 2019: https://gumroad.com/l/the_cyber_plumbers_handbook/hackernews... Please note, because it's hosted on Gumroad, it does require an email. If you don't want to give out your actual email, check out an anonymous email service. I give it away to students for free, so if you know of one that…

  • Information Rules: A Strategic Guide to the Network Economy 2015 · amazon.com · ▲63

    Core read on the nature of information goods

  • HACKING: Hacking for Beginners2015 · amazon.com · ▲71

    Learn all the hacking basics

More life & fun this month

the category →

Source: Show HN post ↗

Launched alongside, March 2022

the whole month →
  • IM
    I made a web game called Almost Pong▲1,135

    Hi HN! I made many small web games in the past with Unity or Phaser. But this time I wanted to make something completely on my own. So I coded a basic game framework in plain JavaScript, and used it to make Almost Pong. This was a really fun project that taught me a lot about JavaScript, and I plan to make more minimalist games with this framework. Interesting fact: Almost Pong doesn't load any assets, all sprites and sounds are generated with code. Happy to answer questions, and please let me know if you have any feedback on the game. Thanks!

    Dev tools · 2022 · lessmilk.com

  • HA
    HN Avatars in 357 bytes▲701

    Paste the following into the console of any HN page - for annotated avatars on all HN comments. (self contained code) for(u of document.querySelectorAll('.hnuser'))for(u.prepend(c=document.createElement('canvas')),x=c.getContext('2d'),c.width=18,c.height=14,s=u.innerText,r=1,i=28+s.length;i--;i>>29>X*X/3+Y/2&&x.fillRect(6+2*X,2*Y,2,2)&x.fillRect(6-2*X,2*Y,2,2):r+=s.charCodeAt(i-28,x.fillStyle='#'+(r>>8&0xFFFFFF).toString(16)))r^=r>>17,r^=r>2

    Dev tools · 2022

  • Tome Beta▲697

    The storytelling tool for work

    Work · 2022 · tome.app

  • Kairn▲694

    Regain control over your days

    Dev tools · 2022

  • A game that tests how well you know your local area▲654

    How well do you know your area? Test your knowledge by locating streets on a map.

    Work · 2022 · backofyourhand.com

  • Summari▲624

    Instantly summarize any article or webpage in one click

    AI · 2022