ally, and for making me appreciate the beauty in the details. I have fond memories of the two of us sitting in front of my Radio Shack Model III computer while we entered basic programs from a magazine. I am where I am today largely because of your influence, direction, and teachings. You made me the man I am today. Thank you, Papa. I miss you. xviii Preface I would like to thank my Cozy, my faithful Newfoundland dog who was tragically put to sleep in my arms SO she would no longer have to suffer the pains of cancer. Her body failed while I was writing this book, and if not for her, I probably would not be published today. Her death caused me great grief, which I assuaged by writ- ing. I miss you my Cozy-may you run pain free at the rainbow bridge until we meet again. I would like to thank Matt Maslowski for letting me use the equipment in his lab that was lacking in mine, and for helping me with Cisco questions when I wasn't sure myself. I can't think of anyone I would trust more to help me with networking topics. Thanks, buddy. I would like to thank Adam Levin for answering my many Solaris questions, even the really nutty ones. Sorry the book isn't any shorter. I would like to thank Jeff Cartwright for giving me my first exciting job at an ISP and for teaching me damn-near everything I know about telecom. I still remember being taught about one's density while Jeff drove us down Interstate 80, scribbling waveforms on a pad on his knee while I tried not to be visibly frightened. Thanks also for proofreading some of my telecom chapters. There is no one I would trust more to do SO. I would like to thank Mike Stevens for help with readability and for some of the more colorful memories that have been included in this book. His help with PIX firewalls was instrumental to the completion of those chapters. would like to thank Peter Martin for helping me with some subjects in the lab for which I had no previous experience. And I'd like to extend an extra thank you for your aid as one of the tech reviewers for Network Wa