just found this...

[Arthur Chance]

On 11/25/10 23:02, Gary Kline wrote:
> I've probably already ranted scores of times that there were no
> undergrad networking courses when i was in school,

Some of us round here are old enough that computing wasn't even a degree 
subject when we were at university. :-)

 > so things like
> these are at least entrypoints.  My experience with things-computer
> is that learning more is largely DIY.  Be nice to see more
> opencoursework classes in general.  Since Unix has the best
> philosophy, it is the best way for people to learn.   [[ Not that
> I'm biases or anything... . ]]

This book

http://www.amazon.com/Practical-TCP-IP-Designing-Troubleshooting/dp/0201750783/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1290772880&sr=1-1

covers networking from a practical, get it working, rather than 
theoretical, these are the ISO levels, viewpoint. Sadly it doesn't cover 
IPv6, nor is there likely be another edition that does, but it covers 
day to day IPv4 well enough.

[Declaration of interest: yes, that is a quote from me on the front 
cover, and I got my copy free. No, I don't get a percentage, but I will 
be getting some mulled wine from the author on Sunday.]

-- 
"Although the wombat is real and the dragon is not, few know what a
wombat looks like, but everyone knows what a dragon looks like."

	-- Avram Davidson, _Adventures in Unhistory_