One of the ways that The TCP/IP Guide differs from the typical technical reference book is that it is a very personal work. When you read the Guide, I want you to feel like I am explaining the many technologies and concepts to you personally, because that’s how I feel when I am writing. A published Guide of this sort is by its nature a type of “one-way” communication, from me to you; however, I am also interested in what you have to say to me. For this reason I strongly encourage you to provide me with feedback on this Guide and suggestions that you may have for it. I am also interesteed in feedback on the free version of The TCP/IP Guide.

NOTE: Some users have reported problems with searching when using version 5.x of Adobe Acrobat. This appears to be a bug I cannot resolve. Upgrading to version 6 should resolve the issue. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Here are some of the areas where I would very much like your feedback:

• Error Reports: Please don’t be shy about reporting any errors you may find with this Guide, be they typos, mistakes in my reasoning, glitches in diagrams or anything else. Simply put, I’m not perfect, and I can’t fix problems that I don’t know exist. If you do decide to report an error, please check the errata page before contacting me. If your problem is not mentioned there, please e-mail me (see below) and indicate clearly what version of the Guide you are using, and the topic name or page number where you found the problem.
• Constructive Criticisms and Suggestions for Improvement: If there is something you don’t like about the material, please tell me. Even better, make a suggestion for how to improve it.
• Requests For Additional Content: Is there an area of the Guide where you wish I had gone into more detail, or a TCP/IP protocol you feel I should have covered but did not? Please feel free to let me know.
• Compliments: If you like The TCP/IP Guide, then by all means please tell me, I won’t mind at all!
• Questions About The Guide or Site: Feel free to send me questions that pertain directly to the use of The TCP/IP Guide or this Web site, but please first check the site's frequently asked questions (FAQ).

Obviously I cannot guarantee that I will implement every idea or suggestion, but I will certainly consider each one. I also try to always respond to my e-mail personally, since I think it is rude for me not to reply when someone takes the time to provide me with feedback. (I do not, however, usually bother to reply to “flaming” or rude e-mails.)

The only request I would make is this: please do not contact me with technical questions or requests for assistance. I’m a pretty busy guy and I get a lot of e-mail. I simply do not have the time to help people with specific problems. Since I initially wrote The PC Guide in 1997, I have repeatedly asked people not to send me technical questions, but they keep doing it. I have now had to take the position of simply ignoring such messages. Specifically, I will not respond to the following:

• Requests for network or PC design, setup, configuration or troubleshooting assistance. There are a number of excellent resources for assistance with these types of issues on the Web, such as The PC Guide Discussion Forums.
• Questions from exams, certification practice tests, and so forth. Please do your own homework, if you want to learn anything at all.
• Requests for me to write long treatises about TCP/IP protocols or technologies that go beyond what this Guide already contains. If you don’t find what you need in the Guide, try using another TCP/IP book, or searching the Internet for the information you need. I am happy to consider requests for enhancements to future versions of the Guide, but I do not have the time for personal instruction. Again, try The PC Guide Discussion Forums..

Now that you have read all that—you did read it, didn’t you?—you can reach me using the address below.

If you do not see the address this means you have Javascript disabled; please get my e-mail address by concatenating the user name "tcpipcontact", an "at" sign, the domain name "tcpipguide", a period, and then the three letters "c", "o" and "m". (Sorry for the inconvenience; this is to defeat spammers; I get thousands of spam messages a day.)

Please be patient in waiting for a response as I am only one person and I wear a lot of different hats. Thanks.