"PC Magazine" Guide to Home Networking

Offers a crash course in networking technology. This work helps you design the network that fits your needs and your budget; compare wired and wireless products; learn how to prepare your computers for networking; protect your investment with troubleshooting tips; and, discover how to keep your private information private.

Networking - it's not just for the office any more. Here's how to get all your electronic devices on the same team. Ready to plunge into creating your own home network? You couldn't ask for a better guide through the networking maze than "PC Magazine" contributing editor Les Freed. From why you should network to whether you need a switch or a hub and how to hook in your Playstation, reading this book is like having Les drop by and set the whole thing up for you. And you don't even need to move those back issues of "PC Magazine" off the couch.With expert advice you can't go wrong with, this work helps you: check out all the advantages of a home network; get a crash course in networking technology; design the network that fits your needs and your budget; compare wired and wireless products; learn how to prepare your computers for networking; whip up a specialized recipe from the "Home Networking Cookbook"; protect your investment with troubleshooting tips; build a network using the existing wiring in your home; discover how to keep your private information private; and, make all your home entertainment devices part of the network.

Foreword.Preface.Acknowledgments.Part I: Why You Need a Network.Chapter 1: What Is a LAN?Chapter 2: What Can You Do with a Network?Chapter 3: A Networking Crash Course.Part II: Designing Your LAN.Chapter 4: Designing Your Network.Chapter 5: Getting the Right Stuff.Part III: Installing Your LAN.Chapter 6: Installing an Ethernet LAN.Chapter 7: Installing a Wireless LAN.Chapter 8: Configuring Your Network.Part IV: Using Your LAN.Chapter 9: Sharing Internet Access.Chapter 10: Sharing Files on Your LAN.Chapter 11: Sharing Printers.Chapter 12: Home Media and Convergence.Chapter 13: Security.Chapter 14: Advanced Networking Topics.Appendix A: Home Networking Cookbook.Appendix B: Troubleshooting Your LAN.Appendix C: Online Resources.Glossary.Index.