Wiley Publishing - Wireless Networks

Author’s Acknowledgments

We’d like to offer special thanks to Pat O’Brien, who started this rolling. Peter worked as the technical editor for Pat on Hacking For Dummies. Thanks for passing on Melody’s name.
Thanks to Melody Layne, acquisitions editor, for pitching the book to the edi­torial committee and getting us a contract. Much appreciated.

Thanks to Becky Huehls, who started us out on this project as editor but wisely got herself re-assigned. Thanks to Kelly Ewing for picking up the ball and running with it after Becky. Unfortunately, Kelly fumbled it, but Colleen Totz was able to struggle with it over the goal line.
Dan DiNicolo, technical editor, is commended for his diligence in reviewing the material. Thanks, Dan.

Peter would like to thank Kevin Beaver, Ken Cutler, Gerry Grindler, Ronnie Holland, Carl Jackson, Ray Kaplan, Kevin Kobelsky, Carrie Liddie, Dexter Mills Jr., and Larry Simon for responding to a request for wireless informa­tion. Thanks for answering the call for help. The provided information shows in this book.

Barry would like to thank his co-author Peter. Always a pleasure, sir. He would also like to acknowledge Craig McGuffin and John Tannahill who are always there for him, as friends and business associates , and never fail to lend a helping hand.

Introduction

Recently, a very knowledgeable speaker at a presentation for a wireless vendor talked about wireless as ubiquitous. We would have to disagree. Wireless is widespread, but it is not everywhere. But it is rapidly becoming ubiquitous.

In about 1990, cell phone users carried around a phone that looked and felt like a World War II walkie-talkie. You didn’t casually whip that baby out and start a conversation. At that time, you either had a deep wallet, a big ego, or a compelling need to talk to your mother. Now, depending on where you live in the world, the cell phone provides better quality at a lower cost — and in a much smaller form factor.

In about 1994, Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) equipment manufacturers sold gear that was comparable to the wireless phone market. The devices were large and very expensive and provided poor bandwidth. You had to have a compelling reason to spend the money on the low bandwidth. But that has changed. In 2004, you can buy a reasonably priced laptop with onboard sup­port for 802.11b and Bluetooth. You can add a fairly inexpensive 802.11a and g PC Card and easily connect wirelessly and, if you have a Centrino-based system or Microsoft Windows XP, somewhat seamlessly. The WLAN market of today is analogous to the Ethernet market of the mid 1980s. In those years, solutions were proprietary, and standards were being approved. Companies were jockeying for position. Now, you would have difficulty finding a desktop or laptop computer that does not come with Ethernet support. When we look back from the future, we will see some parallels between 802.3 and 802.11 development.

Telephone companies have wrestled with the issue of the “last mile” for a while. But forget the last mile; Bluetooth and IrDA provide the last foot. Mice, keyboards, phones, PDAs, and other devices support Bluetooth for wire replacement. When you have a Bluetooth-enabled printer, you no longer need to hook up to the network to print one page or a contact.

Vendors are trying to get along with each other to develop standards so that one day we can walk around with a phone, PDA, or laptop and connect to any network, anywhere, anytime. We wrote this book for those of you who want to release your company f its bondage. If you want to unfetter your clients so that they can access t e-mail before getting on the red-eye to New York or Toronto, this book is you. If your desktop looks like spaghetti junction and you want to rid you of all those wires, this book is for you. If you want to provide up-to-the-m stock quotes to the Chair of your company while she sits in the boardroo this book is for you. If you have a small to medium enterprise (SME) or b ness (SMB) or a small office/home office (SOHO) and don’t want to rewir (or pay someone to rewire) your office, this book is for you. If you have w less at home and want to learn about features that you can expect for ho gear, this book is for you.

About This Book

Mark Twain once wrote, “Writing is easy. All you have to do is cross out the wrong words.” So we have done the easy part for you. We crossed ou all the wrong words and came up with this book. What are left are the wo that will help you plan for, install, acquire, protect, manage, and administ wireless networks from personal area to wide area.

We have started your journey by providing information on

*.Differentiating WPAN, WLAN, WMAN, and WWAN
*. Planning your wireless network
*.Doing a site survey
*.Using IrDA for transferring files
*.Using Bluetooth for wire replacement
*. Securing IrDA and Bluetooth
*. Acquiring the right equipment
*.Installing and configuring an access point
*.Acquiring and installing client hardware
*.Installing and configuring client software
*. Building a network to allow roaming
*.Connecting while on the go
*. Securing your WLAN
*. Understanding WEP, WPA, and RSN
*. Understanding EAP
*.Setting up a VPN using PPTP
*. Troubleshooting your network
*. Evaluating and fixing network performance
*. Using administrator software and utilities

How to Use This Book

You don’t have to start reading this book at the beginning — each chapter stands on its own, as does each and every part. In fact, if you are new to wireless networking but not new to networking, you may want to start with the radio frequency (RF) primer in Appendix C. It’s an exploration of radio frequency. We do suggest, however, that you consider starting at the begin­ning and reading to the end.

We encourage you to use the white space and the margins of this book. Mark it up and make it your own. Look up the links that we provideto find a wealth of information. You’ll want to write in the book because it will become an irre­placeable reference when you cross out words and add others yourself.

How This Book Is Organized

We grouped the chapters of this book into manageable chunks, called parts. Each part has a theme. For instance, the first part is like a handshake. We help you get started through planning and acquiring hardware and software. In between, we have some management parts. And the last part is an exchange of data.

Part I: Planning and Acquiring Your Network

Part I is the foundation required for the world of wireless networks. Chapter 1 breaks down the various types of wireless networks and provides examples of each type. If you’re trying to sell wireless within your organization, you will see some benefits of wireless you might want to use. Chapter 2 introduces the necessary planning for a successful implementation. You will see how to do a site survey. Chapter 3 sorts out more terminology and explains the differences between an ad hoc and an infrastructure network. You get the scoop on differ­entiating between BSS, IBSS, and ESS.

Part II: Implementing Your Wireless Network

Part II starts at 10 meters and moves to 100 meters and then beyond. Chapter 4 gives you an overview of IrDA and Bluetooth and security measures for both. You will understand how to use these technologies to replace wires in your office or on your body. Chapters 5 and 6 move on to wireless local area net­working. In Chapter 5, you see how to set up an access point. Chapter 6 talks about connecting Windows 2000, Windows XP, tablet PC, Linux, and Mac OS clients as well as Centrino-based systems. Chapter 7 moves you a little beyond your office through the use of bridges and switches. When you want to roam about your offices, you need to set your system up correctly. You can read how to do this in Chapter 7. Chapter 8 deals with accessing wireless wide area net­works. You will find a discussion about hot spots. But more important, you see how to get your e-mail wirelessly while on the road.

Part III: Using Your Network Securely

In Chapter 9, we introduce you to the additional risks of wireless networks — additional because you have all the risks of a wired network plus those specific to wireless. For instance, signal jamming is not a real risk in wired networks, but it is in wireless networks.

It wouldn’t be fair to just enumerate risks without providing some help. Chapter 10 provides a security architecture for your wireless network. You probably have a healthy paranoia when it comes to wireless and its security. Hopefully, Chapter 11 can allay some of your fears — and add some new ones. Chapter 12 helps you set up a secure channel because, quite frankly, who cares if WEP can be broken when you protect your data at a higher level?

Part IV: Keeping Your Network on the Air — Administration and Troubleshooting

Availability is an integral part of a network. So is administration. After we develop a network that is reliable, available, and secure, we must administer it. This includes documenting components. Chapter 13 highlights known wireless problems and practiced solutions. For instance, when you have a near/far condition, move one of the workstations closer. You’ll find pithy advice like this in Chapter 13. Chapter 14 discusses bridges and bridging technology. When you have a network, you have people complaining about connectivity

and performance. Chapter 15 provides some commonsense solutions to typi­cal wireless problems. Finally, Chapter 16 provides guidance for trying to wrap your hands (and heads) around your network. Whether you have an authorized wireless network or not, you won’t want to miss this chapter.

Part V: The Part of Tens

The Part of Tens provides top-ten that lists authors think are interesting. Our Part of Tens is no different. We provide a look at ten indispensable tools for network administrators and tinkerers alike (Chapter 17); ten ways to secure your WLAN (Chapter 18); and ten ways to use wireless in your busi­ness (Chapter 19).

Part VI: Appendixes

We also provide some valuable reference material in the Appendixes. Appendix A lists trade associations and user groups for wireless. You can find out whether there is a WUG (wireless user group) in your neighborhood. If you don’t have one, start one and send us the information. Appendix B pro­vides information on the 802 standards that you need to know for the wireless market. Appendix C, as mentioned earlier, provides the minimum necessary information that you need to set up a wireless network. If you want more infor­mation, refer to Appendixes A and B.
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Networking

Author’s Acknowledgments

I’d like to start by thanking everyone who was involved with the second edition of this book, especially project editor Christopher Morris, who heeded the Hitchhiker’s Guide creed (“Don’t panic!”) when I was occasionally late with submissions and who did a great job following through on all the little editorial details needed to put a book of this scope together on time. Thanks also to Dan DiNicolo, who gave the manuscript a thorough review and offered many excellent suggestions for improvements, and to copy editors Jean Rogers and Andy Hollandbeck, who whipped my prose into shape, crossing all the i’s and dotting all the t’s, or something like that. And, as always, thanks to all the behind-the-scenes people who chipped in with help I’m not even aware of.

Introduction

Welcome to the second edition of Networking All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies, the one networking book that’s designed to replace an entire shelf full of the dull and tedious networking books you’d otherwise have to buy. This book contains all the basic and not-so-basic information you need to know to get a network up and running and to stay on top of the network as it grows, develops problems, and encounters trouble.

If you’re just getting started as a network administrator, this book is ideal. As a network administrator, you have to know about a lot of different topics: installing and configuring network hardware, installing and configuring network operating systems, planning a network, working with TCP/IP, securing your network, working with wireless devices, backing up your data, and many others.

You can, and probably eventually will, buy separate books on each of these topics. It won’t take long before your bookshelf is bulging with 10,000 or more pages of detailed information about every imaginable nuance of networking. But before you’re ready to tackle each of those topics in depth, you need to get a birds-eye picture. This book is the ideal way to do that.

And if you already own 10,000 pages or more of network information, you may be overwhelmed by the amount of detail and wonder, “Do I really need to read 1,000 pages about Bind to set up a simple DNS server?” or “Do I really need a six-pound book to show me how to install Linux?” Truth is, most 1,000-page networking books have about 100 or so pages of really useful information — the kind you use every day — and about 900 pages of excruciating details that apply mostly to networks at places like NASA and the CIA.

The basic idea of this book is that I’ve tried to wring out the 100 or so most useful pages of information on nine different networking topics: network basics, building a network, network administration and security, troubleshooting and disaster planning, working with TCP/IP, home networking, wireless networking, Windows server operating systems, and Linux.

So whether you’ve just been put in charge of your first network or you’re a seasoned pro, you’ve found the right book.

About This Book

Networking All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies, 2nd Edition, is intended to be a reference for all the great things (and maybe a few not-so-great things) that you may need to know when you’re setting up and managing a network. You can, of course, buy a huge 1,000-page book on each of the networking topics covered in this book. But then, who would you get to carry them home from the bookstore for you? And where would you find the shelf space to store them? In this book, you get the information you need all conveniently packaged for you in between one set of covers.

This book doesn’t pretend to be a comprehensive reference for every detail of these topics. Instead, this book shows you how to get up and running fast so that you have more time to do the things you really want to do. Designed using the easy-to-follow For Dummies format, this book helps you get the information you need without laboring to find it.

Networking All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies, 2nd Edition, is a big book made up of several smaller books — minibooks, if you will. Each of these minibooks covers the basics of one key element of network management, such as setting up network hardware, installing a network operating system, or troubleshooting network problems. Whenever one big thing is made up of several smaller things, confusion is always a possibility. That’s why Networking All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies, 2nd Edition, is designed to have multiple access points (I hear an acronym coming on — MAP!) to help you find what you want. At the beginning of the book is a detailed table of contents that covers the entire book. Then, each minibook begins with a minitable of contents that shows you at a glance what chapters are included in that minibook. Useful running heads appear at the top of each page to point out the topic discussed on that page. And handy thumb tabs run down the side of the pages to help you quickly find each minibook. Finally, a comprehensive index lets you find information anywhere in the entire book.
This isn’t the kind of book you pick up and read from start to finish, as if it were a cheap novel. If I ever see you reading it at the beach, I’ll kick sand in your face. This book is more like a reference, the kind of book you can pick up, turn to just about any page, and start reading. You don’t have to memorize anything in this book. It’s a “need-to-know” book: You pick it up when you need to know something. Need to know how to set up a DHCP server in Windows? Pick up the book. Need to know how to create a user account in Linux? Pick up the book. Otherwise, put it down and get on with your life.

How to Use This Book

This book works like a reference. Start with the topic you want to find out about. Look for it in the table of contents or in the index to get going. The table of contents is detailed enough that you should be able to find most of the topics you’re looking for. If not, turn to the index, where you can find even more detail.

Of course, the book is loaded with information, so if you want to take a brief excursion into your topic, you’re more than welcome. If you want to know the big security picture, read the whole chapter on security. If you just want to know how to make a decent password, read just the section on passwords. You get the idea.

Whenever I describe a message or information that you see on the screen, I present it as follows:

A message from your friendly network

If you need to type something, you’ll see the text you need to type like this: Type this stuff. In this example, you type Type this stuff at the keyboard and press Enter. An explanation usually follows, just in case you’re scratching your head and grunting, “Huh?”

How This Book Is Organized

Each of the nine minibooks contained in Networking All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies, 2nd Edition, can stand by themselves. The first minibook covers the networking basics that you should know to help you understand the rest of the stuff in this book. Of course, if you’ve been managing a network for awhile already, you probably know all this stuff, so you can probably skip Book I or just skim it over quickly for laughs. The remaining minibooks cover a variety of networking topics that you would normally find covered in separate books. Here is a brief description of what you find in each minibook.

Book I: Networking Basics

This minibook covers the networking basics that you need to understand to get going. You find out what a network is, how networking standards work, what hardware components are required to make up a network, and what network operating systems do. You discover the difference between peer-to-peer networking and client-server networking. And you also get a comparison of the most popular network operating systems, including Windows NT Server, Windows 2000 Server, Windows Server 2003, Novell’s NetWare, and Linux.

Book II: Building a Network

In this minibook, you find out the ins and outs of building a network. First, you see how to create a plan for your network. After all, planning is the first step of any great endeavor. Then, you discover how to install network hardware such as network interface cards and how to work with various types of networking cable. You receive some general pointers about installing a network server operating system. And finally, you gain insight into how to configure various versions of Windows to access a network.

Book III: Network Administration and Security

In this minibook, you discover what it means to be a network administrator, with an emphasis on how to secure your network so that it’s safe from intruders, but at the same time allows your network’s users access to everything they need. In the real world, this responsibility isn’t as easy as it sounds. This minibook begins with an overview of what network administrators do. Then, it describes some of the basic practices of good network security, such as using strong passwords and providing physical security for your servers. Then, it presents an overview of setting up network user accounts. And it concludes with some additional security techniques, such as using virus scanners and setting up firewalls.

Book IV: Network Troubleshooting and Disaster Planning

When something goes wrong with your network, you can turn to this mini-book for guidance on isolating the problem and determining how to correct it. This minibook covers not only major network problems (“my network’s dead,”) but also those insidious performance problems (“I can get to the server, but it’s ess-el-oh-double-ewe”). And you find help for one of the most common network complaints: e-mail that doesn’t get through.

Before something goes wrong with your network, I hope you turn to this minibook for guidance on how to protect your network through a good, comprehensive backup scheme, and how to create a disaster recovery plan (known now by the trendy term, Business Continuity Planning).

Book V: TCP/IP and the Internet

This minibook is devoted to the most popular network technology on the planet: TCP/IP. (Actually, it may be the most popular protocol in the universe. The aliens in Independence Day had a TCP/IP network on their spaceship, enabling Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum to hack their way in. The aliens should have read the section on firewalls in Book III.)

In this minibook, you discover the various protocols that make up the entire TCP/IP suite. You find out all about IP addresses, subnetting, routing, and all that good stuff. You encounter DHCP and DNS. And you discover how to use those handy TCP/IP troubleshooting tools like Ping and Tracert.

Book VI: Home Networking

This minibook covers the information you need to know to install a network at home. You discover how to set up a basic Windows network, the various options for networking your home (including wireless, phone networks, and PowerLine networks), and how to incorporate other gadgets into your network. You also find out about VoIP, which lets you replace your telephone service with Internet-based phone service.

Book VII: Wireless Networking

In this minibook, you discover the ins and outs of setting up and securing a wireless network.

Book VIII: Windows Server 2003 Reference

This minibook describes the basics of setting up and administering a server using the latest version of Windows Server 2003. You also find helpful information about its predecessor, Windows 2000 Server. You find chapters on installing a Windows server, managing user accounts, setting up a file server, and securing a Windows server. Plus, you find a handy reference to the many Windows networking commands that you can use from a command prompt.

Book IX: Linux Networking Reference

Linux has fast become an inexpensive alternative to Windows or NetWare. In this minibook, you discover the basics of installing and managing Fedora Core 3 Linux, the current version of the most popular Linux distribution. You find out how to install Fedora, work with Linux commands and GNOME (a popular graphical interface for Linux), configure Linux for networking, set up a Windows-compatible file server using Samba, and run popular Internet servers such as DHCP, Bind, and Sendmail. Plus, you get a concise Linux command reference that will turn you into a Linux command line junkie in no time.
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Digital Art Photography

Introduction

In this book, I cover the art form of digital art photography. I start by giving you an introduction to the world of film-based photography and how it relates to digital photography. From there, I go on to cover the whole gambit of digital art photography, from shooting great photos to tweaking them in Photoshop to producing final output fit for a gallery wall. If that sounds intriguing, this book is for you whether you’re film-based or digital-only or both.

About This Book

Here are some of the things this book will help you do:

1. Get a fabulous, well-exposed photograph, no matter what your shooting conditions

2. Tweak, edit, and enhance your images to create something entirely new — or just simply better than what you started with

3. Produce gallery-worthy art prints

4. Find out when it’s time to upgrade your computer to handle graphics work


Conventions Used in This Book -Written By Author

By conventions, I simply mean a set of rules that I employ in this book to present information to you consistently. When you see a term italicized, look for its definition, which I include so you know what that term means in the context of digital art photography. Sometimes, I give you information to enter onscreen; in those cases, I format what you need to type bold. Web site addresses and e-mail addresses appear in monofont so that they stand out from regular text.
What You Don’t Have to Read

Because I structure this book modularly — that is, so you can easily find only the specific information you need — you don’t have to read whatever doesn’t pertain to your task at hand. You also don’t have to read the Technical Stuff icons, which parse out uber-techy tidbits (which you might or might not be interested in).

How This Book Is Organized

Digital Art Photography For Dummies is split into five parts. You don’t have to read parts sequentially; you don’t have to read each chapter in each part; and you don’t even have to read all the sections in any particular chapter. (But I think that you’ll want to look at every picture. . . .) You can use the Table of Contents and the index to find the information you need and quickly get your answers. In this section, I briefly describe what you’ll find in each part.

Part I: The Art of a Digital Picture

This part serves as an introduction to the world of art photography and how it relates to digital photography. In Chapter 1, I detail the five essential steps to creating a digitized masterpiece and provide a few essentials of composition. Chapters 2 and 3 cover the digital side of digital art photography; I have to admit, this information can get a little dry and techy. (Don’t say I didn’t warn you.) When it comes time to purchase a new digital camera or to upgrade your computer to handle all the heavy-duty graphics work you’ll be doing, however, you’ll be glad you have these two chapters by your side. In Chapter 4, things get fun again while I brainstorm with you to decide just what kind of digital art photographer you want to be.

Part II: The Photo Shoot

Part II is all about getting great shots, and so I dive right into ISOs, f-stops, exposure settings, and when to use a flash. This part runs the gamut, from shooting great photos outdoors or indoors (Chapters 5 and 6) to photographing people and animals (Chapter 7) to shooting for great color or outstanding black and white (Chapters 8 and 9) to capturing stunning nighttime images (Chapter 10) to achieving wonderful effects before you ever get to Photoshop (Chapter 11) — whew! That’s a lot of photography!

Part III: Photoshop Art: Using Software to Enhance or Create Art Photos

If you’re anxious to repair or jazz up some old photos, use Chapter 12 as your guide. In that chapter, I discuss various Photoshop tools and techniques that can bring back vivid color to images 50 years old or eliminate annoying scratches and dust. Chapter 13 is where you can find out how to merge images into one giant photograph, and Chapter 14 gives you the lowdown on using Photoshop layers (a great tool for creating digital art photography). I couldn’t not discuss Photoshop’s filters, so I include a whole chapter on them (Chapter 15).

Part IV: The Final Output: Gallery-Worthy Prints

Drum roll, please . . . the moment you’ve all been waiting for. Just itching to click that Print button so you can hold your masterpiece in hand and admire it lovingly? This is the part for you. In Chapter 16, I discuss all things that have to do with managing electronic files (a tedious albeit necessary part of digital art photography), and Chapter 17 covers printing prep and printing. Then comes the really fun part: matting and framing. Chapter 18 has all the information you need to make your art presentable to the world (and paying customers).

Part V: The Part of Tens

I would be remiss in my duties if I didn’t include a Part of Tens. So here you’ll find ten rules — or if you prefer, guidelines — of digital art photography (Chapter 19) and ten snappy digital art tricks (Chapter 20).

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Mastering AutoCAD 2008 & AutoCAD LT 2008

Introduction

Welcome to Mastering AutoCAD 2008 and AutoCAD LT 2008. As many readers have already discovered, this book is a unique blend of tutorial and reference that includes everything you need to get started and stay ahead with AutoCAD. With this edition, you get coverage of the latest features of both AutoCAD 2008 and AutoCAD LT 2008, plus the latest information on new features.

How to Use This Book

Rather than just showing you how each command works, this book shows you AutoCAD 2008 in the context of a meaningful activity. You’ll learn how to use commands while working on an actual project and progressing toward a goal. This book also provides a foundation on which you can build your own methods for using AutoCAD and become an AutoCAD expert. For this reason, I haven’t covered every single command or every permutation of a command response. You should think of this book as a way to get a detailed look at AutoCAD as it’s used on a real project. As you follow the exercises, I encourage you to also explore AutoCAD on your own, applying the techniques you learn to your own work.

Both experienced and beginning AutoCAD users will find this book useful. If you aren’t an experienced user, the way to get the most out of this book is to approach it as a tutorial—chapter by chapter, at least for the first two parts of the book. You’ll find that each chapter builds on the skills and information you learned in the previous one. To help you navigate, the exercises are shown in numbered steps. To address the needs of all readers worldwide, the exercises provide both U.S. (feet/inches) and metric measurements.
After you’ve mastered the material in Parts 1 and 2, you can follow your interests and explore other parts of the book in whatever order you choose. Part 3 takes you to a more advanced skill level. There, you’ll learn more about storing and sharing drawing data and how to create more complex drawings. If you’re interested in 3D, check out Part 4. If you want to start customizing right away, go to Part 5. You can check out Chapters 27 and 28 at any time because they give you general information about sharing AutoCAD files with your coworkers and consultants. Chapter 28 focuses on AutoCAD’s Sheet Set Manager, which offers a way to organize your multisheet projects.

You can also use this book as a ready reference for your day-to-day problems and questions about commands. Optional exercises at the end of each chapter will help you review and look at different ways to apply the information you’ve learned. Experienced users will also find this book a handy reference tool.
Finally, if you run into problems using AutoCAD, see the “When Things Go Wrong” section in Appendix B. You’ll find a list of the most common issues that users face when first learning AutoCAD.
AutoCAD 2008 and AutoCAD LT 2008

Autodesk has released both AutoCAD 2008 and AutoCAD LT 2008 simultaneously. Not surprisingly, they’re nearly identical in the way they look and work. You can share files between the two programs with complete confidence that you won’t lose data or corrupt files. The main differences are that LT doesn’t support all the 3D functions of AutoCAD 2008, nor does it support the customization tools of AutoLISP and VBA. But LT still has plenty to offer in both the productivity and customization areas. And because they’re so similar, I can present material for both programs with only minor adjustments.
When a feature is discussed that is available only in AutoCAD 2008, you’ll see the AutoCAD Only icon.

You’ll also see warning messages when tutorials vary between AutoCAD 2008 and LT. If only minor differences occur, you’ll see either a warning message or directions embedded in the tutorial indicating the differences between the two programs.
In the few instances in which LT has a feature that isn’t available in AutoCAD 2008, you’ll see the LT Only icon.

I’ve also provided work-around instructions wherever possible when LT doesn’t offer a feature found in AutoCAD 2008.

Getting Information Fast

I’ve included plenty of tips and warnings: TIP Tips are designed to make practice easier.
WARNING Warnings steer you away from pitfalls.

Also, in each chapter you’ll find more extensive tips and discussions in the form of sidebars set off from the main text. To encourage you along the way, some of the sidebars show you how topics in each chapter were applied to a real-world project, the San Francisco Main Library. Together, the tips, warnings, and sidebars provide a wealth of information I have gathered over years of using AutoCAD on a variety of projects in different office environments. You may want to browse through the book, just reading these notes, to get an idea of how they might be useful to you.

Another quick reference you’ll find yourself turning to often is Appendix C, which contains descriptions of all the dimension settings with comments on their uses. If you experience any problems, you can consult the “When Things Go Wrong” section in Appendix B.

What to Expect

Mastering AutoCAD 2008 and AutoCAD LT 2008 is divided into five parts, each representing a milestone in your progress toward becoming an expert AutoCAD user. Here is a description of those parts and what they will show you.

Part 1: The Basics

As with any major endeavor, you must begin by tackling small, manageable tasks. In this first part, you’ll become familiar with the way AutoCAD looks and feels. Chapter 1, “Exploring the AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT Interface,” shows you how to get around in AutoCAD. In Chapter 2, “Creating Your First Drawing,” you’ll learn how to start and exit the program and how to respond to AutoCAD commands. Chapter 3, “Setting Up and Using AutoCAD’s Drafting Tools,” tells you how to set up a work area, edit objects, and lay out a drawing. In Chapter 4, “Organizing Objects with Blocks and Groups,” you’ll explore some tools unique to CAD: symbols, blocks, and layers. As you’re introduced to AutoCAD, you’ll also get a chance to make some drawings that you can use later in the book and perhaps even in future projects of your own. Chapter 5, “Keeping Track of Layers, Blocks, and Files” shows you how to use layers to keep similar information together and object properties such as line-types to organize things visually.
Part 2: Mastering Intermediate Skills

After you have the basics down, you’ll begin to explore some of AutoCAD’s more subtle qualities. Chapter 6, “Editing and Reusing Data to Work Efficiently” tells you how to reuse drawing setup information and parts of an existing drawing. In Chapter 7, “Mastering Viewing Tools, Hatches, and External References,” you’ll learn how to use viewing tools and hatches and how to assemble and edit a large drawing file. Chapter 8, “Introducing Printing, Plotting, and Layouts,” shows you how to get your drawing onto hard copy. Chapter 9, “Understanding Plot Styles,” discusses methods for controlling lineweights and shading in your printer output. Chapter 10, “Adding Text to Drawings,” tells you how to annotate your drawing and edit your notes. Chapter 11, “Using Fields and Tables,” shows you how to add spreadsheet functionality to your drawings. Chapter 12, “Using Dimensions,” gives you practice in using automatic dimensioning (another unique CAD capability).
Part 3: Mastering Advanced Skills

At this point, you’ll be on the verge of becoming a real AutoCAD expert. Part 3 is designed to help you polish your existing skills and give you a few new ones. Chapter 13, “Using Attributes,” tells you how to attach information to drawing objects and how to export that information to database and spreadsheet files. In Chapter 14, “Copying Pre-existing Drawings into AutoCAD,” you’ll learn techniques for transferring paper drawings to AutoCAD. In Chapter 15, “Advanced Editing and Organizing,” you’ll complete the apartment building tutorial. During this process you’ll learn how to integrate what you’ve learned so far and gain some tips on working in groups. Chapter 16, “Laying Out Your Printer Output,” shows you the tools that let you display your drawing in an organized fashion. Chapter 17, “Using Dynamic Blocks,” shows you how you can create blocks that can be edited with grips without having to redefine them. Chapter 18, “Drawing Curves and Solid Fills,” gives you an in-depth look at some special drawing objects, such as splines and fitted curves. In Chapter 19, “Getting and Exchanging Data from Drawings,” you’ll practice getting information about a drawing and learn how AutoCAD can interact with other applications, such as spreadsheets and desktop-publishing programs. You’ll also learn how to copy and paste data.

Part 4: 3D Modeling and Imaging

Although 2D drafting is AutoCAD’s workhorse application, AutoCAD’s 3D capabilities give you a chance to expand your ideas and look at them in a new light. Chapter 20, “Creating 3D Drawings,” covers AutoCAD’s basic features for creating three-dimensional drawings. Chapter 21, “Using Advanced 3D Features,” introduces you to some of the program’s more powerful 3D capabilities. Chapter 22, “Rendering 3D Drawings,” shows how you can use AutoCAD to produce lifelike views of your 3D drawings. Chapter 23, “Editing and Visualizing 3D Solids,” takes a closer look at 3D solids and how they can be created, edited, and displayed in AutoCAD 2008.
Part 5: Customization and Integration

One of AutoCAD’s greatest strengths is its openness to customization. Chapter 24, “Using the Express Tools,” gives you a gentle introduction to the world of AutoCAD customization. You’ll learn how to load and use existing Express tools that expand AutoCAD’s functionality, and you’ll be introduced to AutoLISP as a tool to create macros. Chapter 25, “Introducing AutoLISP,” is a primer to AutoCAD’s popular macro language. You’ll learn how you can create custom commands built on existing ones and how you can retrieve and store locations and other data. Chapter 26, “Customizing Toolbars, Menus, Linetypes, and Hatch Patterns,” shows you how to customize menus, toolbars, linetypes, and hatch patterns. Chapter 27, “Managing and Sharing Your Drawings,” shows you how to adapt AutoCAD to your own work style. You’ll learn about the tools that help you exchange drawings with others and how to

secure your drawings to prevent tampering. Chapter 28, “Keeping a Project Organized with Sheet Sets,” shows you how to use the new Sheet Set Manager to simplify your file management. By using the Sheet Set Manager, you can automate some of the more tedious drawing coordination tasks.

The Appendices

Finally, this book has three appendices. Appendix A, “Installing and Setting Up AutoCAD,” contains an installation and configuration tutorial. If AutoCAD isn’t already installed on your system, follow the steps in this tutorial before starting Chapter 1. Appendix B, “Hardware and Software Tips,” provides information about hardware related to AutoCAD. It also provides tips on improving AutoCAD’s performance and troubleshooting and provides more detailed information on setting up AutoCAD’s plotting feature. Appendix C, “System Variables and Dimension Styles,” provides a reference to dimension style settings.

T
The Minimum System Requirements

This book assumes you have an IBM-compatible computer with at least a Pentium IV or equivalent CPU. Your computer should have at least one CD drive and a hard disk with 2GB or more of free space for the AutoCAD program files and about 120MB of additional space for sample files and workspace. In addition to these requirements, you should have enough free disk space to allow for a Windows virtual memory page file that is about 1.5 times the amount of installed RAM. Consult your Windows manual or Appendix B of this book for more on virtual memory.

AutoCAD 2008 runs best on systems with at least 2GB or more of RAM, although you can get by with 512MB. Your computer should also have a high-resolution monitor and an up-to-date display card. An SVGA display with a resolution of 1024 × 768 or greater will work fine with AutoCAD, but if you want to take full advantage of AutoCAD’s new 3D features, you should have a 128MB or greater, OpenGL -capable, workstation-class graphics card. If you intend to use a digitizer tablet, you’ll need one free USB, or serial, port available. I also assume you’re using a mouse and have the use of a printer or a plotter. A CD or DVD reader is needed to install AutoCAD and the software from this book. Finally, you’ll need an Internet connection to take full advantage of the support offerings from Autodesk.

If you want a more detailed explanation of hardware options with AutoCAD, see Appendix B. You’ll find a general description of the available hardware options and their significance to AutoCAD.

TIP If you don’t have AutoCAD, you can download a trial version from the Autodesk website. Go to the Autodesk home page, and follow the links to AutoCAD. The trial download is approximately 1.8GB, so be prepared to wait a while to complete the download. Also be aware that the trial is good for only 30 days—don’t start to use it until you’re certain you’ll have plenty of free time to practice using AutoCAD.

Doing Things in Style

Much care has been taken to see that the stylistic conventions in this book—the use of uppercase or lowercase letters, italic or boldface type, and so on—are the ones most likely to help you learn AutoCAD. On the whole, their effect should be subliminal. However, you may find it useful to be conscious of the following rules:

♦ Drop-down menu selections are shown by a series of options separated by the > symbol (for example, choose File > New).

♦ Keyboard entries are shown in boldface (for example, enter Rotate).

♦ Command-line prompts are shown in a monospaced font (for example, Select objects:).

For most functions, this book describes how to select options from toolbars and the menu bar. In addition, where applicable, I include related keyboard shortcuts and command names in parentheses. These command names provide continuity for readers accustomed to working at the Command prompt.

New Features of AutoCAD 2008

AutoCAD has a fresh new look and several new features that will help make your work easier and faster. If you’ve used AutoCAD before, you’ll notice that the look has changed. Dig a little deeper, and you’ll find that some new features have been added to simplify your work so you don’t have to keep track of so many details. Here are some of the new features you’ll be covering in this book:

♦ New Dashboard interface that puts most of the tools you need in a single panel

♦ Annotation scale that simplifies the scale of text and other graphics to fit the scale of your drawing

♦ New Daylight lighting feature to create more realistic outdoor renderings of your 3D models

♦ Better links between AutoCAD tables and external spreadsheets

♦ Improved text-editing tools and features

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Introduction to AutoCAD 2008

Preface

The purpose of writing this book is to produce a text suitable for those in Further and/or Higher Education who are required to learn how to use the CAD software package AutoCAD® 2008. Students taking examinations based on computer-aided design will find the contents of the book of great assistance. The book is also suitable for those in industry who wish to learn how to construct technical drawings with the aid of AutoCAD 2008 and those who, having used previous releases of AutoCAD, wish to update their skills in the use of AutoCAD.

The chapters dealing with two-dimensional (2D) drawing will also be suitable for those who wish to learn how to use AutoCAD LT 2008, the 2D version of this latest release of AutoCAD.

Many readers using AutoCAD 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006 or 2007 will find the book’s contents largely suitable for use with those versions of AutoCAD, although AutoCAD 2008 has enhancements over AutoCAD 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007 (see Chapter 21).

The contents of the book are basically a graded course of work, consisting of chapters giving explanations and examples of methods of constructions, followed by exercises which allow the reader to practise what has been learned in each chapter. The first 12 chapters are concerned with constructing technical drawings in 2D. These are followed by chapters detailing the construction of three-dimensional (3D) solid drawings and rendering. The two final chapters describe the Internet tools of AutoCAD 2008 and the place of AutoCAD in the design process. The book finishes with three appendices: printing and plotting; a list of tools with their abbreviations; a list of some of the set variables upon which AutoCAD 2008 is based.

AutoCAD 2008 is very complex computer-aided design (CAD) software package. A book of this size cannot possibly cover the complexities of all the methods for constructing 2D and 3D drawings available when working with AutoCAD 2008. However, it is hoped that by the time the reader has worked through the contents of the book, they will be sufficiently skilled with the methods of producing drawing with the software, will be able to go on to more advanced constructions with its use, and will have gained an interest in the more advanced possibilities available when using AutoCAD.

Alf Yarwood
Salisbury 2007

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Wireless Home Networking

About This Book

If you’re thinking of purchasing a wireless computer network and installing it in your home, this is the book for you. Even if you’ve already purchased the equipment for a wireless network, this book will help you install and config­ure the network. What’s more, this book helps you get the most out of your investment after it’s up and running.

With this book in hand, you’ll have all the information that you need to know about the following topics (and more):

*. Planning your wireless home network

*.Evaluating and selecting wireless networking equipment for installation in your home

*. Installing and configuring wireless networking equipment in your home

*.Sharing an Internet connection over your wireless network

*. Sharing files, printers, and other peripherals over your wireless network

*. Playing computer games over your wireless network

*.Connecting your audio-visual gear to your wireless network

*.Securing your wireless network against prying eyes

*. Discovering devices that you’ll be able to connect to your wireless home network in the future

System Requirements

Virtually any personal computer can be added to a wireless home network, but some computers are easier to add than others. This book focuses on building wireless networks that connect PCs running the Windows operating system (Windows 95 or later) or the Mac OS (Mac OS 9 or later). Wireless networking is also popular among Linux users, but we don’t cover Linux in this book.

Because wireless networking is a relatively new phenomenon, the newest ver­sions of Windows and Mac OS do the best job of helping you quickly and painlessly set up a wireless network. However, because the primary reason for networking your home computers is to make it possible for all the com­puters (and peripherals) in your house to communicate, this book gives you information about connecting computers that run older versions of Windows and the two most widely used versions of Mac OS, as well as connecting those that run the newest versions of these two operating systems.

How This Book Is Organized

This book is organized into several chapters that are grouped into five parts. The chapters are presented in a logical order — flowing from planning to installing to using your wireless home network — but feel free to use the book as a reference and read the chapters in any order that you want.

Part I: Wireless Networking Fundamentals

The first part of the book is a primer on networking and on wireless network­ing. If you’ve never used a networked computer — much less attempted to install a network — this part of the book provides background information and techno-geek lingo that you need to feel comfortable. Chapter 1 presents general networking concepts; Chapter 2 discusses the most popular wireless networking technology and familiarizes you with wireless networking termi­nology; and Chapter 3 introduces you to several popular alternatives to wire­less networking.

Part II: Making Plans

The second part of the book helps you plan for installing your wireless home network. Chapter 4 helps you decide what you will be connecting to the net­work and where to install wireless networking equipment in your home, and Chapter 5 provides guidance on making buying decisions.

Part III: Installing a Wireless Network

Part III discusses how to install a wireless network in your home and get it up and running. Whether your computers are Apple Macintosh running Mac OS 9 or X (Chapter 8) or are PCs running a Windows 95 or later operating system (Chapters 6 and 7), this part of the book explains how to install and configure your wireless networking equipment. In addition, this part includes a chapter that explains how to use your wireless home network to share a single Internet connection (Chapter 9). The last chapter in this part covers securing your wire­less home network (Chapter 10).

Part IV: Using a Wireless Network

After you get your wireless home network installed and running, you’ll cer­tainly want to use it. Part IV starts by showing you the basics of putting the wireless network to good use: sharing files, folders, printers, and other periph­erals (Chapter 11). We spend some time discussing other cool things that you can do over a wireless network, including playing multi-user computer games (Chapter 12), connecting your audio-visual equipment (Chapter 13), and oper­ating various types of smart home conveniences (Chapter 14).

Bluetooth-enabled devices are becoming more prevalent these days, so you won’t want to miss Chapter 15 or Chapter 16, for that matter, where we describe how to use wireless networking to connect to the Internet through wireless hot spots in coffee shops, hotels, airports, and other public places. How cool is that?

Part V: The Part of Tens

Part V provides four top-ten lists that we think you’ll find interesting — ten frequently asked questions about wireless home networking (Chapter 17); ten troubleshooting tips for improving your wireless home network’s perfor­mance (Chapter 18); ten devices to connect to your wireless home network . . . sometime in the future (Chapter 19); and the top ten sources for more informa­tion about wireless networking (Chapter 20).

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Wireless Networks Hacks & Mods

Introduction

Welcome to Wireless Network Hacks & Mods For Dummies. This book was written to help you get the most out of your wireless network. Whether you’ve got one access point that you’d like to do more with, or a whole house full of wireless gear, you can do a lot to boost your performance and extend the core wireless functionality. Whatever your situation, we’re here to help you supercharge your wireless network.

Wireless Network Hacks & Mods For Dummies is not an electronics mod or software hacker’s guide to wireless gear. As intricate as these devices have gotten these days, if you think you know how to retool a motherboard for performance, you don’t need us to tell you what to do. Second, more and more off-the-shelf software can now help you accomplish what used to require backdoor hacking.

Our focus is on helping you use the current equipment on the market, with the current software tools and design techniques, to put together the most comprehensive and high-performance home wireless network you can possi­bly get. You’re not going to pry open your wireless access point and start sol­dering high-performance chips onto its motherboard (at least not under our guidance).

Wireless Network Hacks & Mods For Dummies picks up where our more beginner-level book, Wireless Home Networking For Dummies, published by Wiley, left off. If you have not installed a network yet, you might consider buying both books so that you can cover the more basic installation issues at the same time you read about how to broaden and optimize that network’s performance after it is installed.

About This Book

If you’ve installed some level of wireless capability in your home and want to take it to the next level, or are thinking of purchasing a wireless computer network and want a high-powered setup from the get-go, this is the book for you. Here’s the bottom line: If you want to (or have) cut the cord, we want to help you improve your network.

If you have a wireless network, you have probably realized that performance can vary wildly around your home. What’s more, you might be trying to add additional gear onto your network, only to find it does not seem to solve the problems you set out to fix. You’re not alone — many of those who have mas­tered the first stage of getting a wireless network up and running have won­dered how they can simply get more out of it. Towards that end, this book helps you get the most out of your network over the long term.

With this book in hand, you’ll have all the information that you need to know about the following topics:

*.Planning a wireless network that can cover your whole home, including in your car and outside the walls of the house

*. Evaluating and selecting advanced wireless networking equipment for installation in your home

*.Installing and configuring multiple wireless networking devices that work together seamlessly

*. Understanding the issues surrounding boosting your wireless signals to increase the range and throughput of your network

*. Securing your wireless network from nosy neighbors and hackers

*.Playing computer games over a high-performance wireless network and across the Internet

*.Connecting your audio-visual gear to your wireless network and sharing MP3, video files, DVDs, and more around the whole house

*.Talking with people worldwide, for free, over your wireless network

*.Protecting your home with wireless surveillance

*.Using your wireless gear on the road

*.Setting up your own hot spot to share wireless access with others

*. Outfitting your car with a wireless network

*. Discovering devices that you’ll be able to connect to your wireless home network in the future

System Requirements

There are no minimum requirements from a wireless equipment or computer perspective for this book. Just about any computer will work over a wireless connection, as long as it has some sort of networking capability (which covers most of the computers still working today).

If your home network is anything like ours, you want to end up with a wire­less network that connects old and new computers and devices, newer and older operating systems, Windows and Mac-affiliated devices, and a whole lot more. Wireless Network Hacks & Mods For Dummies will help you get there.

That having been said, the newest versions of Windows and Mac OS do the best job of helping you quickly and painlessly optimize your wireless net­work. Much of the sophistication in wireless networking has occurred rela­tively recently. Most of the advanced wireless gear and software, as well as most of the newer wireless audio/visual, gaming, and similar gear, have been designed around the latest operating systems and hardware interface capa­bilities. So if your computer does not have USB ports, Windows Wireless Networking, or other similarly “modern” computer conveniences, you’re likely to be at a huge disadvantage in trying to adopt at least some of the ideas and recommendations in this book.

As a result, we mostly cover optimizing wireless networks that connect PCs running the Windows operating system (Windows 95 or later) or the Mac OS (Mac OS 9 or later) — with a particular focus on Windows XP and Mac OS X. Although wireless networking is also popular among Linux users, Linux-specific instructions are not provided in this book.
How This Book Is Organized

This book is organized into several chapters that are grouped into five parts. The chapters are presented in a logical order — flowing from an intense tuto­rial on wireless technologies, to installing, optimizing, and using your wire­less home network — but feel free to use the book as a reference and read the chapters in any order that you want.

Part I: Making Your World Wireless

The first part of the book is an in-depth primer on networking and on wireless networking. If you are not overly familiar with the concepts of networking a computer, this part of the book provides a quick foundation on wireless gear, standards, and concepts, so that you can appreciate the advice provided in the rest of the book. Chapter 1 presents a total view of all the devices we intend to help you wirelessly network; Chapter 2 discusses the state of standards and important technology trends that affect the operation, optimization, and future-proofing of your network; Chapter 3 provides an overview of the key elements of a home wireless network; and Chapter 4 introduces you to the key broad­band Internet access technologies that your wireless home network uses to connect outside your home and gives you the information you need to connect the two networks (wireless and Internet access) together.

Part II: Boosting Performance on Your Wireless Network

The second part of the book helps you plan your extended and expanded wire­less home network. It helps you understand how to create a whole home wireless footprint; how to link your wireless network with other wired tech­nologies in your home; how to track and maintain the operation of your entire home network; how to optimize your network’s overall performance; and how to secure your wireless network. This is the part to turn to if you want to learn how to measure the performance of your wireless network and what to do to improve that performance.

Part III: Wireless on the Go

Part III discusses how to use your wireless network on the road. It helps you understand how you can access the Internet from remote wireless access sites called hot spots in coffee shops, hotels, airports, and other public loca­tions. We tell you how to keep your communications safe from eavesdroppers while on the road, and even how to put wireless connectivity in your car. The last chapter in this part covers how to set up your own wireless hot spot, so you can help others communicate wirelessly on the road too.

Part IV: Cool Wireless Toys

After you get your wireless home network running in perfect shape, now comes the fun. Part IV of the book presents many cool things that you can do over a wireless network, including playing multi-user computer games, connecting your audio-visual equipment, viewing rooms via wireless surveillance (even over the Internet!), and talking over your wireless network to anyone in the world. What’s the fun of a high-powered wireless network without cool toys?

Part V: The Part of Tens

Part V provides a couple of top-ten lists that we think you’ll find interesting — ten great online sources for specific areas of high-performance networking and the ten most frequently-asked security questions about Wi-Fi security (a topic that puzzles even the most experienced users sometimes).
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Building Flash Websites

About the Author

Doug Sahlin is a photographer, videographer, and Web designer living in Lakeland, Florida. He has written 16 books on computer graphics and office applications and co-authored 3 books on Photoshop and 1 book on digital video. Recent titles include Digital Photography QuickSteps and How To Do Everything with Adobe Acrobat 7.0. Many of his books have been bestsellers at Amazon.com. Doug’s books have been translated into five languages. He uses Flash 8.0 Professional to create Web sites and multimedia presentations for his clients.

Introduction

So you want to be a Flash Web designer, but you can’t design Flash Web sites in a flash? It all takes time. And it also requires a modicum of knowledge, which is where this book comes in. If you’ve read other Flash how-to books, you know that they cover the sundry topics like how to create really cool animations with Flash. However, this book takes you to the next level and shows you how to create a Flash Web site from soup to nuts.

You should know your way around the Flash workspace. But don’t worry; I do give you a brief refresher course on some of the basic Flash stuff, like creating animations, working with text, and so on. When you create animations, and for that matter format text, choose colors, and so on, you use the Properties Inspector to set the parameters for the object with which you are working. Therefore, you should have a working knowledge of the Properties Inspector. I also show you how to work with ActionScript. However, in order to follow along, you should have a basic knowledge of the Actions panel.

Another thing you should know is how to manipulate HTML documents. Although your main work in this book uses Flash, you still have to do some editing to the HTML document in which your Flash Web site is embedded. If you have working knowledge of an HTML editor, such as Dreamweaver, you’re one step ahead of the game. Another benefit of Dreamweaver is the fact that you can use the software to upload files to the Web provider that hosts the Web site.

Conventions Used in This Book

I’m not a conventional kind of guy. But of course, without some kind of conventions, such as punctuation and grammar, people wouldn’t be able to understand each other. This book is no different. Without conventions, you’d have no idea of what to do or when to do it. Therefore, we use the following conventions in this book. When you’re asked to input information — you know, type something — the required input is boldfaced. When you see examples of ActionScript code, URLs, and e-mail addresses, these are in a monofont typeface, like so: myEmail@myserver.com. New terms are italicized.

What You Don’t Have to Read

This is one of those nonlinear type of books, which means that you don’t have to read it in order. Although the book can be read as a whole, feel free to jump to the section that contains the information you need. You’ll get a good idea of what’s in each section by reading the tips and notes. And of course, a picture is always worth a thousand words: You can look at the figures to get an idea of what’s presented in each section; if the picture doesn’t relate to the information you’re looking for, feel free to skip that section. Also, you can feel free to skip any sections wearing a Technical Stuff'icon.

How This Book Is Organized

Building Flash Web Sites For Dummies is split into five parts. You don’t have to read the book sequentially, and you don’t even have to read all the sections in any particular chapter. You can use the Table of Contents and the Index to find the information you need and quickly get your answer. In this section, I briefly describe what you’ll find in each part.
Part I: Building the Perfect Beast

In this part, I present information on how to plan your Flash Web site prior to building it. I show you several things you should consider prior to building the site, as well as techniques for working with clients. I show you how to create a mock-up for your client and how to begin gathering assets for your Web site before launching Flash.

Part II: Fleshing Out Your Design

After you’re done with the preliminaries, you can start creating some actual content, which is what this part is all about. First, I show you how to make an interface. I know what you’re thinking: Why just an interface? Well, in order to have a lean and mean Web site, you create a fast-loading interface into which you load other content. In this part, I also show you how to create text for the Web site and how to create some spiffy navigation bars and buttons, as well as how to animate your site.

Part III: Adding Bells and Whistles

So what’s a Flash Web site without bells and whistles? Boring! In this part, I show you how to kick it up a notch. I introduce you to the wonders of ActionScript and what it can do for you, your site, or your client’s site. I also show you how to create some spiffy things with ActionScript, like a clock that shows Web site visitors what time it is. Other interesting tidbits include how to create a Flash photo gallery, add video to your Web site, create an e-commerce site, and more.

Part IV: Sharing Your Site with the World

If you build it, they will come. But first you have to optimize the site for the viewing public and then publish it, the main topic of discussion in — you guessed it — this part of the book. First, I show you how to make your site lean and mean by getting rid of things that are not needed. I also give you other tips and techniques you can use to create a Skinny Minny Web site. Then I show you how to exterminate pesky little bugs in your ActionScript. And finally, I show you how to publish your site.

Part V: The Part of Tens

In the Part of Tens, you’ll find three chapters. Each chapter contains ten tidbits — you know, useful nuggets of information — about creating Flash Web sites. I share with you some tips for creating trouble-free Flash Web sites, tips for dealing with clients, and tips for promoting your site. And I’ve done so much work on this introduction that I’m going to take this moment to take ten.

The appendix

Although Flash is super-popular, it’s not the easiest application in the world to master. So I’ve added this handy appendix, which lists several Flash Internet resources. I waxed my board and actually surfed to each site to verify that it’s still there as of this writing. But you know how the Net is . . . here today, gone tomorrow.

The color insert

Because this book is printed in black and white, I’ve included a color insert so that you can see at least some examples of what you can create with the techniques in the book in full, glorious color. In this section, you find screen-shots of Flash Web sites under construction. You also find examples of images being optimized for use in Flash Web sites, as well as text being added to a Flash Web site. Because it’s all in grand and glorious color, this section gives you, the reader, a visual feast and examples of what you can do when creating your own Flash Web site.
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A+ Certification

Introduction

If you have bought or are considering buying this book, you probably fit one of the following categories:

l You know how valuable A+ Certification is to a professional personal computer (PC) technician's career and advancement. l You're wondering just what A+ Certification is all about. l You think that reading this book may be a fun, entertaining way to learn about computer hardware

maintenance and repair.

l You love all … For Dummies books and wait impatiently for each new one to come out. l You're a big fan of mine and can't wait to read all of my new books.

Well, if you fit any of the first four scenarios, this is the book for you! However, I'm not certified in the appropriate medical areas to help you if you are in the last category!

If you're already aware of the A+ Certified Computer Technician program and are just looking for an excellent study aid, you can skip the next few sections of this introduction because your search is over. However, if you don't have the foggiest idea of what A+ Certification is, how it can benefit you, or how to prepare for it, read on!

Why Use This Book?

With over 20 years and layer upon layer of microcomputer hardware and software technology to study, even the most knowledgeable technician needs help getting ready for the A+ exams. This book is intended to shorten your preparation time for the A+ exams.

This book is a no-nonsense reference and study guide for the A+ Core Hardware exam (test #220-201) and the OS (Operating Systems) Technologies exam (test #220-202). It focuses on the areas likely to be on the exam, plus it provides background information to help you understand some of the more complex concepts and technologies. The concepts, processes, and applications on the exams are presented in this book in step-by-step lists, tables, and figures without long explanations. The focus is on preparing you for the A+ exams, not on my obviously extensive and impressive knowledge of computer technology (nor on my modesty, I might add). This book will not provide you with an in-depth background on PC hardware and software. It will, however, prepare you to take the A+ Core Hardware and OS Technologies exams. In developing this book, I made two assumptions:

l You have knowledge of electronics, computers, software, networking, troubleshooting procedures, and customer relations, and need a study guide for the exams. l You have limited knowledge of electronics, computer hardware, and the processes used to repair,
maintain, and upgrade PCs and could use a little refresher on the basics along with a review and
study guide for the exams. If my assumptions in either case suit your needs, then this book is for you.

How This Book Is Organized

This book is organized so that you can study a specific area without wading through stuff you may already know. I recommend that you skim the whole book at least once, noting the points raised at the icons. Each part and chapter of the book is independent, and can be studied in any order, which should be helpful for your last-minute-cram before the exam. The following sections tell you what I include between the covers of this book.

Part I: First, Some Fundamentals

Part I begins with an overview of what to study for the A+ exam and other general information about taking the exam. It also presents background information on the concepts of electricity, electronics, and numbering systems. And finally, Part I covers the tools used in computer maintenance with an emphasis on electrostatic discharge protection and prevention.

Part II: Keeping the Smoke in the Box

Part II takes you down into the wonderful, incredible world of the motherboard and other electronic field replaceable modules (FRMs) found inside the case. This section is chock-full of information about the motherboard, memory, bus structures, power supply, disk drives, and other components found inside the case. Also covered in this part are the processes used to install, remove, troubleshoot, optimize, and upgrade these components.
Part III: Getting Data In, Out, and All About

You need to know about interfacing input, output, printers, and serial, parallel, USB, and FireWire connections, plus networking and data communications for the A+ Core Hardware exam.
Part IV: Putting the Hard in Hardware

Part IV has everything you need to know about the tools and best practices to use for repairing, maintaining, and configuring PC hardware. Read about disassembling and reassembling the PC, performing preventive maintenance, and the processes used to troubleshoot problems on the PC.

Part V: The Softer Side of Systems

This part of the book is focused on the A+ OS Technologies exam. The coverage includes installation, configuration, troubleshooting, and the comparative features of the various Windows operating systems (MS-DOS, Windows 3.x, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows 2000 Professional, and Windows 2000 Server).

Part VI: The Part of Tens
This section provides additional motivation and study guides to help get you ready for the test, with advice about making sure that you're ready to take the test. This part also includes a list of ten great Web sites that offer study aids and practice tests.

Studying Chapters

A+ Certification For Dummies , 2nd Edition offers a self-paced method of preparing for the exam. You don't have to guess what to study; every chapter that covers exam objectives guides you with preview questions, detailed coverage, and review questions. This step-by-step structure identifies what you need to study, gives you all the facts, and rechecks what you know. The structure is as follows

l First page: Each chapter starts with a preview of what's to come, including exam objectives and study subjects. Not sure that you know all about the objectives and the subjects in a chapter? Keep going.

l Quick Assessment questions: At the beginning of each chapter is a brief self-assessment test that helps you gauge your knowledge of the topics that chapter covers. Take this test to determine which areas you already understand as well as to determine which areas you need to focus on.

l Labs: Labs are included throughout the book to step you through some of the processes you need to know for the exam, such as installation or configuration of a particular component.

l Prep Tests: The Prep Tests at the end of each chapter gauges your understanding of the chapter's content. These Prep Test questions are structured in the same manner as those you may see onyour exam, so be sure to try your hand at these sample questions.
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CCNA Study Guide

Introduction

Welcome to the exciting world of Cisco certification! You have picked up this book because you want something better—namely, a better job with more satisfaction. Rest assured that you have made a good decision. Cisco certification can help you get your first networking job or more money and a promotion if you are already in the field.

Cisco certification can also improve your understanding of the internetworking of more than just Cisco products: You will develop a complete understanding of networking and how different network topologies work together to form a network. This is beneficial to every net­working job and is the reason Cisco certification is in such high demand, even at companies with few Cisco devices.

Cisco is the king of routing, switching, and security, the Microsoft of the internetworking world. The Cisco certifications reach beyond the popular certifications, such as the MCSE, to provide you with an indispensable factor in understanding today’s network—insight into the Cisco world of internetworking. By deciding that you want to become Cisco certified, you are saying that you want to be the best—the best at routing and the best at switching. This book will lead you in that direction.

Cisco’s Network Support Certifications

Initially, to secure the coveted Cisco CCIE certification, you took only one test and then you were faced with the (extremely difficult) hands-on lab, an all-or-nothing approach that made it tough to succeed.

In response, Cisco created a series of new certifications to help you get the coveted CCIE as well as aid prospective employers in measuring skill levels. With these new certifications, which make for a better approach to preparing for that almighty lab, Cisco opened doors that few were allowed through before.
Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)

The CCNA certification was the first in the new line of Cisco certifications and was the pre­cursor to all current Cisco certifications. Now you can become a Cisco Certified Network Associate for the meager cost of this book and either one test at $150 or two tests at $125 each—although the CCNA exams are extremely hard and cover a lot of material, so you have to really know your stuff! Taking a Cisco class or spending months with hands-on experience is not out of the norm.
And once you have your CCNA, you don’t have to stop there—you can choose to continue with your studies and achieve a higher certification, called the Cisco Certified Network Pro­fessional (CCNP). Someone with a CCNP has all the skills and knowledge he or she needs to attempt the Routing and Switching CCIE lab. But just becoming a CCNA can land you that job you’ve dreamed about.

Why Become a CCNA?

Cisco, not unlike Microsoft and Novell (Linux), has created the certification process to give administrators a set of skills and to equip prospective employers with a way to measure skills or match certain criteria. Becoming a CCNA can be the initial step of a successful journey toward a new, highly rewarding, and sustainable career.

The CCNA program was created to provide a solid introduction not only to the Cisco Inter­network Operating System (IOS) and Cisco hardware, but also to internetworking in general, making it helpful to you in areas that are not exclusively Cisco’s. At this point in the certifi­cation process, it’s not unrealistic that network managers—even those without Cisco equip­ment—require Cisco certifications for their job applicants.

If you make it through the CCNA and are still interested in Cisco and internetworking, you’re headed down a path to certain success.

What Skills Do You Need to Become a CCNA?

To meet the CCNA certification skill level, you must be able to understand or do the following:
■ A CCNA certified professional can install, configure, and operate LAN, WAN, and wire­less access services securely, as well as troubleshoot and configure small to medium net­works (500 nodes or fewer) for performance.

■ This knowledge includes, but is not limited to, use of these protocols: IP, IPv6, EIGRP, RIP, RIPv2, OSPF, serial connections, Frame Relay, cable, DSL, PPPoE, LAN switching, VLANs, Ethernet, security, and access lists.

How Do You Become a CCNA?

The way to become a CCNA is to pass one little test (CCNA Composite exam 640-802). Then— poof!—you’re a CCNA. (Don’t you wish it were that easy?) True, it can be just one test, but you still have to possess enough knowledge to understand what the test writers are saying.

However, Cisco has a two-step process that you can take in order to become a CCNA that may or may not be easier than taking one longer exam (this book is based on the one-step method 640-802); however, this book has all the information you need to pass all three exams.
The two-step method involves passing the following:

■ Exam 640-822: Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices 1(ICND1)
■ Exam 640-816: Introduction to Cisco Networking Devices 2 (ICND2)

I can’t stress this enough: It’s critical that you have some hands-on experience with Cisco routers. If you can get ahold of some 1841 or 2800 series routers, you’re set. But if you can’t, I’ve worked hard to provide hundreds of configuration examples throughout this book to help network administrators (or people who want to become network administrators) learn what they need to know to pass the CCNA exam.

Since the new 640-802 exam is so hard, Cisco wants to reward you for taking the two-test approach. Or so it seems. If you take the ICND1 exam, you actually receive a certification called the CCENT (Cisco Certified Entry Networking Technician). This is one step toward your CCNA. To achieve your CCNA, you must still pass your ICND2 exam.

Again, this book was written for the CCNA 640-802 Composite exam—one exam and you get your certification.

What Does This Book Cover?

This book covers everything you need to know in order to pass the CCNA 640-802 exam. However, taking the time to study and practice with routers or a router simulator is the real key to success.
You will learn the following information in this book:

■ Chapter 1 introduces you to internetworking. You will learn the basics of the Open Sys­tems Interconnection (OSI) model the way Cisco wants you to learn it. Ethernet network­ing and standards are discussed in detail in this chapter as well. There are written labs and plenty of review questions to help you. Do not skip the written labs in this chapter!

■ Chapter 2 provides you with the background necessary for success on the exam as well as in the real world by discussing TCP/IP. This in-depth chapter covers the very beginnings of the Internet Protocol stack and then goes all the way to IP addressing and understand­ing the difference between a network address and a broadcast address before finally ending with network troubleshooting.

■ Chapter 3 introduces you to subnetting. You will be able to subnet a network in your head after reading this chapter. In addition, you’ll learn about Variable Length Subnet Masks (VLSMs) and how to design a network using VLSMs. This chapter will finish with sum­marization techniques and configurations. Plenty of help is found in this chapter if you do not skip the Written Lab and Review Questions.

■ Chapter 4 introduces you to the Cisco Internetwork Operating System (IOS) and command-line interface (CLI). In this chapter you will learn how to turn on a router and configure the basics of the IOS, including setting passwords, banners, and more. IP configuration using the Secure Device Manager (SDM) will be discussed and Hands-on Labs will help you gain a firm grasp of the concepts taught in the chapter. Before you go through the Hands-on Labs, be sure to complete the Written Lab and Review Questions.

■ Chapter 5 provides you with the management skills needed to run a Cisco IOS network. Back­ing up and restoring the IOS, as well as router configuration, is covered, as are the trouble­shooting tools necessary to keep a network up and running. Before performing the Hands-on Labs in this chapter, complete the Written Lab and Review Questions.

■ Chapter 6 teaches you about IP routing. This is a fun chapter, because you will begin to build your network, add IP addresses, and route data between routers. You will also learn about static, default, and dynamic routing using RIP and RIPv2 (with a small touch of IGRP). Written and Hands-on Labs will help you understand IP routing to the fullest.

■ Chapter 7 dives into more complex dynamic routing with Enhanced IGRP and OSPF routing. The Written Lab, Hands-on Labs, and Review Questions will help you master these routing protocols.

■ Chapter 8 gives you a background on layer 2 switching and how switches perform address learning and make forwarding and filtering decisions. Network loops and how to avoid them with the Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) will be discussed, as well as the 802.1w STP version. Go through the Written Lab and Review Questions to help you really understand the basic layer 2 switching on an internetwork.

■ Chapter 9 covers virtual LANs and how you can use them in your internetwork. This chapter also covers the nitty-gritty of VLANs and the different concepts and protocols used with VLANs, as well as troubleshooting. The Written Lab and Review Questions will reinforce the VLAN material.

■ Chapter 10 covers security and access lists, which are created on routers to filter the network. IP standard, extended, and named access lists are covered in detail. Written and Hands-on Labs, along with Review Questions, will help you study for the security and access-list portion of the CCNA Composite exam.

■ Chapter 11 covers Network Address Translation (NAT). This chapter has been on the Sybex website for a few years as an update to my last CCNA book, but I updated it and added it to this edition. New information, commands, troubleshooting, and labs will help you nail the NAT CCNA objectives.

■ Chapter 12 covers wireless technologies. This is an introductory chapter regarding wire­less technologies as Cisco sees them. However, I also added some advanced wireless topics that cover Cisco’s newest gear. At this time, advanced wireless is not covered within the Cisco CCNA objectives, but that can change on any given day. Make sure you understand

your basic wireless technologies like access points and clients, as well as the difference between 802.11a, b, and g.

■ Chapter 13 covers IPv6. This is a fun chapter and has some great information. IPv6 is not the big, bad scary monster that most people think it is. IPv6 is an objective on this new exam, so study this chapter carefully. Keep an eye out at www.lammle.com for late-breaking updates.

■ Chapter 14 concentrates on Cisco wide area network (WAN) protocols. This chapter covers HDLC, PPP, and Frame Relay in depth, as well as other protocols we use on a daily basis like Cable, DSL and PPPoE. You must be proficient in all these protocols to be successful on the CCNA exam. Do not skip the Written Lab, Review Questions, or Hands-on Labs found in this chapter.

How to Use This Book

If you want a solid foundation for the serious effort of preparing for the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA Composite) 640-802 exam, then look no further. I have spent hundreds of hours putting together this book with the sole intention of helping you to pass the CCNA exam and learn how to configure Cisco routers and switches (among hundreds of other things!).

This book is loaded with valuable information, and you will get the most out of your studying time if you understand how I put the book together.
To best benefit from this book, I recommend the following study method:

1. Take the assessment test immediately following this introduction. (The answers are at the end of the test.) It’s okay if you don’t know any of the answers; that is why you bought this book! Carefully read over the explanations for any question you get wrong and note the chapters in which the material is covered. This information should help you plan your study strategy. Honestly, my recommendation is to just start reading from Chapter 1 and don’t stop until you’re all the way through Chapter 14.

2. Study each chapter carefully, making sure that you fully understand the information and the test objectives listed at the beginning of each one. Pay extra-close attention to any chapter that includes material covered in questions you missed in the assessment test.

3. Complete each Written Lab at the end of each chapter. Do not skip these written exercises because they directly relate to the CCNA Composite objectives and what you must glean from the chapters in which they appear. Do not just skim these labs! Make sure you understand completely the reason for each answer.

4. Complete all Hands-on Labs in the chapter (not all chapters have hands-on labs, referring to the text of the chapter so that you understand the reason for each step you take. If you do not have Cisco equipment available, go to www.routersim.com for a router simulator that will cover all the hands-on labs needed for all your Cisco certification needs.

5. Answer all of the Review Questions related to each chapter. (The answers appear at the end of the chapters.) Note the questions that confuse you and study those sections of the book again. Do not just skim these questions! Make sure you understand completely the reason for each answer. Remember that these will not be the exact questions you find on the exam; they are written to help you understand the chapter material.

6. Try your hand at the bonus exams that are included on the companion CD. The questions in these exams appear only on the CD. Check out www.lammle.com for more Cisco exam prep questions. The questions found at www.lammle.com will be updated at least monthly, if not weekly or even daily! Before you take your test, be sure and visit my web site for ques­tions, videos, audios and other useful information.

7. Also on the companion CD is the first module from my complete CCNA video series, which covers internetworking and basic networking. This is critical for the CCNA exam. In addition, as an added bonus, I have included an audio section from my CCNA audio program. Do not skip the video and audio section!
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