Home Networking - The Missing Manual (2005)

About This Book

This book is broken down into two main parts: Part One covers planning, buying, and setting up your network. The four chapters in this part help you decide what kind of network makes sense for your home; how to pick out the right gear; and how to get everything plugged in and running. By the end of Part One, all the computers in your home can tap into and share a nice, juicy Internet connection.

Part Two covers the things you can actually do on your network once it's working, including exchanging files between computers, connecting your PCs to your stereo, and tapping into your network when you're on the road. Here's a quick rundown of what you'll find in each chapter.


Part One
Chapter 1 introduces you to the major types of home networks in use today: wired, wireless, and wired through your electrical system. You'll learn the pros and cons of each network type so you can pick the one that's right for you and your home.

After reading Chapter 1, if you decide you're ready for a traditional wired Ethernet network (the kind with those thick plastic cables that you probably have in your office), you can go right to Chapter 2, which tells you everything you need to know about setting up an Ethernet network.

Want to minimize the cables in your life and have the freedom to roam the house surfing the Web as you follow your toddler around? You may have heard of WiFi (short for "Wireless Fidelity"), the networking technology that beams your data around the house over radio waves instead of through plastic-coated cables. There are several types of WiFi to choose from, and Chapter 3 explains what they are so you can decide which version makes sense for you. The chapter also includes a section on wireless-network security so you can learn how to protect your network airspace from those who may try to horn in.

Like the notion of wireless but have trouble connecting the network down to the basement office? As explained in Chapter 4, Powerline devices can convert your home's electrical system into a data network. Powerline is an up-and-coming technology that you may not have heard much about. You'll learn how Powerline works and what you'll need to get plugged in.

Part Two

Once you've installed your home network, Part Two helps you put the network to work. In Chapter 5, you'll learn how to share files, folders, and printers among computers running all modern versions of the Windows operating system.

If you have a house full of Macintosh machines, Chapter 6 is for you. It shows you how to configure your Mac OS X computers, as well as those running the older version of Apple's operating system: good ol' Mac OS 9.

It's a cross-platform world out there, though, and if you happen to have a mix of Windows PCs and Macs in your house, Chapter 7 shows you how to get the two systems talking to each other.

Chapter 8 is where the real fun beginsif you consider streaming music around the house, playing network video games, and putting your digital photos on the big screen fun. And because we all have to leave the house sometimes, Chapter 9 tells you how to connect to your home network when you're on the road.
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