Home Networking for Dummies

by Ivens and Kathy Ivens

Book Overview

Having a network in your home increases work efficiency and minimizes confusion. If you want to set up a network in your home but you're not quite sure where to start, then Home Networking for Dummies makes it easy for you to become your household's network administrator. Now fully updated with information on the newest technology in networking available, this quick and to-the-point walkthrough will show you how to install Web connections in your entire home, whether by wires, cables, or WiFi. This resourceful guide illustrates: Planning and installing your network The differences between Ethernet cable, phone lines, and wireless technology Configuring computer sharing Setting up and managing users Installing, managing, and troubleshooting the network printer Understanding UNC format, mapping drives, and traveling on the network Working with remote files Securing your network from viruses, spyware, and other baddies

Along with the basics, this book introduces fun ways to use your network, including sharing music, keeping shopping lists, creating photo albums, setting up a family budget, and instant messaging. It also provides ways to keep your network safe for kids, such as talking to your child about the Internet, creating site filters, and ISP E-mail filtering features. With this trusty guide your home will be fully connected and you'll be working more efficiently in no time

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0470118067
• ISBN13: 9780470118061
• Release Date: March 2007
• Publisher: For Dummies
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 7.4" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

no dummy

nice manual for those of us who don't have time to read the whole book.

Very Good Basic Overview

This new fourth edition of Ms. Ivens best selling book has been expanded to cover the new Windows Vista operating system which has major changes and is up to date on Windows XP Service Pack 2 which again made changes in areas like security that could effect how your network runs. This is a basic introductory book that begins with what a network is and why you might need one. It starts with simple things like cables and NICs and goes on from there to start talking about the software, using Windows XP and Vista. (No Linux discussion.) It seems to me that there are three main reasons for having a home network: sharing printers, sharing files, and sharing a high speed internet connection. Chapter 9 is titles Printing Across the Network. Chapter 11 is Using Files from Other Computers. There's a little bit here and there on sharing an internet connection, but Ms. Ivens, should you read this, I suggest that in your Fifth edition you put in a special chapter on connecting to DSL/Cable. You can explain about the need for a high speed modem, a router/switch, etc. Yes, I know, the material for this is basically there, but a single chapter tieing it all together would be a help.

Another Essential Dummies Book!

I bought this one mainly because all of my Windows books lacked the kind of plain language instructions I needed to help get my home network up and running. This one covers everything from installing ethernet cards to file sharing, network printing, mapping drives, network security, and just about anything else you can think of. It's only 335 pages, including the glossary and index, but it feels like a 1,000 pages worth of valuable information. I still refer to this indispensable guide whenever some unexpected event arises. And that's one of the great things about these Dummies books. You don't necessarily have to read them from cover to cover, instead you can use the table of contents, or the index, to zero in on those areas where you need the most help. Home Networking for Dummies is well-organized and written in a language that is not intimidating for those of us who are not IT professionals, but would like the same level of results.

All The Right Info

I opened this book as soon as it arrived and started following the well-done, easy to understand, instructions. I was able to connect all the computers in my house into a network. My 12 year old son worked with me, and by following all the steps in the book we were able to move files between computers, print using the same printer, and all 3 people in the household got on the internet at the same time.I've never seen such clear, easy to follow, instructions about hardware and software settings, which usually scare me.

Perfect

This book does exactly what the title implies, it shows how to network your home computers. The hints about cabling and the well illustrated directions for installing hardware made it impossible to fail. I had a home network up and going in about an hour, and since then I carried this book to friends' homes and installed their networks. You could start a business with the help of this book.