Wireless Hacks: Tips & Tools for Building, Extending, and Securing Your Network

by Rob Flickenger and Roger Weeks

Book Overview

The popularity of wireless networking has grown exponentially over the past few years, despite a general downward trend in the telecommunications industry. More and more computers and users worldwide communicate via radio waves every day, cutting the tethers of the cabled network both at home and at work.

Wireless technology changes not only the way we talk to our devices, but also what we ask them to do. With greater flexibility, broader...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0596101449
• ISBN13: 9780596101442
• Release Date: December 2005
• Publisher: O'Reilly Media
• Length: 463 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.1" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

VERY VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

Are you one of the millions of users who suddenly need nothing more than a laptop and wireless card to get online? If you are, then this book is for you! Authors Rob Flickenger and Roger Weeks, have done an outstanding job of writing the 2nd edition of a practical book that gives you the reader, the most out of your wireless networking hardware and software. Flickenger and Weeks, begin by demonstrating some of the uses for Bluetooth, Mobile Phones and GPS, which will keep your devices connected, without wires. Then, the authors show you the tools you need to detect the presence of wireless networks, coordinate spectrum usage to avoid interference, and visualize network performance. Next, they explore the current standards for securing wireless networks and suggest several strong methods for protecting yourself and your wireless users from abuse. The authors then show you how to push wireless hardware to the limits, extending range and increasing performance and efficiency. They continue by covering software hacks in detail. Then, the authors present several homebrew designs for wireless networking made by contributors from all over the world. Finally, they present a collection of techniques to help simplify the job of building wireless networks that cover the area you require. In this most excellent book, you will find practical techniques for extending range , increasing throughput, managing wireless resources, and generally making your wireless networking vision a reality. More importantly, this book brings you the knowledge of experts who apply what they know in the real world every day.

One of the best around

Wireless Hacks is one of the best, most succinct books on all things wireless that I have come across. I was expecting the standard "how to set up and secure a wireless access point" fare, and while you do get some of that, you get so much more as well. The authors really do a good job covering everything wireless. From BlueTooth technology, to standard WiFi, to hacking routers, to creating your own antennas, this is a great book for anyone interested in wireless technology. Like the other "Hacks" books from O'Reilly, this book contains 100 different things you can do to get more out of your wireless devices. The book begins with a good section on BlueTooth technology. If you've got a new cell phone, chances are you have BlueTooth. The authors show you how to do a lot of creative things-from simply connecting your phone to your computer, to showing a slide show of photographs. The section on 802.11x hacks is so much more than how to secure a network. The authors show you how to detect wireless networks, how to analyze and watch network traffic, and even build your own access point. One of my favorite hacks involves turning a Linksys WRT54G wireless router into a remote control car-all over 802.11b. In the last section of the book, the authors concentrate on creating effective wireless networks-big or small. Examples are provided for creating a network for a single house, as well as how to create a network for a whole city. This is a fascinating book, with examples provided for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux platforms. This book is a must have for wireless network enthusiasts.

Jam Full Of Hacks!!!

For the reviewer that said there weren't many hacks in this book, I have no idea what they are talking about. If you play with wireless devices in your spare time and you want to find new toys you can play with, or want to build toys of your own, this is the perfect guide to turn to! With 100 different ideas and tips, for any wireless junkie that likes to take things apart, put things back together, and play with the latest technology, this book is for you!!! ***** HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Wireless Network Primer

The best defense is a good offense and that is exactly what Flickenger brings to the market with his book. Inside you will find pretty much everything you need to know about wireless networks including how to build a pringles cantenna. If you're a wireless network admin then this book should be sitting on your shelf. Can't go wrong with it!

For the serious wireless freak

This is an amazing book about wireless. It's coverage of everything from the operating system level stuff, to drivers, to cards, to hacking cards, to building your own antenna, to doing shotgun wireless is just incredible. If you are a serious wireless junkie you will love this book. For the casual coffee shop surfer, this is probably not the right book, but you probably don't have any issues with wireless anyway.