Complete Wireless Home Networking

Set up your home wireless network-the quick and painless way Learn time-saving tricks and troubleshooting tips from an expert Enjoy the freedom of wireless computing at home-no experience required! Get simple instructions and tips for Windows 98 through XP

Fast, reliable, secure home wireless networks-the easy way!

Today's home wireless networks offer tremendous advantages over hard-wired networks-among them, unprecedented portability and, of course, the freedom from wires strung all over your house! Unless you have a firm grasp on all the latest networking technologies, though, wireless networks won't free you from digging your way through a collection of confusing, jargon-riddled manuals; dealing with obscure configuration modes; and finally, hoping somehow it will all work once you flip the switch.

If you want a home wireless network without the headaches, then "Complete Wireless Home Networking: Windows XP Edition," by wireless networking authority Paul Heltzel, is for you. Written in an engaging, conversational style, this book offers reliable advice on determining your equipment needs, then guides you through each step of building a wireless network-installation, setup, configuration, and troubleshooting. And with minimal fuss, you'll have a home wireless network that's fast, secure, and optimized for your physical environment and computing requirements. Whether you're accessing the Internet from your back yard, sending jobs to a printer downstairs, or transferring files effortlessly, you'll wonder how you got by without a wireless network. Coverage includes: Adding and sharing peripherals and Internet connections, step by step Maximizing and troubleshootingwireless connections Using vital security tools such as firewalls and data encryption, and much more!

This book is intended for anyone who wants to get a home wireless network up and running in no time, with no previous experience in networking required. You'll find simple instructions and tips for computers running Windows 98 through XP, including how to make them peacefully co-exist.

-- Walks you through the planning stages for home wireless networking and even explains your home's construction and how it could be problematic.

-- Covers XP and has full chapters on security, troubleshooting, and adding servers.

-- Targets home wireless networking, explaining how to add wireless devices of all types, it also has a section for the best free advice on the Web.

This book offers tips and tricks for finding the best equipment for your home networking project and then walks you through the wireless network setup that's right for you. The wireless market is expanding quickly. New standards, including high-speed 802.11a, and the emergence of other "no-new-wires" technologies, such as powerline, are making the home networking market a slightly confusing one for consumers. Connecting and using interoperable equipment from vendors including Linksys, Netgear, Intel, D-Link, and Proxim, among others, can be a genuine plug-and-play experience. Or it can lead to several days, or more, of confusing hang-ups. There are pitfalls to be sure, but they can be avoided with a little planning. This book can help. Looking toward the future, there are a host of new wireless standards coming out in the next two years. Should you wait for faster technology or jump in now? There are some ingenious ways being developed by manufacturers to make interoperable technologies work together (dual-mode wireless access points, for instance, that work with 802.11a and 802.11b), and you can always upgrade later. In a word, "jump."