Pc Magazine Home Networking Solutions( Series - Pc Magazine )

At PC Magazine, we've been talking about "media convergence" for years. Network-based home entertainment devices like TiVo and Microsoft's Media Center PC . . . make a home LAN more useful than ever. Chapters 2 and 12 show you how they work.

Ready to set up a network that maximizes your digital media?

Here's the hands-on guide you've been looking for

You don't need a doctorate in computer science to set up a home network, but a little friendly advice sure won't hurt. This easy-to-follow guide is the next best thing to moving PC Magazine's Les Freed into your guest room for a week. Les takes you shopping for the right equipment, helps you put it together, offers pointers on security, and most importantly, leads you right to where the fun begins.

Learn cool stuff you can really use Discover what a network lets you do (it's a lot more than sharing a printer!) Learn to speak the language so you can buy exactly what you need Hook up Windows(R), Mac OS(R) X, and laptop computers into a single network Share photos, video, recorded TV, and music collections Mix and match wired and wireless components for the LAN that's right for you Lock out cyber-intruders with the right firewall Add your game machine, TiVo(R), and big-screen TV to your network Know how to find and fix network problems Let your LAN manage your home security system Explore and experiment with Les Freed's Networking Cookbook

Les Freed shares his many years of networking experience and insider status to guide readers step by step through the confusing and intimidating world of home networking Features special emphasis on using the network for entertainment and digital media, offering invaluable how-to advice on sharing TV, video, photos, music, and more Begins with the need-to-know basics of networking, including the various types of networking equipment and choosing the right type of network Readers roll up their sleeves and actually construct their network-either wired or wireless-or by even using the existing electrical wiring already in the walls of their home Shows readers how to set up all the necessary software on their Windows XP PC or Apple Mac OS X computer so they can quickly, easily, and safely share files, printers, and Internet connections