By Rob Flickenger
September 2003
This book is also available in Spanish. 
Pages: 304
Series: Hacks
ISBN 10: 0-596-00559-8 |
ISBN 13: 9780596005597
(Average of 4 Customer Reviews)
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Written for the intermediate to advanced wireless user, Wireless Hacks is full of direct, practical, ingenious solutions to real-world networking problems. Whether your wireless network needs to extend to the edge of your office or to the other end of town, this collection of non-obvious, "from the field" techniques will show you how to get the job done.
Full Description
- Making sense of the alphabet soup of the 802.11 standards, and understanding which technology makes sense for your solving particular problem
- Using Bluetooth, mobile radios, mobile data networks, and other exotic methods to keep you connected, no matter where you are
- Practical methods for detecting, analyzing, and monitoring wireless networks
- Extending the range of your network, and making the best possible use of the available radio spectrum
- Designing and building your own antennas
- Engineering long distance network links that span several miles
- Understanding the security issues of wireless networking, and protecting yourself and your users from unauthorized access and eavesdropping
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Cover | Table of Contents | Index | Sample Hacks | Colophon
Book details
First Edition: September 2003
Series:
Hacks
ISBN: 0-596-00559-8
Pages: 304
Additional Languages: Spanish.
Average Customer Reviews: (Based on 4 Reviews)
Featured customer reviews
Wireless Hacks to the rescue, August 28 2006
I work on networks and computers all the time, reading Wireless Hacks helped me loging on to different networks!
Wireless Hacks Review, February 28 2004
I bought notebook with WIFI and using it on internet access, so this book was really neccesary for me!!! Evyrobody using Wireless should know about hacking over it!!! Mark
Wireless Hacks Review, February 16 2004
Rob Flickenger has done it once again and this time he actually used the word “hacks” in his latest book on wireless networking, fittingly entitled, Wireless Hacks: 100 Industrial-Strength Tips & Tools. The explosion and growth of wireless technology has a familiar feeling that takes one back to version 1.0 of web browsers and dialup connections that opened our eyes to a whole new world. From, imagine... I can see inline graphics, to, wow... I am streaming live content while sitting on my deck enjoying a cool one!
Wireless Hacks isn’t a traditional book, but as the title implies, it is composed of one hundred tips, tricks, suggestions, DIYs (do it yourself), tools or simply *hacks* regarding all things wireless. Open it up to the index and browse for something that catches your eye. This book really is not meant to be read front to back although you can if you want. I found myself using my trusty old magazine technique of folding over pages of things I wanted to try out or that were quick solutions to current problems. There are enough nuggets in this book to make it worthwhile even for wired users (check out #36 Estimating Network Performance or all of Chapter 3: Network Monitoring).
Glen Flieshman mentions in the foreword that “... Rob Flickenger is an early adopter’s early adopter” which sums up the value Rob brings to the table. He is a wireless pioneer paving the way to unplugging but yet staying connected and the really cool thing is that he is willing to share.
To find the Table of Contents, errata, sample chapters and purchasing information for, Wireless Hacks, see http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/wirelesshks
Wireless Hacks Review, January 04 2004
I found this book to offer many good ideas and methods to dealing with wireless equipment. While this book focuses on wireless networking equipment the chapters in this book can be applied to most any wireless application with some modification.
My only complaint is that sometimes there is not enough detail provided when explaining how to create antennas, devices, or align antennas at long distances. Some chapters could better serve with in depth explinations. Other than that, I found this book to offer a wealth of information that the reader can then expand upon and research if needed.
Media reviews
"A remarkably comprehensive and practical text that requires a reasonable level of technical knowledge, both on the hardware side and scripting side. For those who want to extend their knowledge of computer wireless the book contains some excellent introductory material."
--Major Keary, Book News, 2004 No. 12
"Wireless Hacks was one of the best no-nonsense books with tips and tools about wireless networks that I have ever read. Period. From the moment that I picked this book up and started reading, I was immersed in a wave of technological innovation and exciting curiosity to try every single one of the 100 'hacks' that were detailed in this book. Let me tell you, I tried my best!...If only the rating system went up to 10 I could give this book an 11. But, hence, I am restricted to only 5 out of 5 big grins."
--David Markley, USALUC, May 2004
"'Wireless Hacks' aims to tell the reader everything they could possibly wish to know about setting up and improving the security of wireless networks...Real-life situations are covered with some style...There are very important guides on how to make the best of wireless and squeeze the last little drop of performance out of equipment."
--René Millman, "SC," January 2004
"Altogether it makes a very useful collection, and a nice addition to O'Reilly's Hacks series...If you're doing just about anything with an 802.11x network, you'll likely find something fun or useful here...Overall, if you're the forward-thinking, range-extending, hardware-tinkering, soldering-iron wielding, average slashdot reader, you'll probably find it a fun read with lots of good ideas to offer." Rating: 8/10
--Slashdot, October 2003
http://books.slashdot.org/books/03/10/21/1650237.shtml?tid=126&tid=137&tid=193&tid=95
"Radio as a viable method to link computers in the home and office has arrives. This makes [Rob] Flickenger's 'Wireless Hacks' invaluable. In a similar way to ''=Mac OS X Hacks,' which I received some months ago, the contributors to 'Wireless Hacks' analyse problems and provide workable solutions. It took me a while to write the review as I have been using the book saily since it arrived."
--Graham K. Rogers, "Bangkok Post," January 2004
"The O'Reilly Hacks series is the best publishing innovation I have seen in a very long time. This particular title is for the 'technically savvy' and will be of special interest to those with a pliers-and-screwdriver bent."
--Major Keary, "PC Update," December 2003
"This is a very useful companion to Rob Flickenger's other book on community networks. It is more broadly based, taking in such things as bluetooth and allowing your cell phone to do interesting things like control XMMS. There are a number of things related to Mac hardware too, such as turning a Mac Airport into a (simple) Linux router. Along the way you'll find out that an Airport is roughly the equivalent of a 486 with 4Meg RAM. The index is very comprehensive...so if you're looking for something in particular, the chances are good that you'll be able to find it that way."
--mstation.org, November 2003
http://mstation.org/books_wifi.php
"Maybe I?m a geek at heart, but I fell in love with this book only moments into reading the first chapter?.run, do not walk, to your nearest bookstore and grab a copy of 'Windows XP Hacks.'"
--Jim Gaffney, SouthWest International PC Club, November 2003
