Chapter 11

Working Well with Networks

IN THIS CHAPTER

Bullet Choosing between wired and wireless networks

Bullet Sharing an Internet connection

Bullet Making the network connection

Bullet Securing your MacBook with a firewall

Bullet Communicating with others using networks

In my opinion, network access ranks right up there with air conditioning and the microwave oven. Like other “I can’t imagine life without them” kinds of technologies, it’s hard to imagine sharing data from your laptop with others around you without a network. I guess you could still use a sneakernet (the old-fashioned term for running back and forth between computers with a floppy disk), but these days, Apple computers don’t even have floppy drives. (Even with a high-capacity USB-C external drive, a sneakernet is still a hassle — and somewhat of a security risk to boot.)

Nope, networking is here to stay. Whether you use a network to share an Internet connection, challenge your friends to a relaxing game of World War II battlefield action, or stream ...

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