Wireless Home Networking Simplified

Wireless Home Networking Simplified

Released December 2006
Publisher(s): Cisco Press
ISBN: 9780133034844

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Book description

Wireless Home Networking Simplified

  • The full-color, fully illustrated, simple guide to wireless home networking

  • Step-by-step instructions: Plan, install, secure, optimize, and troubleshoot your wireless network

  • Discover all the fun things you can do with your wireless network

    • Jim Doherty

    Neil Anderson

    Using today’s wireless networks, you can save money, become more productive, and even have more fun! Now, there’s an easy, fully illustrated step-by-step guide to wireless networking for your home: Wireless Home Networking Simplified.

    This plain-English guide teaches you everything you need to know to set up a wireless network at home, even if you do not have a technical background. You’ll find simple, easy-to-follow guidance on selecting the right equipment, installing your network devices properly, connecting to the Internet, safeguarding your information, fixing problems, and much more.

  • Understand how wireless home networks work

  • Compare today’s wireless standards, and choose the right one for you

  • Design your wireless network for maximum convenience, reliability, and simplicity

  • Secure your network, step by step–and keep it secure

  • Troubleshoot failed connections, poor coverage, and slow performance

  • Temporarily allow guests onto your network without exposing your data

  • Use your network to listen to music, view video, and play video games anywhere in your home

  • Preview and prepare for tomorrow’s wireless technologies

    • Wireless Home Networking Simplified cuts through the confusion, demystifies the technologies, and helps you make the most of wireless… quickly, simply, painlessly.

    This book is part of the Networking Technology Series from Cisco Press®, the only authorized publisher for Cisco Systems®.

    Category: Networking

    Covers: Home Networking

    Table of contents

    1. Title Page
    2. Copyright Page
    3. About the Authors
      1. About the Technical Reviewers
      2. About the Illustrator
    4. Dedications
    5. Acknowledgments
    6. Contents at a Glance
    7. Contents
    8. Introduction
      1. What to Expect
      2. Housekeeping Stuff
    9. Part I. How Does It Work
      1. Chapter 1. How Wireless LANs Work
        1. Why Wireless?
        2. Before We Get to the Wireless Bit, What the Heck Is a LAN?
        3. Okay, Now the Wireless Part
        4. Putting It All Together
        5. Summary
        6. Where to Go for More Information
      2. Chapter 2. Wireless Standards: What the Letters Mean
        1. The Standard 802.11 and the IEEE
        2. 802.11a
        3. 802.11b
        4. 802.11g
        5. 802.11n
        6. Combinations
        7. What Happened to the Other Letters?
        8. Summary
        9. Where to Go for More Information
      3. Chapter 3. Selecting the Right Wireless Standard for Your Network
        1. What to Consider When Choosing Your Wireless Standard
        2. Comparing the IEEE WLAN Standards
        3. Recommendations
        4. Summary
        5. Where to Go for More Information
    10. Part II. What You Should Know
      1. Chapter 4. Planning Your Wireless Network
        1. Wireless Network Topologies
        2. Sketching a Network Layout
        3. Thinking Your Network Plan Through
        4. Summary
      2. Chapter 5. Wireless Security: What You Need to Know
        1. Why Should I Worry About Wireless Network Security?
        2. What Do I Do to Secure My Wireless Network?
        3. Summary
        4. Where to Go for More Information
      3. Chapter 6. What to Buy
        1. Determining Network Readiness
        2. Making Your List, Checking It Twice
        3. Where to Buy Your Gear
        4. Summary
        5. Where to Go for More Information
    11. Part III. How Do I Set It Up?
      1. Chapter 7. Wireless Router Setup
        1. Connecting the Wireless Router
        2. Configuring the Wireless Router
        3. Summary
        4. Where to Go for More Information
      2. Chapter 8. Wireless NIC Setup
        1. Installing the Wireless NIC
        2. Associating the Wireless NIC to the Wireless Router
        3. Summary
        4. Where to Go for More Information
      3. Chapter 9. Wireless Security Setup
        1. Setting Up Wireless Encryption
        2. More Wireless Security Steps
        3. MAC Address Locking
        4. Top Troubleshooting Tips for Wireless Encryption
        5. Summary
        6. Where to Go for More Information
    12. Part IV. “Honey, This Stupid Wireless Thing Is Not Working”
      1. Chapter 10. Troubleshooting: I Can’t Connect at All
        1. Steps to Connecting
        2. What Can Go Wrong
        3. Five Things to Look At First
        4. How to Tell if You Do Not Have a Connection
        5. Figuring Out Why It Will Not Connect
        6. Wireless Connection Made
        7. Oops, How Embarrassing!
        8. The 10-Minute Miracle
        9. Summary
        10. Where to Go for More Information
      2. Chapter 11. Troubleshooting: I Can Connect Sometimes
        1. How Wireless Coverage Works
        2. Tuning Your Wireless Coverage
        3. Summary
        4. Where to Go for More Information
      3. Chapter 12. Troubleshooting: I Can Connect, but It’s Slow
        1. Is the Broadband Internet Connection the Bottleneck?
        2. Is the Wireless Network Too Slow?
        3. Is the Wireless Network Signal Getting Degraded?
        4. Summary
        5. Where to Go for More Information
    13. Part V. Bells and Whistles
      1. Chapter 13. Wireless Video and Entertainment
        1. Wireless Video Cameras
        2. Wireless Online Gaming
        3. Networking Your DVR
        4. Summary
        5. Where to Go for More Information
      2. Chapter 14. Wireless to Go
        1. What Is a Wireless Hotspot?
        2. How to Find Wireless Hotspots
        3. Wireless Hotspot Options and Costs
        4. Discovering and Connecting to Wireless Hotspots
        5. What Not to Do When Using a Wireless Hotspot
        6. Setting Up Your Own Portable Hotspot
        7. Summary
        8. Where to Go for More Information
      3. Chapter 15. The Future of Wireless Networking
        1. Wireless Networks Will Be Faster
        2. Wireless Networks Will Go Farther
        3. Wireless Networks Will Be in More Places
        4. Wireless Networks Will Move with You
        5. More Devices Will Connect to Wireless Networks
        6. Summary
        7. Where to Go for More Information
    14. Appendixes
      1. Appendix A. MAC Address Filtering
        1. Enabling MAC Address Filtering
        2. Troubleshooting Tips for MAC Address Filtering
      2. Appendix B. 802.11n Wireless Channels
      3. Appendix C. 802.11 Additional Revisions
    15. Glossary
      1. A
      2. B
      3. C
      4. D
      5. E
      6. F
      7. G
      8. H
      9. I
      10. J–K-L
      11. M-N
      12. O-P
      13. Q-R
      14. S
      15. T
      16. U
      17. V
      18. W-X-Y-Z
    16. Index

    Product information

    • Title: Wireless Home Networking Simplified
    • Author(s):
    • Release date: December 2006
    • Publisher(s): Cisco Press
    • ISBN: 9780133034844