Get Yourself Connected
Network Know-HowÑNew from No Starch Press
Computer networks aren't just for offices and geeks. These days, with entertainment and business moving online, a herd of computers can be found in even the least tech-savvy household or office, networked to share music and movies, play multiplayer games, and connect users to printers, scanners, and the outside world.Network Know-How (No Starch Press, February 2009, 288 pp, ISBN 9781593271916) is every computer user's guide to designing, mapping, and maintaining a trouble-free network. Author and veteran networking consultant John Ross takes readers through the nuts and bolts of networks, explaining how to run cables, set up Wi-Fi access points, configure file sharing and printing, and implement security.
"If more than one person lives in your home, chances are you have more than one computer," said No Starch Press founder William Pollock. "Even people who never dreamed of managing a network have to connect any number of computers, home entertainment gear, game consoles, and printers. Since we're all using and managing networks, we shouldn't just be flying by the seat of our pants. Network Know-How gives readers a plan to follow and build from so their networks are efficient, reliable, and organized."
Those new to networks as well as those who have accidentally fallen into network administration will find Network Know-How an invaluable resource. Readers learn how to:
* Configure network adapters, hubs, switches, and routers
* Connect computers running any operating system, whether Mac OS X, Linux, or Windows
* Assign IP addresses automatically
* Share music, photos, documents, and printers
* Automate household appliances and distribute digital audio and video to a home entertainment center
* Troubleshoot network slowdowns and failed connections
Network Know-How covers both wired and wireless networks and even includes advanced topics like DHCP, creating simple intranets, and stringing Ethernet cables. No matter which operating system readers useÑand even if they haven't even installed or run a network beforeÑthey'll get everything they need to know in Network Know-How.
John Ross has worked on wired and wireless networking for several manufacturers, including Motorola and AT&T. He is the author of more than two dozen books, including Internet Power Tools (Random House), Connecting with Windows (Sybex), Wiring Home Networks (Sunset Books), and The Book of Wireless (No Starch Press).
Network Know-How
by John Ross
Download Chapter 5: "Designing Your Network" (PDF
Founded in 1994, No Starch Press is one of the few remaining independent technical book publishers. We publish the finest in geek entertainmentÑunique books on technology, with a focus on Open Source, security, hacking, programming, alternative operating systems, and LEGO. Our titles have personality, our authors are passionate, and our books tackle topics that people care about. See http://www.nostarch.com/ for a complete catalog. (And most No Starch Press books use RepKover, a lay-flat binding that won't snap shut.)
O'Reilly Media spreads the knowledge of innovators through its books, online services, magazines, and conferences. Since 1978, O'Reilly Media has been a chronicler and catalyst of cutting-edge development, homing in on the technology trends that really matter and spurring their adoption by amplifying "faint signals" from the alpha geeks who are creating the future. An active participant in the technology community, the company has a long history of advocacy, meme-making, and evangelism.
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