Wi-Fi Home Networking [Paperback]

Raymond Smith (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0071412530 | ISBN-13: 978-0071412537 | Publication Date: January 28, 2003 | Edition: 1

·Describes the costs, benefits and necessity of networking ·Reviews software networking tools that save money for small-time operators ·Summarizes business expenses and savings to help a prospective user choose their office setup ·Offers criteria for deciding on distribution media ·Compares wireless versus wired connections ·Includes important, practical information about security, viruses, and backing up (20030608)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Booking a new career
Ojai man, laid off after 25 years by Verizon, becomes author
By Roger Harris, [e-mail]

For 18 months, Ray Smith had way too much time to smell the pink and red roses growing in his Ojai back yard. Like thousands of other telecommunications workers across the country who were laid off by struggling telecom companies, Smith was out of work. A veteran network engineer with more than 25 years of experience, Smith hated being jobless.

He looked for work constantly after being let go by Verizon Communications in January 2001. He made a million phone calls and knocked on a like number of doors. Or so it seemed. Too often he heard the words that every 50-something job hunter learns to hate: "You're overqualified."

No nibbles. No offers.
"I was desperate," said Smith, 55.
So with his back to the wall, Smith tried something new -- he wrote a book.

Other than the Christmas letters he writes instead of sending cards, Smith was a novice writer. But he knows computer networking. With the help of a good editor and his patient and supportive wife, Jade, he began writing last June.

Six months later, Smith delivered the last pages of WiFi Home Networking to his publisher. In the process, he rediscovered himself and put those pesky out-of-work blues into the closet.

Seeing his book on the shelf at Barnes & Noble for the first time was "an out-of-body experience almost," Smith said. "Suddenly, I was somebody again."

His book was published by McGraw Hill, one of the largest publishing houses in the country. The 347-page book details how to build a wireless network for your home. WiFi is short for "wireless fidelity," the radio frequency technology used to connect computers.

Step by step, Smith outlines everything from the history of WiFi and the benefits of a wireless network to choosing the right equipment and setting up the network. The book, which sells for $29.95 and includes a CD version, is aimed primarily at small-office/home-office users.

There are several advantages of a wireless network, said Smith, who found in researching the book that more than 20 million U.S. households have more than one computer. With a WiFi home network, several computers can share the same high-speed wireless Internet connection and the same printer. If you have a laptop computer, you can work anywhere in the house or even the back yard -- because there are no wires to trip over.

Wireless networks make it easy to share files between computers and remotely control one computer with another computer. And, homeowners don't have to knock holes in walls like they would when running cable for a wired network.

Smith said a wireless network makes working from home easier and more productive. Real estate agents, for example, can connect a WiFi camera to their computer and show out-of-town home buyers photos of houses, and a salesperson could sit in their home office and use the technology to video conference with field engineers.

How it happened
In the last few months, interest in wireless networking has taken off. In addition to being a useful tool for home offices, wireless networks are cropping up in coffee shops, airports and hotels.

"Ray has a real knack of seeing things before they become popular," said Jade, who works for Verizon's DSL division. "... A lot of families have more than one computer, and (WiFi) is a way to get them to talk to each other. It's the next logical step."

Although Smith never wrote a book before, his longtime friend David Leathers, a Videography magazine editor and president of Eye Square Productions, a video and film production company in Culver City, didn't hesitate to recommend Smith when McGraw-Hill was looking for a WiFi writer.

"I knew he knew the subject matter because he had been directly involved in it a very long time," said Leathers, who has written technical books for McGraw-Hill. "I've not been particularly impressed with some of the technical writing I see. Some of it looks like somebody took some downloads from the Net, some press releases and rescrambled it and then called it an article. But I knew Ray would take it seriously and do original work on it." Smith's serious work-ethic impressed his editor at McGraw-Hill. "He did a great job of researching and getting enough information from the vendors," said Judy Bass, senior editor with McGraw-Hill.

Smith accepted criticism without complaint and quickly learned the style preferred by McGraw-Hill's Professional Book Group, which publishes hundreds of titles a year. "He really went out and learned about the market and in the process marketed himself really well," Bass said. Unlike many how-to technical books, Smith writes in a manner understandable by both novices and tech-savvy readers. The book is sprinkled with interesting tidbits. For instance, the first wireless communication was in 1880 when Alexander Graham Bell invented the photophone, which used a beam of light to carry a voice message between buildings in Washington, D.C. (The Ventura County Star )

From the Back Cover

Includes CD-ROM with animated WiFi tutorials from major hardware manufacturers, wireless hardware product information, and links to WiFi information sources on the Web.

CONNECT EVERY ROOM IN YOUR HOME TO THE WORLD WIDE WEB—without wires!

For many professionals, wireless home computer networking delivers the power of corporate technology — without the hassles of corporate living, and the mobile connectivity to all of the computers throughout your home (or backyard) — without rewiring.

That’s why if you plan to set up a wireless home network, WiFi Home Networking is the one book you shouldn’t be without. Written by a noted telecommunications expert, this hardworking reference delivers comprehensive coverage of wireless home networking, written in language the layman will easily understand. WiFi Home Networking:
* Describes the costs, benefits, and necessity of networking
* Provides the “smart tools” you need to maximize your fun – and your profit!
* Helps you choose the best hardware and software for your needs
* Details how to set up, maintain, and fix your wireless network
* Includes important, practical information about security, viruses, and backing up
* And much, much more!

When it comes to making the right decision about the overwhelming array of choices and expenses associated with wireless home networking, don’t rely on guesswork. Turn to McGraw-Hill’s WiFi Home Networking, and get home networking power -- not home networking problems!

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 347 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill/TAB Electronics; 1 edition (January 28, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071412530
• ISBN-13: 978-0071412537
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #591,418 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The complete guide, September 4, 2003

By 

W. C. Taylor (Fairfield, Ohio) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wi-Fi Home Networking (Paperback)

If you are setting up, administering, or just want to learn about WiFi networks this is the perfect book. The book covers everything from terminology through security and down to products needed. I was amazed to find also find product descriptions and best buys included which saved me a bundle. I found this book extremely informative. The text supplied the knowledge to secure my current network from intrusion and gave details of why, when and how. If you have been searching for a book for beginners and advanced users this is the book. I was impressed that the authors delivered so much information in an easily understood format while maintaining the interest of IT professionals like me who have been in the field for years. Overall just a great book. Thanks for demonstrating that IT can be accessible for everyone!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Home Networking Primer, February 12, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Wi-Fi Home Networking (Paperback)

I'm glad I got this book because I didn't know you could do all that stuff that he talks about. It's pretty simple the way he puts it and not too technical to read. It's not about rocket science. I set up my network at home and it works well. You can tell this guy's done it for real. Definitely worth the money.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't start without first reading this book!, February 7, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Wi-Fi Home Networking (Paperback)

Wi-Fi was a scary step - but now that we've got it, we'll never be tied down to wires again. We are so glad we started out by first reading this book. It explains in PLAIN English what you should know BEFORE investing money and hard work. The detailed illustrations and CD really helped. The glossary alone is worth the price of the book. And the author's easy style of writing makes the technical stuff easy to understand. Definitely read this book before you get started.