Customer Reviews

Windows(r) XP Home Networking

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is an excellent beginners guide - Some smart reviewer convinced me to buy SOHO networking by Pete Moulton instead of this book to learn how to set up a home network. Don't fall for that review - - this book is excellent for the beginner, and you don't need to have a phD in computer engineering to understand the principles. I think if the review encouraging SOHO Networking instead of this book had mentioned that he is a highly trained computer person, I wouldn't have wasted the money on SOHO Networking, and would have purchased this book in the first place.

If you are moderatly windows savvy, and need to get straight easy answers on how to build a home network, then this is the book for you.

I'm a non-college educated blue collar worker, have no formal computer training, but do know my way around the PC and windows XP - I was able to build my home network quite quickly and easily using this book.

I own several Windows networking books but this one is the best available today.......it does not only explain networking, but also the advanced functions of MS Outlook Express, MSIE, and other programs in regards to internet and networking. Recommended for beginners since it is easy to read and understand. Not for advanced compu-freaks since it is not too technical.

This book offers pages of the history of operating systems, including the future of Windows, in great detail. The author should have put that much thought into the discussion of networking with Windows XP. There are some instructions, not very well written, but this author doesn't seem to understand how owners of several computers approach creating small networks. There's no discussion of why you would take a specific approach, or when you need to take specific steps.
I also bought Home Networking for Dummies, which is the most well-designed approach to networking I've read. If you want to know when to do something, how to do it, why to do it, and read extremely well-written instructions that anyone could follow, don't buy this book, buy Home Networking for Dummies instead.

I bought this book based onthe previous review; however, I found it to be too simple and superficial to get a real grasp of home networking processes and concepts. It'll tell you how to do it, but not great explanations about why.
I recommend Moulton's SOHO Networking (2002) instead.

If you need to know about networking in XP this is the book. Highely reccomend. A no nonsense approach to networking.