Wireless Home Networking for Dummies [ILLUSTRATED] (Paperback)

~ Danny Briere (Author), (Author), Walter Bruce (Author) "Welcome to Wireless Home Networking For Dummies..." (more)
Key Phrases: wireless network interface adapter, equivalent network password, wireless home network, United States, Wired Equivalent Privacy, Compact Flash (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...a great place to start...well worth the money..." (Microsoft Windows XP Official Magazine, March 2004)

"...the for Dummies tradition is upheld, through, with clear explanations of technical terms..." (Computer Active, 7 August 2003)

"...a great place to start...well worth the money..." -- Microsoft Windows XP Official Magazine, March 2004

"...the for Dummies tradition is upheld, through, with clear explanations of technical terms..." -- Computer Active, 7 August 2003

Product Description

Pick the right equipment, secure your network, and share files
Share your Internet connection, access hot spots, and add on cool wireless peripherals
Thinking of going wireless? It's not as scary as it sounds! This fast and fun guidebook helps you decide what you need, install it, and get the most from all its cool options. Your PCs can share printers while you groove to your favorite MP3s and the family shares quality video game time - all from anywhere!
The Dummies Way
* Explanations in plain English
* "Get in, get out" information
* Icons and other navigational aids
* Tear-out cheat sheet
* Top ten lists
* A dash of humor and fun

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 380 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies; illustrated edition edition (June 6, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764539108
• ISBN-13: 978-0764539107
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #641,236 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

57 of 58 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wireless once again!, June 18, 2005

By	Bonita Gal - See all my reviews

This book is a terrific resource. I knew very little about networks or wireless accessing and just had wireless installed. We were up & running for less than a week before I lost my wireless connection. I LABORED over re-connecting for hours and then days. Pure torture. Even the ADSL guys (as well as the Linksys-router folks) couldn't help us. Finally, I found this book and read it cover to cover. Within 10 minutes of finishing it, I was reconnected, AND I now understand so much about how this system works. Reading this book prior to having wirless installed is like taking your driver's license test prior to driving alone. (And the humor is always uplifting). I definitely would recommend this book!

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't let the title fool you, April 14, 2005

By	Still Learning - See all my reviews

This is a great book, and a resource for anyone, not just dummies. Wireless networking can get complex. Some of this info was really basic for me because I know what an access point does, but I learned a lot I did not know. I was impressed with how much they crammed in this book, because any one of these topics could take up a whole book unto itself. I checked out a number of books before settling on this one. I went to the bookstore and passed on Wi-Fi Home Networking (not complete enough), Home Networking for Dummies (I wanted wireless focus), and a few others. I'm happy with the choice, and would recommend it highly.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good source for beginners..., February 27, 2006

By	OneManShow (Carl's Pool, Somewhere on the Jersey Shore) - See all my reviews

This book is a nice introduction to wireless networking. The writing is easy to follow and gives general explanations for novice users to understand. However, if you're looking for help setting up your wireless security, this is definitely NOT the book to buy. It was published three years ago and wireless security has improved a lot (we really need an updated version of this book). The authors mention using WEP encryption, which is rarely used anymore since it takes only minutes to break. They barely touch on WPA, widely used because a different encryption key is used for every data packet. For help with setting up security, there's a lot of free information available online.