Network Know-How:
An Essential Guide For The Accidental Administrator
Book Review

By Dale Farris, Reviews Coordinator Golden Triangle PC Club February 2009 General Overview Are the machines in your office living isolated lives? Do you have a few computers at home that you want to connect to each other and the Internet? The best way to share files on a group of computers is to create a network. But how do you do that? Network Know-How is your guide to connecting your machines, filled with practical advice that will show you how to get things done. You'll learn the nitty-gritty of network setup, design, and maintenance, from running cables and placing wireless access points to configuring file sharing and printing. This practical and comprehensive guide will teach you how to implement security, create intranets, and more. You'll learn how to: Connect Windows, Macintosh, and Linux computers Implement network addressing Configure your network adapters, hubs, switches, and router Share music, photos, and documents Automate household appliances and stream digital audio and video to your home entertainment center Troubleshoot network slowdowns and failures No matter which operating system you use, and even if you’ve never installed or run a network before, you’ll get what you need to know in Network Know-How. Table of Contents The book's seventeen (17) chapters include the following: Chapter 1: How a Network Will Improve Your Life Chapter 2: Types of Network Connections Chapter 3: Hubs, Switches, and Routers Chapter 4: How Computer Networks are Organized Chapter 5: Designing Your Network Chapter 6: Installing the Network Control Center and Ethernet Cables Chapter 7: Ethernet Network Interfaces Chapter 8: Wi-Fi Networks Chapter 9: File Servers Chapter 10: Connecting Your Network to the Internet Chapter 11: Connecting Your Computer to a Network Chapter 12: Sharing Files Through Your Network Chapter 13: Network Security Chapter 14: Using Printers and Other Devices on Your Network Chapter 15: Other Things You Can Connect to Your Network Chapter 16: Other Network Applications Chapter 17: Troubleshooting Author John Ross About the Author John Ross has worked as a consultant 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). ISBN ISBN-10 1-59327-191-6 ISBN-13 978-1-59327-191-6 Price $29.95 Features 288 pages; figures; screen shots; photos; index Targeted Customers This book is aimed at computer owners who never expected to build or run a computer network. These are the folks who have slowly added additional machines to their homes, suddenly realizing that they have 2, 3, or even more computers, and want to connect these into a manageable network. Typical customers include folks who may have started out with desktop PCs, adding 1 or 2 over the years, and who have also begun to add laptop PCs to their ever-growing collection of operable PCs. These are the folks who need a way to connect all their PCs to the Internet at the same time and to share files, printers, and other resources. All just like the company computer network administrators. The author's focus is on small networks that are relatively easy to install, and customers who are not interested in learning a lot of advanced computer technology, especially regarding business LANS and WANS. They just want to simply and easily set up a network of their home PCs. The book will tell these customers what they need to know to build and use a small, simple network in their home or small business without becoming mired in obscure technical details. This book is a guide to navigating the jungle of servers, routers, modems, and Ethernet cables and to getting the most out of a small computer network. The author explains how networks operate, describes each part of a network, and tells you how to use the network with computers running Windows XP or Vista, Macintosh OS X, and several missions of Linux and Unix. He also tells you about some other ways you can use a network, including automating household appliances and distributing audio and video to computers, home entertainment systems, and Internet radios in a home. The author provides enough information so readers with some basic computer knowledge and skills can understand how networks work and how to plan and install their own small network. In addition, he helps readers think about additional uses for their networks, and he offers advice and tools for fixing a network that may not be working correctly. Since the author's focus is on small, home networks with less sophistication than is found in more complex, larger scale business networks, this work is not necessarily tailored for computer network administrators who may be managing more complicated networks. In addition, the book is also not a substitute for the many more complex, technical books on computer networking that are targeted at folks interested in obtaining the network certification from Microsoft or Cisco. These highly prized certifications have generated a massive textbook industry that is focused on providing all the technical information covered in the numerous certification exams. However, Ross's book does provide an excellent introduction to how to set up and maintain a simple home computer network. He has done the very hard work of culling out the most essential aspects of the voluminous data on network administration found in so many of the other more technical works and organized this into a superb computer network book that is a valuable resource for anyone interested in a home computer network. About No Starch Press San Francisco based No Starch Press, Inc., publisher of such best-selling titles as "Steal This Computer Book 3," "The Book of JavaScript," and "The Linux Cookbook," is an independent publishing company committed to producing readable, information-packed computer books that make a difference. No Starch focuses on Open Source, Web development, computer security, programming tools, and alternative operating systems. No Starch authors are highly regarded experts who have the rare ability to write about complex topics clearly and concisely. As a result, No Starch books share a no-nonsense manner that both educates and entertains. The Linux Journal Press series offers readers books on cutting-edge Open Source topics that make a difference, in an effort to advance the acceptance and usability of Linux. Recent titles include "The Book of Zope," "Programming Linux Games," and "The Linux Cookbook." Linux Journal Press titles are developed in partnership with Linux Journal. The No Starch international distribution network brings their books to all major English-language and critical non-English language markets. Their U.S. distributor, Publishers Group West (PGW), is the largest U.S. distributor for independent book publishers. PGW sells to all major wholesalers (Ingram, Baker & Taylor, Bookazine, Koen, etc.), national chains and independents, online booksellers, and academic and technical bookstores. No Starch also aggressively pursues sales in non-traditional channels, including corporate and premium sales, bulk sales, and book clubs. The No Starch international distributors (including JGA in Canada, Computer Bookshops in the UK, Woodslane in Australia/New Zealand) reach all major English and non-English markets with large technical populations. They also maintain extensive contacts with international publishers who translate their books and bring them to their markets in their local language. William Pollock, founder and publisher of No Starch Press, Inc. (and co-founder of APress) has over fifteen years of book publishing experience. No Starch Press benefits from his experience in professional reference, scientific, college, and trade publishing. Mr. Pollock has worked his way up through the publishing ranks from editorial assistant, to sales representative, to acquisitions editor, to publisher. He knows the book publishing business from the ground up. Contact Travis Peterson Sales & Marketing Assistant No Starch Press 555 De Haro St., Suite 250 San Francisco, California 94107 800-420-7240 415-863-9900, Ext. 300 FAX 415-863-9950 travis@nostarch.com www.nostarch.com