www.it-ebooks.info Home Networking Bible 2nd Edition www.it-ebooks.info www.it-ebooks.info Home Networking Bible 2nd Edition Sue Plumley www.it-ebooks.info LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: THE PUBLISHER AND THE AUTHOR MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS WORK AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION WARRANTIES OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. NO WARRANTY MAY BE CREATED OR EXTENDED BY SALES OR PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS. THE ADVICE AND STRATEGIES CONTAINED HEREIN MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR EVERY SITUATION. THIS WORK IS SOLD WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE PUBLISHER IS NOT ENGAGED IN RENDERING LEGAL, ACCOUNTING, OR OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. IF PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE IS REQUIRED, THE SERVICES OF A COMPETENT PROFESSIONAL PERSON SHOULD BE SOUGHT. NEITHER THE PUBLISHER NOR THE AUTHOR SHALL BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES ARISING HEREFROM. 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Home Networking Bible, 2nd Edition Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc. 10475 Crosspoint Boulevard Indianapolis, IN 46256 www.wiley.com Copyright © 2004 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana Published simultaneously in Canada ISBN: 0-7645-4416-0 Manufactured in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 2O/QT/QS/QU/IN No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Legal Department, Wiley Publishing, Inc., 10475 Crosspoint Blvd., Indianapolis, IN 46256, (317) 572-3447, fax (317) 572-4447, E-Mail: permcoordinator@ wiley.com. For general information on our other products and services or to obtain technical support, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at (800) 762-2974, outside the U.S. at (317) 572-3993 or fax (317) 572-4002. Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data: 2004100649 Trademarks: Wiley, the Wiley logo, and related trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates, in the United States and other countries, and may not be used without written permission. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Wiley Publishing, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. www.it-ebooks.info About the Author Sue Plumley has owned and operated her own business, Humble Opinions Company, Inc., since 1988. Humble Opinions specializes in network installation, configuration, maintenance, and troubleshooting for a variety of small businesses and corporations. Sue also has taught networking and the use of various software applications at the College of West Virginia and Glenville College in West Virginia. In addition, Sue has written and contributed to more than 75 books about networking and computer software for various publishers. www.it-ebooks.info Credits Acquisitions Editor Katie Feltman Development Editor Kevin Kent Production Editor Angela Smith Technical Editor Tom Brays Copy Editor Joanne Slike Editorial Manager Mary Beth Wakefield Vice President & Executive Group Publisher Richard Swadley Vice President and Executive Publisher Robert Ipsen Vice President and Publisher Joseph B. Wikert Executive Editorial Director Mary Bednarek Project Coordinator April Farling Permissions Editor Carmen Krikorian Graphics and Production Specialists Karl Brandt, Lauren Goddard, Jennifer Heleine, Michael Kruzil, Kristin McMullan, Lynsey Osborn, Mary Gillot Virgin Quality Control Technicians Andy Hollandbeck, Carl William Pierce, Dwight Ramsey, Kathy Simpson Proofreading and Indexing TECHBOOKS Production Services www.it-ebooks.info I’d like to dedicate this book to Morgan Darrow and Zack Kessler, the newest generation of computer experts! www.it-ebooks.info www.it-ebooks.info Preface M ost homes today have at least one PC for accessing the Internet, playing games, or keeping the family finances. Many homes have more than one PC, or the families are considering purchasing another computer for use by a spouse, teenager, and even younger children. If you have two or more PCs in your home, you can network them together to dou- ble and even triple the advantages you get from computing. Home networking can be easy and fun. You can learn about the technologies while setting up your network, and after that, if you like, you can continue to explore the possibilities. Add to your network to make it more useful to you and your family. You can even extend the network to automate one room or your entire home. And it doesn’t have to be expensive, either. Why You Need This Book If you are considering setting up your own home network, you can use Home Networking Bible, 2nd Edition, to guide you through the process. This book helps you plan and prepare for your network, purchase the appropriate equipment and software, install the networking equipment, and make it work with Windows, Macintosh, and even Linux. From start to finish, you learn everything you need to complete the job without depending on multiple references, vendors, magazine articles, or other sources. Everything you need to know is contained in Home Networking Bible. In addition to terminology and information, you will find helpful advice about choosing the appropriate hardware for your situation, tips on saving money, and more. Included in the text are the names of many manufacturers of home networking products and suggested retail prices for the equipment. Whether you want to set up a simple network between two computers or you want to run e-mail over your network and attach your network to the Internet, you’ll find suggestions on how best to complete the task in Home Networking Bible. If you run your own home-based business, or even a small business office, Home Networking Bible helps by giving small business tips to make your venture more useful, efficient, and prosperous. Who Should Read This Book? Anyone who owns two or more PCs can use this book to learn how to connect them and get the most from the resulting network. If you want to work on your laptop while your young children run educational software on another computer, this book is for you. If you and your spouse have computer work and are always competing for the printer, this book is for you. If you’re a teenager trying to bring your parents into the twenty-first century, Home Networking Bible is for you. www.it-ebooks.info [...]... network them Home Networking Bible explains how to do it Maybe you want to learn more about the Internet, but your spouse is always online You can learn how to share an Internet connection, use chat programs over the Internet, and more, by reading Home Networking Bible If you are a home user or a small business owner looking for information about setting up a small network, Home Networking Bible is for... to learn how to create Web pages so that you can start your own home business Home Networking Bible shows you how to set up your own home Internet (called an intranet) that you can use for experimentation and learning If you own a small business and you want to make it easier for your employees to print and share files, Home Networking Bible offers advice on how best to accomplish this goal and more... your home Do you need help choosing and buying the necessary networking equipment? Perhaps the equipment is already installed, but you’re unfamiliar with networking with Windows 98 or Windows XP You might have your network up and running but want to add an intranet and e-mail technologies You find instructions for each of these tasks, in addition to hundreds more, in Home Networking Bible Home Networking. .. hundreds more, in Home Networking Bible Home Networking Bible, 2nd Edition, covers new information on some of the technologies introduced in the first edition, such as wireless networking breakthroughs, Wireless-g protocol, power line networking enhancements, universal serial bus (USB) hubs and adapters, and the future of networking In this second edition, you’ll also find greater detail on how to lay... operate any networking software It also shows you how to connect the other computers and printers on the network — and then how to use them after you connect them In addition, you don’t need to be familiar with networking hardware or software Home Networking Bible explains networking terms, technologies, hardware, and software It also gives you advice on how to purchase, install, and use networking. .. want to spend? ✦ What type of hardware and software is best for what you want to do? The list goes on and on Home Networking Bible can help you make these decisions and more Home Networking Bible presents information, definitions, possibilities, and advice about setting up and running your home network You may want to set up a quick and inexpensive network to enable file sharing between your desktop... Level for This Book? Home Networking Bible is written for beginning to intermediate users You should understand how to use Windows, the Mac, and/or your Linux distribution, as well as basic applications, such as word processing programs, games (if you might use them on your network), or perhaps Internet Explorer You don’t have to be an expert in Windows, however Home Networking Bible explains the steps... Using smart phones Identifying home theater technology Handling messages Looking into Internet access Automating plant and pet care Using robots in home automation Exploring the Smart Home Questions to ask the home automation professional Looking at home products Summary ... Lines for Your Network Understanding phone line networks Looking at home phone line network kits and products Using Your Home s Electrical Wiring for a Network Looking at power line networking Looking at power line products Looking at the Future of Networking Alternatives Summary ... about terms, processes, or procedures Intermediate users can use the book as a reference If you’re familiar with networking basics but want to set up e-mail or your own intranet, for example, you can go directly to the relevant chapters to find out how What’s in This Book? Home Networking Bible is organized such that simple topics are presented first, with the subjects becoming increasingly complex . www.it-ebooks.info Home Networking Bible 2nd Edition www.it-ebooks.info www.it-ebooks.info Home Networking Bible 2nd Edition Sue Plumley www.it-ebooks.info LIMIT OF. your entire home. And it doesn’t have to be expensive, either. Why You Need This Book If you are considering setting up your own home network, you can use Home Networking Bible, 2nd Edition, to. suggestions on how best to complete the task in Home Networking Bible. If you run your own home- based business, or even a small business office, Home Networking Bible helps by giving small business tips