Speed !

Here's the first and most important thing you will learn from this book: Home networking is easy. With the options available today for consumers, you can connect two or more computers to do such tasks as Internet sharing, multiplayer gaming, digital music distribution, and file and printer sharing, all with a basic understanding you will gain through spending a little time with this book.

How Is This Book Different from the Other Home Networking Books Out There? Most other home networking books were written as if home networks were just small office networks, where we could simply take the same equipment and build a network similar to what we see at work. The problem with this approach is that the home is a very different environment than the office, where people not only want to work a little (or not at all), but also want to make their lives better through entertainment, communication, and the other potential appli-cations of a home network.

This book starts with the home user in mind, understanding that you will want to have all the options available to create your Digital Domicile, from new wireless technology that allows you to connect computers without any cabling, to phoneline or powerline networking technology that takes advantage of existing home wiring. We also look in-depth at whole-home wiring systems, for those who might want to create a cutting-edge distribution platform for data, voice, and entertainment in the home.

Home Networks Are Not Just Hardware
Not only do we explore and explain how to install the wide variety of home networking equip-ment,but we also take an in-depth look at how to use your home network. We examine home network applications such as these:
* Sharing a dial-up or broadband Internet connection
* Distributing music or video around your home
* Playing video games head-to-head with others on your home network
* Whole-home communication such as home network intercoms and instant messaging
* Controlling your home systems and appliances in a true Smart Home
* Creating a secure home network, using the latest in Internet security technologies to pro-tect your personal information
What Types of Computers Does This Book Support?
This book allows users of different operating systems-including Windows 95, 98, ME, and XP, as well as those using Macs-to create a home network using the latest technologies.
Who Should Buy This Book?
This book is targeted toward the beginner who has never picked up a piece of networking equipment, as well as those who understand basic networking but want to explore how to create a better home network and how to use the technologies to make their lives better.
So Let's Get Started!

If you're just contemplating buying this book, or if you've bought it and are still thinking about how you can possibly ever build a home network, it's time to stop hesitating and get started. This book was developed for those who want to build a home network and enjoy the benefits, not spend all their time tuning and tinkering with electronic gizmos. So stop procras-tinating and let's get started building your home network!

Table of Content

PART I Getting Going: Networking Overview and Planning
1 It's a Networked World 5
2 Home Network Building Blocks: What Makes Your Network Tick 21
3 Network Relationships: Network Types and Topologies 39
4 Your Home Network Planning Guide 53
PART II Digital Plumbing: Network Wiring and Hardware Options
5 Home Network Equipment: Choices, Choices, Choices 69
6 Understanding and Installing an Ethernet Network 81
7 The Wonderful World of Wireless Networking 107
8 Other Networking Technologies: Phoneline, Powerline, and Structured Wiring Ethernet 129
PART III Software Setup and Management
9 Setting Up Home Network Software 149
10 Getting Around the Home Network 163
11 Sharing Files and Printers on a Home Network 183
12 Networking with Macs 205
PART IV Understanding and Sharing Internet Connections
13 Getting Online the High-Speed Way 223
14 Internet Sharing on a Home Network 243
PART V Unleash the Network
15 Home Networks and Entertainment: Audio, Video, and Gaming 269
16 Using Non-PC Devices on the Home Network 281
17 Communicating on Your Home Network 293
PART VI Running and Securing Your Network
18 Home Network Security Overview 307
19 Home Network Security Planner 321
20 Help Wanted: Home Network Manager 339
PART VII Creating a True Digital Domicile
21 Smart Home: Home Automation Networks 351
22 The Coming Digital Domicile 367
PART VIII Appendixes
A Table of Internet Resources on Home Networking 375
B Table of Internet Resources on Home Automation 377
Index 379