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Wireless Home Networking Simplified

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  • Description
  • Sample Content
  • Updates
  • Copyright 2007
  • Dimensions: 8" x 10"
  • Edition: 1st
  • eBook (Watermarked)
  • ISBN-10: 0-13-303483-6
  • ISBN-13: 978-0-13-303483-7

Wireless Home Networking Simplified

  • The full-color, fully illustrated, simple guide to wireless home networking
  • Step-by-step instructions: Plan, install, secure, optimize, and troubleshoot your wireless network
  • Discover all the fun things you can do with your wireless network

Jim Doherty

Neil Anderson

Using today’s wireless networks, you can save money, become more productive, and even have more fun! Now, there’s an easy, fully illustrated step-by-step guide to wireless networking for your home: Wireless Home Networking Simplified.

This plain-English guide teaches you everything you need to know to set up a wireless network at home, even if you do not have a technical background. You’ll find simple, easy-to-follow guidance on selecting the right equipment, installing your network devices properly, connecting to the Internet, safeguarding your information, fixing problems, and much more.

  • Understand how wireless home networks work
  • Compare today’s wireless standards, and choose the right one for you
  • Design your wireless network for maximum convenience, reliability, and simplicity
  • Secure your network, step by step–and keep it secure
  • Troubleshoot failed connections, poor coverage, and slow performance
  • Temporarily allow guests onto your network without exposing your data
  • Use your network to listen to music, view video, and play video games anywhere in your home
  • Preview and prepare for tomorrow’s wireless technologies

Wireless Home Networking Simplified cuts through the confusion, demystifies the technologies, and helps you make the most of wireless… quickly, simply, painlessly.

This book is part of the Networking Technology Series from Cisco Press®, the only authorized publisher for Cisco Systems®.

Category: Networking

Covers: Home Networking

Table of Contents

Contents

Part I How Does It Work

Chapter 1 How Wireless LANs Work

Why Wireless?

Before We Get to the Wireless Bit, What the Heck Is a LAN?

Okay, Now the Wireless Part

Challenges for Wireless Communication

The Solution

Putting It All Together

Summary

Where to Go for More Information

Chapter 2 Wireless Standards: What the Letters Mean

The Standard 802.11 and the IEEE

802.11a

802.11b

802.11g

802.11n

Combinations

What Happened to the Other Letters?

Summary

Where to Go for More Information

Chapter 3 Selecting the Right Wireless Standard for Your Network

What to Consider When Choosing Your Wireless Standard

Compatibility

Relationships Among Wireless Standards

Dual-Band Products

Proprietary Extensions

Speed 27

Range

Security

Cost

Additional Considerations

Comparing the IEEE WLAN Standards

Recommendations

Summary

Where to Go for More Information

Part II What You Should Know

Chapter 4 Planning Your Wireless Network

Wireless Network Topologies

Sketching a Network Layout

Thinking Your Network Plan Through

Determining the Networking Capabilities of Your Computers

Looking for a Wired NIC

Looking for a Wireless NIC

Determining Your Immediate Needs to Create a Wireless Network

Completing Your Plan

Summary

Chapter 5 Wireless Security: What You Need to Know

Why Should I Worry About Wireless Network Security?

What Do I Do to Secure My Wireless Network?

Don’t Advertise Your Wireless Network

Scramble Your Signal

What Is Encryption?

Choosing an Encryption Key

Disable Ad Hoc Networking

Other Tips to Consider

Summary

Where to Go for More Information

Chapter 6 What to Buy

Determining Network Readiness

Making Your List, Checking It Twice

Wireless Router Options

Wireless NIC Options

Gear for Travel Bugs and Road Warriors

Extra Stuff

Where to Buy Your Gear

Summary

Where to Go for More Information

Part III How Do I Set It Up?

Chapter 7 Wireless Router Setup

Connecting the Wireless Router

Configuring the Wireless Router

Using the Linksys Setup Wizard

Using an Internet Browser

Using Linksys EasyLink Advisor

Summary

Where to Go for More Information

Chapter 8 Wireless NIC Setup

Installing the Wireless NIC

Installing a PCI Wireless Card in a Desktop Computer

Installing a PCMCIA Wireless Card in a Laptop Computer

Installing a USB Wireless NIC in a Computer

Associating the Wireless NIC to the Wireless Router

Wireless Profiles

Wireless Connection Managers

Using the Windows Wireless Network Connection Utility

Using Linksys WLAN Monitor

Using Linksys EasyLink Advisor

Summary

Where to Go for More Information

Chapter 9 Wireless Security Setup

Setting Up Wireless Encryption

Tips Before We Start

If Only It Were That Easy

Manually Setting Up Wireless Encryption

Enabling WEP Encryption on the Wireless Router

Enabling WEP Encryption on the Wireless NIC

WPA Encryption Example

Setting Up Wireless Encryption with Linksys SecureEasySetup

Linksys SecureEasySetup on the Wireless Router

Linksys SecureEasySetup on the Wireless NIC

Setting Up Wireless Encryption with Linksys EasyLink Advisor

Linksys EasyLink Advisor on the Wireless Router

Using EasyLink Advisor to Add Encryption to Wireless NICs

More Wireless Security Steps

Stop Advertising Your Wireless Network

Turn On the Firewall

Prevent Unintentional Roaming

MAC Address Locking

Top Troubleshooting Tips for Wireless Encryption

Summary

Where to Go for More Information

Part IV “Honey, This Stupid Wireless Thing Is Not Working”

Chapter 10 Troubleshooting: I Can’t Connect at All

Steps to Connecting

Scanning

Matching

Associating

Securing the Connection

Obtaining an IP Address

Sending and Receiving

What Can Go Wrong

Problems During Scanning

Problems During Matching

Problems During Association

Problems Securing the Connection

Problems Obtaining an IP Address

Problems Sending and Receiving

Five Things to Look At First

How to Tell if You Do Not Have a Connection

Figuring Out Why It Will Not Connect

Scanning-Related Issues

Incompatible Wireless Standards

Wireless Turned Off

Poor Signal Strength

Matching-Related Issues

SSID Mismatch

SSID Broadcast

Association-Related Issues

Security- and Encryption-Related Issues

Encryption Type Mismatch

Encryption Key Mismatch

Windows XP Authentication Setting Mismatch

IP Address Assignment—Related Issues

Determining if an IP Address Is Assigned

Determining if IP Address Assignment Is Failing

Trying the Windows XP Repair Function

Checking the Router’s DHCP Client Pool

Wireless Connection Made

Oops, How Embarrassing!

The 10-Minute Miracle

Summary

Where to Go for More Information

Chapter 11 Troubleshooting: I Can Connect Sometimes

How Wireless Coverage Works

Tuning Your Wireless Coverage

Performing a Wireless Survey

Wireless Survey Using Windows XP

Wireless Survey Using Linksys WLAN Monitor

What to Conclude from Your Wireless Survey

What You Can Do to Improve Coverage

Improving the Location of the Wireless Router

Trying Different Channels

Trying Different Antenna Positions

Upgrading the Antenna

Using Wireless Range Extenders and Additional Access Points

Upgrading the Wireless Router

Summary

Where to Go for More Information

Chapter 12 Troubleshooting: I Can Connect, but It’s Slow

Is the Broadband Internet Connection the Bottleneck?

Checking the Broadband Connection

Testing Your Broadband Speed

Is the Wireless Network Too Slow?

Understanding Wireless Standards and Speeds

Verifying Wireless Network Speed

Is the Wireless Network Signal Getting Degraded?

Interference from Other Wireless Routers

Checking for Conflicting Wireless Routers

Determining Whether the Conflicting Wireless Router Is Causing an Issue

Correcting a Conflicting Wireless Router Situation

Interference from Cordless Phones and Other Devices

Determining Whether the Conflicting Cordless Phone Is Causing an Issue

Correcting a Conflicting Cordless Phone Issue

Summary

Where to Go for More Information

Part V Bells and Whistles

Chapter 13 Wireless Video and Entertainment

Wireless Video Cameras

Finding Uses for Wireless Video Cameras

Connecting the Video Camera to Your Wireless Network

Determining Who Can Access the Video Camera

Viewing Video from Within Your House

Viewing Video over the Internet

Setting Up the Wireless Router for Internet Camera Viewing

How to View the Camera over the Internet

Problems with Viewing Video over the Internet

Using the Video Camera as a Motion Detector

Wireless Online Gaming

Gaming Servers

Options for Online Gaming

How to Connect Video Game Consoles to Your Wireless Network

Setting Up the Wireless Game Adapter

Connecting a Video Game Console

Connecting to an Online Game Provider

Networking Your DVR

Typical DVR Setups Today

Reasons to Network Your DVR

Networking Your DVR 290

Using TiVoToGo

Summary

Where to Go for More Information

Chapter 14 Wireless to Go

What Is a Wireless Hotspot?

How to Find Wireless Hotspots

Wireless Hotspot Options and Costs

Discovering and Connecting to Wireless Hotspots

Connecting to Hotspots Using Linksys WLAN Monitor

Connecting to Hotspots Using Windows XP

Connecting to Hotspots Using Boingo

Passing the Membership Test

Example: Connecting to a Free Service at Bear Rock Cafe

Example: Connecting to T-Mobile Service at Borders Book Stores

What Not to Do When Using a Wireless Hotspot

Setting Up Your Own Portable Hotspot

How Wireless Travel Routers Work

Setting Up a Wireless Travel Router

Setting Up Your Laptop to See the Travel Router

How to Use a Wireless Travel Router

Summary

Where to Go for More Information

Chapter 15 The Future of Wireless Networking

Wireless Networks Will Be Faster

Wireless Networks Will Go Farther

Wireless Networks Will Be in More Places

Wireless Networks Will Move with You

More Devices Will Connect to Wireless Networks

Summary

Where to Go for More Information

Appendixes

Appendix A MAC Address Filtering

Appendix B 802.11n Wireless Channels

Appendix C 802.11 Additional Revisions

Index

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