Home Networking for Dummies 3RD Edition

Home networks aren't just for people with home-based businesses. With a home network, you can

• Begin a project on one computer and finish it on another
• Connect desktop and laptop computers so you can take your work with you
• Share printers and Internet connections
• Control access to files
• Set up security to protect all the computers on the network

And on top of all that, you get to be the network administrator!

If you have more than one computer in your household, Kathy Ivens, author of Home Networking For Dummies, Third Edition, believes it only makes sense for you to have a home network.  It's efficient and it makes files easier to organize and manage. But as impressive as "home network" sounds, installing and maintaining one doesn’t have to be complicated— this book makes it easy. In the For Dummies straightforward style, Kathy shows you step by step how to

• Plan your network, buy the right hardware at the right price, install it, and configure computer sharing
• Decide on the best places to put the different computers in your home
• Piggyback on existing home wiring like telephone and electric lines
• Install and troubleshoot wireless connections
• Set up each computer to share some things and keep others private
• Manage users and user profiles
• Install firewalls, work with the Windows XP SP2 Security Center, keep virus protection updated, and develop a disaster recovery plan
• Maintain your network for optimum performance

Kathy Ivens is Senior Contributing Editor for Windows & .NET Magazine and a consultant who has installed plenty of networks. She knows what to look for and how to help you put together exactly what you need. This edition of Home Networking For Dummies includes the most up-to-date information to help you become the administrator of your very own home network without acquiring one more gray hair.

Share the Internet and work more efficiently from anywhere in your home!

Ready to become the administrator of your own home network? This bestselling guide has been fully updated to walk you through all the newest options in wired and wireless networking. From planning to installation to maintenance, all steps are explained in plain English to help you connect computers, share files and printers, and lock out any snoops!

Kathy Ivens, Senior Contributing Editor for Windows & .NET Magazine, has been a computer consultant since 1984. She has installed hundreds of corporate and private networks.

• Plan and install your network

• Configure computer sharing

• Manage users and profiles

• Make your network secure

• Retrieve data when disaster strikes

• Connect other devices to your network

Get 'em together, share files and printers, and set up necessary security tools

There are dozens of reasons to team up all the PCs in your house, and one easy way to do it—use this book to help! Get advice on selecting hardware, finding a location for each computer, and choosing between wired and wireless. You find out how to use network setup wizards and lock out snoops, and more.

Discover how to

• Plan your network
• Piggyback on existing home wiring
• Troubleshoot wireless connections
• Configure computer sharing
• Manage users and profiles
• Connect other devices to your network

Part I: Network Basics.

Chapter 1: Planning the Lay of the LAN.

Chapter 2: Installing Network Adapters.

Chapter 3: Installing Ethernet Cable.

Chapter 4: Using Wires That Are Already There.

Chapter 5: Look Ma, No Wires.

Part II: Configuring Computers for Networking.

Chapter 6: Installing Networking Software.

Chapter 7: Setting Up Shared Internet Connections.

Chapter 8: Configuring Computer Sharing.

Chapter 9: Setting Up Users.

Part III: Communicating Across the Network.

Chapter 10: Printing Across the Network.

Chapter 11: Getting Around the Neighborhood.

Chapter 12: Using Files from Other Computers.

Part IV: Network Security and Maintenance.

Chapter 13: Making Your Network Secure.

Chapter 14: Disaster Planning and Recovery.

Chapter 15: Using Windows Maintenance Tools.

Part V: The Part of Tens.

Chapter 16: Ten Fun Things to Do on Your Network.

Chapter 17: Ten Ways to Make the Internet Safe for Children.

Index.