There are some people who absolutely love ripping computers apart and putting them back together in new and unique ways. I'm really not that sort of person. What I want is for the computer to turn on when I push the button and do the things I want it to do while it is on. Of course, this has often meant that I have learned to do quite a bit on my own—be it related to software or hardware. I've gutted my fair share of PCs, and, yes, had them running again when I was done. But I guess the point is that just because I've done it, doesn't mean I have to love it.
Home networking is largely more of the same. I have a home network (a wireless one, even). And I love it—especially the part about carrying my laptop to any remote corner of the house and working where I wish. Why, I'm just like that puppet in the Best Buy commercial who runs through his personal field of dreams in a world without wires. But more often than not, setting up a home network is a mess, a dizzing array of technical terms and jargon (not to mention wires) that is assured to either raise the blood pressure or put you to sleep, depending upon your personal inclination.
Home Networking: The Missing Manual is designed to take the sting out of setting up such a network. Even better, it's conversational style cuts through the clutter of jargonese to offer some straightforward advice on how to connect all your various parts to other parts.
We're talking about setting up all sorts of networks, be they wireless, ethernet, or powerline; the book offers information on each connection method. There's tips on installing and setting up equipment for both Windows and Mac, and coverage of operating systems such as the various flavors of Windows and both Mac OS X and OS 9. And it also provides plenty of details on what to do once you actually have various components talking to each other—and we're not just talking about the Internet or sharing a printer. Want to stream music from your PC to your stereo, display pictures on your TV, or hook up game consoles to the network? No problem, it's in there.
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