Faster Smarter Home Networking

Author Curtis Frye Pages 352 Disk N/A Level Beginner Published 11/13/2002 ISBN 9780735618695 Price $19.99 To see this book's discounted price, select a reseller below.	More Information About the Book Table of Contents Sample Chapter Index Related Series About the Author Support: Book & CD Rate this book

Table of Contents

Acknowldegements	ix
Introduction	xi
CHAPTER 1: An Overview of Home Networking	1
How to Recognize a Network When You See One	2
Components of a Network	3
Network Topologies	6
Put Your Network to Work and Play	9
Share Internet Access	9
Share Files	9
Share Printers	10
Chat	11
Play Multiplayer Games	12
CHAPTER 2: Envisioning Networks	15
Varieties of Home Networks	15
Networks with Wires	16
Networks Without Wires	17
Networks with Both	20
Networks Traversing Other Lines	21
Summarizing Your Networking Options	25
What Your Network Might Look Like	25
A Wireless Network with a Hardware-Based Shared Internet Connection	26
A Wired Network with a Hardware-Based Shared Internet Connection	27
A Mixed Wired and Wireless Network with a Hardware-Based Shared Internet Connection	27
A Wired Network with a Software-Based Shared Internet Connection	29
A Wired Network Without an Internet Connection	30
Working from Home Using a Laptop	31
CHAPTER 3: Preparing Your Computers for Action	33
Ready! You Need a NIC	33
Set! Becoming Network-Capable	34
Installing PC Bus NICs	34
Installing USB Adapters	39
Installing Laptop NICs	42
Ready, Set, Go (Online)! Making the Internet Connection	43
Modem Connections	44
DSL and Cable Modem Connections	49
Microsoft Hardware and a Broadband Connection	51
CHAPTER 4: Making It Real—Putting In Your Home Network	53
Positioning Cables	54
Suggestions for Wheel Inventors	55
Your Home Networking Toolkit	57
Sprucing Things Up	58
Buying Cables or Making Your Own	59
Building Your Own Cables	61
Troubleshooting Cables	62
It's Almost Show Time	63
Scenario 1: Setting Up a Wired Network with a Hardware-Based Shared Internet Connection	63
Scenario 2: Setting Up a Wireless Network with a Hardware-Based Shared Internet Connection	65
Positioning Your Receivers	68
Encrypting a Wireless Network	68
Building a Network with Microsoft Products	70
Scenario 3: Setting Up a Hybrid Network with a Hardware-Based Shared Internet Connection	71
Positioning Your Router	72
Adding a Wireless Access Point	72
Scenario 4: Setting Up a Wired Network with Software-Based Internet Connection Sharing	73
Positioning Your Hub	74
Configuring Internet Connection Sharing in Windows XP	74
Configuring Internet Connection Sharing in Windows Me	77
Configuring Internet Connection Sharing in Windows 98 SE	78
Scenario 5: Setting Up a Wired Network Without an Internet Connection	80
Configuring Networking in Windows XP	81
Configuring Networking in Windows Me	83
Configuring Networking in Windows 98 SE	84
Encouraging Unity: Bridging Networks in Windows XP	84
Adding a Macintosh to Your Network	87
CHAPTER 5: Making Your Network More Secure	91
Know Your Enemies	92
Viruses	92
Worms	94
Trojan Horses	95
A Few Commonsense Rules for Dealing with Strange Files	96
Scanning Software	97
Virus Checking and Microsoft Windows XP	98
Social Engineering, or "Hacking by Talking"	100
Protect Your Privacy	100
What Interesting Information Do You Have on Your Computer?	101
Your Browser History	103
Cookies and Your Web Experience	105
Add a Firewall	111
Routers with Firewalls	111
Windows XP Internet Connection Firewall	111
Other Firewall Software	113
Divide and Conquer with Security Zones	114
CHAPTER 6: Creating User Accounts	117
Creating Accounts in Windows XP Home Edition	117
Types of Accounts	118
Creating an Account	119
Managing User Passwords in Windows XP Home Edition	121
Making a Password Strong	122
Switching Accounts	127
Creating Accounts in Windows Me and Windows 98 SE	129
Turning On Multiuser Settings	130
Creating User Accounts in Windows Me and Windows 98 SE	132
Managing User Accounts in Windows Me and Windows 98 SE	133
New Technology File System (NTFS): A More Powerful File System	136
FAT	136
FAT32	136
NTFS	137
CHAPTER 7: Getting Your Network to Work for You	141
Sharing Your Folders with Others	141
Sharing Folders in Windows XP	142
Sharing Folders in Windows Me and Windows 98 SE	143
Sharing Your Music and Pictures in Windows XP	145
Displaying Your Entire Network	146
Displaying Your Network in Windows XP	147
Displaying Your Network in Windows Me or Windows 98 SE	147
Opening Folders on Other Computers	148
Opening Folders in Windows XP	149
Opening Folders in Windows Me and Windows 98 SE	149
A Name for Everything: The Universal Naming Convention	150
Getting the Lay of the Land: Mapping Drives	151
Map a Drive in Windows XP	152
Map a Drive in Windows Me or Windows 98 SE	153
Disconnecting from a Mapped Drive	154
Too Much of a Good Thing: Restricting Access to a Folder	154
Restricting Access to a Folder in Windows XP	155
Restricting Access to a Folder in Windows Me or Windows 98 SE	155
Letting Others See a Removable Drive	157
Sharing Removable Drives in Windows XP	157
Sharing Removable Drives in Windows Me and Windows 98 SE	158
Accessing and Manipulating Files on Other Computers	159
Copying and Moving Remote Files	159
Deleting Remote Files	160
Opening Remote Files	161
Saving Remote Files	161
Resolving Naming Conflicts	162
Turning Off File Sharing	162
CHAPTER 8: You Need Only One Printer	165
Expanding Your Family: Putting a Printer on Your Home Network	165
Location, Location, Location: Placing the Printer	166
Adding a Printer to a Computer	166
Tell the Host: Sharing Is a Virtue	167
Sharing the Printer Wealth in Windows XP	167
Sharing the Printer Wealth in Windows Me and Windows 98 SE	168
Detecting a Network Printer from Windows Me and Windows 98 SE Computers	169
Printing to a Network Printer	170
Making Your Printers Dance and Sing	172
Changing the Default Printer	172
Password-Protecting a Printer	173
Deleting a Printer	174
Turning Printer Sharing Off	175
Making Remote Printing Painless	176
CHAPTER 9: Communicating Across Your Network	179
Outdo E-mail with Instant Messaging	180
Starting to Use Windows Messenger	186
Signing In to Windows Messenger	186
Setting Up a Contacts List	186
Conversing Using Windows Messenger	187
Talking by Typing	187
Talking by Talking (and Typing)	188
Talking Face to Face, Sort Of	190
Sending Files	191
Setting Up a Shared Whiteboard	191
Letting Others Control a Program	193
Displaying the Same Program on Everyone's Computer	193
Letting Other Participants Control a Program on Your Computer	194
Making Windows Messenger Dance and Sing	195
More Backwards Compatibility: MSN Messenger	195
Setting Up MSN Messenger	196
Creating a Contacts List	197
Initiating and Receiving Contacts	198
What to Do Once You're in Contact	198
Starting a Voice Conversation in MSN Messenger	199
Getting Help in Windows XP Through Remote Assistance	200
Asking for (and Getting) Remote Assistance	200
Letting Your Assistant Control Your Computer	202
CHAPTER 10: It's Playtime! Entertainment in a Networked Environment	205
Installing and Running a Game	206
Games You Can Play for Free	209
Troubleshooting Games	210
Update DirectX	210
Install Game Patches	212
Update All Device Drivers	214
Make Your Games Run More Smoothly	218
Change Your Game's Appearance	219
Why Is There an Ethernet Port on the Back of My Xbox?	225
Talk a Lot, Talk a Little More: Chat Rooms	226
Chatting It Up in Windows Messenger	226
Chatting It Up in MSN Messenger	227
Creating Your Own Chat Room	229
Exchanging Ideas in Newsgroups	230
Viewing Microsoft Community Newsgroups	232
Giving 'Em a Piece of Your Mind	233
Reading Usenet Newsgroups in Outlook Express	234
CHAPTER 11: Maintaining Your Home Network	239
Backing Up Your Files with Microsoft Backup	240
Using Backup in Windows 98 SE and Windows Me	240
Using Backup in Windows XP	250
Restoring Files from a Backup	255
Restoring Files from a Backup in Windows 98 SE or Windows Me	255
Restoring Files from a Backup in Windows XP	256
Backing Up to a CD-ROM	257
Reducing the Size of Your Files	259
Saving Your Bacon with System Restore Points	260
Creating a System Restore Point	261
Restoring Your System Using a System Restore Point	262
Uninstalling a Device Driver in Windows XP	263
Updating Virus Signature Files	264
Installing Security Updates from Microsoft Sites	266
How to Recognize a Valid Update File	266
Automate with Windows Update	267
Monitoring Your Security Logs	269
Running ScanDisk	269
Defragmenting Your Drives	271
CHAPTER 12: Troubleshooting Your Home Network	275
Remembering How Your Garden Grew	275
My Computer Doesn't Recognize My Installed Network Hardware or My Connection	276
My Wireless Network Is Sick, Ailing, or Dead	278
My Connection Works Fine Sometimes	278
My Wireless Network Sends Data Very Slowly	278
My Computer Is Close to My Wireless Router, but It Doesn't See the Network	278
My Computer Still Can't Find My Wireless Router	278
My Computer Can't Find My Workgroup	279
I Need to Troubleshoot My BroadbandModem Connection	280
My Printer Presents Pesky Problems	281
My Printer Doesn't Appear in the Printers Section of Control Panelor the Print Dialog Box of Any Program	281
My Printer Appears on My Network but I Still Can't Print	281
A Computer Has Vanished! (from Network Places)	282
File and Printer Sharing in Windows XP Doesn't Work	284
When Network Internet Connectivity Falters: Using Windows XP	286
I Can Log On to the Internet but Can't ReachOther Computers	286
Try a Known Good Server	287
Make Sure That Your Browser Configuration Is Correct	287
Confirm Your IP Address	288
When Routing Conflicts Need Resolution	288
Conflict Resolution: Check the Transfer and Receive Lights	289
Test the Name Resolution	290
APPENDIX	293

Last Updated: November 14, 2002

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