The beauty of a home network is that it can make life so easy--what could be better than sharing an Internet connection so that everyone can be online at the same time? With home networking you can move files from one computer to another, share resources, print to a single printer or multiple printers from any computer in the house, and IM the kids when they're holed up in their rooms. And the downside? Anyone who's ever had to troubleshoot a network glitch doesn't need to ask that question. The simple words, "Why can't I print? Why can't I get to the Internet? Why does my computer say 'Access Denied' today, when it worked fine yesterday?" are enough to send the home network administrator running for cover. And the concept of "network security" can keep the soundest sleeper tossing and turning all night. Currently, more than 8 million homes in the US have installed a network of some kind, and within five years, that number is expected to jump to 37 million. This speaks to the availability of easy-to-install home networking products. Unfortunately, there's also a glut of potential headaches that can occur after installation (and during, sometimes) with no warning label on the box saying, "This product sure to cause annoyances." But help is here. Home Networking Annoyances will ease the headaches and annoyances of anyone who runs a home network. This book tackles all the common annoyances associated with running your network--whether it's wired or wireless, or a combination thereof. Its friendly, off-the-cuff approach will put you in a position of power over those home networking glitches, including file sharing, printing, cabling, security, and much more. You'll find dozens of on-target tips, workarounds, and fixes that will help you improve your home networking experience in every way possible. Whether you're a mainstream business user or a home user with newly installed network hardware, you've probably had your patience tested by frustrating network maintenance issues. Take a stand against annoyances now: just as the bestselling PC Annoyances brought peace and happiness to PC users everywhere, Home Networking Annoyances is your ticket to serenity.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 3.5 / 5.0
The Book Quickly Solved a Problem I had:
I have a home network. Well, really it's a small network in a home that I use for business. I don't know if that's a home or business network. But anyway, I have one. It's working at the moment. The reason it's working is because I bought this book. The data comes in on a DSL line into a D-Link router. I usually write things like IP address, login name, password, etc. on a slip of paper and tape it to the bottom of the device. I have a good memory, but short, and this helps. No login name oe... more info
A Missed Opportunity:
To quote a friend of mine "This book has the wrong name. Instead of being called "Home Networking Annoyances," the name of the book should be "Why Windows Is Hard To Network." Yes, this book does talk all about home networking, but it only mentions Windows operating systems." Any one using any other operating system should not waste their time or money. It is unfortunate that the author is so narrow in her view as the topic is of considerable interest to many users of computers other than those operating... more info
clear explanations:
A grab-bag of hardware and software fixes. Logically, the book starts with discussing hardware problems. Simply because if you can't overcome some of these, you won't have any software problems. Frankly, this hardware section is the most important part of the book. Grubby, but often occurring issues like how to run ethernet between rooms or floors in a building. It's things like this that make some people opt for wireless connections. Much cleaner and easier, right? Well, Ivens explains that you get other... more info
Deep into networking:
It would be easy to think of a whole variety of things as networking, web clients, email, ftp. This book works at a lower level than that, debugging routers, internet connectivity, file sharing, and the basics. Though the basics can be difficult. If I could fault the book it would be that the exposition for some of the recipes are a little too short. Simply introducing a solution as opposed to walking through it at a reasonable depth. That being said, sometimes sign posts are as valuable as step-by-step... more info
