Network Know-How

Book description

Are the machines in your office living isolated lives? Do you have a few computers at home that you want to connect to each other and the Internet? The best way to share files on a group of computers is to create a network. But how do you do that?

Network Know-How is your guide to connecting your machines, filled with practical advice that will show you how to get things done. You'll learn the nitty-gritty of network setup, design, and maintenance, from running cables and placing wireless access points to configuring file sharing and printing. This practical and comprehensive guide will teach you how to implement security, create intranets, and more. You'll learn how to:

  • Connect Windows, Macintosh, and Linux computers

  • Implement network addressing

  • Configure your network adapters, hubs, switches, and router

  • Share music, photos, and documents

  • Automate household appliances and stream digital audio and video to your home entertainment center

  • Troubleshoot network slowdowns and failures

No matter which operating system you use, and even if you've never installed or run a network before, you'll get what you need to know in Network Know-How..

Table of contents

  1. Network Know-How
    1. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
    2. INTRODUCTION
    3. 1. HOW A NETWORK WILL IMPROVE YOUR LIFE
      1. What's a Network?
      2. Sneakernet
      3. Data Networks and What You Can Do with Them
        1. File Sharing
        2. Sharing an Internet Connection
        3. Instant Messages
        4. Sharing Printers and Other Hardware
        5. Home Entertainment
        6. Video Cameras and Home Security Devices
        7. Home Automation
    4. 2. TYPES OF NETWORK CONNECTIONS
      1. Packets and Headers
        1. Error Checking
        2. Handshaking and Overhead
      2. Ethernet
      3. Wi-Fi
      4. Powerline Networks
      5. Other Alternative Wiring Methods
      6. DTE and DCE Equipment
      7. Point-to-Point Networks
        1. Ad Hoc Wi-Fi
        2. Infrared
        3. FireWire (IEEE 1394)
      8. Connections Through a Telephone Line
      9. Remote Terminals
      10. Clients and Servers
    5. 3. HUBS, SWITCHES, AND ROUTERS
      1. Hubs and Switches
        1. Hubs
        2. Switches
      2. LANs and WANs
      3. Bridges and Routers
      4. Combination Boxes
    6. 4. HOW COMPUTER NETWORKS ARE ORGANIZED
      1. TCP/IP Networks
        1. Names and Addresses
          1. Numeric Addresses
          2. Reserved Addresses
          3. Fixed and Dynamic Address Assignments (DHCP)
          4. The Domain Name System
          5. Name Servers
      2. Network Tools
        1. IPConfig
        2. ifconfig
        3. ping
        4. TraceRoute
    7. 5. DESIGNING YOUR NETWORK
      1. Identifying Current and Future Nodes
      2. The Control Center
        1. Home Run Wiring
        2. Trunks and Branches: Using Secondary Switches
      3. What About Wi-Fi?
    8. 6. INSTALLING THE NETWORK CONTROL CENTER AND ETHERNET CABLES
      1. Connectors, Wall Plates, and Surface Boxes
      2. Ethernet Cable
      3. Pushing Cable Through Walls
      4. The Control Center
        1. AC Power
        2. Modems, Routers, and Switches
        3. Adding a DSL or Cable Connection
          1. Connecting a Telephone Line
          2. Connecting a TV Cable
        4. Terminating the Network Cables
        5. Adding a Telephone
      5. Tabletop Control Centers for Small Networks
    9. 7. ETHERNET NETWORK INTERFACES
      1. Built into the Motherboard
        1. Setting the BIOS Utility
      2. Adding a Network Interface to an Old Computer
        1. Internal Expansion Cards
        2. USB Adapters
        3. Network Adapters for Laptops
        4. Finding the Driver Software for Your Adapter
      3. Status Lights on Network Adapters
    10. 8. WI-FI NETWORKS
      1. Types of Wi-Fi Networks
      2. Operating Channels
      3. Access Points
      4. Network Interface Adapters
        1. Adapters Built into Laptops
        2. PC Cards
        3. USB Adapters
        4. PCI Cards
        5. Antennas
      5. Wi-Fi Control Programs
        1. Access Point Configuration Programs
        2. Wireless Connection Programs
      6. Hybrid (Wired-Wireless) Networks
      7. Wi-Fi Security
    11. 9. FILE SERVERS
      1. Choosing a Computer to Use as a File Server
      2. Windows, Mac, Linux, or . . . ?
      3. Using a Server for File Storage
      4. Using Network-Attached Storage
        1. USB Device Servers
        2. Apple's AirPort Extreme
      5. Backing Up Files to a Server
        1. The Windows Backup Program
          1. Installing Backup in XP Home Edition
          2. Installing Backup in Windows Vista
        2. Macintosh Backup Programs
        3. Linux and Unix Backups
      6. Using a Server at Home
    12. 10. CONNECTING YOUR NETWORK TO THE INTERNET
      1. The Internet: From the Cloud to You
        1. The Modem
        2. The Gateway Router
        3. Individual Computers
          1. DHCP Servers On or Off
          2. Subnet Masks
          3. IP Addresses
          4. DNS Servers
          5. Gateways
      2. Configuring the Network Gateway
      3. Summary
    13. 11. CONNECTING YOUR COMPUTER TO A NETWORK
      1. Connecting Your Windows Computer to a Network
        1. Creating a New Network Profile
        2. Changing Your Computer's Network Settings
      2. Connecting Your Macintosh Computer to a Network
      3. Connecting Your Linux or Unix Computer to a Network
      4. Summary
    14. 12. SHARING FILES THROUGH YOUR NETWORK
      1. File Sharing in Windows XP
        1. Level 1
        2. Level 2
        3. Level 3
        4. Level 4
        5. Level 5
      2. File Sharing in Windows Vista
        1. Network Discovery
        2. File Sharing
          1. Public Folder Sharing
          2. Sharing from Any Folder
        3. Printer Sharing
        4. Password Protected Sharing
        5. Media Sharing
      3. File Sharing on a Macintosh
        1. Connecting a Mac to a Windows (SMB) Network
          1. Adding a New Account
          2. Setting the Workgroup Name
          3. Turning on Windows File Sharing
          4. Connecting to Windows File Sharing
        2. Connecting from Older Mac Versions
      4. File Sharing in Linux and Unix
        1. Sharing from Linux or Unix Computers
        2. Creating Shares on Linux and Unix Computers
          1. Sharing from Gnome
          2. Sharing from Konqueror
        3. Samba
      5. Using Shares
    15. 13. NETWORK SECURITY
      1. Keeping Intruders Out
        1. User Accounts and Access Levels
        2. Passwords
        3. Firewalls
          1. Firewalls in Wireless Networks
          2. Protecting Individual Computers
          3. Wireless Access Points with Firewalls
          4. Firewall Software
      2. Virtual Private Networks
        1. VPN Methods
        2. VPN Servers
          1. Configuring a Windows Server for a VPN
          2. VPN Servers for Linux/Unix
          3. Network Hardware with Built-In VPN Support
        3. VPN Client Software
          1. Configuring Windows for VPN
          2. The Microsoft L2TP/IPsec VPN Client
          3. Making the Connection in Windows
          4. Selecting Windows XP and Vista Options
        4. VPN Clients for Linux/Unix
        5. OpenVPN: A Cross-Platform Alternative
        6. Using a VPN Through a Public Network
      3. Wireless Security
        1. Protecting Your Network and Your Data
        2. Network Name
        3. WEP Encryption
          1. How Many Bits in Your Encryption Key?
          2. Is Your Key ASCII or Hex?
          3. What Are the Options?
          4. Mixing Hex and ASCII Keys
        4. WPA Encryption
          1. PSK Passphrases
          2. Using WPA Encryption
          3. Attacking WPA Security
        5. Access Control (MAC Authentication)
      4. Physical Security
      5. Windows Update and Patches
      6. Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer
      7. Controlling Your Own Users
      8. Denial of Service Attacks
      9. Conclusion
    16. 14. PRINTERS AND OTHER DEVICES ON YOUR NETWORK
      1. How to Connect a Printer to Your Network
        1. External Printer Servers
        2. Wi-Fi Printer Servers
        3. Built-In Printer Servers
        4. Automatic Printer Switches
        5. Using a Computer as a Printer Server
          1. Turning on Printer Sharing on the Network Card
          2. Instructing the Computer Acting as a Printer Server to Share the Printer
          3. Installing the Printer on Each Computer
      2. CUPS: The Common Unix Printing System
      3. All-in-One Devices
    17. 15. OTHER THINGS YOU CAN CONNECT TO YOUR NETWORK
      1. Using a Microphone and Camera with Your Network
        1. Internal and External Controllers
        2. Networked Cameras and Microphones
      2. Home Entertainment Networks
      3. Music Through a Home Network
        1. Audio Servers
          1. General-Purpose Computers
          2. Special-Purpose Music Servers
          3. Audio File Formats
          4. Converting from Analog Sources
        2. Audio Clients
          1. Playing Music Through a Computer
          2. Connecting Your Network to Your Stereo
          3. Dedicated Music Client Devices
          4. Networked Receivers and Internet Radios
      4. Video Through a Home Network
        1. Video Servers
        2. TiVo and Other Digital Video Recorders
          1. Connecting to a Wired Network
          2. Connecting to a Wireless Network
          3. Importing Programs
        3. Playing Video on a Computer
        4. Connecting a TV to Your Network
          1. Connecting Directly to a Computer
          2. Video Output Drivers
          3. Video Scaling
      5. Game Consoles
        1. Connecting a PlayStation
        2. Connecting a Wii
        3. Connecting an Xbox 360
      6. Connecting Home Appliances to Your Network
      7. Home Automation
      8. Remote Sensors and Controls
      9. Bar Code Readers and Remote Data Entry
      10. If You Can Convert It to Digits, You Can Put It on the Network
    18. 16. OTHER NETWORK APPLICATIONS
      1. Remote Desktop
        1. Windows Remote Desktop
          1. Configuring Windows for Remote Desktop Access
          2. Using Remote Desktop
        2. Virtual Network Computing (VNC)
      2. MaxiVista: Adding a Screen
        1. Multiple Monitors
        2. Remote Control
      3. Synchronizing Files
      4. Instant Messaging and Live Communication
        1. Servers vs. Peer-to-Peer Messaging
        2. Internet-Based IM Services
        3. Messaging Through a LAN
        4. Messaging Through a Virtual Private Network
        5. Audio and Video Messaging
    19. 17. TROUBLESHOOTING
      1. General Troubleshooting Techniques
        1. Define the Problem
        2. Look for Simple Solutions First
          1. Restart Everything
          2. Check the Plugs and Cables
          3. Check the AC Power
          4. Check the Settings and Options
        3. Isolate the Problem
        4. Retrace Your Steps
        5. Keep Notes
      2. Viruses and Other Nasties
      3. Other Common Problems
        1. Configuration Settings
        2. DHCP Settings: DNS and Default Gateway
        3. Failed Connection to a Specific Site
      4. An Alternate Connection to the Internet
      5. The Collective Wisdom of the Internet
      6. Software for Troubleshooting
        1. Network Magic
        2. Protocol Analyzers
      7. ISP Problems
      8. Don't Panic
    20. COLOPHON
    21. UPDATES

Product information

  • Title: Network Know-How
  • Author(s):
  • Release date: February 2009
  • Publisher(s): No Starch Press
  • ISBN: 9781593271916