Networking For Dummies

Company just hooked you up to a network and you’re wondering what the heck you’re supposed to do with it? Tired of burning spreadsheets onto CDs just so you can share them with coworkers, and you’re wondering what it’ll take to set up a network in your organization? Been tasked with setting up a network and you don’t have a clue about where to begin? Don’t fret, you’ll find all the answers you’re looking for in Networking for Dummies.

Written for even the most network-shy novice, it begins with the most basic of basics—“A network is nothing more than two or more computers connected by a cable (or wireless adapter) so that they can share information”—and progresses through all the essentials, from cables, routers and hubs to building a wireless network. In clear, simple language, peppered with enough wry quips and jabs at the cult of IT to make it fun, Doug Lowe walks you through:

• What a network is and how to use it
• How to build a wired or wireless network
• How to secure and optimize a network
• How to troubleshoot a network
• Safely connecting a network to the Internet
• Networking with all major operating systems

This new edition of the bestselling guide features extensive updates on the latest networking tools and trends—including new Windows Vista and Server 2003 R2—the latest broadband options, new storage and back-ups, and an all new-chapter on VoIP and Internet telephony.

Doug Lowe has written a whole bunch of computer books, including more than 40 For Dummies books (such as PowerPoint 2007 For Dummies, Word 2007 All-In-One Desk Reference For Dummies, and Networking All-In-One Desk Reference For Dummies). He lives in that sunny All-American city of Fresno, California, which isn’t nearly as close to San Francisco as most people think, with his wife and his youngest daughter (the other two have flown the coop), and a couple of crazy dogs. He manages the network for an engineering firm in Clovis, CA, and in his free time creates computer-controlled Halloween decorations that rival Disney’s Haunted Mansion. Maybe his next book should be Computer-Controlled Halloween Props For Dummies. (For pictures, check out his Web site at www.LoweWriter.com/halloween.)