Network Know-How: An Essential Guide for the Accidental Admin

by John Ross

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:

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. .

Genres: Computers, Technology, Computer Science

288 pages, Paperback

First published February 11, 2009

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name. This is John^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^Ross (15 spaces)

John Ross (1947- ) specializes in explaining complex technical subjects to non-technical readers; author of more than a dozen books about computers, networks, and the Internet.

Reviews

[Inward · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading this book was a firm reminder to check the dates before reading tech books. It is a good book to get started with networking for the complete novice. Very well written and easy read. The practical examples were completely outdated.

[Jorgon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ten years ago, and for an absolute noob to networks, it would have been 5 stars. Nowadays, in need of a serious update (most of the top-end state-of-the-art technologies described herein are either obsolete or completely mainstream) but the chapter on security is still worthwhile (there aren't enough chapters on network security in popular texts... :) )

[Sufen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Useful for basic introduction if you are working with networks. Some of the technology is antiquated, but the overall concepts are still very much relevant to build on with the newer technology.

[Michael Ghatas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid ground for newbies to start with networking. However, the examples were outdated.

[Gabi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nicest little diagram on what goes before and after the packets as they move between computers -- page 12.

Chapter 13, on network security, is solid gold. I never knew that such a thing as a local VPN existed, and I didn't know about the Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer either. The rest of the book is more like a handy little survey of what you'd find on the internets anyway, but don't underestimate how helpful it is to have all that in one package, printed on paper.

I'm not giving it five stars because after it scared me stiff with how unsecure even WPA2 is, it dispatched OpenVPN in one quick paragraph. Thanks.

[Isk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would have liked a more detailed explanation of TCP/IP (and at least a mention of UDP), and how the Internet works... But I guess that wasn't the point of the book.