The Book of Wireless (2nd Edition)
Author: John Ross
Pages: 336
Publisher: No Starch Press
ISBN: 1593271697
Introduction
In the last couple of years Wi-Fi has become a household name and wireless networks are now practically everywhere. Despite the proliferation of wireless Internet access, there’s still a large user base not knowledgeable about the technology and how it works. To clear things up comes the second edition of “The Book of Wireless” by No Starch Press, offering a wealth of information on the subject.
About the author
John Ross has worked as a consultant on wired and wireless networking for several manufacturers, including Motorola and AT&T. He is the author of more than two dozen books.
Inside the book
The book kicks off with a general introduction to networking and wireless networks, after which Ross shows you how Wi-Fi works and what hardware you need for it. The book covers both indoor and outdoor setups and presents advice on how to prepare for inevitable bad weather. When it comes to configuration and setup for Windows users, a lot of ground is covered and reading this part will certainly get you up and running.
Potential remote workers will find the chapter on Virtual Private Networks quite informative. The author manages to make the subject very clear and offers instructions for Windows users and points those on Linux on where to download appropriate software for their operating system.
The last part of the book offers a variety of tips that will ease your troubleshooting sessions. It contains more than 20 pieces of advice that will probably come in handy when you experience inevitable problems with your network.
My 2 cents
This book is aimed at users of different levels of knowledge, from the beginner that wants a first-rate understanding of how wireless networks work to the intermediate user that will be interested in learning about long range point-to-point links and Wi-Fi on Linux and UNIX.
Throughout the title Ross offers numerous helpful notes and that, combined with a variety of screenshots and figures, complements the material and makes it easier to understand.
The Book of Wireless (2nd Edition) offers first-rate knowledge to anyone interested in learning more about wireless networking, whether they’re running Windows, Linux or Mac OS X.