Expert tips for wireless gear
Wireless Hacks
Rob Flickenger
O’Reilly & Associates, $24.95
According to Rob Flickenger, author of the new Wireless Hacks, wireless networking is simply magic.
“Right where you are sitting now, there could be dozens of wireless data networks slinging information to the far corners of the Earth,” says Flickenger. “The information flows all around you without you seeing or hearing a thing.
“Make no mistake, wireless networking is probably the second most magical technology on the planet — just behind the Internet.”
Written for the intermediate to advanced wireless user, “Wireless Hacks” is full of direct, practical solutions to real-world networking problems.
“Wireless Hacks” offers 100 tips about wireless networking, contributed by experts.
The book includes “hacks” on extending range, optimizing performance, providing services on a large scale, and making your own antenna.
Wireless Hacks covers several wireless technologies, including 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, Bluetooth, and GPRS.
In addition to showing what is possible with off-the-shelf hardware, Wireless Hacks shows readers how to extend that hardware beyond the original manufacturers’ intentions.
When standard access point hardware isn’t enough, the book covers everything you need to know to build a custom access point.
The book also covers such things as: Making sense of 802.11 standards; understanding which technology makes sense for solving a particular problem; using Bluetooth, mobile radios, mobile data networks, and other exotic methods to keep you connected, no matter where you are; practical methods for detecting, analyzing, and monitoring wireless networks; extending the range of your network, and making the best possible use of the available radio spectrum; designing and building your own antennas; engineering network links that span several miles; understanding security issues; and protecting yourself and your users from unauthorized access and eavesdropping.
PC Hardware in a Nutshell, Third Edition
Robert Bruce Thompson, Barbara
Fritchman Thompson
O’Reilly & Associates, $39.95
The third edition of the book now contains information for people running either Windows or Linux operating systems.
Written for novices and seasoned professionals alike, the book promises unbiased information, including how-to advice for specific components, reference material, and a comprehensive case study on building a PC.
The Thompsons wrote the first edition of the book when Robert tried to find an answer to a simple problem: He wanted to buy a CD burner, and wanted clear information on how to choose, install, configure, and use a CD burner. He found a surprising lack of useful information.
In addition to coverage of the fundamentals and general tips about working on PCs, the book includes chapters focusing on motherboards, processors, memory, floppies, hard drives, optical drives, tape devices, video devices, input devices, audio components, communications, power supplies, and maintenance.
Special emphasis is given to upgrading and troubleshooting existing equipment to get the most from existing investments.
