PCs All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies^®, 3rd Edition

by Mark L. Chambers (Columbia, Missouri)

• ISBN13: 9780471770824
• ISBN10: 0471770825
• Edition: 3rd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-01-01
• Publisher: For Dummies

Summary

Your one-stop guide to a long and happy relationship with your PC Mark Chambers doesn't believe computers are supposed to be complicated, and this book proves it. Here you'll find the straightforward scoop on using and enjoying your PC, whether it's your first one or your fifth. From using Microsoft Works and getting online to digital multimedia, problem-solving, and network security, it's all at your fingertips! Discover how to: Use the different ports on your PC Troubleshoot Windows XP Listen to Internet radio Use Microsoft Works and Office 2003 Make movies and DVDs Set up and secure a network

Author Biography

<b>Mark L. Chambers</b> (Columbia, MO) has been an author, computer consultant, programmer, and hardware technician for the past 15 years. Mark has published over 30 computer books, including <i>Building a PC For Dummies, 4^th Edition; iMac For Dummies, 4^th Edition; Mac OS &#8220;X&#8221; Tiger All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies;</i> C<i>D &amp; DVD Recording For Dummies, 2^nd Edition;</i> and <i>Scanners For Dummies, 2^nd Edition.</i>

Table of Contents

Introduction	1	(1)
What's Really Required	1	(1)
What's Not Required	2	(1)
About This Book	2	(1)
Conventions Used in This Book	2	(1)
Stuff that you type	2	(1)
Menu commands	3	(1)
Display messages	3	(1)
How This Book Is Organized	3	(1)
Book I: PC Hardware	3	(1)
Book II: Windows XP	3	(1)
Book III: The Internet	3	(1)
Book IV: Microsoft Works	4	(1)
Book V: Office 2003	4	(1)
Book VI: Fun with Movies, Music, and Photos	4	(1)
Book VII: Upgrading and Supercharging	4	(1)
Book VIII: Home Networking	4	(1)
Icons Used in This Book	4	(3)
Book I: PC Hardware	7	(54)
Starting with the Basics	9	(14)
Defining Basic Terms	9	(4)
Hardware	10	(1)
Software	11	(1)
Peripherals	12	(1)
The Common Components of a Desktop PC	13	(5)
The computer	13	(3)
The monitor	16	(1)
The keyboard and mouse	16	(2)
Speakers	18	(1)
Desktop PCs versus Laptop PCs	18	(1)
RAM and Processors: The Keys to Performance	19	(1)
Your Friend, Your Operating System	20	(3)
Additional Toys Your PC Will Enjoy	23	(16)
Printers	24	(4)
Inkjet versus laser printers	24	(2)
Photo printers	26	(1)
Label printers	27	(1)
Scanners	28	(2)
Keyboards, Tablets, and Pointing Things	30	(2)
Tickling keys wirelessly	30	(1)
Putting a tablet to work	30	(1)
Repeat after me: Buy a trackball!	31	(1)
Big-Time Game Controllers	32	(1)
Video and Digital Cameras	33	(2)
External Drives	35	(3)
Portable hard drives and CD/DVD recorders	35	(1)
Backup drives	36	(1)
USB flash drives	37	(1)
Surge Protectors and UPS Units	38	(1)
Connectors, Ports, and Sundry Openings	39	(8)
Using USB Stuff	39	(2)
Riding in the Fast Lane with FireWire	41	(1)
Your Antique Serial Port	42	(1)
The Once-Renowned Parallel Port	42	(1)
Meet Your Video Port	43	(1)
Audio Connectors You'll Likely Need	44	(1)
Keyboard and Mouse Ports on Parade	45	(2)
Maintaining Your Hardware	47	(14)
When Should I Move My PC?	47	(1)
Avoiding Dust Bunnies	48	(1)
Watching Your Cables	49	(1)
Cleaning Monitors and Scanners	50	(1)
Cleaning Your Mouse and Keyboard	51	(1)
Cleaning and Maintaining Your Printer	51	(10)
Cleaning laser printers	52	(1)
Changing inkjet cartridges	53	(2)
Calibrating your printer	55	(2)
Cleaning inkjet cartridges	57	(1)
Should you refill used inkjet cartridges?	58	(3)
Book II: Windows XP	61	(154)
Shake Hands with Windows XP	63	(18)
Why Windows XP, Anyway?	64	(1)
Shutting Things Down	65	(2)
Shutting down completely	65	(1)
Restarting your PC	66	(1)
Using standby mode	66	(1)
Yes, your PC can hibernate	67	(1)
Logging off	67	(1)
Your Windows XP Controls	67	(6)
Icons	68	(1)
That constantly changing cursor	68	(1)
The Start menu	69	(2)
The taskbar	71	(1)
Menus and toolbars	72	(1)
Using Bill's Funky Keys	73	(2)
The Windows keys	74	(1)
The Shortcut key	74	(1)
Other PC-specific keys	75	(1)
Using the Windows XP Help System	75	(6)
Displaying Help	76	(1)
Searching for specific help	77	(1)
Yelling for assistance	78	(3)
The Many Windows of Windows	81	(18)
Managing Windows Means Productivity	81	(7)
Opening and closing windows	82	(1)
Scrolling windows	83	(2)
Minimizing and restoring windows	85	(1)
Maximizing and restoring windows	86	(1)
Moving windows	86	(1)
Resizing windows	87	(1)
Switching windows	87	(1)
A Field Guide to Icons	88	(6)
Hardware icons	89	(1)
Program icons	90	(1)
File icons	90	(2)
Folder icon	92	(1)
Shortcut icons	93	(1)
System icons	94	(1)
Selecting Icons	94	(3)
Selecting a single icon	95	(1)
Selecting multiple contiguous icons by dragging	95	(1)
Selecting multiple contiguous icons by clicking	96	(1)
Selecting multiple separated icons by clicking	97	(1)
Using the Toolbar	97	(2)
Windows XP Basics	99	(26)
Running Applications from the Start Menu	100	(1)
Running Applications from Your Hard Drive	101	(1)
Running Applications from a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM	102	(1)
Running Applications from a Network Drive	103	(1)
Exiting a Program	103	(1)
Putting Your Files in Order	104	(5)
Copying and moving stuff	105	(2)
Creating a new folder	107	(1)
Deleting stuff with mouse and keyboard	107	(1)
Displaying properties	108	(1)
Renaming items	109	(1)
Emptying the Recycle Bin	109	(1)
Recovering Items from the Recycle Bin	110	(1)
Putting the Start Menu through Its Paces	111	(6)
Tossing the Recent Applications list	111	(1)
Using the Run item	112	(1)
Accessing printers and faxes	113	(2)
Working with your network	115	(1)
Configuring the Start menu	116	(1)
Handling the Taskbar	117	(4)
Switching programs	117	(1)
Controlling the notification area	118	(1)
Adding Quick Launch icons	119	(1)
Configuring the taskbar	120	(1)
Terminating a Program with Prejudice	121	(1)
Formatting a Floppy Disk	122	(3)
Customizing Windows XP	125	(28)
Personalizing Your Desktop	126	(3)
Changing the background	126	(1)
Using themes	127	(1)
Changing system sounds	128	(1)
Switching Views and Sorting Items	129	(6)
Adjusting toolbars	130	(1)
Using the Explorer bar	131	(3)
And don't forget the Folders view!	134	(1)
What's This Stuff in the My Documents Folder?	135	(1)
Share the Documents	136	(1)
Using Favorites	136	(2)
Adding a favorite	137	(1)
Organizing favorites	137	(1)
Creating a Shortcut	138	(1)
Multi-user Operation	139	(3)
Logging in	140	(1)
Be my guest	141	(1)
Fax Me, Please	142	(4)
Setting up faxing under Windows XP	142	(2)
Sending and receiving faxes	144	(2)
Doing the Multimedia Thing	146	(7)
Playing your MP3 files	146	(1)
Viewing and downloading digital photographs	147	(2)
Recording your own CDs	149	(2)
Watching a DVD movie	151	(2)
Maintaining the XP Beast	153	(24)
Device Manager: The Hardware Tool	153	(3)
Checking Your Hard Drives in Windows XP	156	(2)
Defragmenting Just Plain Rocks	158	(3)
Be Smart: Back Up Your Stuff	161	(5)
Safeguarding Your System with System Restore	166	(2)
Have At Thee, Foul Virus!	168	(2)
Windows XP Boot and Recovery Options	170	(2)
Using Safe mode	170	(1)
Using the Last Good Configuration	170	(1)
Using ASR	171	(1)
Using Windows Update	172	(5)
The fully automatic way	172	(1)
The (somewhat) manual way	173	(4)
Taking Control of the Control Panel	177	(26)
But First, Put the Control Panel on the Start Menu!	178	(2)
Configuring the Date and Time	180	(1)
The Time Zone tab	180	(1)
The Internet Time tab	180	(1)
Changing Display Settings	181	(3)
The Themes tab	182	(1)
The Desktop tab	182	(1)
The Screen Saver tab	182	(1)
The Appearance tab	183	(1)
The Settings tab	183	(1)
Scheduling Tasks	184	(2)
Adjusting the Power Options	186	(3)
The Power Schemes tab	186	(2)
The Advanced tab	188	(1)
The Hibernate tab	188	(1)
The UPS tab	188	(1)
Tweaking the Keyboard	189	(1)
The Speed tab	189	(1)
The Hardware tab	189	(1)
Adjusting Thy Mouse	190	(1)
Configuring Internet Properties	191	(6)
The General tab	191	(1)
The Security tab	192	(1)
The Privacy tab	193	(1)
The Content tab	194	(1)
The Connections tab	195	(1)
The Programs tab	196	(1)
The Advanced tab	197	(1)
Adding or Removing Programs	197	(3)
Fine-Tuning User Accounts	200	(1)
Configuring Phone and Modem Options	201	(2)
The Dialing Rules tab	201	(1)
The Modems tab	202	(1)
The Advanced tab	202	(1)
Easy XP Troubleshooting	203	(12)
Relax and Breathe Easy	203	(1)
The Troubleshooting Process, Step by Step	204	(6)
Drastic Things That You Won't Do Often	210	(2)
Using Automated System Recovery	210	(1)
Re-installing Windows XP	210	(2)
HELP! Additional Troubleshooting Resources	212	(3)
The Windows XP Help system	212	(1)
Microsoft tech support	213	(1)
The Microsoft Web site	213	(1)
Those unsupported newsgroups	214	(1)
Book III: The Internet	215	(92)
Making Sense of the Internet	217	(14)
Exactly What Is the Internet, Anyway?	217	(2)
Exploring the Possibilities of Your Internet Connection	219	(7)
Exploring the potential of the Web	219	(2)
Communicating via e-mail	221	(2)
File transferring via FTP	223	(1)
Communicating with instant messaging	223	(1)
Reading newsgroups	224	(1)
Using Web cams and Web videoconferencing	225	(1)
Listening to music over the Internet	226	(1)
Understanding Internet Connections	226	(3)
Dialup connections	226	(1)
ISDN connections	227	(1)
DSL connections	227	(1)
Cable modem connections	228	(1)
Satellite connections	229	(1)
So What Exactly Do I Need?	229	(2)
Adding a Dialup Connection to Windows XP	231	(8)
Gathering the Incantations	231	(1)
Making the Physical Connection	232	(1)
Creating a New Connection in Windows XP	233	(3)
Is My Connection Alive?	236	(1)
My Connection Appears to Be Dead	237	(2)
Protecting Your Internet Privacy	239	(14)
So What Can Really Happen?	239	(2)
Common Sense Goes a Long Way	241	(5)
Passwords	241	(1)
Risky behavior	242	(3)
E-mail	245	(1)
Your Friend, the Firewall	246	(4)
Using the built-in XP firewall	248	(1)
Commercial firewall alternatives	249	(1)
Using Antivirus Software	250	(3)
Cruising the Web with Internet Explorer	253	(18)
Running Internet Explorer	253	(1)
The Explorer Window and Basic Controls	254	(5)
More buttons for your buck	256	(2)
Finding a home page	258	(1)
Navigating the Web	259	(4)
Simplifying surfing with Favorites	259	(2)
Searching for the hay in the needlestack	261	(2)
Downloading Files	263	(3)
Keeping Track of Where You've Been	266	(1)
Printing and Saving Web Pages	267	(4)
Putting the Web in print	267	(1)
Saving the best (for last)	268	(3)
Harnessing Your E-Mail	271	(22)
Introducing the Outlook Express Window	272	(3)
Setting Up Your Mailbox	275	(3)
The Three R's: Receiving, Reading, and Replying	278	(3)
Sending E-Mail to Friends and Enemies	281	(3)
Sending and Receiving File Attachments	284	(2)
Spam: I Hate It! Truly I Do!	286	(2)
Working with the Address Book	288	(3)
``Hey, Who Are You Now?''	291	(2)
Instant Messaging Done Right	293	(14)
Selecting a Chat Client	293	(2)
AIM	294	(1)
ICQ	294	(1)
Running Windows Messenger	295	(1)
Configuring Windows Messenger	296	(2)
Keeping Track of Friends and Family	298	(2)
Chatting with Your Brethren	300	(3)
Selecting a Status	303	(1)
Squelching the Unwelcome Few	304	(3)
Book IV: Microsoft Works	307	(68)
An Overview of Works	309	(10)
What Can I Do with Works?	309	(6)
Word processing	310	(1)
Spreadsheets	311	(1)
Calendar	312	(1)
To Dos	313	(1)
Databases	314	(1)
Introducing the Task Launcher	315	(1)
Displaying Help within Works	316	(3)
Word Processing in Works	319	(16)
Running the Word Processor	319	(1)
Your Word Processing Tools	320	(1)
Typing Text	321	(1)
Selecting and Editing Text	322	(1)
Finding and Replacing Stuff	323	(2)
Formatting Fonts and Paragraphs	325	(2)
Formatting Bullets and Numbered Lists	327	(1)
Adding Graphics	328	(2)
Adding Tables	330	(1)
Checking Your Spelling	331	(1)
Printing Your Documents	332	(3)
Working with Spreadsheets	335	(16)
Running the Spreadsheet	335	(1)
Introducing the Spreadsheet Window	336	(1)
A Word about Works Spreadsheets	337	(1)
Navigating the Spreadsheet and Entering Data	338	(1)
Selecting and Editing Cells	339	(1)
Formatting a Cell, Row, or Column	340	(4)
Choosing a number format	341	(1)
Changing cell alignment	342	(1)
Changing the text formatting	342	(1)
Formatting the borders	343	(1)
Choosing shading options	343	(1)
Inserting and Deleting Rows and Columns	344	(1)
Using Easy Calc	344	(3)
Adding a Chart	347	(1)
Printing Your Documents	348	(3)
Using the Works Calendar	351	(12)
Checking Out the Calendar	351	(2)
Selecting a Calendar View	353	(1)
Creating a New Calendar	354	(1)
Adding and Editing Appointments	355	(2)
Searching for Specific Appointments	357	(1)
Filtering Appointments	358	(1)
Exporting Appointments	359	(2)
Printing Appointments	361	(2)
Having Fun with Works Database	363	(12)
Getting Started with Works Database	363	(3)
Whoops! What's this dialog box mean?	364	(1)
Elements of the Works Database window	365	(1)
Creating a Database and Entering Data	366	(3)
Editing a Database	369	(1)
Sorting and Searching for Specific Records	370	(1)
Building Reports	371	(2)
Printing Database Documents	373	(2)
Book V: Office 2003	375	(134)
Introducing Office 2003	377	(12)
The Components of Office 2003	377	(7)
Word 2003	378	(1)
Excel	379	(2)
PowerPoint	381	(1)
Access	382	(1)
Outlook	383	(1)
Putting the Office Clipboard to Work	384	(1)
Sharing Well with Others	385	(2)
Using the Office Help System	387	(2)
Displaying the Help system	387	(1)
The three links of justice	388	(1)
That silly paper clip, Clippit	388	(1)
Using Word	389	(30)
Running Word	390	(1)
The Elements of Word	390	(3)
A Word about the Views	393	(3)
Normal view	393	(1)
Outline view	393	(1)
Print Layout view	394	(1)
Web Layout view	394	(1)
Reading Layout view	395	(1)
Typing, Selecting, and Editing Text	396	(2)
Typing like the wind	396	(1)
Selecting what you will	397	(1)
Editing text in Word	397	(1)
Finding and Replacing Stuff	398	(2)
Building Tables	400	(2)
Adding Bulleted and Numbered Lists	402	(1)
Adjusting Tabs and Margins	403	(3)
Setting margins with the ruler	403	(1)
Setting margins from the menu	404	(1)
Setting tabs with the ruler	405	(1)
Setting tabs from the menu	405	(1)
Applying Formatting	406	(4)
Font formatting	406	(2)
Paragraph formatting	408	(1)
Using AutoFormat	409	(1)
Adding Graphics	410	(2)
Doing the Collaboration Thing	412	(3)
Using revision marks	412	(1)
Using Comments	413	(1)
Using highlighting	414	(1)
Printing Your Document	415	(1)
Creating Web Pages with Word	416	(3)
Putting Excel to Work	419	(24)
Running Excel	420	(1)
Waltzing Around the Excel Window	420	(2)
Selecting, Entering, and Editing Cell Data	422	(3)
Filling a cell to the top	422	(1)
Moving around the worksheet	423	(1)
Selecting cells the easy way	423	(1)
Editing cell contents	424	(1)
Working with Numbers and Dates	425	(2)
Working with Rows and Columns	427	(2)
Resizing rows and columns	427	(1)
Inserting blank cells	427	(1)
Inserting cells from the Clipboard	428	(1)
Inserting rows and columns	429	(1)
Formatting in Excel	429	(3)
Font formatting	430	(1)
Cell alignment	430	(1)
Changing borders and shading	431	(1)
The Basics of Excel Formulas	432	(3)
Working with Graphics in Excel	435	(2)
Adding a Chart	437	(2)
Linking Cells	439	(1)
Adding Headers and Footers	440	(1)
Printing Your Worksheets	441	(2)
Performing with PowerPoint	443	(26)
Getting Your Bearings in PowerPoint	444	(2)
Changing Views	446	(2)
Normal view	446	(1)
Slide Sorter view	446	(1)
Notes Page view	447	(1)
Slide Show view	447	(1)
Creating Slides	448	(2)
Inserting slides	449	(1)
Inserting a document	450	(1)
Typing, Selecting, and Editing Text	450	(4)
Adding text	451	(1)
Moving within text fields	451	(1)
Selecting text and objects	452	(1)
Editing text	453	(1)
Moving slide elements	453	(1)
Installing Graphics in Your Slides	454	(1)
Applying Templates and Schemes	455	(3)
Entering Notes	458	(1)
Using Movies and Sound	459	(1)
Building and Running a Slide Show	460	(2)
Making a Transition 'twixt Slides	462	(2)
Using Package for CD	464	(2)
Printing Your Document	466	(3)
Doing Database Magic with Access	469	(18)
Running Access	470	(1)
A Quick Tour of the Access Window	470	(2)
Creating Tables with the Wizard	472	(4)
Creating a Form with the Wizard	476	(5)
Entering and Editing Fields Manually	481	(1)
Using Queries	482	(2)
Using Access Templates	484	(1)
Printing Your Data	485	(2)
Staying in Touch with Outlook	487	(22)
Running Outlook	488	(1)
Elements of the Outlook Window	488	(2)
Configuring Your Mail Account	490	(3)
Reading and Replying to E-Mail	493	(4)
Composing and Sending Messages	497	(1)
Using File Attachments	498	(2)
Keeping Track of Your Contacts	500	(3)
Entering a contact	501	(1)
Editing a contact	502	(1)
Using the Outlook Calendar	503	(3)
Creating an appointment	504	(2)
Displaying appointments in Outlook Today	506	(1)
Printing within Outlook	506	(3)
Book VI: Fun with Movies, Music, and Photos	509	(90)
Scanning with Gusto	511	(20)
What Happens Inside a Scanner?	512	(1)
Your Friend, the Flatbed	513	(2)
Popular Scanner Features	515	(1)
Basic Scanning with Paint Shop Pro	516	(9)
Acquiring the image	516	(5)
Rotating and cropping images	521	(2)
Converting and saving the image	523	(2)
Scanning Do's and Don'ts	525	(1)
Those Irritating (Or Invaluable) Copyrights	526	(1)
Adding a Copyright Line	527	(4)
Dude, MP3 Rocks!	531	(14)
An MP3 Primer	532	(1)
Ripping Your Own MP3 Files	533	(4)
Listening to Your Stuff	537	(2)
Downloading to an MP3 Player	539	(1)
Using Other Sound Formats	540	(2)
WAV format	540	(1)
WMA format	541	(1)
AAC format	541	(1)
AU format	541	(1)
AIFF format	541	(1)
MIDI format	541	(1)
Burning Audio CDs from MP3 Files	542	(3)
Making Movies with Your PC	545	(18)
Getting the Lowdown on ArcSoft's ShowBiz DVD 2	545	(2)
Rounding Up Clips and Images	547	(2)
Building Your First Movie	549	(3)
Adding Transitions without Breaking a Sweat	552	(1)
Adding Special Effects without Paying George Lucas	553	(3)
Adding Sound	556	(1)
You've Just Gotta Have Titles!	557	(1)
Previewing Your Oscar-Winning Work	558	(1)
Saving and Burning Before Traveling to Cannes	559	(4)
Creating a digital video file on your hard drive	560	(2)
Recording your own DVD	562	(1)
I Can Make My Own DVDs?	563	(18)
Welcome to MyDVD	564	(2)
Menus 'R Easy!	566	(8)
Changing the Look of Your Menus	574	(2)
Time to Preview	576	(1)
Burning Your DVD and Celebrating Afterward	577	(4)
I'm Okay, You're a Digital Camera	581	(18)
How Does a Digital Camera Work?	582	(2)
The Pros and Cons of Digital Photography	584	(3)
Digital Camera Extras to Covet	587	(2)
External card readers	587	(1)
Rechargeable batteries	588	(1)
Lenses	588	(1)
Tripods	589	(1)
The Lazy-Man's Guide to Composing Photographs	589	(5)
The Rule of Thirds	590	(1)
The Rule of Asymmetry	591	(1)
Using lighting creatively	592	(2)
Organizing Your Pictures	594	(1)
Downloading Your Images	594	(5)
Book VII: Upgrading and Supercharging	599	(48)
Determining What to Upgrade	601	(8)
Making Performance Upgrades: CPU, Motherboard, and Memory	602	(1)
Upgrading your CPU and motherboard	602	(1)
Adding memory	603	(1)
Expansion Upgrades: USB 2.0 and FireWire	603	(1)
Making Storage Upgrades: Internal and External Drives	604	(2)
Adding a hard drive	604	(1)
Adding a recorder or a tape drive	605	(1)
Making Sound and Video Upgrades: Sound and Video Cards	606	(3)
Sound cards on parade	607	(1)
Deciding which video card is right for you	607	(2)
Adding RAM to Your Hot Rod	609	(6)
Figuring Out What Type of Memory You Need	609	(3)
DDR	610	(1)
DDR2	610	(1)
RDRAM	610	(1)
SDRAM	610	(1)
EDO	611	(1)
Deciding How Much RAM Is Enough	612	(1)
Installing Extra RAM	612	(3)
Scotty, I Need More Power!	615	(8)
Hey, Do I Need to Do This?	615	(2)
Selecting a New Motherboard	617	(1)
Installing a Motherboard and CPU	618	(5)
Installing an Athlon 64 or Pentium 4 CPU	618	(2)
Installing your motherboard	620	(3)
Adding Hard Drive Territory to Your System	623	(10)
The Tale of Virtual Memory	623	(2)
Recognizing a Well-Dressed Hard Drive	625	(2)
Size definitely does matter	625	(1)
How fast is your access?	626	(1)
What does rpm have to do with hard drives?	626	(1)
Internal versus External Storage	627	(1)
Adding a Second Internal Hard Drive	628	(5)
Partying with USB, FireWire, and Hubs	633	(6)
Comparing USB Ports	633	(2)
I Vote for FireWire	635	(1)
Or Do You Just Need a Hub?	635	(1)
Installing a Port Card	636	(3)
Pumping Up Your Sound and Video	639	(8)
Sound Card Features to Covet	639	(3)
3-D spatial imaging	640	(1)
Surround sound support	640	(1)
MP3 encoding support	640	(1)
Game and FireWire ports	641	(1)
MIDI ports	641	(1)
Shopping for a Monster Graphics Card	642	(3)
Pray, what slot do you need?	642	(1)
Exploring the differences between chipsets	643	(1)
Other video card features that you'll want	644	(1)
Installing Sound and Video Cards	645	(2)
Book VIII: Home Networking	647	(58)
Do I Really Need a Network?	649	(8)
Discovering the Advantages of a Network	649	(3)
File transfer	649	(1)
Sharing that there Internet	650	(1)
One word: Games!	651	(1)
Shared documents and applications	652	(1)
What Can I Connect To?	652	(1)
What Hardware Do I Need?	653	(1)
What Software Do I Need?	654	(1)
To Network or Not to Network	655	(2)
Ethernet to the Rescue	657	(20)
A Quickie Ethernet Primer	657	(2)
Hardware That You'll Need	659	(3)
Cables	659	(1)
Hubs	660	(1)
NICs	661	(1)
Switches	661	(1)
Doing the Cable Dance	662	(1)
Configuring Windows XP for Your Network	663	(7)
Ah, sweet DHCP	663	(4)
Browsing the neighborhood	667	(1)
Sharing folders and documents	668	(2)
Printing across the Network	670	(3)
Using a Standard Switch with a Cable or DSL Modem	673	(1)
Troubleshooting Your Network	674	(3)
Windows XP doesn't recognize my NIC	674	(1)
No lights show up on my network card(s) or switch	675	(1)
Nothing shows up when I browse	675	(1)
I can't connect (or print) to a shared printer	676	(1)
Going Wireless	677	(10)
Understanding Wireless Networking	677	(6)
How does wireless compare with wired?	677	(1)
The standards involved	678	(4)
AC and phone line networking	682	(1)
Using Wireless Hardware in Windows XP	683	(4)
Preparing to install	684	(1)
Installation tricks	684	(1)
Making the connection	685	(2)
Sharing Your Internet Connection	687	(8)
Why Share Your Internet Connection?	687	(1)
Sharing through Software in Windows XP	688	(2)
Sharing through Hardware	690	(5)
Wired sharing devices	691	(2)
Wireless sharing devices	693	(2)
Securing Your Home Network	695	(10)
Common Sense Tips for Wired Networks	695	(3)
Ensuring Security on Your Wireless Network	698	(1)
Using Shared Folders (The Right Way)	699	(1)
Why You Need NAT	700	(1)
The Magic of Virtual Private Networking	701	(4)
Index	705