Wireless Network Hacks & Mods For Dummies

by Unknown

• ISBN13: 9780764595837
• ISBN10: 0764595830
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-09-30
• Publisher: For Dummies

Summary

Fun projects and valuable content join forces to enable readers to turn their wireless home network into a high-performance wireless infrastructure capable of entertainment networking and even home automation Step-by-step instructions help readers find, buy, and install the latest and greatest wireless equipment The authors are home tech gurus and offer detailed discussion on the next-generation wireless gear that will move the wireless LAN beyond computers and into telephony, entertainment, home automation/control, and even automotive networking The number of wireless LAN users in North America is expected to grow from 4.2 million current users to more than 31 million by 2007

Author Biography

Danny Briere founded TeleChoice, Inc., a telecommunications consulting company, in 1985 and now serves as CEO of the company. Widely known throughout the telecommunications and networking industry, Danny has written more than one thousand articles about telecommunications topics and has authored or edited nine books, including Internet Telephony For Dummies, Smart Homes For Dummies, Wireless Home Networking For Dummies, and Home Theater For Dummies. He is frequently quoted by leading publications on telecommunications and technology topics and can often be seen on major TV networks providing analysis on the latest communications news and breakthroughs.

Pat Hurley is a consultant with TeleChoice, Inc., who specializes in emerging telecommunications technologies, particularly all the latest access and home technologies, including wireless LANs, DSL, cable modems, satellite services, and home-networking services. Pat frequently consults with the leading telecommunications carriers, equipment vendors, consumer goods manufacturers, and other players in the telecommunications and consumer electronics industries. Pat is the coauthor of Internet Telephony For Dummies, Smart Homes For Dummies, Wireless Home Networking For Dummies, and Home Theater For Dummies.

Table of Contents

Introduction	1	(1)
About This Book	1	(1)
System Requirements	2	(1)
How This Book Is Organized	3	(2)
Part I: Making Your World Wireless	3	(1)
Part II: Boosting Performance on Your Wireless Network	4	(1)
Part III: Wireless on the Go	4	(1)
Part IV: Cool Wireless Toys	4	(1)
Part V: The Part of Tens	4	(1)
Icons Used in This Book	5	(1)
Where to Go from Here	5	(2)
Part I: Making Your World Wireless	7	(64)
Wireless Inside Everything!	9	(14)
Wireless Networks Are Everywhere	10	(6)
Feeling at home with wireless	10	(1)
Offices	11	(2)
Hot spots and beyond	13	(3)
Wireless Gear: The New Standard	16	(6)
In computers	16	(1)
In TVs	17	(1)
In A/V equipment	18	(1)
In cellphones	19	(1)
In cars	20	(1)
On planes	21	(1)
To Wireless Infinity and Beyond!	22	(1)
Wireless Network Basics	23	(16)
Introducing the 802.11s	24	(1)
Easy as a, b, g	25	(14)
802.11b: The old standby	26	(2)
802.11g: The new champ	28	(2)
802.11a: Still hanging in there	30	(2)
a, b, and g compared	32	(1)
Oh my, Wi-Fi	32	(1)
Get an ``i'' for security	33	(2)
Gimme an ``e'' for service quality	35	(1)
``n'' for the future	36	(3)
Wireless LAN Infrastructure	39	(16)
What's in Your Network?	40	(1)
Jacking into Your Network	40	(15)
I see your (access) point	41	(3)
Network interface adapters for client stations	44	(5)
Routers and gateways	49	(4)
Network bridges	53	(2)
Wi-Fi and Broadband Connections	55	(16)
Extending Broadband into the Home	56	(3)
Availability	56	(1)
Affordability	57	(1)
Who really needs broadband anyway?	58	(1)
What to Look for in Broadband Service	59	(3)
Picking a Technology	62	(9)
Wither DSL with 802.11?	63	(3)
Cable moves with wireless	66	(1)
Getting the dish out on satellite and wireless	67	(3)
Tapping into metro wireless networks	70	(1)
Part II: Boosting Performance on Your Wireless Network	71	(76)
Combining Wired and Wireless Networks	73	(16)
Connecting Your Networks Together	74	(5)
Understanding IP networking	75	(2)
Private subnets	77	(2)
Understanding Your Home Router	79	(5)
Managing your IP addresses	79	(1)
Cascading APs from a central router	80	(2)
Separating your networks	82	(2)
Bridging Wireless Networks Together	84	(2)
Bridging Other Networks to Your Wireless LAN	86	(3)
Better Living Through Network Monitoring	89	(20)
Understanding Network Monitoring	90	(4)
Figuring out the wireless ropes	90	(3)
Deciphering the metrics	93	(1)
Doing Basic Monitoring	94	(4)
Using Windows XP	95	(2)
Using Mac OS X	97	(1)
Using wireless client software	97	(1)
Using Free ``Stumblers''	98	(8)
Network Stumbler	99	(6)
Other stumblers and sniffers	105	(1)
Getting Fancy	106	(3)
Boosting Signal Strength Where You Need It	109	(18)
Antennas for All	110	(1)
Understanding Wi-Fi Antennas	111	(8)
Counting your antennas	111	(1)
Going external	112	(4)
Antenna types	116	(3)
Adding Amplification	119	(1)
Going with MIMO	120	(3)
Boosting Cell Signals at Home	123	(4)
Understanding cellular frequencies	124	(1)
Installing a repeater	124	(3)
Staying Safe in the Wireless World	127	(20)
Avoiding WEP	128	(1)
Understanding WPA	129	(6)
Sharing your keys with your friends	130	(1)
Figuring out a new 802 --- IX	131	(4)
Securing Your Own Network	135	(12)
Creating your own authentication server	139	(2)
Using an 802.IX service	141	(3)
Setting up an AP	144	(1)
Setting up a client	145	(2)
Part III: Wireless on the Go	147	(94)
On the Road Again with 802.11	149	(20)
Hot Spots for Everyone	150	(1)
Finding Hot Spots	151	(8)
Finding the freebies	152	(3)
Paying for your Wi-Fi	155	(4)
Putting on Your Roaming Shoes	159	(4)
Oingo Boingo	160	(2)
Going with corporate remote access	162	(1)
Getting Online at a Hot Spot	163	(3)
Using Windows XP Wireless Zero Config	163	(1)
Using the Boingo client	164	(1)
On the Mac	164	(2)
Help, I Need Wireless Access in Paris!	166	(3)
Using a roaming client	166	(1)
Using a Web database	167	(2)
Staying Safe on Any Wireless Network	169	(16)
Securing Hot Spots	170	(5)
Using Wi-Fi security when you can	170	(1)
Connecting to a VPN	171	(2)
Using SSL to connect to Web sites	173	(2)
Making a VPN Connection	175	(10)
Setting up an IPSec connection with Windows XP	176	(4)
Using OpenVPN client and WiTopia's SSL VPN service	180	(1)
Installing the WiTopia personalVPN client	181	(4)
Outfitting Your Car with Wireless	185	(34)
Bluetooth for In-Car Communications	185	(12)
Bluetooth in action	186	(2)
Bluetooth aftermarket options	188	(3)
Setting up a Bluetooth aftermarket kit	191	(6)
Wi-Fi-Enabling Your Car	197	(13)
Getting your car on the wireless grid	198	(1)
Come on, feel the (Wi-Fi) noise	199	(3)
Setting up your Rockford DMP1 kit	202	(5)
Setting up your DMP1 wireless connection	207	(3)
Introducing the Carputer	210	(2)
Watching Satellite TV on the Go	212	(2)
Follow That Taxi (with GPS)!	214	(5)
Operating Your Own Hot Spot	219	(22)
The Big Question: Free or Pay?	220	(11)
Setting up a free hot spot	222	(3)
Letting only your friends (or customers) in	225	(4)
Sharing the wealth	229	(2)
Show me the money: Building your own for-pay hot spot	231	(1)
Dealing with Your ISP	231	(3)
Understanding terms of service	232	(1)
Some ISP recommendations	232	(2)
Getting Your Hot Spot out of the Box	234	(3)
Securing Your Hot Spot	237	(1)
Promoting Your Hot Spot	238	(3)
Part IV: Cool Wireless Toys	241	(86)
Building a Wireless Audio Network	243	(22)
Digital Music 101	244	(5)
Understanding compression	244	(2)
Being constant, being variable, being bitsy	246	(3)
How to Get the Music	249	(6)
Ripping your own	249	(2)
Buying your music online	251	(4)
Getting your radio from the Internet	255	(1)
Getting the Music Around Your Network	255	(3)
Moving off the PC	258	(4)
Wi-Fi and Audio: Network Impacts	262	(1)
Getting into Video	263	(2)
Wirelessly Securing, Monitoring, and Automating Your Home	265	(24)
Introducing the Network Camera	266	(5)
Applications with your network camera	266	(1)
Evaluating network camera	267	(4)
Installing Your Network Camera	271	(10)
Getting your camera on the wireless LAN	272	(2)
Accessing your camera from the Internet	274	(5)
Setting up dynamic DNS	279	(1)
What else can you do with your camera?	280	(1)
Evaluating Non-Wi-Fi Camera Kits	281	(8)
Home monitoring	282	(2)
Home security	284	(1)
Home automation	285	(4)
It's Your Dime: IP Calls and Your Wireless Network	289	(22)
Grasping the VoIP Basics	290	(6)
Take a long SIP	291	(1)
Compressing your voice	292	(1)
Peer-to-peering versus calling regular phones	293	(1)
Hardware? Software? Both?	294	(2)
Skype-ing Your Way Around the World	296	(4)
Calling peer-to-peer	297	(1)
Reaching out and calling someone	298	(1)
Even more peer-to-peer	299	(1)
Using a Phone-to-Phone VoIP Service	300	(4)
Looking at the services	300	(1)
Taking your VoIP service wireless	301	(3)
Making VoIP Work on Your Network	304	(4)
Dealing with QoS	304	(2)
Dealing with XP issues	306	(2)
VoIPing on the Road	308	(3)
Using softphones	309	(1)
Bringing your VoIP handset on the road	309	(2)
That's Not All: Other Cool Wireless Toys	311	(16)
Digital Cameras with Wi-Fi	311	(2)
Extra Storage Anywhere You Want	313	(1)
It's a Print (Server)	314	(2)
Travel Routers	316	(2)
Wi-Fi Finders	318	(2)
Jumping into RFID	320	(2)
Adding New Firmware for Your AP	322	(1)
More, More, and More Wireless	323	(4)
Part V: The Part of Tens	327	(18)
(Almost) Ten Sites for Advanced Wireless Topics	329	(6)
Wi-Fi Net News	330	(1)
Tom's Networking	330	(1)
JiWire	331	(1)
FreeNetworks.org	331	(1)
Robert Hoskins' Wireless Super Sites	331	(1)
Wi-Fi Planet	332	(1)
Checking In on CNET	332	(1)
Practically Speaking	333	(1)
Read About the Gadgets	333	(2)
Top Ten Wi-Fi Security Questions	335	(10)
If I'm Using WEP, I'm Safe, Right?	335	(1)
Can't I Just Hide My Network?	336	(1)
Can I Secure My Network by Filtering for Friendly MAC Addresses?	337	(1)
What's the Difference between Personal and Enterprise WPA?	338	(1)
How Can I Use 802.1X When I Don't Know Anything About It?	339	(1)
What's the Difference between WPA and WPA2?	339	(1)
How Can I Stay Safe When I'm Away from My Home Network?	340	(1)
Can I Use My Credit Card Online When I'm Using Wi-Fi?	341	(1)
How Can I Let My Friends Use My Network without Losing Security?	342	(1)
How Do I Stay Secure If Not All of My Equipment Is WPA?	343	(2)
Index	345