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

Love it. It is the best.

This would be a good book to introduce a person who has never done more than plug in a cable into their network card; for anyone else I'm afraid it is far too basic. The book has excessive amounts of what I consider 'filler.' For example: keeping your cables neat and orderly is emphasized several times, along with not accidentally connecting to your neighbor's wi-fi connection, devices must be within range of your wi-fi router to work, etc. The diagrams are overly simplified and important diagrams, like how to create a patch cable are left out. Far too often the book tells the reader to simply read the manual for whatever device is being set up.This book is not completely without merit, it offers a broad overview of home networking but it is not a book you will likely reference after you have read it.[...]

This is a good book but it isn't for everyone. This book, as the subtitle says, is for the accidental admin. I would recommend this to people who don't deal with and or tinker with technology on a regular basis or for those who are unfamiliar with the topics. If you deal with technical pieces of IT on a daily basis this book will probably only be on your self to lend to those friends or family members that don't have a clue.

Great book and great price

Pretty much and overview book with insufficient details that would teach you something. Not sure who this book is targeting. It's more of a survey of things that work but it doesn't give you more than that.

An Essential Guide for the Accidental Admin or as I would put it an up to date reference for anyone wanting to know more about networks.Contents 22/25Ease of Understanding/Practicality 22/25Pictures/Illustrations 23/25Additional Features 15/25Total 82/100Network Know-How by John Ross is a network setup and explanation guide that helps anyone who wants to know more about networks even if you're not in charge of one. That admin part does not really matter as anyone just wanting to know more and have a better understanding of networks can pick up this book and really learn.Network Know-How is not your dummies guide with little in depth knowledge, this book goes into plenty of explanations, programs for networking and technical details. It can not only help you understand and learn about networks but get the help you need in setting up and maintaining a computer network.Network Know-How starts off with explanations of what a network is and the examples of uses then goes in depth into setting one up both in software and hardware so you can get yours setup easily. The book goes into great detail talking about things like handshaking and packets so you not only understand the basics but know exactly what a network does so you can maintain one.The book continues with types of hardware and how to set them up using both common wired and wireless Wi-Fi networks that are in use today. The book explains from household small networks and even single computers with a few peripheral network devices to larger business type networks.Network Know-How goes from the hardware to the software using the Windows XP and Vista operating systems, Mac and even includes some Linux and Unix systems. The book further goes into network storage file sharing and other devices on a network like printers and cameras.Network Know-How also includes the all important security and how to set up protection of your system with encrypted systems as well as good explanations of these measures. While the book does not go into specific settings of various hardware routers and servers it does give good explanations of the terms and different encryption types so you know what the manuals and documents that come with the hardware you decide to use mean.That is the major point of this book; it is not a specific step by step manual for specific routers and other hardware components. It does go in depth into general terms and even into the specific Windows steps to set up networks and get your system setup and secure.The book adds a lot of useful information about those terms and descriptions of network hardware, programs and those words people keep throwing out that make a network sound so difficult and hard to understand. This book will demystify those terms and words so you can understand and know what is going on with your network and help you maintain it.Network Know-How even goes into how to connect a stereo or television to your network so you can stream video and audio to a TV or stereo system setup on a network. The use of media centers and computers for media streaming has really taken off and Network Know-How will help you set up different devices to your network to make the most of your network.The book also goes into other types of network uses like remote desktop, video conferencing and even multiple monitors across a network. The last section of the book is troubleshooting and helps you find out where any problems may be and how to correct them.The nice thing with this book is they also offer some valuable advice on finding solutions on the internet after admitting that a book would not be able to possibly list all solutions to potential problems with a network. The book does offer an invaluable problem solving routine to follow to help you for every time you do have problems with your network.These are not lists of problems and how to find solutions; this is a whole section of helpful routines and how to go about the general troubleshooting scenario that you should follow so that you find the problem and how to fix it. I found their problem solving process is much like the general routine I would have used when troubleshooting systems when I was in the military.Helpful hints like keeping records and fixes of problems as well as taking a break as a way to tackle the job fresh so you have a clear mind makes a lot of sense and Network Know-How gives other choice words of wisdom to help you. The troubleshooting section is a real help not only for networks but for computers in general with plenty of helpful advice for solving the problems you may encounter.Network Know-How is a great book that can help anyone wanting to learn more and setup or administer their network. The book starts off with the basics and goes in depth with network hardware, software, security and more for a complete guide to networking for beginners.I highly recommend Network Know-How by John Ross for a great network guide book, the sub title says it all, An Essential Guide For The Accidental Admin.

Rarely have a read a book like this that I learned absolutely nothing - but this is it. I was hoping to learn the basics of setting up a VPN connection from this book. Even though there is a chapter dedicated to VPN, it was completely useless. You can easily find better information on all the topics covered in this book with a simple Google search.

I was hoping for a quick refresher but this book breaks things down to minutiae. Also, a bit outdated. I should have checked the versions more closely before purchasing.

A lot off old school teck, you have to have a some know how for this to be helpfull.Not quite what I was after but the info is educational and a good reference. It is still usable for today's technology but is a dry read

Great book for Techy people.

It is unlikely that those with extensive theoretical and practical experience of designing, building and maintaining small computer networks will find much of interest in John Ross' book. However, if like me you are the archetypal "accidental admin", this may just be the most useful computer book that you ever buy!In Network Know-how, Ross introduces the novice network manager to the basic concepts of networking and provides important insights into why things work (or sometimes don't work) in small network environments. He offers practical advice on LAN design as well as equipment and infrastructure installation, giving concise instructions on how to setup and operate a range of servers, clients, and peripherals. All this Ross achieves without resorting to unnecessary jargon or gross over-simplification: in short, it is networking for the rest of us!Given the extensive range of hardware and software available, the book does tend to be understandably vague regarding hardware and, in places, a little Windows-centric. Nevertheless, Ross has been careful to provide pointers for Mac and Linux users even if it is not as comprehensive as one would have liked and, because he explains the principles of networking so well, these signposts are more than sufficient to cope with all but the most specialised kit. Reading this book has resulted in significantly improved security in my own network and the ability to share files and services across multiple operating platforms (Windows, Windows Mobile, & Linux) and devices.Overall, this book is a thoroughly recommended tract on networking for non-specialists. As with all books of the genre, this one is over-priced which is why it only gets four stars. However, don't let this fool you into believing that it is not value for money: if you want a secure and reliable network over which you can share data and resources, this is an excellent introduction.

Quality reading for a beginner, fast dispatch too :D

I have many books on networking of which my most prized are written and published by Cisco which are by far the most detailed and complete. However, their thoroughness can sometimes mask the basics and I particularly wanted a reference book that dealt with the administrative aspects of managing a domestic local area network.I am in the process of adding a network storage device to my domestic LAN. I have chosen to install a Western Digital 2x3TB RAID Hard Drive for the safe storage of all my important data files. However, I have never attempted to add a NAS (Network Addressed Storage) device to my LAN, or any LAN for that matter. I previewed a number of books covering the attachment of storage devices to a local network and this book attracted my attention because of its relatively low cost and because it has a comprehensive section on NAS and how to set one up. The narrative is not difficult to read or understand which is another plus point.I have every expectation that setting up my NAS, also purchased from Amazon, will be far simpler than expected. This book describes the process and the pitfalls and also provides guidance on troubleshooting. I was hesitant to give this book 5-Stars because I have yet to put its information into practice. It merits at least 4-Stars at this time.