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Issue link: https://digital.macdirectory.com/i/798
48 MacDirectory
BOOK REVIEWS
John Ross's The Book of Wireless
describes itself as the "Painless Guide to
Wi-Fi and Broadband Wireless." Taking the
sting out of subnets and ache out of
access control lists does involve some time
and effort in learning the basics. For this,
the new edition of Ross's book is the
perfect prescription. The first few chapters
provide the essential overview of how a
network connection actually works. You'll
discover that for much of the process, the
medium — copper wires or radio waves —
is of little concern. You'll also find out
about the different standards used in
wireless data exchanges and how they can
coexist (most of the time, anyway). The
book moves on to offer the hardware and
software knowledge you'll need to set up
and troubleshoot networks and
connections.
Ross gives ample attention to all wireless
platforms, Mac, Windows, Linux and
smart-phones, going into just enough
depth to get you through some fairly
sophisticated setups. In fact, in most
cases, you'll be better equipped for
problem-solving than most first-tier tech
support people you'd get on the phone.
The Book of Wireless takes a refreshingly
different approach than most of the step-
by-step how-to's that are out there.
Ross does walk you through a few of the
more specific and clearly defined tasks,
but the book's real strength is to provide
the reader with the fundamental
knowledge he or she needs to understand
the process and the problem. If you know
what a gateway really is, you're in much
better shape than if you simply read what
to type into a "gateway" field. Ross saves
the topic of wireless security for a lengthy
chapter near the end of the book. If the
Internet can be compared to the Wild
West, than wireless Internet access would
be akin to the Wild West on a dark,
moonless night. It takes some essential
knowledge to understand what the risks
are, even before you get to a place where
you can avoid them.
A great deal has changed since Ross
published the first edition of his book in
2003. This year's edition adds the new
hardware and features that are part of the
significantly different wireless landscape of
today and leaves behind most that have
faded into the past. Ross covers a great
deal of territory in just over 300 pages,
but his writing style is crisp and his skills as
a teacher substantial. When help files and
user manuals aren't enough, The Book of
Wireless will probably have the answers.
The Book of Wireless, 2nd Edition
by John Ross
326 pages > $29.95,
No Starch Press