Windows XP Unwired: A Guide for Home, Office, and the Road

From the growing number of Wi-Fi hotspots to the escalating sales of laptops and other portable wireless-enabled devices, it's clear that wireless technology is here and poised to play an increasingly important role in all our lives. Going wireless is a little like taking the training wheels off your first bike--once you taste the freedom, you don't want to go back to what you had before. Moreover, dramatic improvements in wireless technology in the last few years coupled with the growing affordability of wireless equipment make going wireless all the more attractive. And if you're a Windows XP user, it's even better. Windows XP contains many built-in supports for wireless computing, making it an ideal platform for going mobile.

In Windows XP Unwired, you'll learn the basics of wireless computing, from the reasons why you'd want to go wireless in the first place, to setting up your wireless network or accessing wireless services on the road. The book provides a complete introduction to all the wireless technologies supported by Windows XP, including Wi-Fi (802.11b, a, and g), infrared, Bluetooth, CDMA2000, and GPRS. You'll learn how to set up your first wireless network using popular products from Linksys and D-Link. You'll also get a good understanding of the limitations and liabilities of each wireless technology.

Other topics covered in the book include:

• Connecting to wireless hotspots
• Using Microsoft's Smart Display to go wireless without a laptop
• Putting GPS technology to use
• Wireless Security

Windows XP Unwired is a one-stop wireless information source for technically savvy Windows XP users. Whether you're considering wireless as a supplement or alternative to cable and DSL, or using wireless to network computers in your home or office, this book will show you the full-spectrum view of wireless capabilities of Windows XP, and how to take advantage of them.