Over-the-Road Wireless For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer Tech))

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 364 pages
• Published by: For Dummies August 7, 2006
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0471784036
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0471784036
• Book Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.3 x 1 inches
• Weighs: 1.2 pounds

Product Description
Do you roam the road making a living, or are you enjoying the nomadic life of a retiree with a motor home? Either way, life goes on no matter where you're hanging your hat tonight. Bills still need to be paid, grandchildren grow up way too fast, and you've gotten pretty dependent on your e-mail. How do you stay connected to the rest of the world while you're on the road?

For a growing number of over-the-road drivers, business travelers, and RV enthusiasts, the answer is a wireless Internet connection. With a laptop and wireless access, you can

• Pay bills, check accounts, and handle banking online
• Send and receive e-mail
• Surf the Web
• Access your home PC
• Make inexpensive phone calls with VoIP
• Watch TV, download movies, and listen to satellite radio

"So," you say, "I see people in movies popping open their laptops and getting online wherever they happen to be. It looks awfully easy—why do I need a book?" Well, lots of things are easy once you know how. Over-the-Road Wireless For Dummies tells you how in plain English, so you can take advantage of all those cool opportunities safely and easily. You'll discover how to

• Choose the best Wi-Fi access service for your requirements and locate hotspots
• Assess cellular data services and satellite access to make informed choices about service
• Adapt your laptop or PDA for wireless, set up an external antenna, and install an external amplifier
• Use your cell phone as a modem
• Identify security threats, protect your data with strong passwords and encryption, and set up a personal firewall
• Install and use Skype and make phone calls with your laptop
• Make your truck or RV your office with online freight-finding services, a GPS receiver, a travel printer, and software to keep logs and expense records
• Access streaming TV and radio on the road

With Over-the-Road Wireless For Dummies to help, you can send online birthday cards, watch video of the grandchildren, do your banking, pay bills, keep records, connect to your home PC, and even file your taxes, no matter how far away you roam!

Back Cover Copy
Keep in touch with the office or the grandkids

Set up your laptop or PDA, find hot spots, and keep your stuff safe

Whether you're on the road earning a living or satisfying your urge to roam, this book will help you stay connected to the rest of the world. Here's how to choose equipment and services, protect your data, manage an office on your laptop, enjoy movies and music, and even save on phone calls with VoIP.

Discover how to

• Choose the equipment that meets your requirements
• Set up laptops and antennas
• Find hotspots easily
• Turn your cell phone into a modem
• Connect remotely to your home PC
• Secure your data and your laptop

Reader Reviews
There is a growing set of people who often access the Web remotely. One extreme is a group identified by this book - retirees who cruise the nation in RVs, and who want a reliable and cheap way to stay connected. You do not have to be in this select bunch to read the book. You might merely need occasional net access when on the road. Haley shows how to find and use hot spots. Often these are free. Sometimes, they are inadvertantly access points that have been made available for anyone, because the owner didn't follow some setup steps. For these, it's up to you whether to risk using them or not. Though it might be argued that how can you tell that the owner did not mean to make a hot spot freely available? The book also describes phoning across the Internet, using VoIP. It can be much cheaper than using payphones. Though sound quality might be erratic. But for many people, that might be an acceptable tradeoff.