Networking For Dummies, 12th Edition

Networking For Dummies, 12th Edition

by Doug Lowe
Released July 2020
Publisher(s): For Dummies
ISBN: 9781119648505

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Book description

Set up a secure network at home or the office 

Fully revised to cover Windows 10 and Windows Server 2019, this new edition of the trusted Networking For Dummies helps both beginning network administrators and home users to set up and maintain a network. Updated coverage of broadband and wireless technologies, as well as storage and back-up procedures, ensures that you’ll learn how to build a wired or wireless network, secure and optimize it, troubleshoot problems, and much more. 

From connecting to the Internet and setting up a wireless network to solving networking problems and backing up your data—this #1 bestselling guide covers it all.

  • Build a wired or wireless network
  • Secure and optimize your network
  • Set up a server and manage Windows user accounts
  • Use the cloud—safely 

Written by a seasoned technology author—and jam-packed with tons of helpful step-by-step instructions—this is the book network administrators and everyday computer users will turn to again and again.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Introduction
    1. About This Book
    2. Foolish Assumptions
    3. Icons Used in This Book
    4. Beyond the Book
    5. Where to Go from Here
  3. Part 1: Getting Started with Networking
    1. Chapter 1: Let’s Network!
      1. Defining a Network
      2. Why Bother with a Network?
      3. Servers and Clients
      4. Dedicated Servers and Peers
      5. What Makes a Network Tick?
      6. It’s Not a Personal Computer Anymore!
      7. The Network Administrator
      8. What Have They Got That You Don’t Got?
    2. Chapter 2: Configuring Windows and Mac Clients
      1. Configuring Windows Network Connections
      2. Joining a Windows Computer to a Domain
      3. Configuring Mac Network Settings
      4. Joining a Mac Computer to a Domain
    3. Chapter 3: Life on the Network
      1. Distinguishing between Local Resources and Network Resources
      2. What’s in a Name?
      3. Logging on to the Network
      4. Understanding Shared Folders
      5. Four Good Uses for a Shared Folder
      6. Oh, the Network Places You’ll Go
      7. Mapping Network Drives
      8. Using a Network Printer
      9. Logging off the Network
    4. Chapter 4: More Ways to Use Your Network
      1. Sharing Your Stuff
      2. Enabling File and Printer Sharing
      3. Sharing a Folder
      4. Using the Public Folder
      5. Sharing a Printer
      6. Using Microsoft Office on a Network
      7. Working with Offline Files
  4. Part 2: Designing Your Network
    1. Chapter 5: Planning a Network
      1. Making a Network Plan
      2. Being Purposeful
      3. Taking Stock
      4. To Dedicate or Not to Dedicate: That Is the Question
      5. Choosing a Server Operating System
      6. Planning the Infrastructure
      7. Drawing Diagrams
    2. Chapter 6: Dealing with TCP/IP
      1. Understanding Binary
      2. Introducing IP Addresses
      3. Classifying IP Addresses
      4. Subnetting
      5. Understanding Network Address Translation
      6. Configuring Your Network for DHCP
      7. Managing a Windows Server 2019 DHCP Server
      8. Configuring a Windows DHCP Client
      9. Using DNS
      10. Working with the Windows DNS Server
      11. Configuring a Windows DNS Client
    3. Chapter 7: Oh, What a Tangled Web We Weave: Cables and Switches
      1. What Is Ethernet?
      2. All about Cable
      3. Understanding Switches
      4. Powering Up with Power over Ethernet
      5. Looking at Three Types of Network Rooms
    4. Chapter 8: Setting Up a Wireless Network
      1. Diving into Wireless Networking
      2. A Little High School Electronics
      3. Eight-Oh-Two-Dot-Eleventy Something: Understanding Wireless Standards
      4. Home on the Range
      5. Using Wireless Network Adapters
      6. Setting Wireless Access Points
      7. Roaming Capabilities
      8. Configuring a Wireless Access Point
      9. Connecting to a Wireless Network
      10. Paying Attention to Wireless Network Security
    5. Chapter 9: Connecting to the Internet
      1. Connecting to the Internet
      2. Securing Your Connection with a Firewall
      3. Providing a Backup Internet Connection
  5. Part 3: Working with Servers
    1. Chapter 10: Virtualizing Your Network
      1. Understanding Virtualization
      2. Understanding Hypervisors
      3. Understanding Virtual Disks
      4. Understanding Network Virtualization
      5. Looking at the Benefits of Virtualization
      6. Choosing Virtualization Hosts
      7. Understanding Windows Server 2019 Licensing
      8. Introducing Hyper-V
      9. Enabling Hyper-V
      10. Getting Familiar with Hyper-V
      11. Creating a Virtual Switch
      12. Creating a Virtual Disk
      13. Creating a Virtual Machine
      14. Installing an Operating System
    2. Chapter 11: Setting Up a Windows Server
      1. Planning a Windows Server Installation
      2. Running Setup
      3. Adding Server Roles and Features
      4. Creating a New Domain
    3. Chapter 12: Managing Windows User Accounts
      1. Understanding How Active Directory Is Organized
      2. Understanding Windows User Accounts
      3. Creating a New User
      4. Setting User Properties
      5. Resetting User Passwords
      6. Disabling and Enabling User Accounts
      7. Deleting a User
      8. Working with Groups
      9. Creating a Logon Script
    4. Chapter 13: Managing Network Storage
      1. Understanding Disk Storage
      2. Focusing on File Servers
      3. Managing Your File Server
  6. Part 4: Managing Your Network
    1. Chapter 14: Welcome to Network Management
      1. What a Network Administrator Does
      2. Choosing the Part-Time Administrator
      3. The Three “Ups” of Network Management
      4. Managing Network Users
      5. Acquiring Software Tools for Network Administrators
      6. Building a Library
      7. Pursuing Certification
      8. Helpful Bluffs and Excuses
    2. Chapter 15: Supporting Your Users
      1. Establishing the Help Desk’s Charter
      2. Tracking Support Tickets
      3. Deciding How to Communicate with Users
      4. Using Remote Assistance
      5. Creating a Knowledge Base
      6. Creating a Self-Service Help Portal
      7. Using Satisfaction Surveys
      8. Tracking Help Desk Performance
      9. Using Help Desk Management Software
    3. Chapter 16: Using Group Policy
      1. Understanding Group Policy
      2. Enabling Group Policy Management on Windows Server 2019
      3. Creating Group Policy Objects
      4. Filtering Group Policy Objects
      5. Forcing Group Policy Updates
    4. Chapter 17: Managing Software Deployment
      1. Understanding Software Licenses
      2. Using a License Server
      3. Deploying Network Software
      4. Keeping Software Up to Date
    5. Chapter 18: Managing Mobile Devices
      1. The Many Types of Mobile Devices
      2. Considering Security for Mobile Devices
      3. Managing iOS Devices
      4. Managing Android Devices
  7. Part 5: Securing Your Network
    1. Chapter 19: Welcome to Cybersecurity Network
      1. Do You Need Security?
      2. The Three Pillars of Cybersecurity
      3. Two Approaches to Security
      4. Physical Security: Locking Your Doors
      5. Securing User Accounts
      6. Managing User Security
      7. Securing the Human Firewall
    2. Chapter 20: Hardening Your Network
      1. Firewalls
      2. The Many Types of Firewalls
      3. Virus Protection
      4. Patching Things Up
    3. Chapter 21: Securing Your Email
      1. Defining Spam
      2. Sampling the Many Flavors of Spam
      3. Using Antispam Software
      4. Understanding Spam Filters
      5. Looking at Three Types of Antispam Software
      6. Minimizing Spam
    4. Chapter 22: Backing Up Your Data
      1. 3-2-1: The Golden Rule of Backups
      2. How Often Should You Back Up Your Data?
      3. Choosing Where to Back Up Your Data
      4. Establishing Two Key Backup Objectives
      5. Backing Up to Tape
      6. Understanding Backup Software
      7. Examining File-Based Backups
      8. Backup and Virtualization
      9. Verifying Tape Reliability
      10. Keeping Backup Equipment Clean and Reliable
      11. Setting Backup Security
    5. Chapter 23: Planning for Disaster
      1. Assessing Different Types of Disasters
      2. Analyzing the Impact of a Disaster
      3. Developing a Business Continuity Plan
      4. Holding a Fire Drill
  8. Part 6: More Ways to Network
    1. Chapter 24: Accommodating Remote Users
      1. Using Outlook Web App
      2. Using a Virtual Private Network
      3. Connecting with Remote Desktop Connection
    2. Chapter 25: Life in Cloud City
      1. Introducing Cloud Computing
      2. Looking at the Benefits of Cloud Computing
      3. Detailing the Drawbacks of Cloud Computing
      4. Examining Three Basic Kinds of Cloud Services
      5. Public Clouds versus Private Clouds
      6. Introducing Some of the Major Cloud Providers
      7. Getting into the Cloud
    3. Chapter 26: Going Hybrid
      1. What Is a Hybrid Cloud?
      2. What Are the Benefits of Hybrid Cloud?
      3. Integrating Identity
      4. Looking at Hybrid Cloud Virtualization Platforms
  9. Part 7: The Part of Tens
    1. Chapter 27: Ten Networking Commandments
      1. I. Thou Shalt Back Up Thy Data Religiously
      2. II. Thou Shalt Protect Thy Network from Infidels
      3. III. Thou Shalt Train Up Thy Users in the Ways of Safe Computing
      4. IV. Thou Shalt Keepeth Thy Network Drive Pure and Cleanse It of Old Files
      5. V. Thou Shalt Not Tinker with Thine Network Configuration unless Thou Knowest What Thou Art Doing
      6. VI. Thou Shalt Not Covet Thy Neighbor’s Network
      7. VII. Thou Shalt Not Take Down Thy Network without Proper Notification
      8. VIII. Thou Shalt Keep an Adequate Supply of Spare Parts
      9. IX. Thou Shalt Not Steal Thy Neighbor’s Program without a License
      10. X. Thou Shalt Write Down Thy Network Configuration upon Tablets of Stone
    2. Chapter 28: Ten Big Network Mistakes
      1. Skimping on Hardware
      2. Turning Off or Restarting a Server Computer While Users Are Logged On
      3. Deleting Important Files on the Server
      4. Copying a File from the Server, Changing It, and Then Copying It Back
      5. Sending Something to the Printer Again Just Because It Didn’t Print the First Time
      6. Assuming That the Server Is Safely Backed Up
      7. Connecting to the Internet without Considering Security Issues
      8. Plugging in a Wireless Access Point without Asking
      9. Thinking You Can’t Work Just Because the Network Is Down
      10. Running Out of Space on a Server
      11. Always Blaming the Network
    3. Chapter 29: Ten Things You Should Keep in Your Closet
      1. Duct Tape
      2. Tools
      3. Patch Cables
      4. Cable Ties and Velcro
      5. Twinkies
      6. Replacement Parts
      7. Cheap Network Switches
      8. The Complete Documentation of the Network on Tablets of Stone
      9. The Network Manuals and Disks
      10. Ten Copies of This Book
  10. Index
  11. About the Author
  12. Advertisement Page
  13. Connect with Dummies
  14. End User License Agreement

Product information

  • Title: Networking For Dummies, 12th Edition
  • Author(s): Doug Lowe
  • Release date: July 2020
  • Publisher(s): For Dummies
  • ISBN: 9781119648505