O'Reilly has published "Wireless Hacks, Second Edition"

Wireless data networks are beaming information around the corner, across town, and to the ends of the Earth. Wireless technology is getting people connected to each other cheaply and more easily than any other networking technology since the telephone. Learning how to leverage the latest technology to extend range, increase throughput, manage resources, and improve the overall wireless experience is a must these days.

"Wireless Hacks, Second Edition" (Flickenger and Weeks) will help you get the most out of your wireless networking hardware and software. It's packed with practical techniques and tips for making your wireless networking vision a reality. The 100 hacks in this book - 35 brand new, the rest completely over-hauled or updated - are organized into seven chapters, although each hack stands alone. Whether you're running Windows, Linux, or Mac OS X, you will be able to:

• Use Bluetooth, mobile radios and data networks, cellular phones, Wi-Fi hotspots, and GPS to keep you connected anywhere
  
• Make wireless devices do things not originally intended and turn wired devices into wireless ones
  
• Employ practical methods for detecting, analyzing, and monitoring your own wireless networks and those available to the public
  
• Extend the range of your network, making the best use of the available radio spectrum
  
• Design and build your own wireless access points and antennas
  
• Survey and engineer long-distance network links spanning several miles
  Understand the security issues of wireless networking and protect yourself from unauthorized access and eavesdropping

The authors of "Wireless Hacks" attribute the explosive growth of wireless networking to "magic", calling it "the second most magical technology on the planet - just behind the Internet." Rob Flickenger, who has been an all-around hacker for as long as he can remember, "enjoys spreading the good word of open networks, open standards, and ubiquitous wireless networking." His ultimate goal is infinite bandwidth everywhere for free. Roger Weeks has been building Linux systems at home and in business since 1998. Both previous O'Reilly authors, they also served as wranglers for a corral of 21 contributors, all of whom apply their expertise in the real world every day.

In the Foreword, Glenn Fleischman avers, "the book has grown up, just a little, which makes it no less charming or useful. 'Wireless Hacks' isn't about breaking technology to serve your needs. Rather, it's about bending it." As the authors put it, "reality is what you can get away with, and wireless hackers have found that they can get away with quite a lot using surprisingly little."

[The first edition of this book was excellent and extremely useful - highly recommended! --Ed.]

Related links: (Open in a new window.)
www.oreilly.com/catalog/wirelesshks2/

View printable version (opens in new window)
Back