home it guru
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home it handbook

Survive And Thrive In An Online World

Home networking isn’t just for gamers and geeks anymore. As our home, school, and professional lives increasingly revolve around our home internet connections having a good working knowledge of computer networking is crucial to “surviving and thriving” in an online world. Instead of depending on the neighborhood computer geek why not become a Home IT Guru and set up an Awesome Home Network you can be proud of?

In-Depth Explanations

All technical terms and concepts are thoroughly explained in plain language.

Graphic Illustrations

Most of this ebook’s 450 pages are easy-to-understand graphic illustrations and screenshots.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Nothing is assumed or left out. Become a virtual expert one page at a time.

Do You Really Need An “Awesome Home Network?”

You may not “desperately need” an Awesome Home Network, but you’ll certainly be glad to have one when it’s set up! Why be satisfied with sitting on the porch staring at your laptop when you can access files on your home network from practically anywhere in the world? Why waste time searching everywhere for lost files when you can have everything thing organized, categorized, and backed up on a central computer or NAS? Why run up and down the stairs to get something from the living room computer when you can access and control it remotely?

These are just a few of the things you’ll be able to do as a newly-certified “Home IT Guru.” Print from anywhere. Copy and move files from computer to computer with ease. Keep it all secure and backed up. Even set up special access permissions for different members of your family. Most people have no idea computers can be so much fun, so interesting, and so empowering. I’ve known it for decades and now I’m sharing it with you in my “Home IT Handbook.”

Table Of Contents

Introduction

About This eBook And WiFi-Guy.net
Price Alert
The “Comparinator”

Chapter 1 – Wired Networking

Sample The Basics
DHCP
DNS
Gateway
LAN Or WAN?
NAT
Checking Your Computers Network Settings
Changing Your Computers Network Settings

Chapter 2 – Wireless Networking

New Wi-Fi Naming Convention
Wireless Features
Dual Bands
Beamforming
MIMO
MU-MIMO
Channels

Chapter 3 – Wireless Router Setup

Admin Username and Password
Security Passphrase
Router IP Address
Setting Up DHCP
Using DHCP to Assign Static IPs
Saving Your Routers Configuration

Chapter 4 – Improving Your Wireless Performance

Wireless Router Placement
Channels
QoS
High Gain Antennas
Upgrade Your Devices

Chapter 5 – Extending Your Network

Connecting Routers Wirelessly With WDS
Configuring WDS
Adding A Router With A Wired Connection
Wireless Range Extenders
Powerline
Mesh Networking
Advantages of Mesh Over “Traditional” WiFi
Advantages of Mesh over Repeaters and Extenders
Disadvantages of Mesh
Setting Up A Mesh Network

Chapter 6 – Basic Network Troubleshooting

Network Connections
Link Lights and Physical Connections
What Has Changed?
Ping First Ask Questions Later
Meet PING – Your New Best Friend
DNS Resolution
Persistent Ping Pays Off
Things To Check Before Calling The Dreaded ISP
Browser Issues
Driver Issues
Firewall/Antivirus Issues
WiFi Troubleshooting Checklist
Firmware Updates and Resetting Your Router

Chapter 7 – File Sharing

Sharing A Folder In Windows
View The Shared Folder From Another Computer
Map A Drive
Check Your File and Printer Sharing Settings
Public vs Private
Workgroup Name
Enabling File and Printer Sharing
Password Protected Sharing Explained
Creating User Accounts
Moving and Copying Files
Printer Sharing
Connect To The Shared Printer

Chapter 8 – Cloud Storage

Google Drive
Google Backup and Sync
Dropbox

Chapter 9 – Setting Up a NAS

How To Speak NAS
NAS Terminology
Initial NAS Setup
New IP For Your NAS
Enabling File Services
File Access To Your NAS
Using Groups To Manage Access
Viewing, Uploading, and Downloading Files With Your NAS
Always Use File Station
Use Your NAS To Back Up Your Computers
Restoring Your Files From Backup
Remote Access To Your NAS
Setting Up Plex Media Server
Does Your Synology NAS Support Plex?
Installing Plex
Creating Libraries For Your Media

Chapter 10 – Port Forwarding and VPN Setup

Port Forwarding
Port Forwarding With RDP
How Port Forwarding Works
Port Forwarding Setup
Your Own Virtual Private Network

Chapter 11 – Printing

Applications
Printer Connections
Printer Drivers
Network Printer Installation With CD
USB Printer Installation With The CD
Wireless Printer Installation With The CD
Installing Printers With “Plug And Play”
USB Printer Installation Using “Plug And Play”
Using Plug And Play To Install Wired Network Printer
Using Plug and Play To Install Wireless Printers
Wireless Printer Settings And The Web Interface
Wi-Fi Direct Printing

Chapter 12 – Setting Up An IP Camera

IP Camera Types
IP Camera Lingo
IP Camera Phone Setup
Web Browser Access
Remote Access Without A Cloud Subscription
Remote Administration
Changing Storage Locations

Chapter 13 – Remote Control Software

LogMeIn
TeamViewer
Unattended Team Viewer Installation
TightVNC
Remote Desktop – RDP

Chapter 14 – Antivirus and Internet Security

A Nightmare Come True
How Could This Happen To Me?
Disaster Recovery
What Went Wrong And How I Fixed It

Chapter 15 – More Internet Security Basics

Phishing
Ransomware
Passwords
Drive-By Downloads
Email Attachments
Multi-Factor Authentication
Thank You

Graphic Illustrations And Screenshots

They say, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” That’s why I prefer to use screenshots with numbered steps instead of wordy, mind-numbing paragraphs. You can learn much faster and easier this way. Here’s an excerpt from page 241 in the chapter on setting up a NAS. We’re setting up access to folders on a Plex Media Server for members of our imaginary family.

nas permissions

God-Like Powers

In this example, we’re giving the “Administrators” group which includes “Mom” and “Dad” full access to the “Plex” folder. Then we’re giving the “Family Group” which includes everyone in the family including “Boy” and “Girl” read access to the same folder. The result is Mom and Dad can read, add and delete anything they want to in that folder. The kids can only read. They cannot change, add or delete anything. Of course, we provide other folders they can do anything they want to with later.

Now you can see the God-like powers being a Home IT Guru provides. : ) This can be done quite easily on the Synology NAS I use for the demonstration in the eBook. It’s a little more involved on a Windows computer but it can be done. I cover that in the chapter on File Sharing.

I worked hard on this eBook and I’m proud of it. It took almost 9 months of testing, documenting, and editing to complete it. I wasn’t expecting it to be so big but I kind of got carried away. I love this stuff so it was truly a labor of love. Now that it’s done and the website is up it’s yours FREE. No strings attached except for the occasional pesky emails whenever I have an update or something interesting to say. Pick yours up now before you forget!

“Enjoy the journey.” – Jerry Jones (The WiFi Guy)

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