How This Book Is Organized

Inside this book, you find chapters arranged in seven parts. Each chapter breaks down into sections that cover various aspects of the chapter's main subject. The chapters are in a logical sequence, so reading them in order (if you want to read the whole thing) makes sense. But the book is modular enough that you can pick it up and start reading at any point.

Here's the lowdown on what's in each of the seven parts.

Part I: Let's Network!

The chapters in this part present a layperson's introduction to what networking is all about. This part is a good place to start if you're clueless about what a network is and why you're suddenly expected to use one. It's also a great place to start if you're a hapless network user who doesn't give a whit about "optimizing network performance" but you want to know what the network is and how to get the most out of it.

The best thing about this part is that it focuses on how to use a network without getting into the technical details of setting up a network or maintaining a network server. In other words, this part is aimed at ordinary network users who have to know how to get along with a network.

Part II: Building Your Own Network

Uh-oh. The boss just gave you an ultimatum: Get a network up and running by Friday or pack your things. The chapters in this section cover everything you need to know to build a network, from picking the network operating system to installing the cable.

Part III: Getting Connected

After you get a basic network up and running, the chapters in this part show you how to connect it to the world. You find out all about safely connecting your network to the Internet, setting up an e-mail server, and even connecting your network to computers at home and on the road.

Part IV: Network Management For Dummies

I hope that the job of managing the network doesn't fall on your shoulders, but in case it does, the chapters in this part can help you out. You find out all about backup, security, performance, dusting, mopping, changing the oil, and all the other stuff that network managers have to do.

Part V: Protecting Your Network

This part is all about network security: backing up your data, protecting your network from evil people who want to break your network's back, and hardening your network against threats, such as viruses and spyware.

Part VI: Beyond Windows

There's more to networking than Windows. That's why this part focuses on the two most popular alternatives: Linux and Macintosh.

Part VII: The Part of Tens

This wouldn't be a For Dummies book without a collection of lists of interesting snippets: ten networking commandments, ten things you should keep in your closet, ten big network mistakes, and more!