Chapter 7. Networking andGoing Wireless

A network is the interconnection of two or more computers, facilitating the exchange of information between them. Networking whether it's between two computers in the same room or among hundreds of millions of machines around the globe can open a host of possibilities not feasible on a standalone system.

Connect your computer to the Internet to exchange email and files with others around the world, use video and audio conferencing software, surf the Web, and even host your own web site. Connect the computers in your home or office to exchange files, share printers, play networked games, and share an Internet connection. Nearly everything you need to do these things is present in a basic installation of Windows XP, with the exception of a clear and easy way to set them up without compromising the security of your system.

Connecting your computer to a network exposes its vulnerabilities to any number of different types of attacks, all of which can be avoided or prevented. See "Securing Your System on a Network," later in this chapter, for details. See Chapter 6 for details on dealing with spyware and viruses, and see Chapter 8 for user security.

Use the solutions in this chapter to set up a network, overcome the hurdles and annoyances of Windows support for networking, and do more with your network than you ever thought possible.