Home Automation Books

This was a helpful and easy to understand guide book to home networking. I'm sure I'll reuse it as a reference guide for future networking projects. It covers the basics and provides detailed illustration for windows based wireless and ethernet networks. You'll learn about choosing the right network for you, what hardware options to buy, installation, setup, security, sharing.

This book has lots of nice pictures.. but for learning home networking it is juvenile and lacks depth of explanation across multiple network routers, connection nodes, and how-tos. Don't waste your money.

I have read many of Mr. Underdahl's technical books over the years. I was in the bookstore recently and saw this on the shelf... I work in the IT arena and am always looking for books for my clients that can provide walkthroughs in a simple and clear, but competent, delivery. This is one of them. Sat down and read about half of it in the store and was very impressed. Definitely not for an advanced IT person or someone who wants heavy nuts-and-bolts type info, but for the 99.9% of the population that wants to get that home network up and running and also learn how to strengthen it and make it better and more useful (say, home office users), this is a great start.

This would be an excellent getting started guide if it was included with a Linksys product, but it is disappointing as a separate purchase. Most of the step-by-step instructions presume that you have purchased a Linksys product. If you use another brand, this book may not give you much help. Even if you have a Linksys product, don't expect much coverage of intermediate or advanced topics. For instance, the book mentions remotely controlling a network computer, but it doesn't explain how to do it other than to briefly mention a few programs. I was expecting a little better coverage based on the previous reviews.

Not that many years ago, many people felt they needed either a technician or a 12-year-old to install and set-up a PC. Many homes now are starting to have more than one PC. Yet broadband connections and high quality printers are expensive if you buy one for each PC. How can those costs be reduced? Add a home network.

Before you faint with anxiety, look at this very simple book. It will guide you through the few technical questions you need to address and give you complete and simple directions you can easily follow (but feel free to recruit a 12-year-old to help you).

Before you are done reading, you will also realize that you may also benefit from being able to put noisy printers in quiet places, eliminate cables, and do lots of neat applications (like visually monitor your children's rooms and front door) with your network.

If you are like me, you've heard that wireless networks can easily be hacked into. This book tells you how to address those very real security problems.

As I stand on the brink of our first home network, I am clutching this book in both hands . . . and am ready to launch myself into familial shared cyberspace saying, "I think I can do it. I think I can do it. I think I can do it." And I know you can!

The only annoying quality about this book comes from the many plugs for Linksys products. But that's better than not having photographs and examples, so I bore with it.

This book is not only simple; you can read it very quickly.

It could have been greatly improved though by concentrating the material throughout around whether you want a wired or wireless network after providing an initial chapter that helped you choose one or the other. Now, you have to slog through every page to find all the information you need for one or the other. Perhaps in a future edition, this book will be updated to deal with that problem.

I work in the industry of home automation and am frequently providing wiring specs for window treatments (high and low voltage). I have never come across a do it yourself integrator; typically it is a team of people - and together the combined experience and knowledge makes the job go smoothly. The book was helpful but a very small population is going to be able to grasp it. Go to web: www.automatedshading.com for more information for our small piecce of the puzzle.

I purchased this book because I was interested in smart wiring my home for some basic automation. Although I'm familiar with electrical wiring diagrams this book is not for a person looking to make a couple of cool updates to his/her house or apartment.

Personally I was disappointed with the content of this book.

I've ordered both books from the author and I must say they were quite an eye opener. I've been browsing through the internet for various sources and unfortunately these two books are some of the very few in existance. Both books are more like an technical implementation manual intended for x10 system integrators and are packed with details, suggestions and walkthroughs. Both books focuses mainly on wiring and logical setup. But they go in details of how to actualy do things right. There are numerous examples, floorplans, blueprints for everyone's taste or occasion.
These books are not for everyone, they are too tecnical and way too specific although they do contain some general information. I gave 4 stars due to the way knowledge is presented (sometimes quite difficult to read) and becouse of the lack of information on computer software controlled systems. Otherwise splendid work.

Home/Office automation is growing so fast that few printed books could keep up. This book gets basic wiring principles and organization worked out right away, and then proceeds to X-10 coverage and programming. I will use the basic principles laid out for years to come, but it may be better to skip the X-10 stuff and the specific cable types it recommends (Cat5e should be replaced with Cat6, etc). The book also focuses on Internet in the Home/Office based on a stand-alone PC that acts as a server. Routers with firewalls are now the way to go. The programming code does however hold basic structure and logic that is carried over into newer technologies, so it's worth going over. The illustrations could also be updated, but that's already been said. Overall, it was worth the money, and I would recommend this book for anyone who wants to get a good comprehensive coverage of home automation.

I am writing this review because this book was one of Amazon's recommendations when I looked for "Structured Wiring". The only information about structured wiring in this book are a couple of references to his other book on structured wiring, which is not particularly well reviewed.

While I was not interested in an X-10 system when I bought this book, I found that it had a lot of interesting ideas for controlling a home beyond the usual opening and closing drapes, turning lights on and off with a remote control. My own personal bias is that controlling such functions from a remote instead of a switch is not much of an automation improvement. For me the more interesting subjects were topics such as: Interfacing a home controller to an alarm system to integrate their functions; controlling electrical loads such as your electrical water heater, HVAC, and attic fan to save energy, controlling sprinklers, etc.; using a single button to turn off all of the lights in you house before going to bed, etc.

The book is intended to be read from cover to cover. It is a step by step description of how to fully automate an example home. While I haven't implemented such a system, the examples appear to me to be more than adequate to come up with your own implementation.

I gave the book 4 stars instead of 5 for several reasons: The layout/format/typeface makes the book a bit harder to read than most books. It could also use some editing (spelling and grammar errors that sometimes have you scratching your head for a few seconds).

Would I buy the book again? Absolutely: I just wish that they had done a better job producing it.

Ergonomic Living gives you the tools to make healthful decisions. This book cuts through the mountains of adhype that surround virtually every home and office product. I would like to see the author write a sequel.

I can see how Gordon Inkeles, the great massage author, became interested in this health-oriented subject. Co-author Iris Schencke is an ergonomics expert. Their collaboration produced a winner-a book that you will turn to again and again to make your life less stressful. Unlike so many self-help programs, the suggestions here really work.

How can you NOT love a book with a chapter called "How to Sleep?" Believe it or not, there is zero hype here. The authors have done their ergonomic homework and the solutions they come up with will amaze you. Highly recommended!

While I did learn several things about ergonomics, I finally put the book down when I got tired of the preaching. Many of the author's topics were not on subject and, instead, were rantings about the time we spend watching television or other pet peeves of the authors. It got really old. I was looking forward to learning how to design my home. I didn't need the nagging. I would not recommend this book to anyone.

This trade paperback is chock full of practical advice and downright wisdom. It tells us how to structure home and office to fit the human body, all its limitations and wondrous powers. Ergonomic Living follows its own advice such that form follows function and use.

The book has two major sections, home and office. There are eleven chapters: How to Enter Your Home, How to Relax, The Inner Circle. Each briefly introduces a series of concise, well-designed modules: The Deafening Kitchen, Wiring and Cables, Effective Ambient Lighting, Choosing the Right Pillow. The photos and illustrations are excellent. "You have a right to an ergonomic kitchen in which your personal needs, both physical and mental, come first." The authors show you how to exercise that right. Right on!

For many parents, the chapter on creating a child-friendly home will, by itself, be worth the price of the whole book.

My edition is a little out of date on some things, but the principles remain sound, the information useful. For example, someone ready to buy a DVD recorder will profit from the section on selecting a VCR. The summary still applies: "Difficult to memorize controls are never used. Remotes keyed to newspaper codes will be used frequently. Remotes keyed to instruction booklet diagrams will be ignored. Tactile well balanced [sic] remotes will remain near your hand. Slippery, flat remotes will end up on the floor. Basic controls should be immediately obvious."

_Ergonomic Living_ is a warm, pragmatic and, yes, wise book. It concludes, "Change, movement and grace. This is a friendly world; we built it, and now we have the tools to live in it on your own terms. We can choose to inhabit healthful, comfortable environments, amicable places that serve our needs. We can be the masters of our own possessions, the actors on a human-centered stage. We can feel good all day."

Whether you are new to the home office or a seasoned pro, this brilliant book can help you feel better all day.

Ken Graff
©2003, Words in Action
www.wordsinaction.biz
(626)755-3067

Want to have a TV on your Mac?...Buy an external Video Card!! How smart. Talks about the Ipod, but the 2nd and 3rd generation, no Ipod photo, video, nano, etc. This book is completely out of date. Would not recommend it to anyone. Save your money.

Frankly, I'm not too impressed by most of the Mac OS X-centric books out there, and when I bought this, I wasn't sure that my mindset would change. Was I ever wrong... Thanks to the knowledge acquired from this book, my Macs now do far more than what Windows could ever hope to do. Don't get me wrong, for I earn my living with Windows, but thanks to this book, the Macs prove how uniquely strong they are. This is a fantastic book. Keep 'em coming.

A friend gave me this book and I was surprised by how different it was. I had no idea my Mac could do such cool things. The directions are not that hard to follow. The best part is you can show it to your PC friends and they are jealous!

A book that revels in the sheer number of playful possibilities of a Mac. Rizzo and Knaster put together a set of projects that should appeal to any creative types that frequently use a Mac. Like being able to be an Internet radio station. Or being able to record and edit TV. Just a few years ago, the disk and RAM requirements for this would have been totally prohibitive.

Apple has been strongly pushing wireless networking, so it should be no surprise that the authors show how to easily implement this inside a home. For over a decade, Macs have been prevalent in the music industry. So you get an extensive tour of MIDI and how it is actually easy to build a synthesiser around a Mac.

The only discordant note is that the authors never really point out that probably everything they describe can also be done on a PC.

I am not a hard core Mac guy. I just have an old iMac I bought on eBay for fun, running Mac OS 9, so i didnt really know if any of these would work. I bought the PC Toys and Linux Toys books from this same series (yes, I know I have too many old machines laying around,) and really liked them so I thought I might see what I could do with my little Mac in the basement.

Turns out many of the projects will work out fine on my OS 9 machine, although those of you serious Mac users with OS X will be able to do do them all without any problems.

I went straight for the "Classic Video Game Mac" project and am busily assembling a makeshift cabinet for my new MacMAME machine.

Sure beats having that machine sit powered down on a desk in the basement, huh?

I'd read Barbara Hemphill's earlier book and was glad to see she's expanded it into two books now with the focus on work and home. Being a chronic paper hoarder means rereading this book occasionally before the paper overwhelms me.
She really understands what needs organizing and streamlined, from messages to catalogs, recipes, photos, bills, tax records and the endless stream of paper that flows through our lives. Setting up the systems to handle our troublesome paper clutter brings relief. Some of it you know already, and just need a reminder, but other tips give new ways to handle the growing piles of paper.
Very practical.

As a pastor, husband, father and caregiver to an ailing mother, I have more than my share of paperwork to manage at home. Hemphill has given me new hope that I can tame the paper tiger stalking on my increasingly cluttered desk! Her techniques are simple, easy to use and to understand. For anyone who is dealing with mountains of paperwork and is frustrated as a result, this title is a must-read!

I really appreciate any good book on organization. I would like to thank the author for her great advice on how to divide and conquer your "action" papers. This book is a nice complement to "File, Don't Pile" which gives much more detail on how to organize your other paper mess which is your reference files. I recommend both.

I first borrowed this book from the library then went out an bought it for future reference. I was already using many of the processes explained but it has reinforced what I was doing and aided in clearing out the last of the paper mess in my life.

I would have rated this book higher if it had been the first book I read about organization. However, I purchased 5 at the same time while on a work space organizational kick. I read Organizing Your Workspace by Odette Pollar first as it states it's a quick read. Paper Tiger gave the same basic organization structure as Pollar's book, but with a more interesting and real tone than Pollar. However, Paper Tiger spent the second half of the book on the big picture of organizational organization, the home office, computer files, and long term maintenance of the filing system. Things I'm not interested in right now that I am in the overwhelming start of a new organizational process. This info may be helpful to me in a few months when I have established a routine and can concentrate on long term maintenance. I would have found more practical time saver tips and starting advise a better help.

this book contain good valable notes on PLC's so i like to read more .

I recommend this book to all my students who are getting started in working with the AB SLC 500. This book will give you a great start if you are trying to learn about AB PLCs. I also recommend ... for ActiveX driver software to communicate with AB PLCs. The reason I did not rate it at five stars is because the book is a little pricey and it omits some of the more advanced ladder instructions.

Here, we can find a lot examples, of basic Programmable Logical. But, no enough examples using advanced Programming instructions such as, PID, Shift Resister, Sequencer. Excellent book for the beginners.

I was not impressed with the book. I did pick up a few small tips, however, it seemed that the author was a windows ME user and that is what most all of the book was written around. Very very little mention of windows XP. Wish the author and/or publisher had been more upfront and named the book "A little knowledge of Home Networking for Windows ME"...I would have known a bit more what to expect.

THis book is only for home peer-to-peer networks that use a router or gateway type hub. If you are a SOHO or plan on using a server to do DHCP, NDS, etc. this book is NOT for you.

I can't imagine why anyone would not like this book. In the back of the book is an appendix to fixing networking problems. I wrote this appendix and was so confident it would resolve every peer-to-peer networking issue, I include my e-mail address for readers to contact me directly if, after following the appendix trouble-shooting guide, they still can not resolve their problem.

I know of no other book that offers such a 'free' and helpful service. If the book didn't answer a question you were seeking, the opportunity is made available to the reader to email me directly with that question.

What's not to like?

Thought this book would be perfect A-Z reference for my home-networking needs, but alas, coverage of key topics was disappointing. Details and comparisons of networking protocols was scant. A common file sharing error, which i frequently experience was not covered at all (Windows File Error: 1026). Also this book recommends Norton AntiVirus, one of the most disappointing and buggy AV applications i have tried.

I found "Sams Teach Yourself Windows Networking in 24 Hours" to be much more informative for my needs (at a lower price).

I always relied on the young, smart people in the office to deal with the networking challenges. I've read Dave Strom's columns for years now and when this book was available, ordered it the first week. I just went through the book's step-by-step guidelines for installing network cards, creating shared folders, sharing printers, etc. and when I finished, it all worked!

This is a good book to fine out just what a home network can do and how to do it.

I finally got my home network running with the help from this book and an article on-line. This book did lead me step by step on how to use Netmeeting so that I could work on the kid's computer while not leaving mine.

The author of this book spends a lot of time making things easy with all of the step-by-step instruction. So if you don't now or care about things like "cmd" or "ipconfig" you will really like this book.

Don't be fooled by the one negative review here..this is a great book for home networking. The typo (from Gigabit to Gigabyte) doesn't change the wonderdful content of this book and how EASY it makes it to create a home network. This book has won praise all over the place.

The author has made so many misqueues, there is no way that they were accidental. Gigabyte Ethernet? That's one heck of an Ethernet signal! I wish I had one of those. Win98 or ME can't be servers? Even in a workgroup? Bah! Don't waste your time here folks. Move along, there is nothing to see here.

The Microsoft Guide is a comprehensive book that provides all the information you need to set up home networks based on the Windows 9x, ME and XP Operating Systems. I'm A+ / N+ Certified technician and also a PC Repair Instructor and with this book I was able to prepare a Networking fundamentals course with excellent response from the students. Half of my first class enrolled on the advanced course and are even talking about getting N+ certification. Thanks to this book I was able to create an enjoyable learning experience for the students.
By the way don't pay attention to the review that states lack of knowledge from the author. The reviewer is dumb enough to miss that Windows 98 and ME can't be servers because they are designed to be either workstations (clients) on a server/client enviroment, so they only access resources from the server, or work on a peer to peer enviroment so they can share resources with other PC and also access them from other PC. Also he is so ignorant to state that there's no such thing as Gigabit Ethernet. Maybe if he took the time to study the IEEE 802.3 cabling standard or even read any Network+ book he will crawl out of his ignorance.

This book was once very good but because it was written in 1999 and published in 2000 I would look elsewhere for home networking info. Many changes have taken place since this book was published -- wireless networking standards have changed, cabling requirements have changed, and operating systems have improved. My recommendation is SOHO NETWORKING, an excellent book published in 2003.

Lots about how to assemble and connect and initialize all the necessary hardware components. Very little about how to get MS Windows to orchestrate the network functionality. As per usual, Windoze makes it look real simple, but in fact, nothing works. The book is no help

This book is a good introduction to the basics of networking, but provides very little "advanced" information. Most of what's in the book can be found on any number of web sites dedicated to the subject of networking. I was looking for more of an understanding of the nitty gritty details of computer networks, but didn't find what I was looking for in this book. There's very little troubleshooting information, which is a surprise given how often "troubles" arise when networking computers.

If new to networking stop, look, and read Home Networking: The Missing Manual. Scott Lowe did it again by explaining the how to establish a network for your computer(s) and associated devises. He explains networking both Macintosh and Windows Operating Systems, printing, file sharing, and data storage using systems ranging from power lines to wireless.

Not included (nor expected), but of personal interest to me, would be information about controlling home devises with X10 through powerline communication.

Home Networking: The Missing Manual is a great book for those wanting implement either wired or wireless communication networking.

This manual explained many things in a simple format. I would recommend it to ANYONE who is not well versed in home networking. It is easy to read and understand. I had my network and a friend's network up and running in no time thanks to the information in this manual!

The book is clear and it's easy to follow the steps in setting up a home network. Unfortunately the book assumes nothing will go wrong and when it does,and it did for me, there are no steps outlined to help determine what is wrong.

I'm a SW developer and I just got this book because I was curious about Home Automation, I had no idea about it and this book really cleared my mind easy reading and amazingly easy to implement If you're a beginner I totally recommend it!

I am very into the X-10 gadgets and have been for several years. This book was intended for the average homeowner interested in inexpensive home security. The only thing it lacks is diagrams and layouts for the systems it covered.

"Smart Home Hacks" provides a basic introduction to X10-based home automation, a technology that's been around since the 1970s. For the most part, the book just scratches the surface of the subject and often goes off on unrelated tangents, such as an example of how to build a robot lawnmower. What's missing is a more comprehensive overview of X10-compatible modules and the different ways they might be used to solve home automation problems. For example, irrigation is a very practical application that's ideal for a computer, and there are X10-based models, such as the Rain8 made by WGL designs. But the author chooses to ignore irrigation because of a perceived flooding hazard, even though the Rain8 has an internal limiter that shuts off the water even if no X10 "off" signal is received. Many pages are devoted to computer automation systems sending text-base messages, but no mention is made of voice-based solutions which are much more practical and cost-effective. The newer software applications that are available are impressive but it's amazing how primitive the available hardware is. The book fails to mention one of the biggest obstacles to X10 deployment: the need for a "neutral" (white) wire in household wiring. Since most light switches are wired with a simple 2-wire loop-back for economic reasons, it would require expensive re-wiring to use X10 switches. And, unless I missed it, it fails to discuss the problem of X10 signals not being passed to the "other side" of typical 2-phase house wiring. Only a passing mention is made to the new INSTEON technology that improves upon the old X10 protocol. So, although the book appears to be "current" it reads like it was written five years ago. "Smart Home Hacks" works best as sort of an idea cookbook. You'll find yourself bouncing around from one "recipe" to another but often finding most cool ideas can't be cooked up because of various obstacles (cost, permits, electronic expertise, obscure hardware, and so on).

SMART HOME HACKS: Tips & Tools for Automating Your House
Gordon Meyer
O'Reilly Media Inc.
ISBN: 0-596-00722-1

For years we have heard of how computers can provide benefits around the house. Television news programs show research labs using computers in conjunction with special equipment for recording or controlling test. I have often wondered, "How is this accomplished?"

Smart Home Hacks introduces you to previously hidden benefits our computers can provide. With software available for Macintosh and other operating systems we learn to control many items in and around our home from our computer's CPU.

How is this done... using the existing 120 VAC wiring in our walls to transmit and receive signals via X10 transmitter and receivers around your house. Whether controlling 12 volt landscaping lights, the timing cycles for your pool pump, or simply turning lights and sound on and off for security reasons, from the ground up Gordon Meyer's Smart Home Hacks explains the process.

Your computer can send messages to your cell phone, pager, or e-mail account. Driveway lights can be set to come on and remain on for a given period of time, and sprinkler systems can be controlled by your home computer. Meyer takes readers from the basics of X10 codes to starting your hot tub and having it ready when you get home.

For those wanting a computer to work for them this book even shows you how to monitor and plot heating oil fuel consumption. With broadband Internet service you can monitor Fido's actions when you are away from the house by adding video camera(s) and a link to the Internet.

To add cost effectiveness to a home, SMART HOME HACKS: Tips & Tools for Automating Your House is a great addition to a home library. Additionally, it should be considered as an ideal gift.

This book presents a great variety of ideas for using the X10 protocol. I'm sure every reader will find several ideas or projects interesting enough to try.

Although I've been using X10 products for over five years, I have found this book to be a very useful reference. What I like about it is that it starts off with the very basics and move through to the esoteric ... something for everyone.

I recommend this book to the beginner or to the experienced. I'm glad I bought it: I refer to it all the time.