Home Automation Books

To quote a friend of mine "This book has the wrong name. Instead of being called "Home Networking Annoyances," the name of the book should be "Why Windows Is Hard To Network." Yes, this book does talk all about home networking, but it only mentions Windows operating systems." Any one using any other operating system should not waste their time or money. It is unfortunate that the author is so narrow in her view as the topic is of considerable interest to many users of computers other than those operating under Windows.

It would be easy to think of a whole variety of things as networking, web clients, email, ftp. This book works at a lower level than that, debugging routers, internet connectivity, file sharing, and the basics. Though the basics can be difficult. If I could fault the book it would be that the exposition for some of the recipes are a little too short. Simply introducing a solution as opposed to walking through it at a reasonable depth. That being said, sometimes sign posts are as valuable as step-by-step maps.

I have a home network. Well, really it's a small network in a home that I use for business. I don't know if that's a home or business network. But anyway, I have one.

It's working at the moment.

The reason it's working is because I bought this book. The data comes in on a DSL line into a D-Link router. I usually write things like IP address, login name, password, etc. on a slip of paper and tape it to the bottom of the device. I have a good memory, but short, and this helps.

No login name oe password on the router. I picked up this book, and on page 28 there the annoyance -- Getting to the router. Here she gives the IP address of the router (and those of Belkin, Linksys, and Netgear) as well as the default user names and passwords.

Fixing just one problem like this makes this book well worth while. And reading the rest of the book (fast to read because you only look at the annoyance and skip the answer if it doesn't apply to your problem of the moment) gave me several better understandings of some of the problems that I've faced before.

This is a beginning to intermediate level book on home networking. It's a lot more than just annoyances.

A grab-bag of hardware and software fixes. Logically, the book starts with discussing hardware problems. Simply because if you can't overcome some of these, you won't have any software problems. Frankly, this hardware section is the most important part of the book. Grubby, but often occurring issues like how to run ethernet between rooms or floors in a building. It's things like this that make some people opt for wireless connections. Much cleaner and easier, right? Well, Ivens explains that you get other problems. Like a greater risk of evesdropping. Or your wireless transmissions might be blocked by metal objects in your environment.

Don't take the "Home" in the book's title too literally. Much of the book can be germane to you having to set up a network in a workplace.

A lot of the book's value is in how Ivens plainly and simply explains the problems and their fixes. In very nontechnical terms that make it clear what you can do to resolve the problems.

Hi, I got this text book for one of my classes.
it is very helpful, and explains in details and in a simple way, what we need to know.

I really needed this book and after I ordered it I thought great. Then days later I got an email saying They didnt have it so I was being credited. If you dont have the book DONT POST IT!!

Mr Bradshaw does an excellent job in presenting an enormous amount of information in a very clear manner. It is an overview, yet it gives very detailed information. It is aimed at architectural students, which I am not, but I needed information and this has helped me enormously.

I am very much into the X-10 gadgets and have been for several years. A great book for homeowners interested in inexpensive home security.

Some years back it looked like X-10 was going to revolutionize how houses were built. There would be automatic controls of lights, heating and air conditioning, fire and burglar alarms, everything was going to be automatic and computer controlled. It didn't come to pass.

Meanwhile, however, the X-10 technology has kept growing, become more standardized, more reliable, less expensive, and just overall better.

X-10 works over the standard power lines that supply electricity around your house. You don't have to run new wiring (like you did with the old low voltage systems), you just plug things into the electric sockets and they work. The standards for X-10 equipment are so good that any brand of equipment works with all the other brands.

Here in this one book is everything you need to know from first getting started to putting together an effective, reliable and easy to use system.

This is a poorly written and shallow treatment of X10 technology, most of the content is dated and corny. It is an attempt to cover both the technology and practical application of home automation, but does a poor job on both counts. There is a pointless section on how to build a box to store your remote control, and a geeky section on using motion sensors to turn on an outside waterfall or an indoor fake fireplace (does anybody really use an indoor fake fireplace?). Most of the useful information is a near verbatim copy of information from the wiring instructions supplied with X10 components at the time of purchase. This is the only book I have ever returned after purchase.

The new generation of Exam Cram 2's I reckon to be far better value than the first series, almost always on target and still nice and portable so you can study/cram almost anywhere. Yes this one does have dissapointing typos but of course you will be using another text as well won't you, so you will realise what they are when you come across them? Its is annoying but I found that it sharpened me up not only to look for them (having been warned of their presence) and I certainly remembered salient points because of them. So in an odd way they worked in my favour. Still the perfect item would be nice. But on the whole recommended.

If you you purchasing this book because you have no idea about Home Electronics Installation and want to take the test, this book will help you pass. Unfortunatly, if you are actually trying to learn to do this, then you are going to have to move on to something else. This book contains several errors, and does not go deep enough that would make someone feel confortable attempting to install this stuff after reading it.

There is an error every 10 to 15 pages in the book or a misleading sentence.

Hopefully the publisher will post an errata soon.

The book by Quentin Wells is better, but it doesn't distinguish between the exams like this book.

This book is by the authors of PC Toys. The PC Toys projects are relatively easy to implement and spoon feed the reader all the material needed to complete the toys.

I think this is an excellent book. I'm very comfortable with software and coding, but not that great with electronics.

This book is more ambitious, provides good road maps for the different project areas, but the book is written with the intent of the reader branching out and developing their own solution. My interests are X-10 and Wireless based projects.

The companion website provides alot of source code that can be tweeked, or rewritten for your own particular project.

Negatives: not for beginers, could be insufficient for "experts". These statement may be contrary, but instructions lack detail for a complete novice. At the same time, if you have a particular interest in a given area, this book might not be providing you with anything new.

Check out the contents before buying to ensure your going to get a book that gives you the amount of detail you need. A look at the contents page and a quick skim should help decide if it is right for you.

If you liked PC toys, could manage the projects and want something more challenging the chances are you'll like this book. I think it's an excellent source of inspiration for projects.

I'm interested in X10 projects as well as other home automation projects throughout the house but I thought this book was a little out of tune to what you realistically would do. I was captured by measuring the temperature of a grill and adjusting the heat. This is showing you a control for a "smoker." Other items you can easily find on the internet such as X10 devices, sprinkler control, etc.

This was the first book I picked out of the shelf to read about home automation. I found it very useful and informative. I read about 50 pages before I had to leave. I wanted to come back and buy the book. I am not sure why so many people seem to dislike this book. Anyway I consider this a good book. I am going to go back and browse through some of the other books suggested and decide which one to buy.

If there ever was a case for false advertising, this book takes it all the way. The back cover claims that after reading you will be able to install some of the most modern systems. This book is nothing more than a brief discussion about some of the things that can be automated in the home. The wiring that is covered in the book is juvenile at best. If I had previewed the book at a book store I most definitely would not have purchased book. Pass on this one.

No book, especially dealing with construction topics, can be everything to everybody. This is probably THE best on a fairly recent topic of specialization and competitiveness among the top-quality contractors.

One reviewer below says he got "7 things" out of the book. That is a great value! Even one or two are worth the price, in the commercial world! Some will get more, some less.

We particularly liked the focus of the author: Real Answers Contractors Need, Improve Profit Margins, Building Cutting Edge Security Into Homes, Automated Lighting that is both stunning and efficient, Home Theater, Flat Panel Plasma Displays ....

Includes whole chapters on plumbing, home security, entertainment, and lighting. An appendix on data communications and cable manufacturers... How many other books are out there on these subjects now?

Highly recommended, since it's a small investment in the long run.

With the pace home automation as been changing, this book should be considered "out of date" and hopefully soon be "out of print." While the author does seek to enlighten readers, the focus of the book is out-of-touch with main stream home automation thinking in 2002. Even the control systems referenced are no-longer near the cutting edge. While references to structured wiring still ring true, the techniques for reaching a total intregated system have changed. I was so disappointed with this book I actually returned to Amazon as I felt it could not enhance my library in any regard. As an alternative I would suggest "Home Automation for Dummies."

I'm not very satisfied with this book. It's a very basic and also out of date version of Home Automation techniques. It takes a very basic approach to home automation and does not offer much helpful info about current techniques.

I consider myself the average home computer user, so I can read technical material when there is need, but don't do this for living. I can understand 90% of help instructions, but won't get to the level of fixing Windows registry entries.

I wanted to build my home network, so I was expecting something to complement what I could find on Windows menus. I am also learning Linux and wanted to network all my home computers together. The book review said it was beginner to intermediate level, and it covered Linux as well, so it looked like the perfect fit.

I was able to get this book used, like new, for $5, so there was virtually nothing to lose. However, it was an 'almost' complete waste of time. This book just walks you through Windows menus, with some touch on Mac, and 'see your distro manuals' in Linux. I would say it is good for someone who is completely new to computers, but then I wouldn't want to create a network myself if I were that new. Besides, there is nothing in this book that you can't get either through the Internet, or regular help menus.

The only reason I am giving it 1 star is that it covers some network cabling principles, and some TCP/IP basics. Both areas are timeless, i.e.; would take some time to be as outdated as the rest of the book.

One good learning for me; good books will never sell at $5.

Everything you ever needed to know about networking. A must have book in hte field of networking. Highely reccomend.

The bad news is that I bought this book to solve a specific problem. 600 pages of text and appendices later, my problem remains unsolved. Nevertheless, this is a good presentation of the basics of home networks. I use a Windows XP Home OS. There was a lot of information specific to my OS. There were also custom comments for those on Windows XP Pro, Windows 98, Mac's etc. The reader level is self-proclaimed as "Beginning to Advanced". It would be more accurate to say "Beginner to Intermediate." If you want to learn the basic concepts of home networking and some "walk me through the commands of setting things up," this is a good reference. It is not an "everything one needs for troubleshooting problems" reference, though.

I was expecting more due to the title. This book tells you what to consider for your network but does little to prepare you for the technical issues you're going to encounter. Its an OK book; but certainly shouldn't be called a "Home Networking Bible" as it really doesn't cover very much in detail...its a wide book but also a shallow one.

Even in the years of the dot com crash, PC usage and upgrading has continued unabated, driven by a still relentless Moore's Law. One huge area of this usage has been the home, and Plumley devotes her book to aiding you. Unlike an office environment, you have no IT staff to delegate the gruntwork to. Just you. And her.

So she carefully goes over enough technical detail to be intelligible and useful to you. Covering the latest Microsoft operating systems, with accompanying details on the Macintosh and linux. As an aside, the fact that she chose to include linux in a book like this speaks eloquently to its rise in a mass consumer market; no longer confined to server side applications.

On your network, she gives extensive information about having a wired or wireless setup. The pros and cons of both. Like a wired net being more secure against evesdropping, and usually having higher bandwidth. But being much more labour intensive to install, and often greater capital costs, compared to having just some WiFi hub. Certainly though, WiFi has been and is one of the bright spots in hi-tech right now, and Plumley walks you through its acronym-filled thicket.

She also does not ignore various other devices that can live on your net. Like a PDA or Xbox. Here is a chance for you to test for yourself some of the fabled convergence of computing and entertainment, about which so much has been postulated and invested by others.

It appears that a lot of the contents were copied or gleened from other books.

It is not much better than a data sheet.

The books only covers basics. They have not touched many of the areas such as RTC etc. Many of the topics are not covered in depth. They should also have touched the topic of programming 8051 with C and C++ or they can write a seperate book for this topic.

If you need to use 8051 in a work project, this is not the book for you. It's a not college level text, and the more advanced topics are either not covered or left as an exercise for readers. It's definitely not worth the price they charge.

It is a great book for beginners ,It has been very useful for my first project ,It explains how to start programming and designing the 8051 microcontroller ,and I advice every engineer student who wants to get a good start in using 8051 in one of his projects to take access of this book.

I bought this book because of the five star rating, and I need a good 8051 book for my project. I spend about two days to go over this book, and are quite disappointed with the depth of the book. If you just want to know the very basic application of 8051, it's probably ok although there are quite a few typos.

There are three major flaws with this book:

1. Most of the serious topics are touched very lightly; it's almost useless for a firware/hardware engineer. For example, the memory map and the handshaking application of 8255.

2. Lots of trivial questions after each section, and each section is very short(again, nothing is really covered in details).

3. Very weak index, try to find memory-map!

I don't think the book deserves the price they ask for. I actually learned more from the 8051.com tutorial than from this book. The search for a good 8051 book is continued!!!

There is far more information (general anyway) about starting a business than about electronic security systems. Many chapters devoted to writing a resume and advertizing. Some generic info on devices and some references to ohms law. A lot of info on picking the right drill but little on picking the right volt meter. Troubleshooting, basically this was about interviewing the "client" to determine what the problem is?

I learned a lot from the Complete Book of Electronic Security. I highly recommend it to anybody. The book's explanation of how electricity works is easy to understand.

I own Bill's other book, "The Complete Book of Locks and Locksmithing", which is the best I've seen about locksmithing. His Electronic Security book is an excellent companion book. It's easy to understand, and gives a lot of good information. The chapter on how electricity works made me understand that better than ever before. A lot of the information is basic, fundamental stuff. Over a dozen top experts contributed technical articles to the book. I highly recommend the Complete Book of Electronic Security.

The author's similarly-titled book on locksmithing is of exceptional quality. That's what makes this book's average-ness seem so much less adequate. I didn't return the book, but could have found the same information with a few Internet searches.

I doubt this book would be of much use to someone learning electronic security, although it would probably make a great resource for a high-school student writing a report for some class or other. Perhaps I'll donate my mostly-unread copy to a local library, where it can be put to good use.

I was looking for a book that would help me upgrade our home security system. This looked like the one. NOT!

To say it was superficial would be to give it too much credit. The section on installation was 3 pages long. It's chock full of fluff, nothing is covered in enough depth to be of any use.

I was hoping to find out how the pros pulled wires into walls -- what tools they used, what tricks they used, etc. NOT!

I was looking for a book that would discuss the features available in various systems and which ones were useful. NOT!

Save your money. I sent my book back, but I still had to pay the shipping both ways.

I was so disappointed!

I used to hear that "books from Sybex are quite good usually." But after i read this book, i am disappointed on Sybex. IF you just want to know IIS without going for MCSE, the book may be for you, but not for those people want to take the exam. It doesn't touch deeply on the exam subject and it's also confusing. After this book, i really need to consider when next time i buy book from sybex.

Good book for giving an overall coverage of IIS4, but I also used Fast Track, Electives in a nutshell and troytec.com study guides. Covered terms used in IIS4 quite well.

This is a good reference book that can use even after you are finished with the exam. The concepts are explained well. Once you understand the concepts you can take some practice exams. This book is not the best for ptacticing for the test.

This book does not cover all the basic and there are quite a number of errors, therefore, I do not recommand this book to anyone. The book I wanted was in back-order and I didn't want to wait, so I bought this IIS4 (sybex) coz I wanted to start my study asap, however, it is not worthed buying this book even though there was no better choice available, I should have waited for the back-order, so please everyone, try not to make the same mistake I did.

I think everyone is being hard on Sybex's two great writers onthis book. This is an outstanding book that gives you detailedinformation about the topics you will need to cover in this exam. Not only that but it includes lots of movies and learn keys cd and simulators.

The questions sybexs uses are half decent. If you plan on buying book to pass the exam, it is not going to happen. However you can combine this manual with EASYCERT's. Yes Transcender is a good testing system, I have them all. BUT! Transcender is the absolute worst for IIS4. USE EASYCERT and you will pass.

This book was well written, few mistakes. The terms are well explained and understood. There are plenty of snap shots of the program you are reading about its not just crazy. There are lots of labs and information. You must be crazy to give this book a bad rating.

* I gave this 5 stars, it only deserves 4, but I have to boost the rating for users who gave it 1 * haha

Rhos Barnes, MCP

(Checkpoint MCSE Board Administrator)