Smart Homes For Dummies, 3/e

Description

Do you long to listen to your favorite CD from anywhere in your house? To set up a wireless network so you can access the Internet in any room? To install an iron-clad security system? To fire up the coffee pot while you’re still asleep and wake up with automated lighting? Smart home technology can help you do just that!

Smart Homes For Dummies, Third Edition, shows you how easy it can be to create and live in a cutting-edge, fully connected home—without breaking your bank account. With this user-friendly guide, you’ll discover all the latest trends and gadgets in home networking, automation, and control that will help you make life more enjoyable and comfortable for your entire family. We help you plan for things such as flat-screen TVs, intercom systems, whole-home audio systems, gaming consoles, and satellite systems. We talk about your wiring (and wireless) options and introduce you to the latest technologies, such as VoIP and Bluetooth. You’ll see how to:

• Build your home network on a budget
• Turn your home into an entertainment center
• Access the Internet from any room
• Get VoIP on your phone network
• Boost in-home wireless and cell phone signals
• Connect your computer to your TV
• Secure your home and property
• Increase your home’s resale value
• Avoid common networking pitfalls
• And much, much more

Complete with a resource list for more information and neat toys of the future, Smart Homes For Dummies is your plain-English, twenty-first century guide to a fully wired home!

Table of Contents

Introduction.

Part I: Future-Perfect Homes.

Chapter 1: Mi Casa, Cool Casa.

Chapter 2: Zen and the Art of Whole-Home Networking.

Chapter 3: Cool Stuff Home Networks Can Do.

Chapter 4: Timelines and Budgets.

Part II: Making Your Home an Entertainment Center.

Chapter 5: Breaking the Entertainment Bottleneck — Without

Breaking the Bank.

Chapter 6: Getting Video Where You Want It.

Chapter 7: Wiring a Video Network.

Chapter 8: Bringing You Music.

Chapter 9: Running Audio Here, There, and Everywhere.

Part III: Now We’re Communicating!

Chapter 10: Planning a Phone System.

Chapter 11: : Making the Phone Connection.

Part IV: Livin’ Off the Fat of the LAN.

Chapter 12: A Cornucopia of Computers.

Chapter 13: All Roads Lead to the Net.

Chapter 14: Designing a Data LAN.

Chapter 15: Choosing the Parts for a Wired Data LAN.

Chapter 16: Alternatives to a Wired Data LAN.

Part V: Keeping the Bad Guys at Bay — Security.

Chapter 17: Home Security Boot Camp.

Chapter 18: Wiring a Security System.

Part VI: Putting It All Together — Home Automation and Control.

Chapter 19: Home Automation Extravaganza.

Chapter 20: Making Home Automation a Reality.

Part VII: The Part of Tens.

Chapter 21: Ten Common Pitfalls When Building Your Smart Home.

Chapter 22: Top Ten Toys of the Future.

Index.