Wi-Fi Hotspots: Setting Up Public Wireless Internet Access

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Book Review: Wi-Fi Hotspots: Setting Up Public Wireless Internet Access

Author: Eric Geier
Format: Paperback: 264 pages
Publisher: Cisco Press; Bk&CD-Rom edition (October 10, 2006)
ISBN: 1587052660

Review by James Pyles
November 21, 2006

Ever want to set up your own wireless hot spot? Eric Geier's new book professes to teach you how...the Cisco way. According to the introduction, this book is equally useful to the IT Professional or the average computer user who wants to construct a wi-fi accessable environment. This was the first Cisco Press book I'd seen that wasn't heavily laden with a large number of arcane acronyms such as OSPF, IGRP and BGP. I wanted to see if it met the standards for clear writing and accuracy I'd come to expect from this publisher.

The first thing Geier does is provide the reader with an elementary education in wi-fi hotspots, defining a hotspot, describing independent vs. hotspot networks, how to find a hotspot and how wi-fi works. I found that the book is definitely in the business of selling wi-fi to business. Anyone owning or managing a coffee shop, motel, or bookstore and wants to create their own hotspot is the target of this book.

"Wi-Fi Hotspots" provides the reader with all of the information they'll need to setup several different types of hotspot solutions. I was a little surprised that installation times were listed as from 1 to 3 hours. While I doubt a wireless guru would need very much time to setup a hotspot, the wireless newbie may encounter some problems that will toss those time estimates right out the window.

As I made my way through the book, I discovered that it provides the "nuts and bolts" of setting up different hotspot types in simple, straightforward steps using well known Linksys equipment (of course) and in some solutions, ZoneCD software (which is included on the accompanying CD). I was pleased to see a "How to get help" section was provided since undoubtedly, no matter how well the book is written, some reader will hit a snag or two and will need help.

Continuing to read, I was pleasantly surprised to see references to other wireless hardware vendors such as D-Link. While there's nothing wrong with Cisco marketing their own equipment through this book, it's not always reasonable to assume that everyone is going to exclusively use Linksys wireless routers and NICs when they build and maintain their hotspot. I was glad to see that the author and publisher included these references.

Advertising tips, setting up security, and troubleshooting information are all included in this book. There are also chapters on routine maintanence and how to expand coverage by using antennas or adding access points. Examples are all "real world" such as setting up a hotspot at a motel or for use by business conference rooms. The book uses Windows XP exclusively as the operating system for the PC examples but I guess you can't have everything.

Somewhat more "advanced" material is included in the appendix regarding how to understand wi-fi signals but the average business owner probably will not be as interested in this material as someone wanting to know more about Wi-Fi in general.

By the time I came to the end of the book, I felt reasonably sure that I could use "Wi-Fi Hotspots: Setting Up Public Wireless Internet Access" as a guide for setting up a hotspot if I so desired. However, while I think the book speaks volumes to business owners who want to take advantage of a wi-fi hotspot solution, Most IT Professionals might find the book's content a bit light. Although Geier's stated target audience ranges from the technical newbie to the experienced networking professional, I don't think it casts quite that wide a net. That was the only issue I had with Geier's book, though. "Wi-Fi Hotspots" is absolutely great material for folks who want a no-nonsense guide to setting up their own hotspot.