Smart Homes For Dummies (eBook)

Danny Briere founded TeleChoice, Inc., a telecommunicationsconsulting company, in 1985 and now serves as CEO of the company.Widely known throughout the telecommunications and networkingindustry, Danny has written more than one thousand articles abouttelecommunications topics and has authored or edited ten books,including Internet Telephony For Dummies, Wireless HomeNetworking For Dummies (now in its second edition), WirelessHacks and Mods for Dummies, Windows XP Media Center Edition 2004 PCFor Dummies, and Home Theater For Dummies. He isfrequently quoted by leading publications on telecommunications andtechnology topics and can often be seen on major TV networks,providing analysis on the latest communications news andbreakthroughs. Danny splits his time between Mansfield Center,Connecticut, and his island home on Great Diamond Island, Maine,with his wife and four children. Pat Hurley is Director of Research with TeleChoice, Inc.,and specializes in emerging telecommunications and digital hometechnologies, particularly in all the latest consumer electronics,access gear, and home technologies, including wireless LANs, DSL,cable modems, satellite services, and homenetworking services. Patfrequently consults with the leading telecommunications carriers,equipment vendors, consumer goods manufacturers, and other playersin the telecommunications and consumer electronics industries. Patis the coauthor of Internet Telephony For Dummies, SmartHomes For Dummies, Wireless Home Networking For Dummies,Wireless Hacks and Mods for Dummies, Windows XP Media CenterEdition 2004 PC For Dummies, and Home Theater ForDummies. He lives in San Diego, California, with his wife, afiery red-headed toddler named Annabel, and two smelly dogs.

Introduction 1

Part I: Future-Perfect Homes 9

Chapter 1: Mi Casa, Cool Casa 11

Chapter 2: Zen and the Art of Whole-Home Networking 23

Chapter 3: Cool Stuff Home Networks Can Do 47

Chapter 4: Timelines and Budgets 63

Part II: Making Your Home an Entertainment Center 71

Chapter 5: Breaking the Entertainment Bottleneck -- WithoutBreaking the Bank 73

Chapter 6: Getting Video Where You Want It 95

Chapter 7: Wiring a Video Network 109

Chapter 8: Bringing You Music 129

Chapter 9: Running Audio Here, There, and Everywhere 145

Part III: Now We're Communicating! 165

Chapter 10: Planning a Phone System 167

Chapter 11: : Making the Phone Connection 193

Part IV: Livin' Off the Fat of the LAN 203

Chapter 12: A Cornucopia of Computers 205

Chapter 13: All Roads Lead to the Net 223

Chapter 14: Designing a Data LAN 247

Chapter 15: Choosing the Parts for a Wired Data LAN 259

Chapter 16: Alternatives to a Wired Data LAN 273

Part V: Keeping the Bad Guys at Bay -- Security295

Chapter 17: Home Security Boot Camp 297

Chapter 18: Wiring a Security System 313

Part VI: Putting It All Together -- Home Automation andControl 323

Chapter 19: Home Automation Extravaganza 325

Chapter 20: Making Home Automation a Reality 345

Part VII: The Part of Tens 365

Chapter 21: Ten Common Pitfalls When Building Your Smart Home367

Chapter 22: Top Ten Toys of the Future 373

Index 383