At PC Magazine, we've been talking about "media convergence" for years. Network-based home entertainment devices like TiVo and Microsoft's Media Center PC . . . make a home LAN more useful than ever. Chapters 2 and 12 show you how they work.

Ready to set up a network that maximizes your digital media?

Here's the hands-on guide you've been looking for

You don't need a doctorate in computer science to set up a home network, but a little friendly advice sure won't hurt. This easy-to-follow guide is the next best thing to moving PC Magazine's Les Freed into your guest room for a week. Les takes you shopping for the right equipment, helps you put it together, offers pointers on security, and most importantly, leads you right to where the fun begins.

Learn cool stuff you can really use

• Discover what a network lets you do (it's a lot more than sharing a printer!)
• Learn to speak the language so you can buy exactly what you need
• Hook up Windows®, Mac OS® X, and laptop computers into a single network
• Share photos, video, recorded TV, and music collections
• Mix and match wired and wireless components for the LAN that's right for you
• Lock out cyber-intruders with the right firewall
• Add your game machine, TiVo®, and big-screen TV to your network
• Know how to find and fix network problems
• Let your LAN manage your home security system
• Explore and experiment with Les Freed's Networking Cookbook