DSL Survival Guide

Rating:
Summary: DSL Survival Guide
Review: Lisa Lee is a "niche" author, meaning she writes books either on topics not covered by dozens of other authors, or with a fresh approach to mainstream subjects.

Her new DSL Survival Guide is one of the former. Digital Subscriber Line broadband service to the home is slugging it out against cable modem service for market dominance. Each has its advantages, but if Nemo was offered equal choice and reliability, DSL would be the winner.

Beginning with "What is DSL?" and "What is a Network?", Lisa explains what they are and how they work. These opening two chapters are burdened with terminology and acronyms, but don't despair, because the nifty illustrated diagrams convey everything you need to understand. My favorite section is the three-page chart comparing DSL with other options and alternatives. The techspeak can seem somewhat geeky, so ask your local guru or MUG (Macintosh User Group) buddy to explain the jargon, as needed.

Next come chapters appropriate for administrators of a DSL network (large or small), including check lists for Macintosh and other operating systems. Chapter Five, "Setting Up Computers," should be required reading for all of us, because it contains info we are expected to know but usually don't make the effort to comprehend.

Do you REALLY understand how to set up an email account in every imaginable configuration of Mac OS and client software? If not, Lisa Lee's "Setting Up E-Mail" tutorial will soon make you a seasoned veteran. Book Bytes considers this chapter worth at least half the cost of DSL Survival Guide.

Helpful user-oriented chapters covering Internet chatting and streaming follow, before we get to the serious stuff in Part Three:

*running a home network

*desktop, laptop, and handheld computing via DSL

*file sharing and web sharing.

This material is a bit over my head, but the content, screen shots, and check lists are consistently well-written and well-presented.

Most single-connection home users won't need to spend a lot of time troubleshooting their DSL service. This territory is the province of network administrators, who should scrutinize the final 90 pages in DSL Survival Guide before deciding if the book is appropriate.

If you have or need a one-computer working DSL connection at home, buy this book only if you care to understand the nuts and guts of your broadband service. Small and medium size networkers will find this multi-platform book a true "Survival Guide" worth its Book Bytes rating of:

MacMice Rating: 4 out of 5