Paul Heltzel, a seasoned technology journalist, has contributed an impressive list of computer-related articles for such magazines and Web sites as CNN Interactive, PC World, Business 2.0 and MIT Technology Review. Moreover, he has written for the tech sections of The Washington Post and The New York Times on the Web. He has also published two books with Sams: How to Use Microsoft FrontPage 2000 and How to Use Microsoft FrontPage 2002. Paul takes wireless technology seriously, using satellite and cellular service daily to stay connected from his 1969 Airstream home, the Silver Queen, where he travels the country and writes with his wife and dog.

I. THE WEB WITHOUT WIRES. 1. Before You Disconnect: What Is Wireless Computing? What It Is: The Wide World of Wireless. Disconnecting: Why Go Wireless? Stationary and Mobile Wireless Devices. What Kind of Wireless User Are You? Leaving Cords Behind. Ways to Make Wireless Work for You. What to Do Now? 2. Avoiding Wireless Speed Bumps. Bandwidth Blues. Sometimes Wireless Is Faster. Getting Coverage Off the Beaten Path. Don't Overlook Cheaper Wired Options. Trading Convenience for Speed. Wireless Security. Satellite vs. Cable or DSL. Going Wireless When Wired Will Do. Incompatibility. 3. Unplug and Stay Connected. Taking the Net on the Road: Mobile Options. Adding Mobile Accessories. Creating a Wireless Local Area Network. Different Kinds of Wireless Networks. 4. Research and Buying. Budget This: How Much Can You Spend? I Don't Have That: Deciding What You Need. What to Look for in a Two-Way Pager. What to Look for in Laptops. What to Look for in a Wireless Network. Where to Buy. 5 Serious Research: Finding More About Wireless Options. Determining Expenses. Avoiding Mistakes. Finding the Best Bang for Your Buck. What to Do Now. II. WIRELESS NET ACCESS. 6. Gearing Up for Wireless on the Move. Technology to Go. Staying Connected on the Road. Sending E-Mail on the Go. Savvy Shopper: Buying Before You Go. A Mobile Toolkit: Wireless Accessories. Where to from Here? 7. Staying Connected on the Go. Staying Connected on a Budget. WAP Your Head Around This: Browse on the Run. Dry Run: Testing Before You Go. Five Common Wireless Oversights. Wired or Wireless? Five Tips for Staying Connected. 8. Choosing a Handheld. High Five: Palm OS Devices. Other Palm Handhelds. Take a PC: Windows Handhelds. Other Contenders. General Concerns. 9. Ring Up the Web. Minibrowsing: Smart Phones. How to Choose a Web Phone. Picking a Smart Phone ISP. Disconnect: Wireless Modems. Modems: Picking a Provider. 10. Wireless E-Mail Devices. E-Mail on the Run. Take It to the RIM. Talk Amongst Yourselves. Phones on the Run. Choosing a Plan. Checking Out WAP. E-Mail Alone. What's Next? III. WIRELESS AT HOME AND WORK. 11. Safe and Secure in the Wireless Blue Yonder. Safe Computing at Home. Secure Computing. 12. Wireless Broadband. Fast Phones: 3G Speed on the Go. GPRS (General Packet Radio Service). One-Way Satellite: Speed at Home. Two-Way Satellite. Stationary Broadband. 13. Starting a Wireless Network. Starting a Home Network. Peer-to-Peer or Infrastructure? Installing Your Card. Installing Software. Enabling Encryption. Adding an Access Point. 14. Maintaining Wireless Networks. Adding Equipment. More on Hubs and Routers. About Security. Multimedia over Your Network. 15. Home Network Walkthrough. What Do You Need to Install? Installing TCP/IP for Windows 95/98/Me. Identifying Your Computer. Starting Printer and File Sharing. Sharing a Folder. Setting Up Windows 2000. Troubleshooting Your Setup. 16. Finding Your Way. Connecting to a GPS Receiver. Take the Internet with You. Wireless Travel. Movies and Entertainment. Wireless Shopping. One-Stop Surfing: Portals. 17. Beaming with Pride. Wireless Transfer on the Go. Beaming Other Data. Making Friends: Pocket PCs and Palm Handhelds. Synching Up Your PDA or Phone. Synch Through a Web Site. 18. Wireless Road Tricks. Sending a Fax. Services Offering Fax Capability. Backing Up Data. Portable Wireless Networking. Taking It with You (Offline Browsing). Where to from Here? 19. Dealing with Incompatibility. Wireless Communication Breakdown. Browsing for Answers. Software That Excels in Conversions. Web Sites with Know-How. IV. MAKING THE CONNECTION. 20. Taking Precautions. Protection with Surge Suppression. Move the Microwave. Find a Replacement Antenna. Two-Way Paging Tip. The Plane. Get a Bathroom or ATM Finder App. Insurance for PDA. Synch Phone for Rainy Day. Making Sure You Have Power. Keep Yourself Free of Spam. 21. Optimizing Wireless Computing. Saving Batteries on Your PDA. Speeding Up Your Wireless Network. Turning Off Graphics When Browsing. Getting a Stowable Keyboard. Downloading a Web-Clipping App. Web Phone: Make Bookmarks. Using a Web Phone Accelerator. Adding a New Modem to Your Old Account. 22. Future Tech. G Thing: Third Generation Wireless. Home Networking Speedups. Satellite Internet Advances. V. APPENDIXES. Appendix A. Glossary: Speak Like a Geek. Appendix B. Outlets Ahoy. Appendix C. WAP Directory: Sites Worth Checking Out. Appendix D. PDA Software to Go: Download Resources. Index.