Wi-Fi Toys goes to Extremes

WI-FI TOYS written by Mike Outmesguine and published by Wiley under their “ExtremeTech" label, starts off with basic wireless tinkering skills, such as how to make antenna cables, and quickly moves into around cool hardware projects such as building a directional Wi-Fi "cantenna" out of a coffee can, modifying your access point for better signal reception, and building an outdoor solar-powered wireless repeater. Author Outmesguine is president and founder of a technology consulting firm focused on (you guessed it) wireless mobility and energy systems, with a background that includes being a founder of the Southern California Wireless Users Group and a 10 year stint in the U.S. Air Force and National Guard. He knows his stuff and explains it well.

Coming in at around 364 pages, interesting chapters include how to Wi-Fi a TiVo, build a long-haul Wi-Fi link, and how to put together a "dynamic wireless digital picture frame" (always did want to find something to do with my old laptop). I'm not so sure I can get behind a chapter on deploying a car-to-car wireless video link; there are enough distractions on the roads these days as it is than to have two drivers jockeying for the best 2.4 GHz reception for videoconferencing at 60 miles per hour. It's an interesting hack, but I'm not sure if it is a very practical one. The book's cover claims “15 cool wireless projects” but that's a stretch too since I wouldn't count making a good cable as "cool" or a toy. Necessary and a good basic skill if you are going to monkey around with antennas and RF, yes, but cool? Not really.

Despite some of the spin, it is a great book, easily understandable, with plenty of photos and illustrations, and each project is logically documented. Even a reluctant screwdriver user such as myself got a warm fuzzy feeling from the clear step-by-step instructions for the initial projects. After building an RF cable, the next project is to build a pocket-sized directional antenna out of a couple of paperclips and a flat wooden ice cream cup spoon and the following chapter on building a cantenna builds upon the knowledge of previous projects.

The initial chapters also do a great job of explaining the fundamental principles behind RF and Wi-Fi operations, including antenna design, RF propagation, and Federal Communication Commission (FCC) regulations covering unlicensed devices. A three chapter section on wardriving in the middle of the book feels a little out of place in comparison to the rest of the hardware-focused projects. Don't get me wrong, the section is a good, clear primary for getting into wardriving, but I'd prefer to see some more hardware projects and see the wardriving section turned into a dedicated book. Instead, it would have been nice to see those three chapters replaced with the "ideas" projects listed at the end of the book, including Wireless Voice over IP and installing an MP3 player in a car and uploading songs via Wi-Fi. Similarly, in the last two chapters, Outmesguine throws in some "extra credit" project variations on the basic descriptions that I think would be better served by full chapters or at least a deeper technical discussion.

Wi-Fi Toys is a must read for anyone who wants to learn more about Wi-Fi above and beyond plugging in their access point. Available through your usual book outlets at $24.99 list price. µ