In This Chapter
Configuring network connections for Windows clients Setting the computer name, description, and workgroup Joining a domain
Configuring Windows logon options
Before your network setup is complete, you must configure the net- work’s client computers. In particular, you have to configure each client’s network interface card so that it works properly, and you have to install the right protocols so that the clients can communicate with other computers on the network.
Fortunately, the task of configuring client computers for the network is child’s play with Windows. For starters, Windows automatically recognizes your network interface card when you start up your computer. All that remains to connect to the network in Windows is to make sure that Windows properly installed the network protocols and client software.
With each version of Windows, Microsoft has simplified the process of config- uring client network support. In this chapter, I describe the steps for configur- ing networking for Windows XP Professional, Windows 2000, Windows 98, and Windows 95. I don’t cover Windows XP Home Edition or Windows Millennium Edition because those versions are designed primarily for home use.
Configuring Network Connections
Windows automatically detects the presence of a network interface card, so you don’t usually need to manually install device drivers for a NIC. When Windows detects a NIC, it automatically creates a network connection and configures it to support basic networking protocols. However, you may need to manually change the configuration of a network connection. The following sections show you how.
13_599399_bk02ch04.qxd 8/18/05 11:50 PM Page 127
Configuring Network Connections
128
Windows XP and Windows 2000
To configure a network connection in Windows XP Professional or Windows 2000 Professional, follow these steps:
1.Click Start➪Control Panel to open the Control Panel.
The Control Panel appears.
2.Double-click the Network Connections icon.
The Network Connections window appears, as shown in Figure 4-1.
3.Right-click the connection that you want to configure and then choose Properties from the menu that appears.
In Windows XP, you can also select the network connection and click Change Settings of This Connection in the task pane. Either way, the Properties dialog box for the connection appears, as shown in Figure 4-2.
4.To configure the network adapter card settings, click the Configure button.
This action summons the Properties dialog box for the network adapter, as shown in Figure 4-3. This dialog box has five tabs that let you config- ure the NIC:
• General:This tab shows basic information about the NIC, such as the device type and status. For example, the device shown in Figure 4-3 is a D-Link DFE-530TX+ PCI Adapter. (It’s installed in slot 3 of the computer’s PCI bus.) If you’re having trouble with the NIC, you can click the Troubleshoot button to call up the Windows XP Hardware Troubleshooter. You can also disable the device if it’s preventing other components of the computer from working properly.
Figure 4-1:
The Network Connections window (Windows XP).
13_599399_bk02ch04.qxd 8/18/05 11:50 PM Page 128
Book II Chapter 4
Configuring ClientComputers
Configuring Network Connections 129
• Advanced:This tab lets you set a variety of device-specific parame- ters that affect the operation of the NIC. For example, some cards have a parameter that lets you set the card’s speed (typically 10Mbps or 100Mbps) or the number of buffers the card should use. You should consult the manual that came with the card before you play with these settings.
• Driver:This tab displays information about the device driver that is bound to the NIC and lets you update the driver to a newer version, roll back the driver to a previously working version, or uninstall the driver.
Figure 4-3:
The Properties dialog box for a network adapter (Windows XP).
Figure 4-2:
The Local Area Connection Properties dialog box (Windows XP).
13_599399_bk02ch04.qxd 8/18/05 11:50 PM Page 129
Configuring Network Connections
130
• Resources:This tab lets you manually set the system resources used by the card, including the memory range, I/O range, IRQ, and DMA channels. In the old days, before Plug and Play cards, you had to configure these settings whenever you installed a card, and it was easy to create resource conflicts. Newer versions of Windows config- ure these settings automatically, so you should rarely need to fiddle with them.
• Power Management:This tab lets you set power management options.
You can specify that the network card can be shut down when the computer goes into sleep mode and that the network card should be allowed to wake up the computer periodically in order to refresh the network state.
When you click OK to dismiss the network adapter Properties dialog box, the Local Area Connection Properties dialog box also closes.
To continue the procedure, you need to click open the Local Area Connection Properties dialog box again. You can do that by right- clicking the connection in the Network Connections window and choosing Properties.
5.Make sure that the network items that your client requires are listed in the Local Area Connection Properties dialog box.
The following paragraphs describe the items you’ll commonly see listed here. Note that not all networks need all these items.
• Client for Microsoft Networks:This item is required to access a Microsoft Windows network. It should always be present.
• File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks:This item allows your computer to share its files or printers with other computers on the network. This option is usually used with peer-to-peer networks, but you can use it even if your network has dedicated servers.
• QoS Packet Scheduler: This item manages the flow of data through your broadband connection. Best to leave it alone.
• Internet Protocol (TCP/IP):This item enables the client computer to communicate via the TCP/IP protocol. If all the servers on the net- work support TCP/IP, this protocol should be the only one installed on the client.
6.If a protocol that you need isn’t listed, click the Install button to add the protocol that you need.
A dialog box appears, asking whether you want to add a network client, adapter, protocol, or service. Click Protocol and then click Add. A dialog box that lists the available protocols appears. Select the one that you want to add and then click OK. (You may be asked to insert a disk or the Windows CD-ROM.)
13_599399_bk02ch04.qxd 8/18/05 11:50 PM Page 130
Book II Chapter 4
Configuring ClientComputers
Configuring Network Connections 131
7.Make sure that the network client that you want to use appears in the list of network resources in the Local Area Connection Properties dialog box.
For a Windows-based network, make sure that Client for Microsoft Networks is listed. For a NetWare network, make sure that Client Service for NetWare appears. If your network uses both types of servers, you can choose both clients.
If you have NetWare servers, use the NetWare client software that comes with NetWare rather than the client supplied by Microsoft with Windows.
8.If the client that you need isn’t listed, click the Install button to add the client that you need, click Client, and then click Add; choose the client that you want to add and click OK.
The client you selected is added to the Local Area Connection Properties dialog box.
9.To remove a network item that you don’t need (such as File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks), select the item and click the Uninstall button.
For security reasons, you should make it a point to remove any clients, protocols, or services that you don’t need.
10.To configure TCP/IP settings, click Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and click Properties to display the TCP/IP Properties dialog box; adjust the settings and then click OK.
The TCP/IP Properties dialog box, shown in Figure 4-4, lets you choose from the following options:
Figure 4-4:
Configuring TCP/IP (Windows XP).
13_599399_bk02ch04.qxd 8/18/05 11:50 PM Page 131
Configuring Client Computer Identification
132
• Obtain an IP Address Automatically:Choose this option if your net- work has a DHCP server that assigns IP addresses automatically.
Choosing this option drastically simplifies the task of administering TCP/IP on your network.
• Use the Following IP Address:If your computer must have a specific IP address, choose this option and then type in the computer’s IP address, subnet mask, and default gateway address. For more infor- mation about these settings, see Book V, Chapter 2.
• Obtain DNS Server Address Automatically:The DHCP server can also provide the address of the Domain Name System (DNS) server that the computer should use. Choose this option if your network has a DHCP server.
• Use the Following DNS Server Addresses:Choose this option if a DHCP server is not available. Then type the IP address of the primary and secondary DNS servers. For more information about DNS servers, refer to Book V, Chapter 4.
Windows 9x
To configure network settings in Windows 95 and Windows 98, you use a procedure similar to the one you use for Windows XP or Windows 2000.
However, you should know a couple of important differences:
✦ To display the Network Properties dialog box, right-click Network Neighborhood on the Desktop and choose Properties. Or, open the Control Panel and double-click Network.
✦ Windows 95/98 doesn’t have a Network Connections window. Instead, network adapters are listed in the Network Properties dialog box along with network clients, services, and protocols. After you add a network client, service, or protocol to the Network Properties dialog box, you must bind it to the adapter that you want to use it with. To do that, bring up the Properties dialog box for the client, service, or protocol you want to bind, click the Bindings tab, and add the network adapter you want to bind to.
Configuring Client Computer Identification
Every client computer must identify itself in order to participate in the network. The computer identification consists of the computer’s name, an optional description, and the name of either the workgroup or the domain to which the computer belongs.
The computer name must follow the rules for NetBIOS names; it may be from 1 to 15 characters long and may contain letters, numbers, or hyphens but no spaces or periods. For small networks, it’s common to make the computer 13_599399_bk02ch04.qxd 8/18/05 11:50 PM Page 132
Book II Chapter 4
Configuring ClientComputers
Configuring Client Computer Identification 133
name the same as the user name. For larger networks, you may want to develop a naming scheme that identifies the computer’s location. For example, a name such as C-305-1 may be assigned to the first computer in room 305 of building C. Or MKTG010 may be a computer in the marketing department.
If the computer will join a domain, you need to have access to an Administrator account on the domain unless the administrator has already created a com- puter account on the domain. Note that only Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server (NT, 2000, and 2003) computers can join a domain.
(Windows 98 or 95 users can still access domain resources by logging on to the domain as users, but domain computer accounts for Windows 9xclients aren’t required.)
When you install Windows on the client system, the Setup program asks for the computer name and workstation or domain information. You can change this information later if you want. The exact procedure varies, depending on which version of Windows the client uses, as described in the following sections.
Windows XP and Windows 2000
To change the computer identification in Windows XP or Windows 2000, follow these steps:
1.Open the Control Panel and double-click the System icon to bring up the System Properties dialog box.
2.Click the Computer Name tab.
The computer identification information appears, as shown in Figure 4-5.
Figure 4-5:
The Computer Name tab of the System Properties dialog box (Windows XP).
13_599399_bk02ch04.qxd 8/18/05 11:50 PM Page 133
Configuring Client Computer Identification
134
3.Click the Change button.
The Computer Name Changes dialog box appears, as shown in Figure 4-6.
4.Type the new computer name and then specify the workgroup or domain information.
To join a domain, select the Domain radio button and type the domain name into the appropriate text box. To join a workgroup, select the Workgroup radio button and type the workgroup name in the corre- sponding text box.
5.Click OK.
6.If prompted, enter the user name and password for an Administrator account.
You’ll only be asked to provide this information if a computer account has not already been created for the client computer.
7.When a dialog box appears, informing you that you need to restart the computer, click OK and then restart the computer.
You’re done!
Windows 9x
To change the computer identification for a Windows 98 or Windows 95 client, follow these steps:
Figure 4-6:
The Computer Name Changes dialog box (Windows XP).
13_599399_bk02ch04.qxd 8/18/05 11:50 PM Page 134
Book II Chapter 4
Configuring ClientComputers
Configuring Network Domain Logon 135
1.Right-click the Network Places icon on the desktop and choose Properties.
The Network dialog box appears.
2.Click the Identification tab.
The computer identification information appears.
3.Type the computer name, description, and workgroup name.
The computer name should be unique on the network, and all com- puters that you want to share resources with should have the same workgroup name.
4.Click OK.
You’re done!
Configuring Network Domain Logon
Every user who wants to access a domain-based network must log on to the domain by using a valid user account. The user account is created on the domain controller — not on the client computer.
Network logon isn’t required to access workgroup resources. Instead, work- group resources can be password-protected in order to restrict access.
Windows XP and Windows 2000
When you start a Windows XP or Windows 2000 computer that has been configured to join a domain, as described in the section, “Configuring Client Computer Identification,” earlier in this chapter, the Log On to Windows dialog box appears. The user can use this dialog box to log on to a domain by enter- ing a domain user name and password and selecting the domain that he or she wants to log on to from the Log On To drop-down list.
Windows 2000 and Windows XP allow you to create local user accounts that allow users to access resources on the local computer. To log on to the local computer, the user selects This Computer from the Log On To drop-down list and enters the user name and password for a local user account. When a user logs on by using a local account, he or she isn’t connected to a network domain. To log on to a domain, the user must select the domain from the Log On To drop-down list.
13_599399_bk02ch04.qxd 8/18/05 11:50 PM Page 135
Configuring Network Domain Logon
136
If the computer is not part of a domain, Windows XP can display a friendly logon screen that displays an icon for each of the computer’s local users.
The user can log on simply by clicking the appropriate icon and entering a password. This feature is not available for computers that have joined a domain.
Note that if the user logs on by using a local computer account rather than a domain account, he or she can still access domain resources. A Connect To dialog box appears whenever the user attempts to access a domain resource.
Then, the user can enter a domain user name and password to connect to the domain.
Windows 9x
Windows 9xdoesn’t show a logon screen unless you explicitly configure it to display a network logon screen. To do so, follow these steps:
1.Call up the Network dialog box by opening the Control Panel and double-clicking the Network icon.
If you prefer, you can right-click the Network Neighborhood icon on the desktop and choose the Properties command.
2.Click the Configuration tab if it isn’t already selected.
The network configuration settings appear, as shown in Figure 4-7.
Figure 4-7:
The Network dialog box (Windows 98).
13_599399_bk02ch04.qxd 8/18/05 11:50 PM Page 136
Book II Chapter 4
Configuring ClientComputers
Configuring Network Domain Logon 137
3.Choose Client for Microsoft Networks in the Primary Network Logon drop-down list.
This step configures the computer to log on to the Windows network at startup.
4.Select Client for Microsoft Networks in the list of installed Network Components and then click the Properties button.
The Client for Microsoft Networks Properties dialog box appears, as shown in Figure 4-8.
5.Check the Log On to Windows NT Domain check box and enter the domain name in the text box.
6.Select the type of network logon you want.
You have two choices:
• Quick Logon, which logs you on to the domain but doesn’t attempt to reconnect any mapped network drives.
• Logon and Restore Network Connections, which attempts to reconnect to all mapped network drives when you log on. This option results in a slower logon, but all network drives are immediately available after the logon completes.
7.Click OK.
The next time you restart the computer, the Enter Network Password dialog box appears. Enter your user name, password, and domain to log on to the network.
Figure 4-8:
The Client for Microsoft Networks Properties dialog box (Windows 98).
13_599399_bk02ch04.qxd 8/18/05 11:50 PM Page 137
Book II: Building a Network
138
13_599399_bk02ch04.qxd 8/18/05 11:50 PM Page 138