Windows 2000 Professional on Microsoft Networks

This section provides a quick glance at the topics and tasks related to adding a Windows 2000 Professional client to a Windows domain or workgroup. Use the quick guide to find the information or task you are seeking.

 Assess the current networking environment.

To add a Windows 2000 Professional–based computer to a network, you must determine if the computer is to be added to a Windows 2000 domain, a Microsoft Windows NT domain, or a workgroup consisting of computers running Microsoft network-compatible software, including Microsoft Windows 95 and Microsoft Windows 98. The network environment determines the authentication methods you choose to access the network, the means you choose to enforce desktop and security rules (group and system policies), and the method you use to handle logon scripts.

• See Overview of Microsoft Networking later in this chapter.

 Ensure that the network protocol (NetBEUI or TCP/IP) is installed and properly configured.

Before you can add a Windows 2000 Professional computer to the existing network environment, you must first establish client connectivity. Two common protocols used for network connectivity are NetBIOS Enhanced User Interface (NetBEUI) and Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). Although NetBEUI is commonly used in small-sized to medium-sized networks, TCP/IP is a more scalable network protocol and the standard protocol for access to the Internet. Install and configure the protocol to meet the connectivity needs of the Windows 2000 Professional client.

• See Configure Transport Protocols later in this chapter.

 Join the network environment that meets your specifications.

A user with appropriate permissions can join a domain or workgroup by using a number of different methods. You can create the computer account during Windows 2000 Professional installation. Use the Network Identification wizard to join the Windows 2000 Professional–based computer to a specified domain or workgroup. You can manually add a computer to a network by using the Network Identification tab of the My Computer properties sheet. Specify the name of the domain or workgroup to be joined.

• See Join Network Environment later in this chapter.

 Verify that a Windows 2000 Professional–based computer has successfully joined the network environment.

To verify that a Windows 2000 Professional–based client has been added to the network, attempt to log on to the domain where you added the computer, or log on locally if you added the computer to a workgroup. In a domain environment, verify that logon scripts function as designed and that no conflicts occur between local Group Policy and Windows NT system policy or Windows 2000 domain Group Policy settings

• See Confirm Group Membership later in this chapter.

 Perform troubleshooting tasks for Windows networks.

If a user is unable to log on to a workgroup by using a local account or to a domain by using an account residing at a domain controller, perform troubleshooting tasks to determine the nature of the problem and to resolve the problem.

• See Troubleshooting Microsoft Networking later in this chapter.