Managing TCP/IP Networking

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from Chapter 12, Windows NT Administrator's Pocket Consultant by William R. Stanek.

As an administrator, you enable networked computers to communicate by using the basic networking protocols built into Microsoft Windows NT 4.0. The key protocols you'll use are TCP/IP and NetBEUI.

• TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) is actually a collection of protocols and services used for communicating over a network and is the primary protocol used for internetwork communications. Configuring TCP/IP communications is fairly complicated compared to the other networking protocols, but it's the most versatile.

• NetBEUI (NetBIOS Enhanced User Interface) is the standard Microsoft protocol for network communications and is designed for use on simple networks. You'll use NetBEUI in conjunction with the NetBIOS Interface service to enable the standard Microsoft network computer browsing features, such as Network Neighborhood.

In this chapter you'll learn about configuring and managing TCP/IP networking. Whenever you work with TCP/IP networking, you must tell the computer about the network. You do this by telling the computer how to route information on the network and how to access other computers. Once you configure TCP/IP, you also need to make the computer a member of the network so it can access network resources.

This chapter also provides an introduction to NetBEUI and the NetBIOS Interface service. For a more detailed discussion see Chapter 15, "Managing WINS and NetBIOS over TCP/IP."

Installing TCP/IP Networking

TCP/IP networking relies on network adapters and the TCP/IP protocol. To access the network using TCP/IP, you'll need to install one or more network adapters on the computer and then set up the TCP/IP protocol.

Figure 12-1: The Adapters tab of the Network dialog box displays a list of currently installed network adapters.

Installing Network Adapters

Network adapters are hardware devices, such as network interface cards, that are used to communicate on networks. You can install and configure network adapters by doing the following:

1. Configure the network adapter card following the manufacturer's instructions. For example, you may need to set jumpers on the adapter board.

2. Disconnect the computer and unplug it, then install the adapter board into the appropriate slot on the computer. When you're finished, boot the system.

3. Tell Windows NT about the new network adapter card by means of the Network Control Panel utility. Start the utility by double-clicking on the Network icon in the Control Panel.

4. Select the Adapters tab to display the dialog box shown in Figure 12-1. The fields of this tab are used as follows:

   • Network Adapters Shows the currently installed network adapters.

   • Add Adds network adapters to the system.

   • Remove Removes network adapters.

   • Properties Sets the properties of the currently selected network adapter.

   • Update Updates the drivers for an adapter card. If you have difficulty updating an adapter's drivers, you may want to remove the adapter and then put it back. This ensures that the adapter's new drivers are properly installed.

   • Item Notes Shows additional information for the currently selected adapter.

   

   Figure 12-2: The Adapter Properties dialog box lets you change the adapter's basic settings and test it. The test only works if you've installed the TCP/IP protocol service.

5. If the new network adapter isn't shown in the Network Adapters list box, click on the Add button.

6. Using the Select Network Adapter dialog box, select the appropriate network adapter. If you don't see the adapter you installed, click on the Have Disk button and insert the adapter's installation disk when prompted.

   Note: Adding the adapter also installs the drivers for the adapter. Because of this, be sure that you use the correct installation disk.

7. The dialog box you see next depends on the type of adapter you're installing. With most network interface cards, you see the Adapter Properties dialog box shown in Figure 12-2.

8. Click on the Change button, then configure the adapter's basic settings, such as network speed and duplex mode. If you've already configured the TCP/IP protocol service and the computer is attached to the network, you can use the Test button to test the network card. Click OK to continue.

9. Close the Network properties dialog box by clicking on the Close button. Windows NT installs the network bindings for the network adapter. Afterward, if TCP/IP is installed on the computer, you'll see the Microsoft TCP/IP Properties dialog box. You use this dialog box to configure the TCP/IP protocol service as detailed in the section of this chapter titled "Configuring TCP/IP Networking."

Installing the TCP/IP Protocol Service

TCP/IP networking is normally installed during Windows NT installation. You can also install TCP/IP networking by using the Network Control Panel utility.

Figure 12-3: The Protocols tab displays a list of the currently installed protocols.

If you're installing TCP/IP after the installation of Windows NT, log on to the computer using an account with Administrator privileges and then follow these steps:

1. Start the Network utility in the Control Panel by double-clicking on the Network icon.

2. Click on the Protocols tab to display the dialog box shown in Figure 12-3. If the TCP/IP protocol is not listed in the Network Protocols list box, you need to add it.

3. To add or reinstall TCP/IP, click on the Add button. This opens the Select Network Protocol dialog box shown in Figure 12-4.

4. Choose TCP/IP Protocol and then click OK.

   

   Figure 12-4: In the Select Network Protocol dialog box, choose TCP/IP Protocol in the list box.

5. You should now see a dialog box that allows you to obtain an IP address from a DHCP server or to manually configure the IP address. With DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol), you can dynamically assign an IP address to the computer. To learn more about DHCP, see Chapter 14.

   Choose Yes to install the necessary services for DHCP. Choose No to assign an IP address manually.

   Note: DHCP-assigned IP addresses are referred to as dynamic IP addresses. Manually entered IP addresses are referred to as static IP addresses. With DHCP , you have centralized control over IP addressing and TCP/IP default settings. With static IP addresses, you ensure that your computers always have the same IP address, but you have to manually configure all TCP/IP settings.

6. Next, you'll need the Windows NT distribution CD-ROM. When prompted, insert the disk and then enter the path for the distribution files, such as e:\i386\. Afterward, click Continue to allow Windows NT to retrieve the files necessary to install DHCP on the computer. Once the files are transferred, Windows NT will complete the installation process for TCP/IP.

7. Follow the instructions in the next section for configuring TCP/IP for the computer.

Configuring TCP/IP Networking

Installing TCP/IP doesn't enable networking. To enable networking, you need to tell the computer how to access the network, how to find other computers on the network, and how to relay information to other segments on the network if necessary. You configure networking properties with the Microsoft TCP/IP Properties dialog box. The following sections describe how to use it.

Configuring Static IP Addresses

Computers use IP addresses to communicate over TCP/IP. Windows NT provides two ways to configure IP addressing:

• Manually Manually assigned IP addresses are fixed and don't change unless you change them.

• Dynamically Dynamic IP addresses are assigned at startup by a DHCP server (if one is installed on the network) and may change over time.

When you assign a static IP address, you need to tell the computer the IP address you want to use, the subnet mask for this IP address, and, if necessary, the default gateway to use for internetwork communications. The IP address is a numeric identifier for the computer. IP addressing schemes vary depending on how your network is configured, but they're normally assigned from a range of addresses for a particular network segment. For example, if you're working with a computer on the network segment 192.55.10.0, the address range you have available for computers is usually from 192.55.10.1 to 192.55.10.254.

Using "Ping" to Check an Address

Before assigning an IP address, you should make sure that the address isn't already in use or reserved for use with DHCP. You can check to see if an address is in use with "ping." Open a command prompt and type ping followed by the IP address you want to check. To test the IP address 192.55.10.12, you would use the following command:

ping 192.55.10.12

Assigning a Static IP Address

You assign a static IP address by doing the following:

1. In the Network Control Panel utility, select the Protocols tab. This opens the dialog box shown in Figure 12-5.

2. Open the Microsoft TCP/IP Properties dialog box shown in Figure 12-6 by double-clicking on TCP/IP Protocol in the Network Protocols list box. Or you could select TCP/IP Protocol and then click on the Properties button.

3. In the IP Address tab, select the network adapter you want to configure using the Adapter drop-down list. Multiple selections are only available if the computer has more than one network card/adapter installed.

4. Select the Specify An IP Address button, then enter the IP address in the IP Address field. The IP address you assign to the computer must not be used elsewhere on the network.

5. The Subnet Mask field ensures that the computer communicates over the network properly. Windows NT should insert a default value for the subnet mask into the Subnet Mask field. If the network doesn't use subnets, the default value should suffice. But if it does use subnets, you'll need to change this value as appropriate for your network.

   

   Figure 12-5: The currently installed protocols are listed in the Protocols tab of the Network dialog box.

6. If the computer needs to access other TCP/IP networks, the Internet, or other subnets, you must specify a default gateway. Enter the IP address of the network's default router in the Default Gateway field.

7. Repeat this process for other network adapters you want to configure. Keep in mind that each network adapter must have a unique IP address.

8. Configure DNS, WINS, and Routing as necessary.

9. Close the Network dialog box with the Close button when you're done. Afterward, Windows NT installs the necessary TCP/IP bindings, protocols, and services. When prompted, click Yes to reboot the computer, which will complete the configuration.

Configuring Dynamic IP Addresses

DHCP gives you centralized control over IP addressing and TCP/IP default settings. If the network has a DHCP server, you can assign a dynamic IP address to any of the network adapter cards on a computer. Afterward, you rely on the DHCP server to supply the basic information necessary for TCP/IP networking. Because the dynamic IP address can change, you shouldn't use a dynamic IP address for Windows NT servers.

You configure dynamic IP addressing by completing the following steps:

1. Select the Protocols tab of the Network Control Panel utility, then double-click on TCP/IP Protocol in the Network Protocols list box. This opens the dialog box shown in Figure 12-6.

2. In the IP Address tab, select the network adapter you want to configure using the Adapter drop-down list. Multiple selections are only available if the computer has more than one network card/adapter installed.

   

   Figure 12-6: Use the IP Address tab to configure dynamic and static IP addressing.

3. Select the button labeled Obtain An IP Address From A DHCP Server.

4. You should see a warning telling you that any settings in the TCP/IP Properties dialog box override the DHCP default settings. Click Yes when prompted.

5. Repeat this process for other network adapters you want to configure. Keep in mind that each network adapter must have a unique IP address.

6. If you want to override the default TCP/IP settings for DNS, WINS, and Routing, insert these settings now.

7. When you're finished, close the Network dialog box with the Close button. Afterward, Windows NT installs the necessary TCP/IP bindings, protocols, and services. When prompted, click Yes to reboot the computer, which will complete the configuration.

from Windows NT Administrator's Pocket Consultant by William R. Stanek. Copyright © 1999 Microsoft Corporation.

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