Join to a Workgroup in Windows 2000 Server

Difference between configuring a Domain and Workgroup

It is important to understand the difference between a domain and a workgroup environment. The main difference been a domain and a workgroup is that workgroup environments use decentralized administration. This means that every computer must be administrated independently of the others. Domains use centralized administration, in which administrators can create one domain account and assign permissions to all resources within the domain to that one central user or group of users. Centralized administration requires less administration time and provides a more secure environment. In general, workgroup configurations are used in very small environments which do not have security concerns. Larger environments and environments that must have tight security on data should use a domain configuration.

Configure Network Protocol on a Windows 2000 Server

It is recommended that you use either of the following two network protocols to connect your workgroup: TCP/IP or NetBEUI. The main difference between these two protocols is that TCP/IP is routable and NetBEUI is not. In addition, TCP/IP is also the Internet standard protocol. However, NetBEUI is a fast and efficient protocol and you can use it in situations in which routing and direct Internet connectivity are not required. The following steps describe how to install both protocols.

Configuring TCP/IP
1. Right-click the My Network Places icon, and then click Properties to open the Network and Dial-up Connections window.
2. Right-click the Local Area Connection icon, and then click Properties.
3. Click Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), and then click Properties.
4. On the General tab, configure the TCP/IP address and subnet mask. If you have a routable environment, you can configure the default gateway. Make sure that all computers within the same subnet have the same subnet mask and network portion of the IP address. Also, make sure that if you are connecting directly to the Internet you are using an IP address that were registered with Internet.
If the workgroup environment is a larger network environment, you may want to user DHCP to configure all of your IP addresses automatically. Also, if your environment is separated into multiple network segments so that routing is required, you need to look into DNS and/or WINS to resolve names.

Configuring the NetBEUI Protocol
1. Right-click the My Network Places icon, and then click Properties to open the Network and Dial-up Connections window.
2. Right-click the Local Area Connection icon, and then click Properties.
3. Click the Install button.
4. Click Protocols, and then click Add.
5. Click NetBEUI Protocol, and then click OK.

Configure Windows 2000 Server to Join a Workgroup

1. Right-click the My Computer icon on your desktop, and then click Properties.
2. On the Network Identification tab, click Properties.
3. Under Members, click the Workgroup option, and then type the name of the workgroup.
4. Click OK.
5. Click OK again.
6. Restart your computer when you are prompted to do so.

Creating Accounts on Windows 2000 Server

Because of the decentralized security of a workgroup environment, you need to create an account for every user on the network and keep the passwords synchronized:
1. Click Start, point to Programs, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Computer Management.
2. Under System Tools, click Local Users and Groups.
3. Right-click the Users Folder, and then click New User.
4. In the User Name box, type in the user ID that the user will be using for the logon process. If you are working with multiple workgroup computers, this name must match exactly.
5. Type the required information in the Full Name and Description boxes.
6. Type the password for the user. Again, this must be the same on all servers or workstations that want to share data.
7. Click to clear the User must change password on next logon check box.

Sharing Data with Workgroup Users

1. Double-click the My Computer icon.
2. Navigate to the desired location of the folder that you would like to share, right-click this folder, and then click Sharing.
3. Click the Share this Folder option.
4. The Share name box will be populated with the folder name. If you would like to change this name, type the new share name in the box.
5. By default, the connections limit is set to the maximum allowed; however, you can set an allowed user limit.
6. If you click the Permissions button, you can set a share-level permission on the share. The default permissions will be set so that the Everyone group has full control. Share permissions are separate but equal to NTFS permissions. In other words, by setting the share permissions, you are able to add additional permissions when users are connecting to this folder across the network.
7. Click OK to close the Properties window.
8. After the folder is shared, you see a hand icon under the folder.

Configuring Windows 2000 as a Web Server

Installing Internet Information Services

Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) is the Web service that is integrated with Windows 2000. To install IIS:
1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
2. In Control Panel, double-click Add/Remove Programs.
3. Click Add/Remove Windows Components.
4. In the Windows Components Wizard, select the Internet Information Services (IIS) check box, and then click Details.
5. Clear all the check boxes, and then select the following check boxes:
Common Files
Documentation
FrontPage 2000 Server Extensions
Internet Information Services Snap-In
Internet Services Manager
World Wide Web Server
6. Click OK, and then on the Windows Components page, click Next. If you are prompted to do so, insert the Windows 2000 CD-ROM, and then click OK.
7. On the "Completing the Windows Components Wizard" page, click Finish.
8. In the Add/Remove Programs dialog box, click Close.

Configuring Anonymous Authentication

1. Click Start, point to Programs, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Internet Services Manager. (In Windows 2000 Professional, you can start Administrative Tools from Control Panel.)
2. Right-click * server name (where server name is the name of the server), and then click Properties.
3. In the Master Properties box, click WWW Service (if it is not already selected), and then click the Edit button that is next to the Master Properties box.
4. Click the Directory Security tab.
5. Under Anonymous access and authentication control, click Edit.
6. Under Authenticated access, select the Integrated Windows authentication check box.
7. Select the Anonymous access check box, and then click Edit. Note the user account in the Username box. This account is used by Windows to authenticate anonymous users when they browse the Web site.
8. Click OK, click OK, click OK, and then click OK.

Basic Web Site Configuration

1. Start Internet Services Manager.
2. In the Tree list, expand * server name (where server name is the name of the server).
3. Right-click Default Web Site, and then click Properties.
4. If you have multiple IP addresses assigned to your computer, click the IP address that you want to assign to this Web site in the IP Address box.
5. If you do not want unlimited connections to the Web site, click Limited To, and then type the number of concurrent connections that you want.

NOTE: Windows 2000 Professional is limited to 10 concurrent connections.

Each client that browses the Web site generally uses about 3 connections.
6. Click the Performance tab.
7. Move the Performance tuning slider to the position that you want.
8. If you want to limit the amount of network bandwidth that is available for connections to this Web site, select the Enable bandwidth throttling check box, and then type the amount that you want in the Maximum network use box.
9. If you want to limit the amount of computer processing time spent servicing requests for content on this Web site, select the Enable process throttling check box, and then type the amount that you want in the Maximum CPU use box.

This prevents the Web site from consuming too much processor time to the detriment of other computer processes.
10. Click the Home Directory tab.
•If you want to use Web content that is stored on the local computer, click A directory located on this computer, and then type the path that you want in the Local Path box. For example, the default path is C:\Inetpub\wwwroot.

NOTE: For added security, do not create Web content folders in the root folder.
•If you want to use Web content that is stored on a different computer, click A share located on another computer, and then type the location that you want in the Network Directory box that appears.
•If you want to use Web content that is stored on another Web address, click A redirection to a URL, and then type the location that you want in the Redirect to box. Under The client will be sent to, select the appropriate check box.
11. Click the Documents tab. Note the list of documents that IIS can use as the default start documents. If you want to use Index.html as your start document, you must add it. To do this:
a. Click Add.
b. In the Add Default Document dialog box, type Index.html, and then click OK.
c. Click the up-arrow button until Index.html is displayed at the top of the list.
12. Click the Operators tab. Note the user accounts that have operator privileges on this Web site. Click Add to add additional user accounts to operate this Web site.

13. Click OK to return to the Internet Information Services window.
14. Right-click Default Web Site, and then click Stop.
15. Right-click Default Web Site, and then click Start.
The server is now configured to accept incoming Web requests to the default Web site. You can replace the content of the default Web wite with the Web content that you want, or you can create a new Web site.

Installing and configuring a DHCP server in an Active Directory domain in Windows 2000

Installing the DHCP Service

You can install DHCP either during or after the initial installation of Windows 2000 Server or Advanced Server, although there must be a working DNS in the environment. To validate your DNS server, click Start, click Run, type cmd, press ENTER, type ping friendly name of an existing DNS server in your environment, and then press ENTER. An unsuccessful reply generates an "Unknown Host My DNS server name" message.

To install the DHCP Service on an existing Windows 2000 Server:
1. Click Start, click Settings, and then click Control Panel.
2. Double-click Add/Remove Programs, and then click Add/Remove Windows Components.
3. In the Windows Component Wizard, click Networking Services in the Components box, and then click Details.
4. Click to select the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) check box if it is not already selected, and then click OK.
5. In the Windows Components Wizard, click Next to start Windows 2000 Setup. Insert the Windows 2000 Advanced Server CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive if you are prompted to do so. Setup copies the DHCP server and tool files to your computer.
6. When Setup is complete, click Finish.

Configuring the DHCP Service

After you install and start the DHCP service, you must create a scope (a range of valid IP addresses that are available for lease to the DHCP clients). Each DHCP server in your environment should have at least one scope that does not overlap with any other DHCP server scope in your environment. In Windows 2000, DHCP servers within an Active Directory domain environment must be authorized to prevent rogue DHCP servers from coming online and authorizing a DHCP Server.

When you install and configure the DHCP service on a domain controller, the server is typically authorized the first time that you add the server to the DHCP console. However, when you install and configure the DHCP service on a member server, you need to authorize the DHCP server.

Note A stand-alone DHCP server cannot be authorized against an existing Windows Active Directory.

To authorize a DHCP server:

1. Click Start, click Programs, click Administrative Tools, and then click DHCP.
Note You must be logged on to the server with an account that is a member of the Enterprise Administrators group.
2. In the console tree of the DHCP snap-in, select the new DHCP server. If there is a red arrow in the bottom-right corner of the server object, the server has not yet been authorized.
3. Right-click the server, and then click Authorize.
4. After a few moments, right-click the server again and then click Refresh. The server should display a green arrow in the bottom-right corner to indicate that the server has been authorized.
To create a new scope:
1. Click Start, click Programs, point to Administrative Tools, and then click DHCP.

Note In the console tree, select the DHCP server on which you want to create the new DHCP scope.
2. Right-click the server, and then click New Scope. In the New Scope Wizard, click Next, and then type a name and description for the scope. This can be any name that you choose, but it should be descriptive enough to identify the purpose of the scope on your network. For example, you might use Administration Building Client Addresses.
3. Type the range of addresses that can be leased as part of this scope, for example, a starting IP address of 192.168.100.1 to an ending address of 192.168.100.100. Because these addresses are given to clients, they should all be valid addresses for your network and not currently in use. If you want to use a different subnet mask, type the new subnet mask. Click Next.
4. Type any IP addresses that you want to exclude from the range you entered. This includes any addresses that may have already been statically assigned to various computers in your organization. Click Next.
5. Type the number of days, hours, and minutes before an IP address lease from this scope expires. This determines the length of time that a client can hold a leased address without renewing it. Click Next to select Yes, I want to configure these options now, and then extend the wizard to include settings for the most common DHCP options. Click Next.
6. Type the IP address for the default gateway that should be used by clients that obtain an IP address from this scope. Click Add to place the default gateway address into the list, and then click Next.

Note When DNS servers already exist on your network, type your organization's domain name in Parent domain. Type the name of your DNS server, and then click Resolve to ensure that your DHCP server can contact the DNS server and determine its address. Then click Add to include that server in the list of DNS servers that are assigned to the DHCP clients. Click Next.
7. Click Yes, I want to activate this scope now, to activate the scope and allow clients to obtain leases from it, and then click Next. Click Finish.

Configuring Routing and Remote Access Service in Windows 2000

Enabling Windows 2000 Routing and Remote Access Service to Allow Dial-up Connections or VPN Connections

1. Click Start, click Programs, click Administrative Tools, and then click Routing and Remote Access.
2. From the Routing and Remote Access Service Administrator program, click the server name, click the Action menu, and then click Configure and Enable Routing and Remote Access.
3. In the Routing and Remote Access Server Setup Wizard, click Next.
4. Click Remote access server, and then click Next.
5. On the Remote Clients Protocols page, make sure that the protocols that the remote clients use to connect to the server are listed in the Protocols box, and then click Next.

NOTE: The default setting is TCP/IP with the Yes, all of the required protocols are on this list option selected.
6. On the Network Selection page, click the network adapter that corresponds with your local area network (LAN), and then click Next.

NOTE: If your server has two network adapters (one for the LAN and the other for a direct Internet connection), make sure that you click the network card for your LAN.
7. On the IP Address Assignment page, click Automatically if your network has a DHCP server available. If not, click From a specified range of addresses, configure a range of available Internet protocol (IP) addresses for clients, and then click Next.
8. On the Managing Multiple Remote Access Servers page, click No, I don't want to setup this server to use RADIUS now, and then click Next.
9. On the Completing the Routing and Remote Access Server Setup Wizard page, click Finish.

Allowing Access and Policies

To allow users to connect, you must give them the permissions to do so. After you enable the Routing and Remote Access Service, you must allow users to connect. To allow the server to accept remote access clients:
1. Click Start, click Programs, click Administrative Tools, and then click Routing and Remote Access.
2. Click Remote Access Policies. If you do not see this listing, click on the plus sign (+) next to the server icon to expand the sub tree for your server.
3. In the right pane, right-click Allow access if dial-in permission enabled, and then click Properties.
4. Click Grant remote access permission, and then click OK.
5. Close Routing and Remote Access.
In addition to this procedure, you must give the user account permission for dial-up access in the user account properties.

Troubleshooting

Number of Connections
The number of dial-up modem connections is dependent on the number of modems that are installed on the server. If you have only one modem installed on the server, you can only have one modem connection at a time.

The number of dial-up VPN connections is dependent on the number of simultaneous users that you want to allow. By default, when you run the procedure described in this article, you allow five connections. To allow more connections:
1. Click Start, click Programs, click Administrative Tools, and then click Routing and Remote Access.
2. Right-click Ports, and then click Properties. If you do not see this listing, click on the plus sign (+) next to the server icon to expand the sub tree for your server.
3. In the Ports properties, click WAN Miniport (PPTP), and then click Configure.
4. In the Maximum ports box, type the number of VPN connections that you want to allow.
5. Click OK, click OK, and then close Routing and Remote Access.

VoIP - Voice over Internet Protocol

VoIP is a technology that allows telephone calls to be made over computer networks like the Internet. VoIP converts analog voice signals into digital data packets and supports real-time, two-way transmission of conversations using Internet Protocol (IP).

Requirements

1. Good Internet Connection
2. Choose the type Of VoIP
3. There are three types of VoIP

• PC to PC - software based
• PC to phone (and vice versa) - software and hardware based
• Phone to phone - hardware based

4.A VoIP service
Just like for traditional phone (PSTN), you will need a service that allows you to place and receive phone calls over your Internet connection, both locally and internationally.
5. Equipment.
6.A Phone Number.

Proprietary Systems
If you want to use the internet to talk to someone and you want the minimum of complication on a Windows or Mac system, the simplest option is use one a proprietary messaging system such as MSN Messenger , Yahoo Messenger, Netmeeting AIM's Voice Chat or SkyPe.

All these services offer free software and connectivity. They use their own proprietary systems to allow you to make voice calls to other people using the same service. The software's designed for naive users, so it's an easy task to set up, and voice quality is acceptable.

Virtual Private Networking

Virtual private networking

Definition: A VPN utilizes public telecommunications networks to conduct private data communications. Most VPN implementations use the Internet as the public infrastructure and a variety of specialized protocols to support private communications through the Internet.

VPN follows a client and server approach. VPN clients authenticate users, encrypt data, and otherwise manage sessions with VPN servers utilizing a technique called tunneling.

VPN clients and VPN servers are typically used in these three scenarios:

1. to support remote access to an intranet,
2. to support connections between multiple intranets within the same organization, and
3. to join networks between two organizations, forming an extranet.

The main benefit of a VPN is the lower cost needed to support this technology compared to alternatives like traditional leased lines or remote access servers.

VPN users typically interact with simple graphical client programs.

These applications support creating tunnels, setting configuration parameters, and connecting to and disconnecting from the VPN server. VPN solutions utilize several different network protocols including PPTP, L2TP, IPsec, and SOCKS.

VPN servers can also connect directly to other VPN servers. A VPN server-to-server connection extends the intranet or extranet to span multiple networks.

Many vendors have developed VPN hardware and software products. Some of these do not interoperate due to the immaturity of some VPN standards.

How To Set up VPN Connections in Windows XP

1. Open the Windows Control Panel.
2. Open the Network Connections item in Control Panel. A list of existing dial-up and LAN connections will appear.
3. Choose the 'Create a new connection' item from the left-hand side of the window. The Windows XP New Connection Wizard will appear on the screen.
4. First click Next to begin the wizard, then choose the 'Connect to the network at my workplace' item from the list and click Next.
5. On the Network Connection page of the wizard, choose the 'Virtual Private Network connection' option and click Next.
6. Enter a name for the new VPN connection in the 'Company Name' field and click Next. The name chosen need not match the name of an actual business.
7. Choose an option on the 'Public Network' screen and click Next. The default option, 'Automatically dial this initial connection' can be used if the VPN connection will always be initiated when the computer is not already connected to the Internet. Otherwise, choose the 'Do not dial the initial connection' option. This option requires that the public Internet connection be established first, before this new VPN connection will be initiated.
8. Enter the name or IP address of the VPN remote access server to connect to, and click Next. Company network administrators will provide this information.
9. Choose an option on the "Connection Availability" screen and click Next. The default option, 'My Use Only,' ensures that Windows will make this new connection available only to the currently logged on user. Otherwise, choose the 'Anyone's use' option.
10. Click Finish to complete the wizard. The new VPN connection information has been saved.

How to route an incoming VPN client back to LAN?

Most of us use the MMC to administer Windows 2000 RRAS. But what happens when you need to route an incoming VPN client back to the net and you're using NAT with private, non-routable addresses? Users of the company's VPN used complain about losing internet access while using VPN. The usual way to avoid this is to have the user go to the advanced TCP/IP properties of the VPN connection and uncheck the box that says Use default gateway on remote network.

Adding the internal interface to NAT puts an end to that issue (but does raise security concerns, so that has to be taken into consideration) and that's where the NETSHELL command can help.

If you take a look of the interfaces available under the IP routing section of the RRAS console on a Windows 2000 server, you'll generally see the NIC's listed, the loopback interface, and a card called the internal interface. That internal connection is the virtual interface that VPN clients connect to, and you'll notice that you can't add it to the NAT protocol via the GUI. Time for the command line.

Open the command prompt, type NETSH to open the NETSHELL program. Now type

routing ip nat add interface internal private

Done. You'll now notice that the internal interface is listed under the NAT protocol. At this point, VPN clients can now route to the net as well as your LAN. You can configure all RRAS functions using the netsh command.

VPN tunnelling

Virtual private network technology is based on the idea of tunneling. VPN tunneling involves establishing and maintaining a logical network connection (that may contain intermediate hops). On this connection, packets constructed in a specific VPN protocol format are encapsulated within some other base or carrier protocol, then transmitted between VPN client and server, and finally de-encapsulated on the receiving side.

For Internet-based VPNs, packets in one of several VPN protocols are encapsulated within Internet Protocol (IP) packets. VPN protocols also support authentication and encryption to keep the tunnels secure.

Types of VPN Tunneling

VPN supports two types of tunneling - voluntary and compulsory. Both types of tunneling are commonly used.

In voluntary tunneling, the VPN client manages connection setup.

The client first makes a connection to the carrier network provider (an ISP in the case of Internet VPNs). Then, the VPN client application creates the tunnel to a VPN server over this live connection.

In compulsory tunneling, the carrier network provider manages VPN connection setup. When the client first makes an ordinary connection to the carrier, the carrier in turn immediately brokers a VPN connection between that client and a VPN server. From the client point of view, VPN connections are set up in just one step compared to the two-step procedure required for voluntary tunnels.

Compulsory VPN tunneling authenticates clients and associates them with specific VPN servers using logic built into the broker device. This network device is sometimes called the VPN Front End Processor (FEP), Network Access Server (NAS) or Point of Presence Server (POS). Compulsory tunneling hides the details of VPN server connectivity from the VPN clients and effectively transfers management control over the tunnels from clients to the ISP. In return, service providers must take on the additional burden of installing and maintaining FEP devices.

VPN Tunneling Protocols

Several computer network protocols have been implemented specifically for use with VPN tunnels. The three most popular VPN tunneling protocols listed below continue to compete with each other for acceptance in the industry. These protocols are generally incompatible with each other.

Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP)

Several corporations worked together to create the PPTP specification. People generally associate PPTP with Microsoft because nearly all flavors of Windows include built-in client support for this protocol. The initial releases of PPTP for Windows by Microsoft contained security features that some experts claimed were too weak for serious use. Microsoft continues to improve its PPTP support, though.

Layer Two Tunneling Protocol (L2TP)

The original competitor to PPTP for VPN tunneling was L2F, a protocol implemented primarily in Cisco products. In an attempt to improve on L2F, the best features of it and PPTP were combined to create new standard called L2TP. Like PPTP, L2TP exists at the data link layer (Layer Two) in the OSI model -- thus the origin of its name.

Internet Protocol Security (IPsec)

IPsec is actually a collection of multiple related protocols. It can be used as a complete VPN protocol solution, or it can used simply as the encryption scheme within L2TP or PPTP. IPsec exists at the network layer (Layer Three) of the OSI model.

Network Setup

Connecting Two Computers Directly With Cable

The traditional method to network two computers involves making a dedicated link by plugging one cable into the two systems. Several alternatives exist for networking two computers in this manner:

• Ethernet crossover cable
• Null modem serial cable or parallel peripheral cable
• Special-purpose USB cables

Ethernet - Of the above choices, the Ethernet method is preferred as it supports a reliable, high-speed connection with minimal configuration required. Additionally, Ethernet technology offers the most general-purpose solution, allowing networks with more than two computers to be built fairly easily later. If one of your computers possesses an Ethernet adapter but the other has USB, an Ethernet crossover cable can still be used by first plugging a USB-to-Ethernet converter unit into the computer's USB port.

Setting up network using a hardware router/gateway/firewall device

In this scenario, you install a hardware router/gateway/firewall device, connect the public side to your cable/DSL modem, connect the private side to a hub, connect all PCs to the hub, configure all PCs for your private network.

While the costliest solution, by far the safest, most reliable, and most scalable one. Highly recommended.

Advantages:

• All PCs are protected by firewall (indicated by the color green)
• File sharing between PCs is safe
• No additional ISP cost
• Connect many PCs to home network without additional cost
• Easy PC configuration due to DHCP server in gateway device
• Optional additional functionality with gateway-integrated wireless access point, print server, DMZ, content filtering, and more

Connecting Two Computers Wirelessly

In recent years, wireless solutions have enjoyed increasing popularity for home networking. As with cabled solutions, several different wireless technologies exist to support basic two computer networks:

• Wi-Fi
• Bluetooth
• infrared

Wi-Fi

Definition: Wi-Fi is the industry name for wireless LAN (WLAN) communication technology related to the IEEE 802.11 family of wireless networking standards.Wi-Fi connections can reach a greater distance than the wireless alternatives listed above. Many newer computers, especially laptops, now contain built-in Wi-Fi capability, making it the preferred choice in most situations. Wi-Fi can be used either with or without a network fixture. With two computers, Wi-Fi networking minus a fixture (also called ad-hoc mode) is especially simple to set up.

Bluetooth technology supports reasonably high-speed wireless connections between two computers without the need for a network fixture. Bluetooth is more commonly used when networking a computer with a consumer handheld device like a cell phone. Most desktop and older computers do not possess Bluetooth capability. Bluetooth works best if both devices are in the same room in close proximity to each other. Consider Bluetooth if you have interest in networking with handheld devices and your computers lack Wi-Fi capability.

Infrared networking existed on laptops years before either Wi-Fi or Bluetooth technologies became popular. Infrared connections only work between two computers, do not require a fixture, and are reasonably fast. Being very simple to set up and use, consider infrared if your computers support it and you lack the desire to invest effort in Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.

Setup a wireless network

Follow these four simple steps to set up a wireless network.

Step 1: Connect your wireless access points to your broadband Internet connection.

Typically, your broadband Internet connection will include a router, which allows you to share your Internet connection among the computers on your network. On a wired network, a standard router shares your Internet connection with your company computers via Ethernet cables that connect computers to the router, often via hubs or switches. On a wireless network however, the access point broadcasts the signal wirelessly to all of your computers instead of requiring them to be hardwired to your router.

To turn your wired connection into a wireless one, simply connect your wireless access point to your router and it will be ready to share your Internet connection.

Step 2: Ensure all of your computers are wirelessly equipped.

For your desktop, notebook, handheld, and tablet PCs to communicate over your wireless network, they will need to support the wireless LAN protocol called Wi-Fi (or 802.11). Many of today's business computers come fully equipped with integrated Wi-Fi, so they are ready to access your wireless network as soon as you get your access point up and running.

If your computers and handhelds don't have built-in Wi-Fi support, you can quickly and easily install a Wi-Fi adapter. Adapter cards slip quickly and easily into PCI slots on a desktop case or the PC card slot on a notebook, Tablet PC, or handheld and give your computer wireless access just as if it were built in.
It is important that the wireless radios on your computers are compatible with your access points. 802.11b and 802.11g are compatible technologies, so a notebook with support for 802.11b can communicate with an access point that supports 802.11g. However, 802.11a devices are only compatible with other 802.11a devices, so you can't mix and match them with 802.11b or 802.11g devices.

Once you have your access point and your computers configured, you can begin sending and receiving information over your wireless network.

Step 3: Configure the SSID on your access points and wireless computers.

Wi-Fi access points use a special value called a SSID (Service Set Identifier) to distinguish wireless networks from one another. Access points often arrive preconfigured with defaults set by the manufacturer. If you don't change these values (which are well known), it's easy for outsiders to detect and attempt to access a wireless LAN. You should always immediately reset your SSIDs following the normal rules for strong passwords (not easy to guess, mixture of letters, numbers, and other characters, and so forth). See the documentation that came with your access point and wireless card for details on how to set SSIDs on your network.

Step 4: Configure your access point and cards for maximum security.

After you have all of your hardware up and working, but before you begin using your wireless network to communicate sensitive data, be sure to carefully review the security options and configurations available to you. HP offers the latest in wireless security, including data encryption and user authentication, but it's up to you to take advantage of it. We designed our wireless products to be simple to set up, security included, so all you need to do is take a few moments to review the documentation that came with your access point to benefit from its full security support.

Introduction to networking

Introduction to networking

Networking is the practice of linking computing devices together with hardware and software that supports data communications across these devices.

Importance of networking

Information and communication are two of the most important strategic issues for the success of every enterprise.
While today nearly every organization uses a substantial number of computers and communication tools , they are often still isolated. While managers today are able to use applications like wordprocessors or spreadsheets, not very many of them use computer-based tools to communicate with other departments or information retrieval programs.

To overcome these obstacles in an effective usage of information technology, computer networks are necessary. They are a new kind of organization of computer systems produced by the need to merge computers and communications. At the same time they are the means to converge the two areas; the unnecessary distinction between tools to process and store information and tools to collect and transport information can disappear. Computer networks can manage to put down the barriers between information held on several (not only computer) systems. Only with the help of computer networks can a borderless communication and information environment be built.

Types of networking

Computers with a wireless connection to a network also use a network card (see Advice Sheet 20 for more information on wireless networking).

• LANs (Local Area Networks),

for example a computer network in a company's department

• MANs (Metropolitan Area Networks),

for example a cable television network within a city

• WANs (Wide Area Networks, Long Haul Networks),

for example an ISDN network

OSI Reference model

The Open System Interconnection (OSI) Reference Model was developed by the International Standards Organization (ISO). It is an attempt to build a framework of layers, in which various protocols in computer networking fit.

The OSI model consists of seven layers which are:

1. The Physical Layer: transmits raw data bits over a communication channel (mostly mechanical and electrical issues)
2. The Data Link Layer: guarantees to the network layer that there are no transmission errors by breaking the input datastream up into frames and sending back acknowledgement frames
3. The Network Layer: controls the operation of the involved subnet; main issues are routing (determine a way from source to destination) and dealing with problems of heterogenous networks, e. g. different size requirements of transmitted data blocks
4. The Transport Layer: splits up data from the session layer if necessary (segmentation) and ensures that the pieces arrive correctly
5. The Session Layer: allows users on different computer systems to establish a session between them, i. e. they are able to transfer files or log into a remote system; the conditions of communication are laid down, for example full-duplex or half-duplex
6. The Presentation Layer: unlike the layers before it is concerned with the syntax and semantics of the transmitted information; it is concerned with all aspects of information representation such as data encoding, data compression and encryption
7. The Application Layer: contains a variety of commonly needed protocols like handling with different terminal types and file systems; a label to identify the communication process, its origin and destination application is added to the transmitted information