A+ Complete Lab Manual

Network protocols are necessary so that two computers can communicate with each other. Many protocols have been developed by companies and organizations trying to compete in the networking market. Each organization developed its own set of rules (what many call a language) to allow computers pass data back and forth. The key network protocols are Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), Internetwork Packet eXchange/Sequenced Packet eXchange (IPX/SPX), and NetBIOS Extended User Interface (NetBEUI).

NetBEUI was developed by IBM and adopted by Microsoft for network communications. It was originally chosen because it is a stable, fast network protocol. It requires no user configuration, which makes it very easy to use. Its simplicity makes it very fast with little network overhead. Its main limitation is that it is not routable, which means it is effective only on small networks.

Novell developed the IPX/SPX protocol for use with its NetWare server line. Many people feel that Novell wrote the book about how to do networking. The IPX/SPX protocol suite was the most widely used protocol stack until the popularity of the Internet replaced it with TCP/IP. Microsoft wrote a NetBIOS-compatible version of IPX/SPX called NWLink. IPX/SPX is a scalable network protocol that can be routed; it is still used on large and medium-sized networks.

TCP/IP was developed as part of a Department of Defense initiative that resulted in the Information Superhighway, or what we now call the Internet. The TCP/IP protocol stack is routable and can be scaled to very large networks. It is the native network protocol of many operating systems, including Unix and Linux. It has been adopted as the core protocol for operating systems such as Microsoft Windows and Novell’s NetWare 5.0 and up.

Because TCP/IP is the default network protocol, we will cover how to configure it, not install it. TCP/IP requires that you configure the IP address and subnet mask. The IP address is a 32-bit number broken into four octets. The numbers in each octet can range from 0–255. The IP address contains two pieces of information, the network ID and the host ID. The job of the subnet mask is to let you know which octets belong to the network ID and which octets represent the host ID. A 255 in the subnet mask makes the corresponding octet in the IP address belong to the network ID. A 0 in the subnet mask represents the host ID in the corresponding octets of the IP address.

Additionally, TCP/IP lets you configure the default gateway, DNS addresses, and WINS addresses. The default gateway is the router on your network that allows you to communicate with hosts on other networks. The DNS address is the IP address of the server that is hosting the DNS service that resolves computer names to IP addresses. WINS is a similar service written by Microsoft to resolve NetBIOS names to IP addresses.

The configuration data can be entered manually, or the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) can automatically assign it to a computer. DHCP uses scopes or pools of IP addresses that it assigns to any host that requests the configuration. By default, Microsoft uses DHCP to handle TCP/IP configuration. This lab will introduce you to the windows in which you can manually enter your TCP/IP address and subnet mask.

NWLink and NetBEUI must be installed on the computer before you can use these protocol stacks. NWLink automatically detects the proper network settings. You have the option of setting the internal network ID and the frame type if necessary. NetBEUI has no user configuration; it is a self-tuning protocol that automatically sets itself up when installed. The following exercises will have you install NWLink and NetBEUI. You will also learn how to configure NWLink.

Network bindings allow you to bind a protocol to a network adapter. In Windows, you can bind multiple protocols to one adapter or bind a protocol to multiple adapters. Once multiple protocols have been bound to an adapter, the bindings allow you to control which one is used first to establish a session with another computer to transfer information. You should always place the most commonly used protocol first in the list.

Upon completion of this lab, you will be able to install and configure the following network protocols: TCP/IP, NWLink, and NetBEUI.

Set Up

For this lab, you will need a working computer running Windows 98, Windows 2000, or Windows XP.

Exercises

In these exercises you will be configuring TCP/IP, installing and configuring NWLink and NetBEUI, and configuring network bindings.

Configuring TCP/IP

To configure TCP/IP,

  1. Open the Properties window of your Internet connection.

    In Windows 98:

    Start Settings Control Panel. Double-click on the Network icon.

    In Windows 2000:

    Start Settings Control Panel. Double-click on the Network and Dial-Up Connections icon. Right-click on the icon that represents your connection to the Internet. Select Properties from the menu.

    In Windows XP:

    Start Control Panel Network and Internet Connections Network Connections. Right-click on the icon that represents your connection to the Internet. Select Properties from the menu.

  2. In the Properties window, select the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) or TCP/IP. Each operating system uses a slightly different name. Once TCP/IP is highlighted, click the Properties button.

  3. On the General tab, notice that Obtain IP Address Automatically is the default setting. Click the Use the Following IP Address radio button. Record the fields that now allow you to enter information (in Windows 98, this information is on the IP Address tab):

  4. Click on the Advanced button (this button is not available in Windows 98). Record the tabs that can be used to enter TCP/IP information:

  5. Click OK to close the Advanced window. Click the Obtain an IP Address Automatically radio button. This option has this host request its IP address information from a DHCP server.

  6. Click OK to close the TCP/IP Properties window. Leave the interface Properties window open for use in the next set of exercises.

Installing and Configuring NWLink and NetBEUI

To install and configure NWLink and NetBEUI,

  1. Click the Install or Add button from the interface Properties window.

  2. Double-click on the Protocol icon to open the Protocol window.

  3. Select NWLink NetBIOS Compatible Transport.

  4. Click OK to close the Protocol Window. Click OK to close the interface Properties window.

Configuring Network Bindings

In Windows 98:

  1. From the Network Properties window, click on the interface and click the Properties button.

  2. Click on the Bindings tab. Review the Bindings.

  3. Close all the windows.

    In Windows 2000/XP:

  4. From the Network and Dial-Up Connections Properties window, click Advanced in the menu.

  5. Click on the Advanced Options button.

  6. Click on the Adapters and Bindings tab. Here you can use the arrows to control which protocols are used and which protocol is used first.

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