Windows 9x Networking

Introduction to networking

• In today’s world networking is a fundamental component of any office or home environment where several computers are being utilized. It is within a networking environment that data and resources  such as printers  can be shared among the different users improving productivity and efficiency.

• Windows 9x provides you with a built-in networking capability that allows windows to be a component of a peer-to-peer network  or a client to a client server  network.

• Windows 98 has improved its networking capabilities by adding an Internet  connection-sharing  component to the operating system .

• Considering all the networking features provided with Windows 9x for free makes windows a very prudent choice of operating system  for small home and business LAN .

Key Topics

Windows Networking Limitations of Windows 9X networking Configuring your Network Sharing  files  on the Network

Sharing  resources  on the Network Mapping  a network  drive Internet  Connection Sharing   ICS  Installation Steps System changes with ICS

 

Windows9x Networking

• Windows 9x has a complete built in networking component that allows us to generate a complete peer-to-peer network  or allows Windows 9x to become the client of a client server  network.

• This networking capability is very much limited in its security and is ideal for a small cheap network  for home users or small business users.

Configuring Your Network

• There are several steps involved in the windows 9x  networking setup,

• You must configure the network  card itself.

• You must configure the communication  protocol  used in windows 9x .

• You must configure the sharing  permissions  on folders  and devices .

Exercise (Installing a network  card)

1.      Click on Start à Settings àControl Panel , Double click on the Network Icon Under the Configuration tab, view the following components installed region and remove all components.	2.      You can remove a component by clicking on the component and clicking on the Remove button.
3.      Click on the Add button.  From the Select Network component type Window. Click on the Adaptor Icon and then Add button.	4.      From the Select Network Adaptors window, choose the manufacturer of the card and the network  card of choice. 5.      If the device you have installed on the computer is not on the list . (Choose the have disk option) 6.      Once you have selected the device you wanted, click OK.  The device you selected can now be seen on the configuration window.
7.      You will also notice that the system has added client for Microsoft Networks, which is required in a peer-to-peer network , and the TCP /IP  Protocol which is the default protocol  of Windows 98. 8.      you can add a protocol  of your choice by clicking on the protocol icon and click on the add button	9.      You are now ready to configure the network  card itself by double clicking on the Card icon and clicking the Resources tab of the Card properties window. 10.  Make sure the configuration of the card for the address range and IRQ  match that value set on the card. 11.  Plug and play cards will have this value automatically set.

 

12.  Click on the Identification  tab of the Network window.  Under computer name , type the network  name you want to assign to the computer. 13.  Under workgroup  name, type Aplus . You can type the name of the group  your computer will be joining or the Domain  your computer will be joining.	14.  Click on the Access Control  tab and make sure the share level access control has been selected. This is essential for a peer-to-peer network . You will need to choose a User level access control if you are joining a Domain .
15.  Click on the configuration tab again. 16.  Click on the File and print sharing  button 17.  Make sure that you check both the check boxes, I want to be able to give others access to my files  and I want to be able to allow others to print to my printers . Then, click OK. 18.  Checking the check boxes in the file and print sharing  window is required if you intend to share folders  and resources  on the network .  19.  Click on the OK button at the bottom of the Network Window.	20.  You can add any networking service offered in windows 98 by clicking the services  icon in the select networking components type window and add the services that you require. E.g. File and printer services for a Microsoft network .
21.  You can change your login options to logon  to a network  server or your local system by changing the options in the properties window of the client for Microsoft networks option.	22.  The system should add all required drivers  and inform you of a system restart which you must click the yes button. 23.  Once the system has restarted, you should login in to windows and networking is enabled. I If you cancel on the login screen, you will forth fit your right to use the network  and the network neighborhood  icon, although your computer will exits on the network and can be accessed by other computers on the network.

 

Sharing  files  on a Network

• Once the network  has been setup and you can see other computers in your Network Neighborhood, you are then ready to share information  for others on the network to access and access other peoples information shared for you on the network.

• Sharing  files  on a Network

• You can also share resources  on the network  and use the resources previously shared by others on the network such as printers , Modems, and CDROM  drives.

 

Exercise (Sharing  data on the network )

SHARING FOLDERS 1.      Double click on My Computer , Double click on C: Drive 2.      Right click on Folder 1 3.      Select the sharing  option from the drop down menu. 4.      Click on the Shared As text box 5.      You can change the name of the share to be different from the default folder name. 6.      On the access type part of the screen, you can select one of the three options Read  only, Full Control or Depends on password . 7.      If you choose on Depend on Password, then you must type the Read  Only and Full Control Passwords. 8.      Click on OK at the bottom of the page.

 

What is a Network Drive

• When a network  drive is mapped, a direct connection is made to the drive of interest every time the operating system  is started, and the network drive will exist as though it is local to the system.

• Mapping  a Network Drive

• The way you map a network  drive is by using the Universal Naming Convention (UNC ) that is \\Computername\Sharename.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Introduction Internet  Connection Sharing  (ICS )

• You can allow several computers to access the Internet  through a single fast Internet connection using ICS .

• The computer which has ICS  installed on it has direct access to the Internet  and provides a pathway for the other computers in the local LAN  to access the Internet.

Installing ICS

• There are several steps involved in setting up ICS  on your windows98 second edition system.

• Install two network  card on your system and configure the hardware correctly

• Install the two network  cards  inside your windows 98 environment, one for LAN  and the other for the Internet  connection.

• Install ICS  components from the Internet  options in windows components.

• Configure ICS  using the wizard supplied by Windows 98 operating system .

• You need to install two separate physical network  connections on your system to enable ICS , one for your Internet  connection and the other for your LAN  connection.

• Internet  Connection Sharing  is not installed by default on your system. You need to install ICS  from windows components in the add/remove program icon of windows.

• ICS  needs to be installed from the Internet  options components of the windows components.

• The ICS  wizard is activated after ICS has been added as a windows component and guides you step by step to configuring ICS and the particular function of the adaptors  used in windows 98.

• You will notice that the ICS  wizard has installed its own ICS adaptor in the networking options , and also has dedicated one of the communication  adaptors  for the Internet  and the other adaptor for the LAN  use.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Questions

 

1. What is the default protocol  of Windows 98?

1. TCP /IP

2. NetBUEI

3. IPX /SPX

4. NetBIOS

2. What is the format  of the UNC  path?

1. \\Computername\filename

2. \\Computername\foldername

3. \\Devicename\sharename

4. \\Computername\sharename

5. \\Computername\\sharensme

3. What devices  can be shared on a network? (Choose all that apply)

1. Your Floppy drive

2. Your Hard drive

3. Your network  card

4. Your Modem

5. Your local printer

6. Your Network printer

4. What are the features of ICS? (Choose all that apply)

1. It requires two network  devices

2. One connection is made to the internet

3. One connection is made to the local LAN

4. It ideal for a 56Kb/s dialup internet connection

5. It enables you LAN  to share a single internet connection

6. It ideal for a DSL  internet connection

5. After installing your network  card you realize you can view all shares using network neighborhood  but cannot share anything on your system, what is the problem?

1. Setup the IRQ  settings for your network