Networking with Windows

Connecting a Network
The pattern of hardware and software connections that ties workstations to a network is
referred to as the network topology.
After completing this lesson, you should be able to:

Distinguish among Ethernet, FDDI, and token ring topologies

Recognize different types of network addresses
List available addressing protocols
Identify other protocols used on a network

Network Topologies
Imagine an aerial view of a network. Picture the network's general shape. The pattern of
connections that ties the workstations to the network is its topology. Let's take a look at the
topologies you'll encounter on the A+ exams.

Ethernet: Sometimes referred to as bus topology, Ethernet uses a full range of

network media (using copper or fiber optics) and operates at 10 Mbps, 100 Mbps, or 1000
Mbps (1 Gbps). The 100-Mbps Ethernet is called Fast Ethernet and 1000 Mbps Ethernet is
called Gigabit Ethernet. An Ethernet network (LAN) can support about 500 nodes. This is
the most commonly installed type of network, probably because it is the cheapest and
simplest. Ethernet devices connect to either a hub or a switch that is in turn connected to
the network backbone.

Token Ring: Sometimes referred to as ring topology, Token Ring also uses copper and
fiber-optic cabling, operates at 4 Mbps to 16 Mbps, and supports about 260 nodes. A Token
Ring network operates reliably but can be difficult to troubleshoot. Because IBM is involved
with the exams now, look for at least one Token Ring question.

FDDI: (Sometimes pronounced as fiddy, but it's usually just spelled out.) FDDI stands for
Fiber Distributed Data Interface. An FDDI NIC contains a laser or diode transceiver that
converts its digital data into light to be transmitted on a fiber-optic network or back to a
digital signal from incoming light impulses for use by the PC. FDDI is a standard of ANSI
and the International Standards Organization (ISO) for data networks that use Token Ring
topology with dual and redundant rings and data speeds of 100 Mbps.
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Connecting a Workstation to the Network
Each network topology is associated with a network technology or protocol. Ethernet
networking is the most common on a bus topology, and Token Ring is the most common on
a ring structure.

The network technology in use is important because when you connect a PC to the network
for the first time, you need to know the network identity requirements for a new
workstation.

Addressing the Network

The three addressing elements that are used on a network are as follows:

MAC (Media Access Control) address: Every NIC or network adapter is assigned a
unique ID called the MAC address by its manufacturer when it is made. This address is
burned into the NIC's firmware and cannot be changed. The MAC address is the basis for all
network addressing, and all other address types are cross-referenced to it. A MAC address
is a 48-bit address that is expressed as 12 hexadecimal digits (a hex digit is comprised of 4
bits).

To display the MAC address (adapter address) of the NIC or NICs installed in a PC, you can
use the WINIPCFG command on Windows 9x and Me systems or the IPCONFIG /all
command on Windows 98, Me, NT, 2000, and XP systems. The results of IPCONFIG /all on
a Windows XP computer are shown here and on subsequent pages.

IP (Internet Protocol) address: Many internal and all external networks use IP
addresses to identify nodes on both LANs and WANs. An IP address for a network
workstation combines the address of the network and the node into a 32-bit address that is
expressed in four 8-bit octets (which means sets of eight).

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The IPCONFIG command displays the IP addressing information for a workstation on
Windows 98 and all later versions. As shown here, the IPCONFIG command displays the IP
address that is assigned to the workstation (in this case, 192.168.3.167), the workstation's
subnet mask (which is used to differentiate between the network and host portion of an IP
address), and the default gateway of the node. To run this command, open a command
prompt and enter IPCONFIG on the command line.

Network names: The most common type of network name is computer names, which
are also called network names. A network name is the name assigned to a workstation or
other networked device and used to identify that node by other network users. For
example, it is much easier to find a printer with a network name or MAIN_LASER than
trying to remember the printer's MAC or IP address.

Commonly, network names are NetBIOS (Network Basis Input/Output System)

names. NetBIOS uses unique 15-character names that are periodically broadcast over the
network so the names can be cataloged by the Network Neighborhood function. NetBIOS
names are the names that show up in Windows Network Neighborhood. In the example
shown here, the NetBIOS name of the computer is XPPRO1.

DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol): This protocol is used to

automatically configure a network workstation with its IP address data. Each time that the
workstation is logged on to the network, the DHCP server software, running on a network
server or router, assigns or renews the IP configuration of the workstation. Typically, the
MAC address is used to uniquely identify the workstation, and the IP address is assigned
from blocks of IP addresses that have been set aside for use by internal networks.
Depending on the network operating system, the IPCONFIG or WINIPCFG command can be
used to view, renew, or release DHCP data.

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DNS (Domain Name System): DNS is used to resolve (translate) Internet names to
their IP address equivalents. For example, when you request www.MyFavoriteBlog.com
from your browser's location line, a nearby DNS server (typically at your ISP) converts it to
an IP address, such as 12.168.1.100, which is then used to request the data across the
Internet.

WINS (Windows Internet Naming Service): WINS is Microsoft's network name

resolution software that converts NetBIOS names to IP addresses. Windows machines are
assigned NetBIOS names, which are converted into IP addresses for use on a network using
TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol), the foundation protocol suite of
the Internet. The use of a WINS server allows nodes on one LAN segment to find nodes on
other LAN segments by name.

Connecting to an Ethernet Network

When a new workstation is added to an Ethernet network, the workstation identifies itself
using its MAC address and computer name to the rest of the network. The workstation is
also assigned an IP address (either by DHCP or some other means). Devices on the network
that need to hold this addressing information, such as a switch or bridge, store the
information in their MAC address tables. When requests come in for a particular IP address,
the MAC address of the node is looked up and the message is sent to that workstation. This
description is highly simplified, but it represents the essence of what happens.

Connecting to a Token Ring Network

When you add a new node to a Token Ring network, the node must first establish that its
address is unique. The workstation sends out test frames with its ID address, and the
system responds with its own test frames that are sent to that address. If no other node
responds, the new ID address is accepted and established for the new ring node. If
duplication exists (it can happen), jumpers or DIP switches on the NIC can be used to alter
the address.

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On a token-ring network, the ID is the same as the MAC address.

Protocols and Other Niceties

In addition to the three network protocols (Ethernet, Token Ring, and FDDI)
described earlier, other protocols can be used to interconnect PCs to other PCs or networks.
For the test, you need to know the names of these protocols, their acronyms, and the scope
of what they interconnect.

Networking and Communications Protocols

Protocol/Layer Acronym What It Does

Point-to-Point PPP Used to connect and manage network
Protocol communications over a modem
Transmission Control TCP/IP The backbone protocol of the Internet
Protocol/Internet
Protocol
Internetwork Packet IPX/SPX The standard protocol of the Exchange/Sequenced
Novell network operating system's Packet Exchange
NetBIOS Extended NetBEUI A Microsoft protocol that is used only by Windows
User Interface systems for LANs with no external connections; does
not support routing (addressing through a router to
other networks)
File Transfer Protocol FTP Used to send and receive files in client/server mode
to or from a remote host
Hypertext Transfer HTTP Used to send World Wide Web (WWW) documents,
Protocol which are usually encoded in HTML across a network
Network File Services NFS Allows the network node to access network drives as
if they were local drives, files, and data; also
performs the file-access and data-retrieval tasks that
are requested of the network
Simple Mail Transfer SMTP Used to send electronic mail (e-mail) across a
Protocol network
Telnet Telnet Used to connect and log in and manage a remote
host

Networking with Windows