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Windows 98 Professional Reference

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- 21 -
Understanding Windows 98 Networking


This chapter provides an in-depth look at the components involved in setting up Windows 98 to participate in a networked environment. To completely understand the concepts presented in this chapter, it is first necessary to look at the networking architecture around which Windows 98 is built. This chapter will discuss network adapters, services, protocols, clients, security, cabling, and other issues that relate to networking Windows 98.

The idea of networking is to enable users to share resources and information. The thought here is that the capability to share will promote the exchange of ideas more quickly and will conserve on the expense of providing costly dedicated resources to each user.

A network is probably best defined as two or more devices with the capability to share resources and information. No matter how large or how small the network is, there are certain rules (protocols and standards) that must be followed to ensure that the network works correctly and that it will work with other network components. The most basic of these rules is an outline for communication between two devices that was established by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The ISO developed a model called the seven-layer model that specifies seven distinct functions that must occur for a device to communicate with another device. This model is also referred to as the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model because it defines these seven layers with respect to the communication process. The OSI model does not follow any individual vendor's established protocols and standards.

The idea behind the OSI model is that any vendor can create a product that will work with a product from any other vendor as long as each vendor followed the guidelines established for each layer of the OSI model. As you can see in Figure 21.1, each of the seven OSI layers defines a distinct function that is separate from the other layers. Each layer is dependent upon the layer below it to provide a certain function and each layer is responsible to provide the layer above it with a certain function. You can also see in Figure 21.1 that the communication process involves using the OSI model from layer 7 down to layer 1 when sending a message, but it uses the OSI model from layer 1 up to layer 7 when receiving a message.

For Windows 98 to participate in a network, it must use and implement software and hardware components that follow the design of the OSI model. Windows 98 has an open, modular design called the Network Provider Interface (NPI) that allows support for multiple networks to exist simultaneously. The NPI consists of two components, the Application Program Interface (API) and the Network Provider (NP). The API requests network services, such as connecting to a server or queuing a print job. The NP takes care of providing those services for the API.

Figure 21.1

Using the ISO OSI Seven-Layer Model to communicate between systems.

Windows 98 has three built-in Network Providers: WinNet16, NetWare, and Windows. The WinNet16 provider is used to provide services for 16-bit APIs. The NetWare provider makes services available to APIs requesting services from a NetWare network. The Windows provider is a 32-bit provider that makes services available for other Windows networks such as Windows NT and Windows 98. Figure 21.2 shows how the APIs and the NPs interface with the rest of the Windows 98 layered architecture.

Figure 21.2 also shows some of the additional components that make up the Windows 98 network architecture. Those additional components are the IFS Manager, the redirectors and the transport protocols. The Installable File System (IFS) Manager consists of two components, a set of file system APIs and loadable File System Drivers (FSD). Multiple FSDs can exist in the system at the same time. Using the FSDs, the IFS Manager can provide the capability for multiple types of network redirectors to locate, open, read, write and delete files and services. File systems such as FAT, FAT32, VFAT, and CDFS are all supported. The IFS interfaces have been documented so that different vendors of network services will have this information when designing and implementing their redirectors for Windows 98.

Figure 21.2

The network architecture of Windows 98.

The redirectors included with Windows 98 are the Server Message Block (SMB) redirector and the NetWare Core Protocol (NCP) redirector. The SMB redirector component (VREDIR.VXD) that is included as a part of the Client for Microsoft Networks supports all of the networks based on Microsoft networking. It is a 32-bit virtual device driver with a zero conventional memory footprint that can be dynamically loaded by the system as needed. The NCP redirector component (NWREDIR.VXD) that is included as a part of the Client for NetWare Networks supports all of the networks based on NetWare networking. It is also a 32-bit virtual device driver. Windows 98 also supports redirectors from other vendors. In addition, Windows 98 can also support multiple 32-bit redirectors and one WinNet16 redirector simultaneously.

The most important transport protocols included with Windows 98 are NetBEUI, TCP/IP and IPX/SPX. These are examined in greater detail in the Network Protocols section later in this chapter, but a quick explanation of each of them is presented here. It should also be noted that while these three transport protocols are the primary ones included with Windows 98, also included are an ATM protocol, a Fast Infrared Protocol, a protocol for Banyan networks and DLC support for network printing.

While NetBEUI supports Microsoft networking and can be used with Windows NT, Windows for Workgroups, LAN Manager, and some other products. NetBEUI, which stands for NetBIOS Extended User Interface is a non-routable protocol. Simply stated, the NetBEUI protocol does not keep track of information that applies to layer 3 of the OSI model, the Network layer. Consequently, NetBEUI is intended for use only on internal networks that do not need to be routed because NetBEUI cannot determine which network it is on. Because NetBEUI does not have to keep track of this extra information, it tends to be a leaner protocol that can be used in fast, high-performance fashion. Some networks are set up to use NetBEUI as the default protocol so that communication on the internal network is very quick while having TCP/IP or IPX/SPX as the secondary protocol for communication outside of the network.

TCP/IP or Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol is the protocol of choice for today's large, robust, interconnected networks. It is also the protocol required for communication across the Internet. The TCP/IP protocol consists of a suite of complementary protocols of which the primary two are the TCP and the IP. IP is a layer 3 protocol (the network layer of the OSI model) which keeps track of the network information. Each device using the TCP/IP protocol is assigned an IP address in the format of xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx where each series of xxx represents a binary number from 0 to 255. Some portion of that IP address is used to determine the network address and the remainder is used to identify the host address. See Chapter 25, "Windows 98 with TCP/IP," for more on TCP/IP addressing.

The TCP portion of TCP/IP is a layer 4 (the transport layer of the OSI model) protocol that is used to establish connections for applications. The TCP/IP suite contains two different transport layer protocols: the TCP (a connection-oriented, reliable protocol) and the User Datagram Protocol (UDP--a connectionless protocol typically used for messaging functions and other processes not requiring a connection). Above layer 4, the TCP/IP suite consists of a number of other protocols including File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) and Domain Name System (DNS). Although this description of the TCP/IP suite of protocols attempts to neatly map TCP/IP to the layers of the OSI model, TCP/IP predates the OSI model and does not strictly conform to the design of the OSI model.

Internetwork Packet eXchange/Sequential Packet eXchange (IPX/SPX) is the default protocol designed to be fully compatible with Novell's IPX/SPX implementation. IPX/SPX can be used to communicate directly with a Novell NetWare server or with other computers running IPX/SPX such as a Windows 98 or a Windows NT machine. IPX/SPX is a routable protocol that can be used across bridges and routers that support IPX/SPX. IPX/SPX is required when the Client for NetWare Networks is installed, and is installed automatically.

NOTE: On Windows NT 4.0 machines, the IPX/SPX implementation is referred to as NWLink.

To successfully use Windows 98 on a network, you must have selected and installed the appropriate client software for the network you will be using. In addition, you will have to identify and install the appropriate transport protocol. As you can see from Figure 21.1, you will still need a component that operates at the physical layer for the communication process to work between your devices. One of the components that you will need at this physical layer is a network adapter.

Network Adapters

There are four items that can be installed from the Network Properties dialog box in Windows 98. They are Clients, Adapters, Protocols, and Services. This section will focus on the installation, use, and configuration of network adapters within Windows 98. A network adapter card, also referred to as a Network Interface Card (NIC), is a physical component that is plugged into the motherboard of the computer. There are also some external NICs that can be connected via a parallel port and there are NICs that are PC Cards for use in portable computers, but most commonly they are used inside the PC. Once you have installed the network adapter, you will have to configure Windows 98 to use it.

If a network adapter is Plug-and-Play (PnP) compliant, Windows 98 will install it without much user intervention. Otherwise, you'll need to use the manual method, which can be tedious. To install a NIC using Plug and Play requires three things:

If your components meet the requirements, then you should be able to follow the onscreen instructions presented by Windows 98 to install your adapter. The steps involved usually follow this pattern:

1. Shut down Windows 98 and turn off the PC. Install the Plug-and-Play adapter in a spare slot in your PC according to the manufacturer's directions. Make sure you install the card into the correct type of slot if your PC has more than one type of slot.
2. Once you have installed the adapter in the PC per the manufacturer's instructions, put the PC back together and turn on the PC. When the PC boots up, the Plug-and-Play BIOS should see the new component and configure it automatically for your system with the settings that the new card requires.
3. When Windows 98 loads, it should also recognize the new component and prompt you to provide a driver for the new device. The Add New Hardware Wizard will prompt you through a series of dialog boxes that will ask you for the locations you would like to search for the most updated driver for the device. Figure 21.3 shows an example of one of the dialog boxes you may be presented with.

Figure 21.3

The Add New Hardware Wizard automatically runs when a new Plug-and-Play component is detected in the system. Here a new Network Adapter is being installed and configured.

4. Once Windows 98 has enough information to install the driver for the new adapter, files will be copied for the driver and other required networking components. You may need to have your Windows 98 files available for some of the information that is copied.

NOTE: There are many operations that take place in configuring Windows 98 that require the use of the Windows 98 program files. Adding a network adapter is just one of those operations. You can make this operation easier and faster by storing a copy of the Windows 98 cabinet files (files that have a .CAB extension) on the hard drive of your Windows 98 machine. When you need the files for a new component, as indicated in step 4, you will already have them available.

5. When Windows 98 has copied all the files it needs, it will finish setting up the device and you will be able to use it.

To install a non-PnP adapter in your system can be somewhat tedious because it involves manually configuring the adapter to work in your system. Non-PnP adapters (sometimes referred to as legacy adapters) require the installer to configure the adapter either through some type of jumper or dip switch on the card itself or through a proprietary software program that can configure the card. Depending upon the card, you may be required to configure the interrupt, I/O address, ROM address, DMA, or some other type of setting. To find out what settings are required and/or available, you will need to use the manufacturer's instructions for the card.

Once you have installed the card and configured the settings, Windows 98 may or may not recognize the card. If Windows 98 does recognize the card, you will be able to follow onscreen instructions similar to those for a PnP adapter. If Windows 98 is not able to recognize the card or automatically detect the card's resource requirements, you will have to manually install and/or configure the card using the Network Properties dialog box or the System Device Manager. To use the Network Properties dialog box to add and configure a network adapter:

1. If you have not already tried to add the card using the Add New Hardware option in Control Panel, you should do that first. If the Add New Hardware Wizard is not successful, proceed with step 2.
2. In the Control Panel, double-click Network.
3. Figure 21.4 shows an example of the Network properties dialog box. You will need to click the Add button to add an adapter.

Figure 21.4

The Network properties dialog box. Use the Add button to add a new adapter, client, service, or protocol.

4. From the new dialog box, double-click Adapter or single-click Adapter to highlight it and then click the Add button.
5. From the Select Network Adapters dialog box shown in Figure 21.5, you will need to select the manufacturer of the adapter in the left pane and the model of the Network Adapter in the right pane. If you have a disk provided by the manufacturer for the network adapter, click the Have Disk button and follow the instructions presented by Windows 98.

Figure 21.5

Using the Select Network Adapters dialog box to identify the manufacturer and model of the new adapter. Click Have Disk if the manufacturer has provided a driver disk.

6. After you have selected the appropriate adapter, click OK and then Windows 98 will copy files to install and configure the adapter.
7. After the file copy is complete, you will be able to select the adapter in the Network properties dialog box and click the Properties button to examine the configuration of the adapter you have added. This should open a dialog box similar to the one shown in Figure 21.6.

Figure 21.6

The Resources tab for a newly installed network adapter. Notice that one of the default settings is in conflict with another device in the PC.

8. If the properties dialog box for this new adapter does not show a Resources tab, then you will not be able to configure the adapter from here. You will have to use the System - Device Manager in the Control Panel. To make changes to the settings for this adapter, select the resources tab. The default resources for this adapter may or may not be in conflict with other components in the machine. Figure 21.6 shows an example of a newly installed adapter whose default resources are in conflict with another device in the PC.
9. Using the provided list boxes, set the parameters for your adapter to match the parameters you set the card to when you installed it. Then click the OK button.
10. Click the OK button on the Network properties dialog box and Windows 98 will copy any additional files if necessary and then prompt you to restart your PC. If you have configured everything correctly, your network adapter will be functioning correctly when Windows 98 restarts.

Once your network adapter has been installed, there are very few modifications, if any, that will need to be made to it. If you examine the properties of the adapter, you will notice that most adapters have a tab for Driver Type and a tab for Bindings. The Driver Type tab allows you to select either a 32-bit or 16-bit driver for the card. Most new cards will only allow you to select the 32-bit driver. The Bindings tab will give you the ability to determine which protocols will be bound to this adapter. Binding the protocol to the adapter allows the adapter to use that protocol. For example, if you want to use TCP/IP on your network adapter, then TCP/IP will have to be bound to the adapter by checking the box for TCP/IP on the Bindings tab. Figure 21.7 provides an example of some of the available protocols being bound to an adapter. In order to bind a protocol to the adapter, the protocol must have already been installed.

Figure 21.7

Binding protocols to an adapter. A checked box indicates that the protocol will be available for use by that adapter.

The network adapter is just one of the four network items that can be installed in Windows 98. Being able to share the resources over the network is also crucial to setting up Windows 98 networking. File and Printer sharing is just one of the network services available in Windows 98.

Network Services

One of the primary reasons to set up a network is to enable users to share resources and information. To enable this functionality within Windows 98, you must install a network service that provides the capability to share files and printers. The two primary network services available in Windows 98 are the File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks service and the File and Printer Sharing for NetWare Networks service. One of the services that was not originally available with Windows 95 but has been added in Windows 98 is the Service for NetWare Directory Services.

To add a service to Windows 98 you will need to access the Network properties from the Control Panel or use the shortcut described earlier in this chapter. Then proceed as follows:

1. Click the Add button on the Network properties dialog box.
2. From the Select Network Component Type dialog box, select Service and then click Add. You can also just double-click Service.
3. From the Select Network Service window, you will need to select the Manufacturer in the left-hand pane and the Network Service in the right-hand pane. Figure 21.8 illustrates an example of selecting the File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks.

Figure 21.8

Adding a Network Service to the Network Properties.

4. Click the OK button to add the service.
5. Once you are back at the Network properties dialog box, you can select the service in the Network Component list box and then click the Properties button to examine and configure any properties this service might have. Some services do not have any properties that are configurable from this dialog box.

Some of the other available services within Windows 98 include agents for Cheyenne Software's ARCserve, Seagate Software's Backup Exec and the Microsoft Network Monitor. There is also a service that can be installed that allows Remote Registry Editing on Windows 98 machines. Some of these services must be installed using the Add/Remove Programs in the Control Panel.

NOTE: The File and Print sharing button in the Network Properties dialog box (refer to Figure 21.4) lets you enable or disable file sharing and printer sharing. Click on the File and Print sharing button and make sure the appropriate boxes are checked if you wish to share files or printers.

The only way that the adapters and services will be able to communicate on the network is if the Windows 98 machine has been configured with the appropriate transport protocol. The three primary transport protocols included were discussed very briefly in the first part of this chapter, but the closer look provided in the next section will give you a better understanding of how to install and configure them.

Network Protocols

Whether you choose to implement NetBEUI, TCP/IP or IPX/SPX, or a combination of them, this section will explain how to install them and configure the options available with each one. The installation process for each of these protocols is the same so it will be covered only once. The configuration options for each protocol differ greatly though so they will be covered separately. To install a network protocol:

1. As with the Network adapters and services mentioned earlier, you must get to the Network properties dialog box and click the Add button.
2. Select Protocol from the list of Network Component Types and then click the Add button.
3. From the next dialog box, select the manufacturer and the protocol you wish to install and then click the OK button.
4. Now you will be able to configure the protocol you have added from the Network properties dialog box by selecting the protocol and then clicking the Properties button.

Each of the installable protocols within Windows 98 has different configuration options. The first of these protocols in the NetBEUI protocol. As you can see in Figure 21.9 there may be more than one instance of the NetBEUI protocol depending upon the number of adapters you have installed and, more importantly, the number of adapters you have the protocol bound to. Here are the options available with the NetBEUI protocol.

The Properties for the NetBEUI protocol are relatively simple. There are two tabs, one for the Bindings and one for the Advanced options. The Bindings tab allows you to configure which Clients and Services will use this protocol as their transport protocol. To improve the speed of your Windows 98 machine, you should select only the Clients and Services that require the use of the NetBEUI protocol. See the example in Figure 21.10.

Figure 21.9

Multiple instances of the same protocol in the Windows 98 Network properties dialog box.

Figure 21.10

The Bindings tab of the NetBEUI protocol. Only select the clients and services that are necessary.

The Advanced tab of the NetBEUI protocol is used to modify the settings for Maximum Sessions and NCBS. Maximum Sessions specifies the number of connections to remote computers that can be made from this redirector. Network Control BlockS (NCBS) is used to identify the number of NetBIOS commands that can be used. These parameters do not normally need to be altered.

The TCP/IP Properties usually have seven tabs to configure. In addition to the Bindings and Advanced tabs that the NetBEUI protocol has, the TCP/IP properties will also have tabs for DNS Configuration, Gateway, WINS Configuration, IP Address, and NetBIOS. The NetBIOS tab will allow you to select the option to support NetBIOS applications on the TCP/IP protocol. NetBIOS is also required to resolve NetBEUI names over TCP/IP.

The IP Address tab and the Gateway tab are used to tell Windows 98 about your network configuration. The two options available on the IP Address tab are automatic configuration of the IP Address or manual configuration. If your network has a server running the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), then you may not have to fill out anything on the IP Address tab other than selecting the radio button for obtaining an IP Address automatically. On the other hand, if you will be setting this information up manually, select the other radio button for specifying the IP Address and fill in the station's IP Address and Subnet mask. Remember that the IP Address must be a unique number for this station and you will also need to put in the IP address of the preferred router that will allow you access outside your network. That router address is referred to as the Gateway address and should be added on the Gateway tab. See Chapter 25 for more on configuring TCP/IP.

To configure the IPX/SPX protocol, you will normally have to evaluate the settings on the Bindings, Advanced and NetBIOS tabs. The Bindings tab for the IPX/SPX protocol is essentially the same as the Bindings tab for the other two protocols. You will need to choose which clients and services you would like to use this protocol. To improve performance, be sure to check only the ones you need. The Advanced tab may have several different parameters that you can set. Most of the default values will not need to be changed. Here are the common properties and values for the IPX/SPX Advanced tab:

The last tab for the IPX/SPX protocol is the NetBIOS tab. If you want to allow NetBIOS to be used over IPX, then select the check box for I want to enable NetBIOS over IPX/SPX. Doing so will allow applications that require this feature to be able to operate with this machine over the network. It is not uncommon to be running applications that require this feature; Lotus Notes is just one example of an application that does require it.

The fourth item that must be installed in the Network properties dialog box is a network client.

Network Clients

To be able to successfully use the network you must have your Windows 98 machine set up as a client of the network. When you are installing and setting up a network client, you will have to choose which client or clients you require and configure them appropriately. The most prevalent clients for Windows 98 are the Client for Microsoft Networks and the Client for NetWare Networks. A new client called the Microsoft Family Logon has been added in Windows 98.

To add a client to the Network properties dialog box, click the Add button and then find Client in the list of components. You can either double-click Client or select Client and then click Add. From the Select Network Client dialog box you will need to select the Manufacturer and then the appropriate Network Client. Once you have selected the correct options, click the OK button to add the client to the list of installed components in the Network properties dialog box.

To modify a network client's properties, select the appropriate network client in the Network properties dialog box and then click Properties. You can also double-click the client to edit its properties. If you are going to modify the properties of one of the primary clients included with Windows 98 then you will have different options to configure for each one. The Microsoft Family Logon does not have any editable properties. The Client for Microsoft Networks does have two options that you can set. You can see in Figure 21.11 that there are two sections to the Client for Microsoft Networks properties dialog box: the Logon Validation settings and the settings for Network Logon Options. Let's look at the Logon Validation settings first.

Figure 21.11

Editing the Client for Microsoft Networks properties.

The first item in the Logon Validation settings is the Log on to Windows NT Domain checkbox. If you decide to set this workstation up to log on to a Windows NT domain, you will have the capability to set additional security options for this workstation. A Windows NT domain provides a secure database of user accounts and security settings. If you have created or will be creating a user account in a Windows NT Domain and you want to take advantage of these additional security options, then you should click once inside the checkbox for Log on to Windows NT Domain. This will place a check in the box selecting that option and you will also need to fill in the Windows NT Domain box with the name of the domain in which the user accounts are stored. The Windows NT Domain box can contain the name of a Windows NT or a LAN Manager domain or the name of a Windows NT computer (version 3.1 or later) where the valid user account will exist.

The next area on the Client for Microsoft Network Properties box is the Network Logon Options (refer to Figure 21.11). There are only two possible settings in this area so selecting one of them will automatically deselect the other. The choice you will have to make depends on how quickly you want Windows 98 to start up. For the fastest startup, you should select the top option of Quick Logon. Quick Logon will not attempt to reconnect the network drive connections you have previously established. The drive letters for these network connections will still appear in your drive listings, but the connection to the resource will not be established until you attempt to use that drive.

On the other hand, if you want to make sure that all of your network drive connections are reestablished as Windows 98 starts, then you should select the lower option of Logon and Restore Network Connections.

One of the ways to make sure that commonly used resources are easily available is to set up a drive mapping to that resource. Drive mappings assign a drive letter to a network resource, such as a folder on another computer on the network. For example, drive J: might be mapped to a folder (directory) called DATA that is located on another computer. Another way to view this is to look at the J: drive mapping as though it were a pointer to a network resource. Instead of having to search for that resource every time you need it, you can click on drive J: and it will "point to" the resource. Now when you need the DATA you can open drive J: and have access to it rather than having to search the Network Neighborhood for it again. If you select the first option of Quick Logon, then when you start Windows 98, your network connections will not be reconnected. You will still have a drive letter J:, but the connection to the other machine will not have been established yet. When you go to select drive J: the connection will be established at that point and it may take a few seconds to set the connection up and have the window open that displays the contents of the resource that J: is pointing to.

If you select the other option, Logon and Restore Network Connections, then Windows 98 will try to establish all of your drive connections as the machine boots up. Depending upon the number of drive mappings you have established, this can slow down your startup time by anywhere from a few seconds to several seconds. The option you select will depend on your preferences.

The Client for NetWare Networks can also be configured with different options. To examine and configure the available options for the Client for NetWare Networks, make sure the network client is installed and then select the client and click the Properties button. Figure 21.12 shows an example of the Client for NetWare Networks properties.

As you can see from Figure 21.12, there will normally be at least two tabs of Properties to configure. The General tab has three configurable options that let you define the NetWare environment for this machine. The first option, Preferred Server, lets you decide with which NetWare server you will authenticate the logon name and password. The second option, First Network Drive, allows you to determine the drive letter to start with when setting up network drive connections. This normally defaults to drive F: for NetWare networks. The last option is a checkbox that you can select to enable NetWare login scripts to be processed as part of the login procedure. If you do not want the login scripts to be executed when you log in, then deselect the checkbox.

Figure 21.12

Configuring the Client for NetWare Networks properties dialog box.

For you to be able to log in to the NetWare server of your choice and Windows 98 at the same time, you must also check to make sure that the Primary Network Logon has been configured to reflect Client for NetWare Networks. To check this, look at the Network Properties window in the section "Primary Network Logon."

You may also want to consider using the IntraNetWare Client for Windows 95 from Novell. The Novell client has been designed by Novell for access to Novell networks and servers and has some capabilities that the Microsoft client does not have. (Many believe, however, that Microsoft's Client for NetWare Networks is faster and more stable than Novell's equivalent--see Chapter 24, "Windows 98 with NetWare/InternetWare Networks".)

Here are some of the notable exceptions for each client:

Figure 21.13 illustrates some of the available configuration options with the Novell client. Editing the properties for the Novell client is done in the same way as the Microsoft client. Simply select the client from the list in Network properties dialog box and then double-click it or click the Properties button.

Figure 21.13

Configuring the Novell IntraNetWare Client for Windows 95.

One of the programs installed with the IntraNetWare Client is Novell Login. The Novell Login program can be run from the Start menu and allows you to configure your login for either a Novell 3.X server, a Novell 4.X NDS Tree, or a Novell 4.X server running bindery emulation.

The other client included with Windows 98 is the Microsoft Family Logon. If you have enabled user profiles on your Windows 98 system and configured the Microsoft Family Logon, then the Microsoft Family Logon will present a list of available users at boot time. This will allow users to select their name from the list and type in their password rather than having to type in their name and password.

Cabling

Using the previously mentioned network components, you will be able to configure your Windows 98 machine to participate on a network. However, there is still one component that must be set up correctly for the complete communication process to take place as is pictured back in Figure 21.1. That other component is the network cable or media.

There are many different types of network media that can be used and each one has advantages and disadvantages. Each type of media is typically associated with a particular standard. For example, if you intend to set up a 10Base-T network, you would be using Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) wiring. The two most common forms of media that are used in networks today are Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) cable and thin Coaxial cable (Coax). UTP, as previously mentioned, is normally used for a 10Base-T network whereas thin coaxial is normally used for a 10Base-2 network. Some other standards you might hear mentioned are 10Base-5, which is also referred to as Thick Ethernet (because it uses a thick coaxial cable) and Token Ring (which can be set up using coaxial or UTP cable). Some networks might be connected using other forms of media such as fiber-optic cables or a wireless media such as infrared or microwave. This section examines the pros and cons of UTP and thin Coax and describes some of the limitations and configuration requirements of each.

Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) cable is a four-pair wire that is usually made up of eight 24-gauge, individual copper strands coated with a thin, colored PVC coating. Each of the individual wires has a corresponding partner wire that it is twisted around and those two partner wires make up one pair. Figure 21.14 shows an example of UTP cable.

Figure 21.14

Category 3 Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) cable.

To set up a network using UTP as the cabling method requires only four individual wires (two pair) but the 4-pair wire is typically what is recommended and used. There are different categories of UTP wire depending upon the characteristics of the cable. For example, you can use Category 3 UTP cable to set up a network that transmits information at speeds of up to 10 million bits per second, but you would most likely want to use Category 5 UTP cable if you were going to set up a network capable of speeds up to 100 million bits per second. There are other Categories of UTP cable such as Categories 1, 2, 3, 4 and even 6, but the most common implementations for today's networks are Category 3 or 5. Typically, the higher the category number, the better the cable is at carrying the network signal and resisting outside interference.

Once you have decided whether to use Category 3 or Category 5 cable, you will need to determine how many computers will need to be connected to the network. Each computer that will be connected to the network will have to have a cable that runs from the computer back to a central connecting point commonly called a hub. These cable runs are also known as home-runs because each computer has to be connected back to the home base or hub. These cable runs should not exceed 100 meters per the standards published by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). You will also need to have a hub with enough ports to connect all of your computers.

This design layout is often referred to as a star topology. A topology is the layout of the network. There are three distinct types of topologies that can be used: star, bus, and ring. Another form of topology, the hybrid, simply combines two or more of the standard types to form a hybrid topology. The most common are the star, which is normally implemented with UTP cable, and the bus, which is normally implemented with coaxial cable.

Each of these cable runs must have a connector on each end that allows the media to be connected to the device. With UTP cable, the most common connector is an eight-position modular plug sometimes referred to as a RJ-45 connector. Where each individual wire fits into the connector is determined by the wiring standard that you choose to follow. Some of the more commonly used wiring standards are 568A, 568B and 10BASE-T. The Electronics Industries Association (EIA) publishes the 568 standards and the 10BASE-T standard is highlighted in the IEEE standards. The cable that is used to connect the computer to the hub should use the same wiring standard on both ends of the cable.

The only other thing required to cable the computers together is to plug them in at each end. One end connects to the RJ-45 port on the Network Adapter and the other end plugs into one of the available ports on the hub. Make sure you do not plug one of the computers into a port on the hub labeled "uplink." Uplink ports are configured with the pairs reversed so that they can be used to connect to another hub rather than a computer. After ensuring that the hub has power and the computers are connected to it, you should be ready to share files and information over your new network.

While this is a very simplified overview of the steps necessary to establish a UTP network, it still provides a general idea of what must be accomplished. It is recommended that you review the manufacturer's instructions for the network adapters and the hub when setting up your network. You may also want to consider purchasing pre-made UTP cable if you are not experienced at making your own.

NOTE: Another good reference book for information about networks is Networking Essentials Training Guide, published by New Riders.

The other common type of cable used to create a local area network (LAN) is thin coaxial cable. Thin coaxial cable is often referred to as Thinnet, Cheapernet, and 10BASE-2. This is because it is thinner and cheaper than thick coaxial cable and because it is used to set up a network that complies with the 10BASE-2 standard published by the IEEE. Thinnet is usually marked with a stamp that identifies it as RG58/U which is just one of many grades of coaxial cable. It is important to use this grade so that the characteristics of the cable match the design of the adapters and devices that will connect to the cable. Figure 21.15 has an example of Thinnet cable.

Figure 21.15

RG58/U Thinnet coaxial cable.

To set up a network using Thinnet, you will have to have a splice in the cable at every point where a computer will attach. Unlike UTP, which has a separate cable run to each computer, Thinnet relies on one cable that connects to all of the computers. This connection layout is referred to as a bus topology. Everywhere there is a splice in the cable you will have to use a connector to attach the cable to the computer and then back to the other side of the cable run. The connectors that are used for coaxial cable are called BNC connectors, barrel connectors or, sometimes, British Naval Connectors. The connector that is used to splice the cable and add a connection for the computer is called a "T" connector. It is called that because it resembles the letter T in its shape with three connections that can be made to it. One of the female sides of a T-connector will be attached to one end of the coaxial cable run, the male side will be connected to the network adapter in the computer, and the other female side will be attached to the continuing cable run. A bus topology must be terminated at each end to prevent signals from bouncing and interfering with the network traffic. Thinnet segments must be terminated with a 50-ohm resisting terminator and this usually resembles a small cap that fits on the trailing end of a T-connector when there is no additional cable to run. Thinnet segments should also be grounded at one end using a grounding clip on the terminator. A Thinnet segment should not extend beyond 185 meters nor should it have more than 30 devices connected to a segment. There should be a minimum of 0.5 meters between T-connectors.

Once again, this is a very simplified overview of the steps involved in setting up your Windows 98 network using Thinnet cable. You will want to follow the manufacturer's instructions for the network adapters in addition to having some additional information about setting up a Thinnet network. If you do not have the proper tools and experience with making your own Thinnet cables, it is highly recommended that you purchase pre-made cables. Now let's review some of the limitations:

Now that you have the information you need to set up and use the network, let's examine the additional options you have for configuring the network.

Configuring Identification Properties

The Identification tab in the Network properties dialog box lets you specify a computer name and the workgroup that this machine will participate in. When choosing a computer name it is a good idea to use a scheme that can be easily followed and understood across the network. A computer name must be unique on the network. You could name the machines after the primary user but that could lead to potential confusion between logon names and computer names. You could name the machines by their serial numbers, but it would probably be very hard to figure out which machine you were browsing for without some type of translation table beside you.

The computer name is the NetBIOS name that is used to identify the computer on the network. Many applications and protocols require a valid NetBIOS name to function. The computer name must be 15 characters or less and it cannot contain any blank spaces. Figure 21.16 shows an example of the Identification tab in the Network properties dialog box.

Figure 21.16

Using the Identification tab in the Network properties to establish the computer name, workgroup and description.

The workgroup name does not have to be unique and you would normally not want it to be. Choosing a workgroup for the computer to belong to helps define what will exist in the local Network Neighborhood. For example, if you choose to put this Windows 98 computer in the SAND workgroup, then you would type SAND in the workgroup name box. When a user uses this computer to browse the network, they will select the Network Neighborhood. The first Network Neighborhood window that opens will show the resources available in the SAND workgroup. There may be additional resources listed if you have configured some of the options mentioned earlier in the chapter. If the machine is part of an NT domain, placing the domain name in the workgroup name field will also make domain browsing easier.

The Computer Description box allows you to put a comment that may be available to other users browsing the network. You could describe the location of the machine, its configuration or whatever information you feel would be appropriate. When you have finished making changes to the Identification tab, click OK to continue.

Windows 98 Security

A share is a resource that is made available to the network. You can share Windows 98 resources, such as folders, printers, and drives, so that network users can access them, and you can protect those shares by restricting access to the resource. Windows 98 provides two security schemes for protecting network resources:

These two security options are discussed in the following sections.

To make your Windows 98 resources available to other network users, you must first make sure that File and Printer Sharing is installed. Windows 98 includes a pair of file and printer sharing services: File and printer sharing for Microsoft networks and File and Printer sharing for NetWare networks. To make sure one of these services is installed, go to the Network properties dialog box and scroll down through the list of the installed network components; see if one of the file and printer sharing services is installed. If it is not listed, be sure to add it before attempting to follow the rest of the instructions presented here.

Once you have enabled the appropriate File and Printer Sharing service, you will be able to share folders and printers with other users. Sharing can be done using share-level security or user-level security. To check which type of security you have configured for your machine, look at the Access Control tab in the Network properties dialog box.

Share-level Security

Share-level security lets you share a resource on the network and then protect that shared resource with a password. To set up share-level security, make sure that the radio button for Share-level access control in the Network Properties Access Control tab is selected. Click OK to finish with the Network properties and you should now be able to share folders and printers and assign share-level access to them.

To give you an idea of the capabilities of share-level security, let's examine the procedures necessary to set up a share for a folder and give users access to it. In this example a folder named WORD will be shared so that network users will have access to it.

NOTE: Until you share a folder, network users do not have access to it from the network. However, if you were to share a folder called ONE that contained another folder called TWO, users will be able to access the TWO folder by connecting to the ONE folder and then opening the TWO folder. For this reason, you should be very careful when determining what folder or folders to share. If you share the C: folder on your machine, users will have access to the entire C: drive.

1. Locate the folder you want to share and right-click the folder to open the drop-down box. From the drop-down box, select Sharing. Figure 21.17 shows the Sharing dialog box for a folder named WORD.

Figure 21.17

Sharing a folder named WORD with share-level security.

2. Click the radio button for Shared As to set up the share.
3. The Share Name box will default to the name of the resource you just selected (in this case, WORD). If you want to assign a different share name to this resource, you can type that in the box. If you will be sharing these resources with DOS users, it would be best to keep the share names to eight characters or less.
4. The Comment box allows you to put a description of the shared resource for users to examine when they are browsing the network.
5. The Access Type section of the dialog box lets you define whether users will have Read-Only access, Full access, or read or full access that Depends on Password. If you give users read-only access to the resource, they will not be able to modify or delete anything, but they will be able to open it, run it, look at it, and copy it to their machine where they will be able to make changes if they wish. Users with full access will be able to do all of those things plus add, delete, and modify.
6. In the Passwords section you can put in a password that will be required to gain the type of access you have authorized. For example, if you select read-only access for the users, you will be able to go to Read-Only Password and put in a password that will be required to gain read-only access to this resource. The Full-Access Password box will remain dim unless you have selected full-access or the depends on Password option. If you did select the depends on Password option, you will be able to put in one password for read-only access and a different password for full access. Windows 98 will make sure that you use different passwords for the two types of access.
7. Clicking the OK button will finish setting up the shared resource. If you have entered any passwords, you will be required to verify them at this time to make sure you did not type them in incorrectly.

When you have completed verifying the passwords, you will see that the icon for the resource now has a hand under it to indicate that it has been shared. Now that you have set up a resource with share-level security, you should be able to see that there is not really any way to assign various levels of access to various users. You have the capability to assign read-only access or full access but no way to determine who gets access unless you tell only certain people what the password is. You have to use the same password for each user who wants to access that resource. There is one other type of access level that you can assign with share-level access and that is no access. Of course, the only way to assign no access is to either not share the resource or make sure that users with no access do not find out the password.

If you want to create a much more effective security system with Windows 98, you will want to look into using user-level security for your computer.

TIP: You can create hidden shares, which others cannot see in Network Neighborhood, but can still share if they know the exact name of the resource. Append a dollar sign ($) onto the name of the share to cause it to be hidden.

User-level Security

The most secure way to set up security in Windows 98 is through user-level security. User-level security obtains some extra help in setting up Windows 98 security by having the users authenticated by a secure server such as a Windows NT machine or a NetWare server. User-level security cannot be set up using only Windows 98 machines. To configure Windows 98 for user-level security, go to the Access Control tab in the Network properties dialog box and click the radio button for User-level Access Control. Doing so will make available the lower box of Obtain List of Users and Groups From. See Figure 21.18 for an example.

Figure 21.18

Setting up the Access Control tab in the Network properties to enforce user-level security.

Fill in the box labeled Obtain List of Users and Groups From with the name of the secure server that will be used to authenticate the users. The secure server can be a Windows NT or a LAN Manager domain, a NetWare server or a Windows NT machine (Workstation or Server, version 3.1 or later). This machine or domain will be used to verify the correct login and passwords of all of the users that attempt to use resources on this Windows 98 machine. Once these settings have been made, you will be able to start sharing files and printers to specific users and groups with various levels of security.

To set up a shared folder and enable user-level access to it, find the folder you wish to share and right-click it. From the drop-down menu, select Sharing and you will be able to make changes to the sharing properties for that folder. As with share-level security, you will need to check the Shared As radio button and fill in a Share Name and a Comment if you wish. As you can see from Figure 21.19 this Sharing dialog box looks a little different from the one used for share-level access.

Figure 21.19

Setting up a shared folder using user-level security.

Now you can add users to the list by clicking the Add button and selecting the users to whom you would like to give Read Only, Full Access and Custom access. Figure 21.20 shows an example of pulling up the user list on a Windows NT domain named SURF to assign users and privileges.

Figure 21.20

Adding users from the domain list to user list for the shared folder on the Windows 98 machine.

If you select to give some users custom access, then when you click OK, the Change Access Rights dialog box as seen in Figure 21.21 will pop up to let you configure the custom access for that user or users. Although you will initially be assigning the same custom access for all of the users that you put in the custom box, you can always go back and edit them individually.

Figure 21.21

Configuring custom access privileges for users.

NOTE: User-level access control lets you manage users and groups, and assign access, using the standard fileserver management tools, such as User Manager for Domains for Windows NT networks, or SysCon for NetWare networks.

Once you have set up the custom rights, clicking OK will bring you back to the sharing properties window. From this window you will now be able to select individual users or groups and modify their access privileges on a one-by-one basis if you like. The levels of access you can assign for these users and groups include the following:

With this capability, you can assign very detailed levels of access to individual users or groups of users based on the user information contained on the secure machine or domain from which you are pulling the user and group list. It is important to note that while Windows 98 can provide some security, the security provided is done on a per-share basis. With NetWare or Windows NT, an administrator can assign security on a directory or even individual files if necessary, but this is not possible with Windows 98. Windows 98 can assign security only to the shares that are created.

Windows 98 Logon

When a user logs on to a Windows 98 machine, the type of logon box he will have and the resources he will have access to are determined by how the logon parameters are configured for that machine. There are essentially two types of logons that can be accomplished with Windows 98.

Windows 98 can also be used to log the user on to Windows 98 and all available networks. When a user has logged on to Windows 98 and tries to access a network resource, the password he uses to connect to the resource is cached (stored) in a .PWL file. The next time the user needs to connect to that resource, he will not have to remember the password because Windows 98 will use the cached password for him automatically. The default parameters for Windows 98 are to cache passwords, but if a user deselects the "Save this password in your password list" option, the password will not be cached. Also, the administrator can use System Policies (see Chapter 7, "System Policies") to restrict a user's capability to cache passwords. Caching passwords could be a potential security issue on some networks. Although the passwords stored in the .PWL file are encrypted, logging on to Windows 98 unlocks the file so that Windows 98 can use it to perform automatic logons. This means that a cracker (hacker with evil intentions) who acquired a valid Windows 98 logon name and password would be able to use not only the Windows 98 workstation, but also any resources for which that user had cached passwords.

Because a user can cache passwords, Windows 98 has also provided a Control Panel applet that allows the user to manage his passwords. Selecting the Passwords applet from the Control Panel allows the user to change the passwords used for Windows 98 logon and any other resources he has cached a password for. All the user has to do is select the button for Change Windows Password or Change Other Passwords. If the user selects the Change Windows Password button, he will also be given an opportunity to select any of the other resources he has cached passwords for and force him to be changed to the same password as the new Windows 98 logon password if he desires.

To configure the Primary Network Logon, go to the Network properties dialog box and choose the appropriate Client in the Primary Network Logon box. Depending upon the clients you have installed, you may have one or more of these choices:

If you select the primary network logon to be the Client for Microsoft Networks, when you reboot the machine and prepare to log on, the logon dialog box you will see should look similar to the one in Figure 21.22. Notice that you have fields available for the User Name, Password, and Domain. Clicking OK will attempt to validate you against the domain you specify in the logon dialog box.

Figure 21.22

Logging on to Windows 98 with the Client for Microsoft Networks configured as the primary network logon.

If you specify the Client for NetWare Networks as your primary network logon, then upon rebooting you should have a login dialog box, similar to the one in Figure 21.23. Notice that just as with the Microsoft logon box you will need to put in your User Name and Password but you will have to put in the Login Server in the third box.

Figure 21.23

Logging on to Windows 98 with the Client for NetWare Networks configured as the primary network logon.

Figure 21.24

Logging in to Windows 98 with the Client for NetWare Networks configured as the primary network logon and with the Service for NetWare Directory Services installed and configured.

If you have installed and configured the Service for NetWare Directory Services, then the login box you will see will resemble the one shown in Figure 21.24. In this login box, the default tree and context have already been configured and you will just need to put in your User Name and Password. If the default values will not work for this login then you can click the Advanced button to change the login settings.

When you are logging on for the first time you will need to put in both your user name and password. However, during subsequent logins, Windows 98 will remember the name of the last user to log on and will place that last user name in the user name box. If this user is logging on again then he will have to put in only his password to log in. If another user is going to log in then he will have to change the name in the user name box and put in the correct password for his account.

The other type of logon that is supported is the Microsoft Family Logon. For this client to work correctly you will need to have already set up your Windows 98 machine to use user profiles. When you have user profiles enabled, and you select the Microsoft Family Logon as the primary network logon then you will have a logon screen that resembles the one shown in Figure 21.25 when you restart the computer. This login dialog box will allow you to select the user from the list of configured users (those who have user profiles on this machine) and then type in the appropriate password.

Figure 21.25

Logging in to Windows 98 with the Microsoft Family Logon configured as the primary network logon. User profiles must be enabled for this method to work properly.

Finding Network Resources

After all of the network components are installed and correctly configured, users will be able to use the network. If the user's desktop has already been predefined with shortcuts that point to the programs he will need access to, then the user will not have to spend a lot of time looking for network resources. If the user needs to find something on the network, there are a couple of different ways that he can accomplish that task.

If the user knows the name of the computer he is looking for on the network, then one of the easiest ways to find it is to let Windows 98 find it for him. To let Windows 98 find a computer for you, click the Start button on the taskbar and then select Find. From the list of find items, select Computer. On the Computer Name tab put the name of the computer you would like to find in the Named box. Click Find Now and Windows 98 will begin searching for the computer. If Windows 98 finds the computer it will be displayed in a box that drops down below the find dialog box. Look at Figure 21.26 for an example of a computer that has been located. The name and location of the computer will be displayed as well as any comment for that machine.

The other way that users can locate available network resources is to browse the Network Neighborhood. Browsing the network is the same for all network providers whether your network is a Windows NT network, a NetWare network, or a Windows 98 peer network. If you do not want to maintain drive mappings for every resource you want to connect to then you can simply use Network Neighborhood to find the resource you wish to use and select it from within Network Neighborhood. Browsing for a resource and subsequently connecting to it is as simple as making a few mouse clicks.

To browse through the Network Neighborhood, select it and open it from the desktop. The first Network Neighborhood window should show you all of the devices in your current workgroup in addition to an icon for the Entire Network. Figure 21.27 gives you an example of what this window might look like. If you wish to browse for resources outside of your workgroup then you will need to select and open the Entire Network to gain access to other workgroups and domains. If the resource you are attempting to find is in your workgroup then select and open the icon for the computer where the resources resides. This will present you with a listing of the shared resources on that computer. Locate, select, and open the shared resource and continue drilling down to deeper layers if necessary until you get to the item you are looking for.

Figure 21.27

Looking through the Network Neighborhood for Network resources.

If this resource is something that you will need access to often, then here are a couple of suggestions for making the resource easier to get to:

If you do decide that you would like to have a drive letter mapped to a resource (some programs will require this) then you will need to right-click Network Neighborhood and select Map Network Drive from the drop-down list. In the Map Network Drive dialog box, you will need to choose a Drive letter and put in a Path. As you can see from the example in Figure 21.28, you will need to put the path in using the UNC name. There is also a checkbox to select whether or not you want this drive mapping to Reconnect at logon.

Figure 21.28

Mapping a network drive to a resource.

Locating and mapping network resources can also be done at the command prompt with the net commands. Here are a couple of net commands you might find useful at the command prompt:

To see what other net commands are available and how to use them, type in net /? | more at the command prompt.

Browsing in a Windows 98 environment involves many other steps.

To browse the network, a Windows 98 machine must obtain a browse list from either a Master Browse Server or a Backup Browse Server. When a Windows 98 machine is first started up, it checks to see if there are any other Master Browse Servers present for the current workgroup. If one is not present, then that Windows 98 workstation can become the Master Browse Server. If there is already a Master Browse Server, then the Windows 98 workstation checks to see how many computers are in the workgroup and how many Backup Browse Servers are present. If the ratio exceeds 15 to 1, then that workstation can become a Backup Browse Server. There is normally one Backup Browse Server for every 15 computers in the workgroup.

By using the service File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks the workstation browse server status can be changed. As you can see from Figure 21.29, one of the settings under the Advanced tab of this service's properties is the option for the Browse Master parameter. The three possible choices here are Automatic, Disabled, and Enabled.

Figure 21.29

Using the File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks service properties to change the Browse Server settings.

Some other interesting notes about browsing with Windows 98:

Mapping Network Shares

In the Windows environment, there are two ways to access files in a share: You can open Network Neighborhood and browse through the list, opening the share and using the files within it (you can do the same thing using Windows Explorer, of course). Or, you can map a network drive, which creates a simulated hard disk drive letter on the local computer, which is mapped to a remote network resource. Mapped drives appear in My Computer just as if they were local drives.

To map a network drive, right-click on Network Neighborhood (or on the share that you want to map), and choose Map Network Drive, which activates the dialog box shown in Figure 21.30.

Figure 21.30

Map Network Drive dialog box.

You choose the drive letter that you want to use for the mapped drive, and then specify the UNC path of the network share you want to access. Select the Reconnect at Logon checkbox to cause the mapped drive to be reconnected automatically the next time you log in. The Reconnect at Logon checkbox causes a persistent connection.

To disconnect a mapped drive, right-click on Network Neighborhood and choose Disconnect Network Drive from the pop-up menu. You then see a dialog box from which you can choose which mapped drive you want to discontinue.

Conclusion

Windows 98 continues to build on the capabilities of Microsoft Networking. With Windows 98 you can browse for, find, connect to, and use multiple types of network resources on multiple types of networks. Whether you are using coaxial cable or unshielded twisted pair, TCP/IP or NetBEUI, the Client for Microsoft Networks or the Client for NetWare Networks, using the network is made virtually seamless by Windows 98.

Windows 98 also provides for some security of the information contained both on the machine and on the network. By using the password-caching features and the user- and share-level security settings, Windows 98 can be set up to enhance security while making security easier for the users to work with.

In order for all of this to work, it is important that all of the settings, properties, and values be configured correctly. While Windows 98 provides all of these great networking features, proper installation, setup, and administration of the network settings will ensure success with Windows 98 networking.

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