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Networking Introduction
In this basic network tutorial you will find basic introduction to data communication and general overview of the communication devices, tcp/ip suite, communication cabling, basic topologies, and wireless communication technology. Computer networking means sharing of data and resources between two or more computers with a medium such as Ethernet cable, leased lines, router and even air. Networking is a most widely used field of the computer technology. A computer network is comprised of two or more wired or wireless connected computers. A simple computer network is made up of two connected computers. All the computers in a network can access, share the data and resources with each other. A computer network is generally categorized into the three main types such as LAN (Local area network), MAN (Metropolitan area network) and WAN (Wide area network). A number of the standards are involved into the certain steps of the data communication and on these standards certain communication devices have been developed.
In the computer age, no organization can work perfectly without a computer network. The concept and working of the whole internet is due to the computer networking. A computer network is a basic need for any organization to share data and resources on the small to big level such as banks, insurance companies, universities, colleges, multinational companies, corporate offices and small businesses etc. The network is made up of different components, protocols, devices, topologies and mediums such as cables, routers, leased lines and air. Following is the basic overview of each of the basic networking components.
TCP/IP Suite
TCP/IP is a suite of the protocols. Many protocols are the part of this protocols suite such as TCP (transmission control protocol), IP (internet protocol), FTP (File transfer protocol), HTTP (hyper text transfer protocol), DNS (Domain name service), DHCP (Dynamic host configuration protocols), PPTP (Point to point tunneling protocol) and many other communication protocols. The communication on the internet is carried out by the TCP and IP protocol. In LAN and WAN networking TCP/IP protocols play major role in the communication. An IP protocol ensures the error free delivery of the data to its destination by a device known as router.
Additionally, every communication device on the internet and on the local network requires a unique identifier, which is known as a IP address. An IP address is 32 bits, four octets address that is having a decimal value from 0 to 255. There are three major classes of the IP address such as Class A, Class B and Class C. A typical IP address looks like this form 100.100.1.50 that is four octets that are separated by the periods.
Topologies
Topology means the physical design and layout of the network or how the network devices, computers and components are arranged. There are some basic topologies of a computer network such as star, mesh, ring, bus, hybrid and tree. The most commonly used topology of a computer network is a star topology. In the star topology, all the computers are connected to a central device known as a hub or switch. Data in a network passes through the central devices and then directed towards the destination computers. The failure of one computer does not affect the working of the other computers however, the failure of the hub or switch results in halting all the network communication i.e no communication can occur without the hub or switch.
Network Devices
There are a large number of devices that are involved in the whole communication process. These devices include hub, switch, router, gateway and NIC cards. These communication devices play an important role in the overall data communication process. The communication on the internet is carried out by a device known as a Router. The main function of the router is to route the data (traffic) to its destination. Router has the IP addresses of the sending and receiving computers also router has the capability of finding the best shortest path to the destination and hence provides the faster secure delivery of the data. Different communication devices with different features are being developed by a large number of the vendors such Cisco, Intel, Nortel, DLink, Paradyne, Dell, 3COM, Alcatel, Fibronics, Triticom, Nextgen, Motorola and many others.
Cabling
A computer network can be formed wireless or cabled. In a cabled network, there are a certain types of the cables required depending on the type of the network. The most commonly used cables are the UTP/STP (unshielded twisted pair/shielded twisted pair) Ethernet cables also known as CAT5 cables. In the CAT5 cables, there are eight cables and four pairs. Each cable is twisted with its corresponding cable and thus forms a pair. From these eight cables, there are two major types of cables are formed known as straight over cable and cross over cable. A straight over cable is used to connect a computer with a hub or switch and a cross over cable is used to connect the computers with each other and to connect the communication devices with each other such as routers, switches and hubs.
Types of Networking
There are two basic types of the computer networking such as peer to peer and client/server communication. In the peer to peer communication, there is no central server and all the computers fall in the same workgroup and no central domain is exist. Such type of networking can be seen in the home or small offices where no computer server or domain controller is required. In the client/server networking model, a centralized server acts as a domain controller and it controls all the client computers in the network. All the client computers depend on the server (domain controller) for logon access, data, internet access, printer, scanner, CD-ROM, critical updates of the distributed applications and all the other data and shared resources. If the server gets corrupted or destroyed, the access of the client machines to the server stops and communication can exist from the client to the server or vice versa.How can I install Windows Server 2003 on my server?
As a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 support professional, one of your tasks may be to install the operating system.
When you run the Windows Server 2003 Setup program, you must provide information about how to install and configure the operating system. Thorough planning can make your installation of Windows Server 2003 more efficient by helping you to avoid potential problems during installation. An understanding of the configuration options will also help to ensure that you have properly configured your system.
I won't go into that part right now (I might later this month, no promises...) but here are some of the most important things you should take into consideration when planning for your Windows Server 2003 installation:
· Check System Requirements
· Check Hardware and Software Compatibility
· Determine Disk Partitioning Options
· Choose the Appropriate File System: FAT, FAT32, NTFS
· Decide on a Workgroup or Domain Installation
· Complete a Pre-Installation Checklist
After you made sure you can go on, start the installation process.
You can install Windows Server 2003 in several methods - all are valid and good, it all depends upon your needs and your limitations.
For example, you can install directly from a CD by booting your computer with the CD, or you can also copy the I386 folder from a CD and run the setup process by going into the I386 folder and using the WINNT or WINNT32 command (depending upon your existing operating system).
It doesn't matter how you run the setup process, but the moment it runs - all setup methods look alike.
The setup process begins loading a blue-looking text screen (not GUI). In that phase you will be asked to accept the EULA and choose a partition on which to install 2003, and if that partition is new, you'll be asked to format it by using either FAT, FAT32 or NTFS.
1. Start the computer from the CD.
2. You can press F6 if you need to install additional SCSI adapters or other mass-storage devices. If you do you will be asked to supply a floppy disk with the drivers and you CANNOT browse it (or a CD for that matter). Make sure you have one handy.
3. If you want, you can press F2 to run the ASR sequence. For that you need a good backup created by the Windows Server 2003 backup program, and the ASR floppy disk. If you plan to install a new copy of 2003 - don't do anything.
4. Setup will load all the needed files and drivers.
5. Select To Setup Windows Server 2003 Now. If you want, and if you have a previous installation of the OS, you can try to fix it by pressing R. If not, just press ENTER.
6. Read and accept the licensing agreement and press F8 if you accept it.
7. Select or create the partition on which you will install Windows Server 2003. Depending upon your existing disk configuration choose one of the following:
· If the hard disk is unpartitioned, you can create and size the partition on which you will install Windows Server 2003.
· If the hard disk is already partitioned, but has enough unpartitioned disk space, you can create an additional partition in the unpartitioned space.
· If the hard disk already has a partition that is large enough, you can install Windows Server 2003 on that partition. If the partition has an existing operating system, you will overwrite that operating system if you accept the default installation path. However, files other than the operating system files, such as program files and data files, will not be overwritten.
· If the hard disk has an existing partition, you can delete it to create more unpartitioned space for the new partition. Deleting an existing partition erases all data on that partition.
If you select a new partition during Setup, create and size only the partition on which you will install Windows Server 2003. After installation, use Disk Management to partition the remaining space on the hard disk.
8. Select a file system for the installation partition. After you create the partition on which you will install Windows Server 2003, you can use Setup to select the file system with which to format the partition. Windows Server 2003 supports the NTFS file system in addition to the file allocation table (FAT) and FAT32 file systems. Windows Server 2003, Windows XP Professional, Windows 2000, and Windows NT are the only Microsoft operating systems that you can use to gain access to data on a local hard disk that is formatted with NTFS. If you plan to gain access to files that are on a local Windows Server 2003 partition with the Microsoft Windows 95 or Windows 98 operating systems, you should format the partition with a FAT or FAT32 file system. We will use NTFS.
9. Setup will then begin copying necessary files from the installation point (CD, local I386 or network share).
10. Note: If you began the installation process from an MS-DOS floppy, make sure you have and run SMARTDRV from the floppy, otherwise the copying process will probably last more than an hour, perhaps even more. With SMARTDRV (or if setup was run by booting from CD) the copying will probably last a few minutes, no more than 5 max.
11. The computer will restart in graphical mode, and the installation will continue.
The setup process reboots and loads a GUI mode phase.
It will then begin to load device drivers based upon what it finds on your computer. You don't need to do anything at this stage.
1. Click Customize to change regional settings, if necessary.
· Current System Locale - Affects how programs display dates, times, currency, and numbers. Choose the locale that matches your location, for example, French (
· Current Keyboard Layout - Accommodates the special characters and symbols used in different languages. Your keyboard layout determines which characters appear when you press keys on the keyboard.
If you don't need to make any changes just press Next.
If you do need to make changes press Customize and add your System Locale etc.
Note for Hebrew users: Unlike W2K, it is SAFE and it is OK for you to install Hebrew language support at this phase.
After pressing Customize go to the Languages tab and select the "Install files for complex script and right-to-left languages".
A warning message will appear. Press Ok.
Warning: You must now press Apply!!!
Setup will copy the necessary files from the installation point.
You can now go to the Regional Options tab and select
Note: Read the Install Hebrew on Windows Server 2003 page for more info.
2. Type your name and organization.
3. Type the product key.
4. Enter the appropriate license type and number of purchased licenses.
5. Type the computer name and a password for the local Administrator account. The local Administrator account resides in the SAM of the computer, not in Active Directory. If you will be installing in a domain, you need either a pre-assigned computer name for which a domain account has been created, or the right to create a computer account within the domain.
6. If you enter a password that is blank or does not match the required complexity settings you will get a warning message.
7. Select the date, time, and time zone settings.
6. Setup will now install the networking components.
After a few seconds you will receive the Networking Settings window. BTW, if you have a NIC that is not in the HCL (see the What's the HCL? page) and Windows Server 2003 cannot detect it, or if you don't have a NIC at all, setup will skip this step and you will immediately go to the final phase of the setup process.
Press Next to accept the Typical settings option if you have one of the following situations:
· You have a functional DHCP on your network.
· You have a computer running Internet Connection Sharing (ICS).
· You're in a workgroup environment and do not plan to have any other servers or Active Directory at all, and all other workgroup members are configured in the same manner.
Otherwise select Custom Settings and press Next to customize your network settings.
7. Highlight the TCP/IP selection and press Properties.
In the General tab enter the required information. You must specify the IP address of the computer, and if you don't know what the Subnet Mask entry should be - you can simply place your mouse pointer over the empty area in the Subnet Mask box and click it. The OS will automatically select the value it thinks is good for the IP address you provided.
If you don't know what these values mean, or if you don't know what to write in them, press cancel and select the Typical Settings option. You can easily change these values later.
9. In the Workgroup or Domain window enter the name of your workgroup or domain.
· A workgroup is a small group of computers on a network that enables users to work together and does not support centralized administration.
· A domain is a logical grouping of computers on a network that has a central security database for storing security information. Centralized security and administration are important for computers in a domain because they enable an administrator to easily manage computers that are geographically distant from each other. A domain is administered as a unit with common rules and procedures. Each domain has a unique name, and each computer within a domain has a unique name.
If you're a stand-alone computer, or if you don't know what to enter, or if you don't have the sufficient rights to join a domain - leave the default entry selected and press Next.
If you want to join a domain (NT 4.0 domain of W2K/2003 Active Directory domain) enter the domain's name in the "Yes, make this computer a member of the following domain" box.
To successfully join a domain you need the following:
· The person performing the installation must have a user account in Active Directory. This account does not need to be the domain Administrator account.
and
· The computer must have an existing computer account in the Active Directory database of the domain that the computer is joining, and the computer must be named exactly as its domain account is named.
or
· The person performing the installation must have appropriate permission to create a domain account for the computer during installation.
Also, you need to have connectivity to the domain's domain controllers (only to the PDC if on an NT 4.0 domain) and a fully functional DNS server (only in AD domains). Read the Joining a Domain in Windows XP Pro and Requirements when Joining a Domain pages for more on this issue.
Enter the Active Directory domain name (in the form of xxx.yyy, for example: DPETRI.NET) or the NetBIOS name of the NT 4.0 domain (in the form of xxx, for example: DPETRI). Press Next.
Note: If you provide a wrong domain name or do not have the correct connectivity to the domain's DNS server you will get an error message.
A username/password window will appear. Enter the name and password of the domain's administrator (or your own if you're the administrator on the target domain).
Note: Providing a wrong username or password will cause this phase to fail.
10. Next the setup process will finish copying files and configuring the setup. You do not need to do anything.
11. After the copying and configuring phase is finished, if Windows Server 2003 finds that you have a badly configured screen resolution it will advise you to change it and ask you if you see the new settings right.
BTW, the minimum supported screen resolution in 2003 is 800X600.
12. Setup finishes and boots Windows Server 2003.
15. That's it! you're done!
