Introducing Windows Server 2008 - MCTS Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Active Directory Configuration - page 15

If you right-click a network connection and click Properties, a Properties dialog box similar
to Figure 1-7 opens. The network interface used in this connection is specified in the Connect
using text box. You can view details about the interface, including the device driver and config-
urable settings, by clicking the Configure button.

1

Figure 1-7 Properties of a network connection

Network Protocol A network protocol specifies the rules and format of communication
between network devices. Several years ago, network administrators usually had to understand
and support two or more protocols on their networks. Today, most administrators need to work
with only TCP/IP or, more specifically, TCP/IPv4. However, TCP/IPv4's successor, TCP/IPv6, is
now being installed by default on Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, and some Linux sys-
tems. You can see in Figure 1-7 that both versions of TCP/IP are installed on this server. To con-
figure a network protocol, select it and click the Properties button.

Network Client and Server Software Windows systems have both network client
software and network server software installed. A network client is the part of the OS that sends
requests to a server to access network resources. So if you want to access a file shared on a
Windows computer, you need network client software that can make a request for a Windows
file share. In Windows, this software is called Client for Microsoft Networks. Network server
software is the part of the OS that receives requests for shared network resources and makes
those resources available to a network client. So if you want to share files that other Windows
computers can access, you need network server software installed that can share files in a format
Client for Microsoft Networks can read. In Windows, this server software is File and Printer
Sharing for Microsoft Networks.
Windows networking is quite robust, with a number of client and server components and a
variety of configuration options. In fact, the topic deserves its own chapter, so Chapter 8 covers
Windows networking in more detail. In the following activity, you explore some features of
Windows networking.