Add a Network printer to Windows Vista or Windows XP

Now days the average household has more than one computer and share available resources over a home network. No-ones wants their house cluttered up with unnecessary office equipment, and this is exactly the reason why we need to use a network printer. For example if you have three computers on your home network you would only need one printer for them all. Windows XP and Vista allow you to use computer hardware that is connected to another computer on your Network. Here’s how to add a Network Printer.
What do you need to add a network printer?

1. A network printer can be a printer that is already installed on one computer in your home or office network. It does not have to be anything special.
2. You need to know the actual computer name that the printer is installed on. How to find the Computer Name?
3. Printer Sharing has to be enabled. (Go to Control Panel>Printers Settings Icon>right click on the printer icon and choose sharing. Also create a simple name for your printer here.)
4. The share name of you shared printer. It usually is the brand of the printer which could be cannon bj3000, however I like to rename it just printer.

How to add a network printer onto your home network:

1. Go to the control panel which can be found by clicking the start button.
2. In the left bar click on switch to classic view.
3. Then click on the Printer and Faxes Icon.
4. Choose to Add Printer in the left sidebar.
5. A dialog box will appear. You can choose to add a network Printer. Then ask the computer to find it. If it does find it your done.
6. When the computer does not find your network printer manually type it in yourself.

1. I have written \\server\printer$ then I pressed Next. Server is the name of the computer that has the printer installed on it, and Printer$ is the name I gave my printer when I enabled sharing.

Advantages and disadvantages to having a network printer?
Advantages:

* You only need one printer for your entire network.
* You save money on office equipment.
* You save space.

Disadvantages:

* If another user is printing hundreds of pages on the network printer you will have to wait for them to finish printing.
* The computer the network printer is attached to must be on for the printer to function.

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Fast Ethernet

Fast Ethernet is traditional CSMA/CD (carrier sense multiple access/collision detection) access control at 100 Mbits/sec over twisted-pair wire. The original Ethernet data rate was 10 Mbits/sec.

During the early development of Fast Ethernet, two different groups worked out standards proposals-and both were finally approved, but under different IEEE committees. One standard became IEEE 802.3u Fast Ethernet and the other became 100VG-AnyLAN, which is now governed by the IEEE 802.12 committee. The latter uses the “demand priority” medium access method instead of CSMA/CD.

100VG-AnyLAN has not caught on, while Fast Ethernet enjoyed great success in enterprise LAN environments. At about the same time, switching technologies came on the scene to further improve network performance. More recently, Gigabit Ethernet has come on the scene to provide a high-speed upgrade path for Fast Ethernet users. It provides high-speed backbones that interconnect Fast Ethernet LANs. See “Gigabit Ethernet.”

Fast Ethernet takes advantage of the scalability of CSMA/CD hierarchical networking. It is designed after the 10Base-T standard and can be built into hierarchical networking topologies like that shown in Figure F-1. This type of configuration is compatible with structured wiring strategies, as discussed under “TIA/EIA Structured Cabling Standards.”

The primary concern of Fast Ethernet developers was to preserve the CSMA/CD medium access method of 802.3 Ethernet while boosting the data rate. In addition, the developers kept the frame format. Because of this, Fast Ethernet fits in well with traditional Ethernet installations. One version of the Fast Ethernet standard will run on older Category 3 cable installations. Multiple Ethernet types (10 and 100 Mbits/sec) may coexist. A Fast Ethernet-compatible hub simply needs to perform speed matching when exchanging frames. An autonegotiate feature allows devices to detect the speed of incoming transmissions and adjust appropriately.

There are four Fast Ethernet schemes:

* · 100Base-TX Runs on two pairs of Category 5 data-grade twisted-pair wire with a maximum distance of 100 meters between hub and workstation.
* · 100Base-T4 Runs on four pairs of cable, including Category 3 cable, with a maximum distance of 100 meters between hub and workstation.
* · 100Base-FX Runs on optical cable at distances up to 2 kilometers, and is used to connect hubs over long distances in a backbone configuration (e.g., a building in a campus environment).
* · 100Base-SX Called Short Wavelength Fast Ethernet, this is a proposed standard (as of this writing) for a Fast Ethernet over fiber-optic cable using 850 nm wavelength optics. Refer to FOLS (Fiber Optics LAN Section) of the TIA at http://www.fols.org/.

The higher frequency used in the Fast Ethernet standard is prone to attenuation, so cable distance is more limited than in the Ethernet 10Base-T specification. If the encoding scheme of traditional Ethernet were used with Fast Ethernet, the high-end frequency would be above 200 Mhz. That is double the maximum frequency rating of Category 5 cable. To get around this, new encoding schemes were implemented to allow higher-frequency transmissions. Refer to the paper called “Specifications for Data Encoding in Fast Ethernet” at the Optimized Engineering Web site. See the related entries and Web links page.

Note that the collision domain is 1/10th the size of the collision domain in 10-Mbit/sec Ethernet. This is because of the 10-times increase in speed of the network. It also means that Fast Ethernet networks can only be one-tenth the physical size of a 10Base-T network.

Fast Ethernet can support full-duplex switched networking modes to provide even better performance. A full-duplex nonshared link (i.e., workstations are attached to switches, not hubs) doesn’t even need CSMA/CD, because no other stations are trying to use the link, and each end system has its own channel to transmit on. Collision detection and loopback functions can be disabled. This arrangement is especially useful for backbone connections. If both end systems are transmitting at the same time, the combined data rate is 200 Mbits/sec.

100Base-TX

100Base-TX works with two pairs of UTP (unshielded twisted pair) or STP (shielded twisted pair). Transmission takes place on one pair of wires and collision detection takes place on the other pair of wires. Two types of cable can be used with this specification: Category 5 UTP and IBM’s Type 1 STP. Category 5 cable has four pairs of wire. Since only two of the pairs are used, the other two are available for other uses or future expansion. However, it is not recommended that another high-speed network be used on the pairs.

Category 5 cable is designed to cancel out the effects of EMI and, therefore, has very stringent installation requirements. All the components in the cabling system must be Category 5 compliant, including connectors, patch panels, punchdown blocks, and hubs/switches. The twists in the cable must be maintained all the way up to within 1/2 inch of a connector. The twists in the cable help maintain proper signaling, especially at high data rates. Other 100Base-TX requirements are

* · Cable distance A link segment is the connection between a workstation and a hub or switch. The maximum link segment distance is 100 meters; but if faceplates are used, the specification recommends not exceeding 90 meters from hub to faceplate. This allows 10 meters for the faceplate-to-station connection.
* · Maximum collision domain size First, understand that a collision domain is a segment of a network in which all the stations on that segment hear the same broadcast. The maximum end-to-end distance between two systems within a 100Base-TX twisted-pair broadcast/collision domain segment is approximately 205 meters. This is illustrated in Figure F-2. These distances are flexible as long as the maximum is not exceeded. For example, the inter-repeater distance could be increased if the workstation-to-repeater distance is decreased.
* · Repeater hubs Fast Ethernet repeaters are relatively sophisticated devices compared to standard Ethernet repeaters. They detect improper signals, perform data translations between different types of Fast Ethernet, monitor the network for faults, disconnect faulty ports, and partition off part of a network that is having problems so that the network can continue running. There are two types of repeater hubs in the 100Base-TX scheme:
* · Class I repeaters should be used if the network has mixed Fast Ethernet types (100Base-TX, 100Base-FX, and 100Base-T4) because they will change the data encoding between network types on different ports. One class I repeater is allowed per collisions domain (see “Collisions and Collision Domains” for an explanation).
* · Class II repeaters are strictly devices that send all incoming signals to all other ports without translation. They should be used when all the ports are supporting the same network type. Two class II repeaters are allowed per collision domain, but the link between the repeaters cannot exceed 5 meters.
* · Switching hubs To get around the hub count limitation just described, you can install switching hubs, which basically segment the network as a bridge would segment a network. Refer to “Ethernet” and “Switching and Switched Networks” for a discussion of switches and network design. Beyond plain switching is multilayer routing, which builds high-speed inexpensive routing right into the switches and allows network managers great flexibility in designing their networks. See “Multilayer Switching.”
* · Full-Duplex mode Full-duplex mode allows simultaneous data transmission between two end nodes without collisions. A 100Base-TX link operating in full-duplex mode has an effective bandwidth of 100 Mbits/sec. All components, including the hubs, must be full-duplex capable.

100Base-T4

The 100Base-T4 standard has the same cabling specifications as 100Base-TX in terms of distances and hub configuration. The difference is that 100Base-T4 uses all four wires in a half-duplex signaling scheme. Three pairs are used to either transmit or receive data, and the other pair is used for collision detection. 100Base-T4 also uses a special three-level encoding scheme (as opposed to two levels in other media) to reduce the clock rate. Spreading the 100-Mbit/sec signal over three pairs reduces the signal frequency and allows it to run on older Category 3 cable. Basically, 33.33 Mbits/sec is transmitted over each of the three pairs.

Higher-grade cable such as Category 5 is recommended for future expansion. Like 100Base-TX, the 100Base-T4 specification has a maximum hub-to-station cable length of 100 meters and an end-to-end maximum of 250 meters. 100Base-T4 also uses the same repeater classing scheme as 100Base-TX. Class I hubs allow a mix of different Fast Ethernet network types, and class II hubs allow only one scheme (refer to the description in the previous section).

100Base-FX

100Base-FX is the fiber-optic cable implementation of the Fast Ethernet standard. It is ideal for building backbone connections. Cable distance is limited to 412 meters; but if full-duplex mode is used, cable runs may be as long as 2 km. While fiber-optic cable can span longer distances, the limit is imposed to account for packet round-trip timing.

Fiber-optic cable is not prone to interference. It does not emanate a signal, so it is more secure (especially for wiring across public areas). In addition, fiber-optic cable can scale up to higher transmission rates for future expansion.

100Base-FX requires a cable with two strands of 62.5/125-micron fiber. One strand is used for signal transmission while the other is used to receive and detect collisions. 100Base-FX also uses the same repeater classing scheme as 100Base-TX. Class I hubs allow mixed Fast Ethernet networks, and class II hubs allow only one scheme (refer to the description in the previous section).


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RRAS Remote Access Policy

hat is remote access policy? What is its usage?

Remote access policies are an ordered set of rules that define whether remote access connection attempts are either authorized or rejected. Each rule includes one or more conditions (which identifies the criteria), a set of profile settings (to be applied on the connection attempt), and a permission setting (grant or deny) for remote access.

This can be compared like a brain of the door-keeper (VPN server) which allows entry to your network from outside . Remote access policy decides who can access what resources from where using what tunnel settings. So configuring proper set of policies are important.

What are some common examples?

You may want to have different policies based upon one or more factors in different conditions:

1) Who is accessing the network(Windows-Groups)

2) What tunnel type is getting used (Tunnel-Type)

3) What authentication type is getting used

4) What is the client’s IP address (useful for site-to-site scenarios where the IP address of calling router remains same)

5) What time of day client is accessing (like you may want to block access at particular times)

6) etc

You may want to enforce following profile on a given policy:

1) Idle time after which the connection should be disconnected

2) Session time after which the connection should be disconnected

3) Inbound/Outbound filters that can be applied per PPP connection (or per user connection) – to restrict access of a given client/site to a given network (IP address, port number)

4) Encryption Type

5) Authentication Algorith Type

6) etc

How to configure the remote access policies?

It may look complicated at the start, but is pretty simple.

You need to first decide where the remote access policies reside – locally on RRAS server (called as Windows authentication in RRAS terminology) or remotely on a radius server (like IAS server on Windows 2000, 2003 server or any 3rd party radius server).

Then you need to decide what are the policy conditions and profile you need to segregate your users into. And then create different policies (note policies are ordered set of rules - try avoiding conflicts and if there is any first one will be selected).

Then create a test client, test your connection against different policies – it is better to test connections as you add/delete different policies – this way troubleshooting is simple.


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Setting up a VPN in Windows is a two step process.

Setting up a VPN in Windows is a two step process:

* Set up one computer to share files (server).
* Set up another computer to access them (client).

Begin by setting up the server:
Open Internet Explorer and go to www.whatismyip.com. Write down the IP address. You will need it to configure the client.

1. Click the Start button and click Run.
2. Type control and hit Enter.
3. Click Network and Internet Connections.
4. Click Network Connections .
5. Click Create a New Connection, which is the first option on the left toolbar.
6. The New Connection Wizard will open. Click Next.
7. Choose Set up an advanced connection, the last element on the list. Click Next .
8. Choose Accept incoming connections. Click Next.
9. You will see the Devices for Incoming Connections screen.
10. Do not select anything on this screen. Click Next.
11. Select Allow virtual private connections. Click Next.
12. Select to whom you want to give access. Click Next. If a user is not listed, you will have to add an account. See “Related Wikihows” for more information.
13. Do not change anything on the Networking Software screen. Click Next.

That’s it! Your computer is now set up to allow for VPNs. Click Finish to complete the wizard.

Now proceed to connect the client:

1. Click the Start button and click Run.
2. Type control and hit Enter.
3. Click Network and Internet Connections.
4. Click Network Connections.
5. Click Create a New Connection, which is the first option on the left toolbar.
6. The New Connection Wizard will open. Click Next.
7. Select Connect to the network at my workplace and click Next.
8. Select Virtual Private Network connection and click Next.
9. Type the name of your network in the blank box. Click Next.
10. Enter the IP address you wrote down earlier and click Next.
11. Select Add a shortcut to this connection to my desktop and click Finish.

Tips :

1. Both computers must be connected to the internet.
2. The user name and password must be entered exactly as you saved them.
3. The IP address must be written exactly as listed on the screen.
4. If the VPN doesn’t work, turn off your firewall.

Warnings :

Do not give access to the “guest” account. It does not require a password, allowing anyone to access the VPN.


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How to Configure DHCP in your PC..

How to Configure DHCP in your PC..

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is the configuration of your Internet Protocol (IP) address, subnet mask, DNS servers, domain name suffix and about 200 other possible options to let your computer communicate with a network automatically via a server or router. It sounds complicated, but once set up, it can make connecting to a network much easier.
Steps :

1. Log into Windows XP with administrator rights. This makes setting up the network for you, and other users, easier as you can make all the necessary changes to settings.
2. Look for the Network Neighborhood or My Network Places icon in your desktop. If it is not there, try your Start Menu.
Right-click the Network Neighborhood/ My Network Places icon. A drop-down menu will appear.
3. Choose the “Properties” option, generally found at the bottom of the menu.
4. Look for an icon named “Local Area Connection”. The icon looks like a pair of computer connected by a link. Double-click this icon.
5. Click the “General” tab, if it is not already selected. You will see a list of protocols to choose form.
6. Scroll down and choose Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), and then click the button that is labeled “Properties” .
7. Again, click the “General” tab, it it is not alreay selected. You will see two choices:
* “Obtain an IP address Automatically”
* “Use the following IP address…”
8. Choose option 1

You have effectively configured DHCP for your PC. When your computer obtains the IP address, it will also obtain DNS server information automatically. This is provided by your dhcp server.
Tips :

1. Make sure your NIC (Network Card)is working properly.
2. Make sure you are connected directly to a router, switch or hub.
3. Make sure the Link light is on. (small green light where the cable plugs into the computer)
4. If you are connected to a LAN, make sure that you have a router that will give addresses away, since the address will be obtained by the PC from the router.
5. If you have a Server on the LAN such as Windows 2000 or 2003, make sure the server is configured DHCP enabled as well.


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Ethernet

Ethernet is by far the most commonly used LAN technology. A number of corporations use the Token Ring technology. FDDI is sometimes used as a backbone LAN interconnecting Ethernet or Token Ring LANs. Another LAN technology, ARCNET, once the most commonly installed LAN technology, is still used in the industrial automation industry.

Typically, a suite of application programs can be kept on the LAN server. Users who need an application frequently can download it once and then run it from their local hard disk. Users can order printing and other services as needed through applications run on the LAN server. A user can share files with others at the LAN server; read and write access is maintained by a LAN administrator. A LAN server may also be used as a Web server if safeguards are taken to secure internal applications and data from outside access.

In some situations, a wireless LAN may be preferable to a wired LAN because it is cheaper to install and maintain.

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