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Client Configuration

The following set of notes corresponds to the Client Configuration module of the Internet Design course, providing students an outline of the information they are expected to understand. The corresponding reading for this module is chapter six of i-Net+ Study Guide by David Groth, et. al., pages 200-256.

IP Configuration

  • To connect a computer to the Internet, you must configure the TCP/IP address and name resolution properties in the Network portion of the Control Panel. If connecting through a modem, the dial-up properties must also be set, while connecting through a LAN will require further configuration in the TCP/IP properties.
  • In TCP/IP properties, the computer must be configured either to obtain and IP address automatically or assigned a specific IP address.
  • A computer may be assigned an IP address and subnet mask automatically if it is connecting to a server running DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol). On a DHCP network, the server has a set of IP addresses that it hands out to host computers as they log on. Most dial-up ISPs run DHCP.
  • A computer must have an IP address and subnet mask manually set if it is in a network where IP addresses are static. In this type of network, the administrator chooses what IP addresses each computer receives and sets them manually.
  • A default gateway refers to the address of the router or routing computer where the host will send all unfamiliar IP address requests. The default gateway can be automatically set on a DHCP network, but must be set manually on a network using static IP addresses.
  • Running winipcfg on a Windows computer will display the computer's current IP configuration.

Name Resolution

  • Name resolution is the method a computer uses to translate text addresses into IP addresses. A client PC may use HOSTS, DNS, or WINS to accomplish this task.
  • A HOSTS file is a manually edited text file that maps host names ot their IP address. If using a HOSTS file for name resolution, you must change the text file every time you make any changes to the IP addresses available on the network.
  • Using DNS (Domain Name Service) requires enabling the service in the TCP/IP properties menu, the host name (of your computer), the name of the network domain, IP addresses of the DNS servers on the network, and optionally a domain suffix that the computer will automatically add at the end of unrecognized names in an attempt to resolve the name you type with a known IP address.
  • The DNS Configuration on Windows requires the host, domain, and the IP address of at least one DNS server to be entered.
  • DNS must be enabled and configured (either automatically or manually) in order for a a host computer to access the Internet.
  • WINS (Windows Internet Name Service) is a dynamic directory designed to keep track of resources, mapping their NetBIOS name with their assigned IP addresses on a Windows network. Unlike DNS, WINS is updated automatically. Also, WINS is limited to Windows networks, while DNS is supported on a variety of platforms.

Dial-Up Configuration

  • A computer must have a modem installed to communicate over telephone lines.
  • The modem may be configured using the following Hayes AT Command Set:
    • DT nnnnnnn:Dial phone number using tone dialing.
      Example: ATDT5551212
    • n,: Comma calls for a pause. Used especially when a number must be dialed before accessing an outside line.
      Example: ATDT9,5551212
    • *70: Turn off call waiting
      Example: ATDT*70,5551212
    • A: Answer the phone.
      Example: ATA
    • H0 (or ++++): Hang up immediately
      Example: ATH0
    • S0-n: Wait 'n' number of rings before answering the phone.
      Example: ATS0-5
    • Mn: Speaker controls. M0 = Speaker always off, M1 = Speaker off during carrier detect only, M2 = Speaker always on
      Example: ATM1
  • In Windows, the Dial-Up Networking (DUN) software must be installed before you can use your modem to connect to an ISP.
  • In order to set up Dial-Up Networking, you must have an account with an Internet service provider.
  • DUN configuration involves entering the phone number for the ISP, the user name and password for your account, the DNS names used for mail service, as well as the TCP/IP information for the network.
  • Windows includes a Dial-Up Networking connection configuration wizard called "Make New Connection" in the Dial-Up Networking section of the My Computer folder (or the Control Panel). Use this wizard to set up your dial-up connection.

Browser Configuration

  • A browser can be configured to open either blank or to a specific web page.
  • The home page on a browser can be set to any web site you choose. This page can be configured to show every time the web browser is launched, or simply be the web site the browser goes to when you click the home button.
  • MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension) types originally allowed e-mail clients to send and receive files other than plain ASCII text files. In browsers, they allow non-HTML documents and files to be processed, such as PDF and RealAudio files. Most of these files require browser add-ons, which will automatically configure their MIME type settings.
  • Netscape Navigator has a section for setting the browser's MIME types, while Internet Explorer relys on the Windows operating system to maintain the MIME relationships.
  • MIME types may need to be manually configured if two applications are both set up to handle the same type of file, thus resulting in a conflict.
  • Cookies are text files sent by a web server to be stored by the web browser. Cookies enable web servers to keep track of your personal preferences and can be created, updated, and read without the knowledge of the user, although each cookie can be read only by the domain that created it.
  • Cookies permit such features as personalized web sites, virtual shopping carts at an online store, automated member login, and targeted web site advertising.
  • Browsers can be configured to accept all cookies, warn the user before accepting cookies, or disable all cookies. Netscape may also be configured to accept only cookies sent back to the original web server, to avoid accepting cookies maintained by a third party.
  • Netscape stores all cookie information in the file cookies.txt in each user's sub-folder and can hold a maximum of 300 different cookies. Internet Explorer saves cookies individually in the cookies sub-folder of the Windows folder and can use up to two percent of your hard drive to store cookies. Cookies may be erased by editing the cookies.txt file in Netscape or by deleting the individual cookie files in IE.
  • The local cache stores copies of HTML pages and graphics visited by the browser. The size of the cache is adjustable.
  • Both Netscape and IE store a history of all sites visited by the browser. This history is useful in returning to web sites whose URLs you no longer remember. The browser can be configured for how many days are stored in history,and may be cleared manually.
  • If a host is using a proxy server, then the browser must be configured to use the proxy cache server.

E-Mail Client Configurations

  • Email clients must be configured with the DNS name of the SMTP mail server to send mail and the DNS of the POP3 or IMAP server for receiving mail. A server is either POP3 or IMAP, with most servers currently using POP3.
  • A signature file is a text file that can be added automatically to the end of outgoing emails. To set up a signature file, create a text file with the text you would like at the end of your emails, then, in the appropriate place, provide the email software with the location of the signature file.
  • Email clients may be configured with a reply-to address that is different from the address being used to send the email. This is useful if you are sending from a restricted account and wish to receive your email elsewhere, such as a personal account.
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