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Setting Up Windows Systems for Networking in Northrop Hall

One of a series of eclectic notes on how to do things on the UNM / EPS network, by Jim Connolly
(Revised: 4-Jun-2003)

This document describes how to set up computer systems to connect to the Ethernet network on the UNM campus. Some of the settings are specific to the Local Area Network setup to service the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, but most of what is written here applies to UNM's campus-wide ethernet for Macintosh and Windows systems. All of the information applies specifically and only to systems which are physically on the UNM campus, and connected via an Ethernet network adapter. There is a separate document dealing with dialup connections or other forms of off-campus internet access such as DSL or Cable Modem.

What you need to be connected:

TCP/IP (known informally as the "Internet" protocol) should be the only network protocol installed and used on systems connected to our network. The only exception to this is AppleTalk on Macintosh computers which is required for connecting to network resources (servers, printers) within our building. UNM has phased out support for all other protocols for exchange of information outside of our zones. UNM also will no longer "route" AppleTalk so it will only work between systems in the same "subnet" as ours (within our building and a few neighboring buildings).

With TCP/IP configured properly, any Windows computer (we recommend using Win98, 2000, or XP and avoiding older versions of Windows if possible) can communicate with with any other properly configured system (and the Internet) from virtually anywhere and without any other protocols installed.

Dynamic Addresses: UNM uses DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) to assign IP addresses to computers which are connected to the network dynamically. This means that you can plug your laptop into any network port on campus and get on the Internet without doing anything else. If you enter the numbers listed later in this document, you can also access your department network resources (files, printers, etc.) from anywhere on campus.

Fixed Addresses: In most cases, your connection to the network will not require that you obtain a "fixed" IP address for your system. The only exceptions to this are

If your system falls into one of these categories, contact Jim Connolly who will get you an assigned IP address and configure your system to use it.

The sections below explain how to set up your PC to connect to our network. Some systems require the action of the Network Administrator (Connolly) to properly register your system with the network. If you feel uncomfortable configuring your system, contact Jim Connolly (connolly@unm.edu) who can assist.

Quickie TCP/IP Setup

For those who don't need all the hand holding below, here are the TCP/IP settings which will give you maximum connectivity from your PC or Mac to our network:

For systems having assigned (fixed) IP addresses, here's what you enter in addition to the above:

Step-by-Step Setup for Windows 95/98

To connect with Windows 95/98 and access our local area network, you will need to start with a working Ethernet adapter or network interface card (NIC) installed with the driver working. Most new network cards will use plug'n'play and require little or no steps to install and start working after you install it in your system (perhaps requiring that you feed your computer a disk with drivers on it). The networking software components which must be installed on your system to connect are:

The steps below detail how this is done, and how to remove unnecessary protocols from your system. If you check, and these items are all installed, then you do not need to add them, you only need to configure them properly.

  1. To add Windows components, you need to have access to your Windows installation files. Many PC manufacturers place these files on your hard disk and will get them automatically as you add things. If your installation was done from a CD ROM drive, you will need to have your Windows installation CD handy and in the drive when requested.
  2. Go to Start -- Settings -- Control Panel, and open the "Network" application. The things which you need to see here are "Client Services for Microsoft Networks", an Ethernet network adapter (the name will vary depending on the brand of adapter you have) and the TCP/IP Protocol.
  3. If an Ethernet adapter is in the list, go on to the next step. (Plug and play ethernet adapters do not require all that follows. This item is primarily for older adapters which do not support the use of plug and play.) If it isn't there, have the installation diskette (or CD ROM) which came with your Ethernet adapter handy. Double-click on the button which says "Add" and double-click on "Adapter" in the list. Put your installation disk in your system, and click on the "Have Disk" button. You may need to browse your disk to find the adapter files, but when they are found a list of adapters will pop up. Hopefully it is a very short list or you know exactly which adapter to choose based on what you purchased. The system will then copy the driver files to "install" your adapter.
  4. If TCP/IP is in the list, skip to the next step. If it isn't there, click on the Add button, select Protocols, then the Microsoft group, then TCP/IP, then click on OK. Feed disks as requested. When the configuration dialog for TCP/IP shows up, tell your system that you will use DHCP to "Obtain IP address Automatically" and proceed to the next step.
  5. Highlight the TCP/IP protocol in the list, and click on the "Properties" button. Note: If you have a Modem and a Network Card, you will have two TCP/IPs in your list; highlight only the one which is attached to your network card, not the one attached to your "Dialup Adapter" (or modem). If it is not already checked, check the box labeled "Obtain IP address Automatically" in the "IP Address" tab. Next click on the "WINS Configuration" tab, and check "Enable WINS Resolution" and enter 129.24.41.105 and 129.24.41.84 in the server list. Next click on the "DNS Configuration" tab, check the "Enable DNS" box, give your computer a name (like epsmyname, only make sure it is no more than 8 characters and does not contain any spaces), put unm.edu in the domain box, and enter 129.24.8.1 and 129.24.8.4 in the DNS servers list. Then click on the advanced tab, and check the box to make TCP/IP the default protocol. Finally close the dialog so you are back at the network setup list.
  6. If "Client Services for Microsoft Networks" is installed, skip to the next step. If it isn't, click on the Add button, select Services, and then select "Client Services for Microsoft Networks" and add it. As with the other protocols and drivers, you may (or may not) need to have your Windows 95/98 CD ROM handy.
  7. Click on the "Identification" tab at the top of the network setup box. In the "name" box for your computer, enter the same name as you gave your system in the TCP/IP configuration section. In the "Workgroup" box, enter "e&ps" (without the quotes) and in the Description box enter an optional description for your system, something like "Jim Rockhead's Desktop PC".
  8. Select (or highlight) the "Client Services for Microsoft Networks", and then click on the "Properties" button. On the screen which pops up, check the box to logon to Windows NT domain, and in the domain name box enter "E&PS" (without the quotes). On that same dialog, check the "Quick logon", and then quick the "OK" box.
  9. You should now be at the main Network properties screen. In the box which says "Primary Network Login" choose the option for "Client Services for Microsoft Networks" instead of the default "Windows Login".
  10. When all of this is done, click on the "OK" box to complete the configuration and save the changes. Your computer will tell you that you need to restart. To restart with your network connection up and running, make sure your network cable is plugged in, and when you next start you should be presented with the familiar "Username", "Password" and "Domain" dialog box and get the "DOS" Login window after you enter the right stuff. If the login has succeded, you should have your system time correctly synched with our server, and the L: ("Users") and M: ("Common") drives available to you in "My Computer".
  11. After you have logged in successfully, access your network properties again and examine your setup for any unnecessary protocols. If you see NetBEUI, IPX/SPX, or NWLink installed in the protocol list select and remove them. The only protocol which you should have installed is TCP/IP. After the unnecessary protocols have be removed, restart your computer again. You are now ready to do business on the network without generating unnecessary network traffic.

You may log off the network from a Windows 95/98 system in two ways. The simplest is to just shut down the system. If you wish to keep the system running, this is done from the Start Menu, select Shut Down, then "Close all Programs and Log on as Different User". This will log you off from the E&PS domain, and pop up the logon dialog box for the next user; any resources (i.e., folders, printers, etc.) which you have shared on the network will be available via the network. On machines used by more than one user, it is important that you log off when leaving the system unattended since the next person who sits down at the computer will have full access to your files and data if you do not.

For Windows NT Workstation, Windows 2000 and XP Professional Users

Windows NT/2000/XP systems are setup in a very similar manner to Windows 95/98 systems. The trick is finding how to access the network protocol configuration with minimal difficulty (since Microsoft seems to hide this stuff more deeply with every operating system upgrade). The newer versions (2000/XP) install TCP/IP as the only protocol by default and use DHCP, so the only change you need to make for best connectivity to our network is to enter the WINS numbers. Steps:

  1. Find the network protocol configurations. What you are looking for is "Network and Dialup Connections". In Windows NT, right click on "Network Neighborhood" on your desktop and you're there. On 2000/XP you'll find a link to it in the left Window when you open up "My Computer", or you can go to Control Panel (switch to "Classic" mode) and open the Network Connections panel. Find the "LAN" (Local Area Connection) and right click on it and select "Properties" from the menu and you'll see the protocols and services listed.
  2. Make the changes to IP and DNS as listed in the Windows 95/98 section above.
  3. Proper WINS settings make a critical difference in the speed of your network connection. The WINS numbers are only accessed in 2000/XP by clicking the "Advanced" tab of TCP/IP and then finding the WINS tab; enter the WINS numbers 129.24.41.105 and 129.24.41.84 in the appropriate boxes. Uncheck the box about "Enable LMHOSTS lookup" to disable this function, and Check the box to "Enable NETBIOS over TCP/IP". (If you do not do this, you will not "see" any of the other systems in our network.)
  4. If this is a new system not connected to our network previously, you must contact Jim Connolly (connolly@unm.edu) and have him "join" your computer to the domain. This is necessary to insure that you will be able to access all of the resources on our network effectively (shared files and folders, printers, your network disk storage, etc.). If you have Windows XP Home Edition, you cannot set up to do a full domain login, but you can successfully access your network resources.

For Macintosh Users

Setting up Macintosh systems to connect to our network is a 3-step process. First, make sure your network hardware is installed and working; second, configure MacTCP to obtain an IP address from UNM's "pool" of available addresses and; third, install the required security update so that you can connect to MacFile resources on our Network. After all of the configuration steps are completed, the actual connection involves using the chooser to connect to folders on network drives and network printers. A separate document, mac_enet_connect.htm, has been prepared and updated which details how to successfully configure and connect Macintosh systems. Please consult that document if you are connecting to our network with a Mac.

 

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