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1 How to choose right network...

2008-11-29T16:08:00.003-08:00

In this section you will learn about computer network how to, troubleshooting tips, configurations, IT help, basic configurations help, wireless access point, hardware components and cables. Data communication is an important thing to share the data and resources and if you want to share the one internet connection with the other PCs, share your server's hard drive with the client computers, share printer, fax, scanner, DVD writer then this information will help you make the right choice. Before starting the installation and configurations you should be aware of all the hardware, software, cables, drivers and all the necessary other things.

Basic Introduction

• STEP 1: Router: A router relays the data between your computers and your internet connection.

• STEP 2: Network Adapter: A Network Adapter or NIC card is connected to each computer and it is used to send the data to each every computer and the router.

STEP 3: IP Address (Internet Protocol) is your computer’s unique identification on the computer network and over the internet. In your home network and a small network of a company all the computers share the same IP address over the internet.

• STEP 4: Print Server A print server is a specialized network adapter that is used to connect the printer machine to a network and with the print server several computers in a network share the same printer or print device.

How to Choose a Right Network Type

• STEP 1: Connecting your computer wirelessly over the radio waves is carried out by a specialized router called an access point. One access point is enough for networking an averaged sized home. The trade name of this technology is Wi-Fi or 802.11b. One important thing is that all the Wi-Fi products should be compatible with each other. Wireless communication is important for the people who go from room to room with their wireless laptops or they want to use their laptops in airports, hotels, cafes and other places where wireless service is available.

• STEP 2: Next you use your home’s wiring to connect the router to each computer with a powerline network. HomePlug is the trade name of this technology. It is seen that HomePlug networks are more secure than the Wi-Fi. But as compared to the Wi-Fi it is a new technology and is more expensive than Wi-Fi technology.

• STEP 3: Hook up with the Ethernet 10-Base-T or 100-Base-7. Ethernet is the best choice if your router, broadband internet connection and all the computers all in one room. Due to the cabling, involved in the Ethernet, it’s less flexible than the others.

Buying Equipment Instructions

• STEP 1: First of all get one router and if you want to go wireless this router will called an access point.

• STEP 2: Next get compatible NIC cards for each computer and plug them into the computer’s universal serial bus (USB

• STEP 3: If you are using a wired network the purchased extra long CAT 5 Ethernet cables.

• STEP 4: Next buy a print server if you want to put a printer in your home.

One important thing to note is that all the hardware should be compatible with each other.

Setup Instructions

• STEP 1: First of all read the manuals of the devices and start experimenting. Many products have good manuals and online support. You can easily get answers of the basic and advance questions. Many manufacturers provide online help and advice so there is no need to worry about any kind of technical support. Good technical support can save your lot of time and efforts. So before starting make a thorough plan to work on it.

• STEP 2: If you are planning to install a wired Ethernet, then run the cables to your home theaters or stereo. Now many new digital home products like digital video recorders and game systems are having the internet capability.

General Tips

In summary you should look for these things for installing a home network such as Router or access point, Ethernet cables, NIC adapter, Print Server and the technical support from the vendor or a useful website or forum on the internet. Hybrid networks have many advantages and so they are very popular. For example, you can have Ethernet going to a desktop computer and printer in your home office and additionally wireless router or access point for a roaming laptop and desktop computer in your bedroom.

Some cordless phones and the microwave ovens can interfere with a wireless communication. If you have any interference problems then move the access point and router and place them at some different positions.

It is very important that when you setup your router for the first time at your home, change its password because every hacker on the internet can know the default password of a router. Additionally, while making the wireless connectivity you must enalbe the WEP to keep the information private and secure from the hackers.

Additionally, install some anti spyware, good anti virus software on your server and client machines in your computer network and regulary update Windows operating sytem through the Microsoft's website.

2. How to set-up computer network...

2008-11-29T16:08:00.001-08:00

Computer networking enables you to share the data and resources with the other network users. You can communicate with the other people in your home or office, send and receive files, share internet connection and printer, play games, listen to music and share the multimedia experience with the other users. Today no business is successful without fulfilling its data, voice and video communication requirements. No office work can be performed efficiently where there are more than two computers.

Setting up a computer network requires the little technical knowledge and the required software and hardware tools. There are three main types of the computer networks i.e. LAN (within an office), MAN (within city) and WAN (within two cities or two countries). In this article, you will learn that how to setup LAN in your home or office. The first step is to identify your requirements and based on these requirements you need to purchase the following software and hardware devices.

Software/Hardware Requirements

Computers with LAN Cards. (Number of computers is based on the number of users).
Hub or Switch. (Switch is recommended and the number of ports in the switch is related to the number of computers in your network.
UTP/STP Straight Cable. Each piece of cable is required between a computer and the hub/switch.
DSL Router to share the internet with the computers.
Windows based operating system CDs (Windows 2000 Professional is recommended for the client computers) and Windows 2000/2003 Server is for the Server computer.
All other required software.

A LAN can be configured in a variety of ways as mentioned below.

Peer to Peer
Client/Server

In the Peer to Peer there is not centralized server and each computer acts as a workstation. Peer to peer is ideal for the scenarios where security is not the major concern. In the client/server networking, there is a centralized server, which act as a domain controller and it provides the user authentication and other resources and privileges to the client computers. All the client computers are dependent on the server for the resources and services.

Configurations

The following configuration steps will tell you that how to setup peer to peer network.

After installing the Windows 2000 Professional or Windows XP Professional on all the computers, you need to install and configure the LAN cards.
Make a straight network cable and attach one end of it to the computer and one end to the hub/switch.
In most of the cases Windows 2000 Professional/XP Professional has built-in drivers for the LAN cards.
Click Start > Services > Control Panel > double click network connections.
Right click the Local Area connection > Click properties and in the general select TCP/IP and click Properties.
In the TCP/IP Properties select this option “Use the Following IP Address” and provide the IP address and subnet mask. The IP addresses should be of the same series like 100.100.100.1, 100.100.100.2, 100.100.100.3, 100.100.100.4 and 100.100.100.5 etc. one for each computer. The subnet mask will be automatically selected when you will press the tab.
Click Ok and click all the open Windows.
Now, you need to provide the unique computer names and same workgroup name to all the computers.
Right click My Computer on your desktop and click Properties.
In the Network Identification or in the Computer name provide your unique computer and in the Workgroup provide the same workgroup name and click Ok.
You will be prompted to restart the computer.
You’re done.
Now you can share your files and folders with the other users in your home or office network.

3. How to troubleshoot LAN...

2008-11-29T16:07:00.002-08:00

LAN stands for the Local Area Network and keeping it up, secure and optimized to get the maximum performance is the very crucial responsibility of the network administrators. The common issues that can arise in the LAN are related to the connectivity, security and the performance. You first troubleshooting methodology is to diagnose the problem by using the right tools and techniques.

In this article you will learn that how to troubleshoot the common problems in the Ethernet based network.

Connectivity Issues

If you experience the connectivity issues between two networked computers in your LAN, you can use the following tips to resolve the problem.

Check the UTP/STP cable and make sure that it is properly inserted at both ends.
Make sure that the TCP/IP settings are correct. For this, double click the blinking monitors > Properties > TCP/IP > Properties and check the IP address, subnet mask, default gateway and DNS settings.
Right click on the Local Area Network connection icons on the desktop and click repair. It will resolve most of the connectivity issues in your network.
Use the Ping command at the command prompt like ping ip address i.e ping 192.168.2.2 and press enter. If you get the reply from the other computer then the connectivity between the two computers is okay and if you don’t get the error message like this “Request Time Out”, it shows that there is some problem in the connectivity.
Use the network monitoring software to diagnose the issues, it will save your time and efforts in finding the problem.
Replace the cable with new one.
If your problem still not resolved then replace your LAN card with a new one.
Temporarily disable your firewall and check if the problem is resolved or not.

Security Issues

The security issues arises in a network due to the virus attack, hackers attack, spyware, adware, malware, eavesdropping, unauthorized access and physical security issues. The following tips will help you to resolve the security related issues in your network.

Install an up-to-dated antivirus program and regularly scan all of your computers with it.
Install an up-to-dated anti spyware program and scan your computers with it.
Install and configure software or hardware firewall on your gateway computer.
Limit the access of your users in the network.
Monitor the online activities of your uses and block and suspicious websites and online applications.
Regularly take backup of your critical data.
Train the employees of your organization about the internal and external security threats.
Update your operating system and install the latest patches and hot fixes.

Performance Issues

To get the optimize performance from your Ethernet network the following tips might be helpful for you.

Balance the load of your network by using different servers for different purposes like print server, file serve, database server and proxy server.
Use the registry cleaning software to remove the trace of the unused software and hardware in your network.
Make sure that the network cables are not damaged.
Remove the unused icons in the My Network Places.
Use network monitoring, network management and packets analyzer software to manage and distribute the network resources.

4. How to design a network server...

2008-11-29T16:07:00.001-08:00

Here you will learn designing a network server technique, windows 2000, memory, processor, power supply, clustering, monitoring, software, and hardware requirement of a server.

A computer network server can be configured reliable and efficient according to the needs of a business. If the business is of a critical nature like banks, consulates, police department or corporate companies, the cost on the reliability of the server increases. There are a large number of the objects involved in a computer network such as hubs, routers, Gateway, bridges, ISDN adapters, Modems, transceivers, firewalls and many others and all these devices by some means depends on the server to share data and resources. There are a number of the subsystems involved in the reliability of a server. Following are the tips and recommendations in making a secure, high performance server according to your business needs.

1. Hard Disk Subsystem Reliability

The main server component that is prone to failure is the hard disk that stores the data of the server. Hard disk is a mechanical component in a server. While selecting the disk drives, you should consider the S.M.A.R.T technology (Self monitoring and Reporting technology). This technology allows the monitoring of the disk drives parameters and is able to predict the failure of the disk drives. Most server vendors provide the hot swap disk drives this means that they can be replaced while the server is in working mode. To provide fault tolerance, implement RAID (redundant array of the inexpensive disks). RAID is implemented by installing RAID disk controller in the server. RAID 5 provides fault tolerance by adding the parity information of the data as it is written on the disk drives. This parity information can be used to regenerate the data in case of disk failure. Minimum 3 disk drives are required to implement a RAID 5 (striped set with parity) and the maximum numbers of the disks involved in the RAID5 are 32.

2. Server Processor

Most of the servers use the Pentium processors that are very reliable in performance and processing speed. Processor or CPU is a heart of any server and if it fails to work, the server becomes non functional. Trend is growing to use a dual-processor server or even multiple processor servers. If this scenario, if one processor fails to work, there is not effect on the other processors in a server. So it is a best decision of the network administrators to use the multiprocessor server.

3. Network Subsystem

The attachment of the server to the network is carried out by the NIC adapter. If a NIC of the server fails to work, the connection of the server with the other computers in a network also fails. Many servers support redundant NICs that can be implemented in the fail over or load balancing situations. In the NIC fail over situations one NIC is used to communicate with the server and the other NIC is held reserve until the other NIC fails and the second NIC is automatically activated. In the NIC load balancing situation both the NICs are activated so improve the reliability and performance of the server communication. A PCI hot swap slot allows replacing the faulty NIC adapter without shutting down the server.

4. Clustering

Redundancy is achieved by clustering. In a clustered environment, two or more server operates as a single server and the failure of the one server, does not affect the working of the other server. There are many advantages of the clustered environment such as reliability, load balancing and high performance of the computing environment.

5. Memory Performance

The memory technology has been improved and it fails to work very seldom. Purchasing a memory for a server that supports ECC (Error correcting code) is a best decision of the system ornetwork administrators. ECC technology is capable of detecting and fixing the single bit error and reporting the multiple bit memory errors. A server needs a high amount of memory to perform its function smoothly. If a memory is low in a server, it can results in slow boot up, slow response time and halting the system so memory is a vital for a computing server.

6. Power Supply Usage

Many computers come with the multiple power supplies and these multiple power supplies 2 or more share the electric load of the computer server. The main advantage of the multiple power supplies is that the failure of the one power supply does not cause the server to shut down because other power supply takes all the electric loads and so server works normally without any problem. Like the other hot swappable hardware in the server, the multiple power supply system is also hot swappable. This means the faulty power supply can be replaced with the new one, while the server is running.

7. UPS ( Uninterruptible Power Supply) Function

A UPS or uninterruptible power supply system plays very vital role in case of the power failure. UPS normally provides power back for 3-4 hours and during this time, server can easily be setup to save the data and all the network users can also access the store their important data on the server. The shutdown process of the server is controlled by software that is installed on the server. UPS is very important in a network environment and if there are a number of the UPS in a network, they can share the load and provide constant power supply to the server.

8. Emergency Generator Working

When a full time operation of the server is required such as hosting servers, web servers, email servers, data server, and emergency generator is a necessary. The emergency generators are usually diesel powers and are developed by a number of the world’s renowned companies like Jubaili Brothers, Cummins. These emergency power generators can be set to automatically switch on in case of power failure or they can be used after the UPS is fully used.

9. Cooling Fans Function

There is a large amount of the hardware installed in inside the CPU so there must be cooling system inside the CPU. The cooling of the server is achieved by the cooling fans, which are installed inside the CPU. These cooling fans pull the cool air inside the CPU and throw away the heated air from inside the CPU. The failure of the cooling fans in the server leads to the automatic shut down of the server due to high buildup heat in the server. Many vendors are providing the hot swappable cooling fans.

10. Computer Monitoring Hardware

There is a specially designed adaptor available for monitoring the performance of the different components of the server. The server can be monitored locally or remotely via a modem by this adapter. In very critical network environments, these types of adapters are usually used in the server to put a check on the performance of the different networking devices.

11. Computer Server Software

Software installed on the server should be very reliable and virus free. A good anti virus software like Norton Anti Virus, Trend Micro, McAfee Anti virus, Panda Anti virus or any other anti virus should be installed and updated. Additionally, a good firewall, anti spyware, malware, adware should also be installed to keep the server virus or spyware free. Good backup software should also be installed on the server in case of any emergency. Any unwanted software, media players, codec, flash games or emails can provide a room for the viruses from the internet to enter in your network. No unauthorized software applications or hardware should be installed in the server. If a virus enters in the server by any means, it is very easy for the viruses to spread all over the network and if they are of severe nature, they can even destroy all your critical data. The above mentioned recommendations for a designing a good server can play a key role in designing a secure, reliable and high performing server for your computer network.

12. Data Server Location

A server should be placed in a room that is capable of providing the cooling and dust free environment to the server. It is very advisable that the server room should be very secure and only the authorized persons like (network administrators or other users) be allowed to enter in the server room.

5. Setting up print server...

2008-11-29T16:06:00.004-08:00

What is a Printer?

Printer is a device that prints text, graphics and images on the paper. With regards to quality, graphics, speed there are different types of a printer. The most common types of the printer are Dot matrix, InkJet and Laser printer. In the following sections of this article we will discuss all the common types of printer.

Common Types of Printer

Dye Fusion Thermal

Thermal Dye sublimation or thermal dye transfer is a process that is used by the color printers. A color wax film is moved throughout the page and pigments are heated and deposited on the page.

Inkjet

Inkjet printers use spray and print them on the paper. They produce high quality prints and have better image quality and they are faster as compared to the DOT Matrix printers. Due to low cost, high quality and ease of use, they are most commonly used printers.

Laser Jet

Laser printers use xerographic printing process, which is a same technique as used by the photocopier machine. In the laser printer, the roller is charged with the electricity and the laser light is used to remove that charge from the roller. Laser printer is very fast and they produce high quality and text, graphics and images.

Dot Matrix

In the Dot Matrix, pins are used to strike the ribbon and dots, characters and images are produced when pin strikes the ribbon. The columns of 8, 9 and 24 pins are used in the Dot matrix. Dot matrix printers have horizontally moving head and pins in the vertical position. Dot matrix printers are mostly cheap and they are used for low to medium quality of printing.

LCD/LED

This is a type of printers that uses the liquid and light emitting diodes LED to produce the produce the images on the roller.

Camera Copy

Camera copy printers produce high quality full color output and the laser light is used to write on the film inside the camera. This type of printing process is expensive.

Line Printer

Line printers have horizontal drum that stretch the paper. The drum is made up of 132 thin cylinders and each have a complete set of characters.

Daisy Wheel

Daisy wheel printers work like the typewriters.

What is a Print Server

A print server is a computer or device that is being connected with one more print devices or printers. Print server holds an operating system such as Windows 2000, Windows 2003 and the client computers send print requests to the print server. The print server serves these requests on the first come first serve basis but there are features in the printing software with which the print jobs can be prioritized i.e. you can give preferences to some printing requests. Client computers connect with the print server by using the Microsoft Network Printing Protocol. Dedicated print servers support a large number of the protocols such as TCP/IP, NetBEUI, IPX/SPX, LPD/LPR and NetBIOS.

How to Setup Print Server in Windows 2000/2003

Installation

1. Install the operating system such as Windows 2000 or Windows 2003.
2. Attach printer device with the computer. Normally operating system will automatically detect the printer and if not then you have to manually install the driver of the printer by inserting the CD-ROM. If you don’t have the drivers in the CD then you can download from the vendor’s website or from driverguide.com. You just need to know the model of your printer such as Hewlett Packard LaserJet 2600n, Canon PIXMA™ iP90 InkJet, Lexmark C534N, Canon PIXMA™ MP530 All-In-One Inkjet etc.
3. Install and configure the printer driver in the following steps.
4. Click on Start > Settings > Control Panel > Printer and Faxes.
5. Click on the File Menu > Add printer > Next > Local Printer attached to this computer.
6. Check Automatically Detect and Install My Plug and Play Printer.
7. Click Next.
8. Wizard will automatically detect any attached printer and install the driver for it. If the system doesn’t find the driver then you will be prompted to provide the driver of the printer.
9. After successfully installing the printer driver, you will see a new printer name in the Printer and Faxes inside the control panel.

Server Configurations

1. Right click on the printer name > Properties > Sharing > Share this printer.
2. Provide a shared name for your network printer.
3. This name will be used by all the client computers on the network who want to access this printer.
4. You can also set the color management, priorities, printing preferences, font and other things in the properties tab of the printer.

Client Computer Configuration

If you want to setup the printer at the client computer then you can do this by the following command.

\\computername\printername (printer name is the shared name of the printer)

Second option is the same as you installed the print device on the server i.e. Start > Settings > Control Panel > Printers and Faxes > File Menu > Add Printer.

In this tutorial you have learnt that what is a printer, basic types of the printers and how to setup print server in Windows 2000/2003.

6. Remote desktop troubleshooting...

2008-11-29T16:06:00.003-08:00

Troubleshooting remote computer requires specialized set of tools and skills. Fortunately Windows XP Professional provides a built-in utility known as “Remote Desktop Utility”, which enables you to troubleshoot the remote computers from your home, office or while traveling. Remote desktop feature in the Windows XP Professional is like the terminal service client in the Windows 2000 Professional. Virtually you can connect to any other computer through this utility and once connected you get the mouse and keyboard control of the remote computer.

How to use Remote Desktop Utility

Microsoft Windows XP Professional must be installed on the remote computer from where you want to access the files and troubleshoot the problems.
Remote desktop utility must be installed and enabled on the remote computer.
Both computers must be connected with each other through internet connection. (High speed internet connection is preferable for faster access).

Setting up Remote Desktop Utility on the Host Computer

The first step in setting up the “Remote Desktop Utility” on the host computer is to sign in as Administrator.
Go to control Panel and click on “Performance and Maintenance” and next click “System”.

In the next screen, after clicking the “Remote” tab, click “allow users to connect remotely to this computer”

Windows Firewall Settings

Firewall may block the connectivity so set it up to allow the few exceptions.

Click “security center” and under the “Manage Security Settings For”, click the Windows Firewall. Make sure that the “Don’t Allow Exceptions” is not selected.

Next click the Exceptions tab and select the “Remote Desktop” check box.

Click OK and close all the open windows.

Your computer has been setup to allow remote access and connections.

To start communication you need the hostname of the remote computer.

Click start > Run > Type CMD.

At the command prompt, type “Hostname” without quotes and you will get the hostname.

After you know the hostname of the remote computer go to:

Start > Programs > Accessories > Communication > Remote Desktop Connection and type the name or IP address of the remote computer.

To end the remote desktop session Click Start > Log Off

Now after connecting the remote computer you can perform literally all the troubleshooting related tasks such as troubleshooting printing related problems, disabling faulty hardware, installing device drivers, getting the Windows log files to analyze the problems, configuring and troubleshooting the router, installing applications, sharing files, restarting the system, configuring local or network applications and lot of other actions.

There are a large number of web based third party applications and utilities that provide you the access to the remote computers such as Logmein, GoToMyComputer, NetSupportManager, Radmin, VNC and Teamviewer etc.

7. How to troubleshoot Xbox...

2008-11-29T16:06:00.001-08:00

Xbox: Xbox is a modern video console that is developed by the Microsoft that was released in 2001. Xbox Live is an online game network on the internet and you can play games with the other gamers online. Xbox Live is a multiplayer internet gaming. Sometimes you might have faced the errors in your Xbox.

Following section will tell you what’s the common errors of the Xbox are and how to repair them. There are three major types of the problems in the Xbox such as console problem, disc problem and the accessories problem.

Xbox Troubleshooting Tips

Check Internet Connection

Before performing any troubleshooting methods, you first check that is your internet connection is working on the network computers. If your computer or the network computer does not access the internet then you should first troubleshoot the home network first.

IP Address

Perform an IP address test to verify that Xbox possesses the valid IP address.

Network Adapter

Testing the network adapter verifies that you have physical connection between the Xbox and the network adapter.

Common Errors

1. Xbox Console Disc Tray will not open

You may find that you can turn on the Xbox console but you cannot open the Xbox disc tray and most probably this problem is occurred when a game disc, CD or DVD is stuck in the disc tray.

Solution: Make sure that the Xbox console is functioning correctly and you can verify it by seeing a picture on the screen when you turn on the Xbox console. Press the eject button of the disc to open the disc tray. If the tray does not open by pressing the eject button try to manually open it by unplugging the Xbox console from the power source. Insert a straightened paper clip or other small tool in the hole at an angle to the left. Gently push the paper clip to try to push the manual release button and try to partially open the disc tray. You may have to do several tries to open the disc tray and it has been observed that thin paper clip works fine than the thin paper clip. After the disc tray partially opens, pull the disc tray with your fingers so that it can be fully opened.

2. Indicator Light Flashing Green and Orange

If the Xbox does not detect the AV pack then the indicator light of the Xbox console may flash repeatedly in green and oranges modes. This behavior is only applies to the connection between AV pack and the Xbox Console.

Solution: Disconnect and reconnect the Xbox AV pack and make sure that the connections are firmly connected. Turn on the Xbox again and examine the lights behavior. If the problem is not solved and the behavior is continued then try to use another AV pack if available.

3. Game Disc is not playing and no error message occurred.

Solution: If the game disc is not functioning and generates no error message then make sure that the game disc is clean. Clean the disc with the soft cloth from the center outwards and do not use any type of chemicals to clean the disc. After cleaning the game disc, press the power button to restart the Xbox console. If the problem is still not solved then replace the disc with other one and if the other disc is playing then the problem is in the first disc and if the multiple discs are not functioning then the problem is at the Xbox hardware level.

4. Game Locks up at the same point

You may notice that the game is stopped at the same point repeatedly.

Solution: Hold down the game disc by the edges without touching the surface of the game and clean the disc with a soft lightly wiping cloth. Secondly, make sure that the Xbox console clock is set correctly. Next turn on the Xbox console without any disc in the disc drive and select the directional pad up and down to select the main menu and then press A. Next press the pad again up or down to select the settings and press A and again press the pad up or down to select clock and press A.

5. Xbox Controller is not working

Solution: Verify that the Xbox controller is attached correctly and remove the DVD receiver if you are using DVD playback kit. Make sure that the inline release plugs are connected firmly. Make sure that there is no foreign substance between the controller plug and port. Next disconnect and reconnect the inline release on the Xbox controller card. If the controller does not work in any of the port, remove the discs from the disc drive and restart the Xbox console. To avoid damaging the cable of the console avoids winding the cable around the controller.

8. How to configure DNS to server...

2008-11-29T16:05:00.004-08:00

DNS or Domain Name System is a general purpose, replicated and name resolution system that resolves the host names into the IP addresses and it stores the information about your host name, domain names on your local network and on internet. The DNS translates the IP address into the domain name and domain name into the IP address.

The list of the IP addresses and the domain names are distributed throughout the internet. The active directory in the Windows 2000/2003 servers cannot function without the DNS.

Active directory clients locate need DNS for locating the domain controllers. While promoting the stand alone server to the domain controller, the DNS is installed automatically. In this article we will learn that how to install and configure the DNS separately. For managing the name resolutions in your network, you need to understand the host names, primary, secondary and stub zones, root name server, resource records, delegation and dynamic updates.

Secondly, you will need to know how to configure zones, how to monitor the DNS server, understanding cache only server and implementing a delegating zone. DNS uses two different types of processes to resolve the queries recursive and iterative.

Installation

Click Start > Settings > Control Panel > and Double click Add/Remove Programs
Click Add/Remove Windows components. Windows component wizard will start now click Next.
Now click Networking Services and click Details button.
Select the Domain Name System in the list and click ok.
Start the server setup. The DNS server files will be copied to the computer.

After the installation has been completed, you need to test, whether it is successful or and you are able to resolve the names or not. There is a built-in utility “NsLookup” that is used to check whether the installation and configurations are okay or not.

How to Configure DNS

The following steps will tell you that how to configure the DNS in your Windows 2003 server.

Click Start > Programs > Admin Tools and click DNS manager. DNS server configuration wizard will start automatically and if the wizard does not start automatically then right click your server name and click configure your server.
Choose, add a forward look up zone and click next. The new forward lookup zone to accept the dynamic updates, Click next.
Use the zone name exactly same as your active directory domain name. Type the domain name and click next. The zone name should match your local subnet id and click next.
Add a reverse lookup zone and click next.
Now accept the default name of the new file and click next.
Now click finish to complete the DNS configurations.

The next step is to accept the dynamic updates for the forward and reverse lookup zones.

How to Enable Dynamic Updates

Click DNS Manager and expand the DNS server objects.
Expand the forward lookup zone folder.
Right click your forward lookup zone name and click properties.
In the general tab, select “Allow dynamic updates” check box and click ok.
Perform the same steps for the Reverse Lookup zone.

How to Enable DNS Forwarding on the Internet

In the DNS console, right click the DNS server object and click Properties.
Now, click the forwarders tab.
Enter the IP address of the DNS servers in the IP address box. The IP addresses for the DNS forwarding are usually of your local ISP.
You can add multiple forwarding IP addresses, and the address which is on top will be given priority.
Click ok to finish the DNS forwarding.

9. How to configure DHCP to server...

2008-11-29T16:05:00.003-08:00

DHCP stands for Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol and it is designed for minimizing the Administration of the IP addresses in a big network. DHCP server can be setup with the appropriate and required settings in a computer network. A DHCP server can assign the IP address, gateway, DNS, DHCP, subnet mask, Router, Proxy server’s IP address from its predefined pool of the addresses. Once DHCP server has been configured, it automatically assigns the IP addresses to the client computers.

DHCP server holds a database of the IP addresses for a leased duration. Manual settings and changes in an enterprise network can be a nightmare. DHCP provides centralized control and management of your computer network.

Before your implement DHCP server in your network you need to review security issues, identify the range of the IP addresses, which you want to assign, determine the correct subnet mask, decide the duration of the leased addresses, identify the IP address of the router, gateway computer, DNS and WINS. This article will help you to setup and configure DHCP server in Windows 2003 Server.

In this Administrative tools of the Windows 2003 Sever perform the following actions.

Setup

Click DHCP in the Administrative Tools or in the “Manager Your Servers” Window.
In the Scope window, enter the scope name and description and click next.
In the next window, you will be asked to define the range of the IP addresses that the scope will distribute to the network computers.
Enter the start IP address, end IP address, length and subnet mask and click next.
In the next Window, you will need to add exclusions i.e. you can add any IP addresses that you don’t want to be distributed to the network computers. After adding the range of the exclusive IP addresses click next. (You can assign the exclusive IP address manually to the company’s router, gateway or any other device. These IP addresses will not be distributed to the network computers.)
In the next window, you need to enter the lease duration. It is recommended that you add longer lease duration for the fixed computer networks and the shorter leased time for the remote connections and Laptops.
On the next screen, you will be given the choice to configure these options for the DHCP scope now or later. Check “Yes I want to configure these options now” and click next.
On the next screen, you need to enter the Router’s IP address from the exclusive list, which we defined on the above steps. After you add the router’s address click next.
In the next window, DNS settings can be entered i.e. IP address, domain name and server name.
On the screen next to DNS, WINS server settings can be entered.
On the next window, you need to activate the scope. Click “Yes I want to activate the scope now”.
That’s all. You have successfully setup the DHCP in your Windows 2003 Server.

Configurations

After you have successfully setup the DHCP server, you may need to configure the multiple options based up the requirements of your network. For configuring the Exclusions after setting up the DHCP server, please follow the below steps.

In the DCHP main windows right click the Address Pool on the left side and click “Add Exclusions”. Here you can define the range of the IP addresses which you don’t want to distribute among the network computers.

If you want to reserve an IP address for a client computer, you can configure it by the following steps. For reserving the IP addresses for client computer, you need to know the MAC address of that client.

In the DHCP main window, right click Reservations in the left side. Provide the required parameters for fixing the IP addresses for the client computers.

You need to explore the various features of the DHCP server as you can configure multiple other options.

10. How to configure FTP client...

2008-11-29T16:05:00.001-08:00

Introduction

FTP stands for the File Transfer Protocol and it is used to transfer the files over the internet and on any TCP/IP based network. The most common use of the FTP program is to upload the files over the internet and download the files to your computer. There are many FTP client and FTP servers programs.

The most common FTP client programs are Cute FTP, WSFTP, FileZilla, Ace FTP, FTP Voyager and the smart FTP.

The FTP servers listen on the port number 21 for the incoming connections from the FTP server. For accessing the FTP sites and transferring the data, you need to configure the FTP sites.

FTP servers can be configured as internet hosts, voice servers, game servers and other physical servers. Every FTP client program has its own method of configuring the sites.

Configuring FTP Site in the ACE FTP

Ace FTP is a free FTP client program and in the below steps you will learn that how to configure the FTP sites in it.

Click Ace FTP and open the Ace FTP.
Now click File > connect and now double click “New Site Profile”.
Provide your Site name, Server IP address, FTP user id and password.
Click next and click finish.
Your’ done. FTP site has been configured.
Double click the site name that you recently created and upload/download the files.

11. How to improve printing quality...

2008-11-29T16:04:00.000-08:00

In this article you will learn that how to improve the printing quality. Today most of the printers provide you the method to improve the quality of the printing. In the following section you will find step by step instructions on how to improve the printing quality.

Go to Start > Control Panel
In the control panel click on the “Printers and Other Hardware” or “Printers and Faxes”.
Double Click the Printer’s Icon.
Click the printer preferences in the printer menu.
Select high quality or best print option in the printer preferences.

In the Windows based operating systems you can improve the quality of your printings through the above mentioned steps.

Dealing with Spool File

In Windows XP Professional, Windows 2000 Professional and Windows 2003 Server allows you to adjust the spool file settings for any type of printer to improve the quality. Spool file is a temporary file that holds the document while they are printed.

A spool file is created when you send a printing request from an application such as WinWord. After spool file has been created, Application gets control and it sends the document from the spool file to the printer. Moving the spool file to a faster hard drive or empty disk drive can improve the speed of the printing.

Create a folder on any drive and name it whatever you like.
Go to the Control Panel > Printer and Faxes.
In the file menu select “Server Properties Command”
In the “Print Server Dialog box” select advance tab.
In the spool folder text box type the path to the new folder, which you have created in the first step.
On the confirmation box, click yes and close printer and faxes.
Select your active printer’s icon > right click > properties > Advance tab > find the spool settings.

In the spool settings dialog box there are two sub settings that allow you to control how fast should be the printing operation. By adjusting the settings in the spool file, you can control and quality and speed of your printer.

Some General Tips

Always use quality paper.
Clean your printer from dust and debris.
Make sure that there is a sufficient level of ink present in cartridges.
Set the printing quality to high through the printing preferences.
Read manufacture’s manual for getting the optimized performance.
Give adequate ventilation to the laser printers because they dissipate heat.
Clean the corona wire and roller when you change the cartridges.
Print a test page, if the test page’s quality is fine and you are satisfied with it then you can get required results from your printer.

13. How to troubleshoot DHCP...

2008-11-29T16:03:00.002-08:00

DHCP Stands for the Dynamic Host Configuration protocol and it is used to assign the IP addresses to the network computers dynamically. It saves the lot of time and the administrative efforts of the network administrators by providing the TCP/IP configurations such as IP address, subnet mask, default gateway address, DNS, router, proxy server and the settings to the client computers.

With the DHCP, the process of connecting the new client computer with the server is very easy. Just imagine that if you are assigned a task of provide the IP addresses and other TCP/IP configurations to1000 client computers manually then how lengthy and tiring task it can be. DHCP sever assigns the IP addresses from its predefined fixed pool of the IP addresses.

In the DHCP pool, you can define the range, leased duration and map the IP addresses with the specific computers. The IP addresses allocation can be manual, automatic and dynamic. Sometimes in the computer networks, DHCP failure occur due to several reasons and in this situation the client computer will not be able to connect to the server and get the server resources. The problems may arise at the client end or the DHCP server end.

DHCP Client Troubleshooting

Many Client Computers are unable to get the IP Addressees from the DHCP Server

It can be due to the reason that the IP address of the DHCP server has been changed and the client computers are not able to connect to the DHCP server. Additionally the client computers are located behind the firewall or are connected to the DHCP server through the router. It is also possible that the multiple DHCP servers exist in the same LAN.

The solutions of these problems are to make sure that the DHCP server’s IP address fall in the same range of the IP addresses as the scope it is serving. For a DHCP server to provide the IP address to the remote subnets, the router should act as DHCP relay. Make sure that you are not configuring the multiple DHCP servers on the same LAN with the same scope of the IP addresses as it can cause the conflicts in the IP addresses.

The DHCP client does not have IP addresses configured

It can happen due to the reason that the client computer is unable to connect to the DHCP server and obtain the IP address from it or the DHCP server is unavailable. To resolve this issue, you need to make sure that the client computer has connectivity with the DHCP server and the network cable and network connections are accurate. Then try to ping the DHCP server and make sure that you are getting reply from the server.

DHCP client has automatically assigned IP address to itself

In the Windows 98, XP Professional and the Windows ME sometimes the client computers are unable to connect to the DHCP server so they assign the IP addresses automatically through the IP auto configuration.

DHCP Server Troubleshooting

Sometimes if the multiple client computers are experiencing problems in leasing the IP address from the DHCP server then the problem is most likely with the DHCP server itself. The common problems that can arise in the DHCP server are the following.

DHCP server has been stopped

You need to check the log files and the system event files for details about this problem. These log files will provide the detailed information, causes and the solution of this problem.

One of Two DHCP Server is not serving the client

If this happens and if the server is a domain member then you need to authorize the DHCP server in the Active directory.

DHCP Server’s data is corrupted.

The DHCP server’s data has been corrupted or missing and possibly it generates the JET database errors. You need to use the DHCP data recovery options to recover the lost data and correct any of the generate errors. You can also use the reconcile feature in the DHCP console to verify and reconcile any inconsistencies in the database.

If you specific issue is not mentioned above then you need to visit the Microsoft’s website and review the DHCP troubleshooting articles for more details.

12. How to troubleshoot storage device..

2008-11-29T16:03:00.001-08:00

Storage computer networking has become the important part of the overall IT infrastructure. Before troubleshooting it is important to understand the storage infrastructure and technologies. Data from the hard disks can be protected effectively by various methods such as mirroring, backup recovery and remote copy. There are other advanced storage methods such as virtual storage technologies and network virtualization.

An organization that has been existed for a couple a years may face many technological changes. For an enterprise storage solution there is a huge number of technologies that provide required functionalities.

Computer hard disk is an important part of the PC. In case of any errors in the hard disks computer stops working and operating system fails to load. Following are the most common symptoms of the hard disk failure.

Common Hard Disk Errors & Symptoms

The following are the common symptoms are problems that are associated with the hard disk failure.

Missing Power or data cable.
Incorrect BIOS configuration.
Incorrect Hardware configurations.
Devices Conflict.
Data cable is not connected.
Drive not powered on.
Port disabled.
Power supply might no be connected to the hard disk.
Missing operating system and hard drive boot failure message appear.
Disk out of space message appears.
No boot record, no disk found or invalid disk message appear, which indicates that the system boot files are not located on the root directory.
Hard disk controller failure message appear.
Display is present on the screen and front panel lights are also visible but there is not boot up.

Solutions:

While booting up the computer observe the BIOS’s hard disk configurations and information. Make sure that the system BIOS is displaying the exact information of the installed hard disk and there is no devices conflicts. Check the master/slave jumper settings and if you have attached more than one device to the same interface cable then make sure that all the devices are of the same type. If you cannot access the hard drive even its configurations and BIOS settings are correct then the problem must be in the components that are associated with the hard disk. These components include drive, signal cable and hard disk controller.
For troubleshooting the cables related errors, unplug all the cables from the hard disk and plug them back. For configurations related errors, check the system BIOS and make sure that it’s displaying the exact information and settings of the hard disk.

Any kind of noise indicates the mechanical problems, which may be associated with the hard disk plates or any other components. Replace the hard disk with new one.

No boot record found, disk failure, invalid disk and “NTLDR missing” errors indicates that either the operating system is not installed on the root directory or it has been corrupted. Repair the operating system with the recovery disk or install new operating system.

To troubleshoot the surface errors of the hard disk run the following two commands one by one at the command prompt and press enter.

Scandisk
CHKDSK

These commands will check the hard disk for possible errors and troubleshoot them.

Troubleshooting USB Device

Make sure that you have the latest software installed on your computer because if the software doesn’t have the latest components then the devices can cause problems.
Visit the manufacturer’s website to see any latest drivers for the device.
Unplug the faulty USB device and plug it back.
Unplug all the USB devices from the computer such as USB drive, USB keyword, USB mouse etc and then plug them back one by one.
If it’s a new USB device then replace it with another and if it’s an old one then figure out the changes that you did just before the device stopped working. Did you install any new hardware or software?
Check the USB device with all the USB ports of the computer and see if it works with any port or not?
Check the USB device with the other computer and see if it works fine with it

How to Share Files and Printer in the Local Area Network

2008-11-29T16:02:00.000-08:00

Computer networking provides the flexibility to share the data and resources with the other computers in your network. You can share your files and folder, access the internet, share the printer, CD-ROM, play games and communicate with your friends and colleagues. In this article you will learn that how you can share your printer and files in your Ethernet based LAN network.

Sharing Printer

In a computer network you can share a printer with the other users through the following steps.

Turn on your computer and make sure that the printer is properly attached with the printer.
Install the latest driver of your printer through the CD or download the install the driver through the manufacturer’s website.
Your newly installed printer’s icon can be seen in the Printer and Faxes in the Control Panel.
Right click your printer name and click “Sharing”.
Select the radio button “Share this printer” and provide the shared name of your printer and click Ok.
Again right click on your printer name in the “Printer and Faxes” in the control panel and select click on “Set as default printer”.
Your computer now has been shared and can be accessed by the authorized users.
From any other computer go to start > Run and type IP address or computer name of your printer server and shared printer name like \\192.168.1.120 or \\printserver\hpoffice.
Your client computer will be connected with the print server and now you can send the printing requests.
Alternatively, you can go to control panel > Printer and Faxes and on the left side click “Add a Printer” and click next.
On the next page, select this option “A network printer or a printer attached to another computer and click next.
On the next page, select the option Browse for Printer or select the option “Connect to this printer” and provide the shared name of your printer and click next.
On the next page make it your default printer and click next.
You’re done. Now you can connected with the printer that is attached with another computer.

Sharing Files

Sharing files and folders with the other users is very simple in the Windows based computers. Just right click on any file or folder that you want to share with others > click Properties and click sharing. In the Windows XP Professional, on the sharing tab select, “Share this Folder on the network. Now the other users will be able to share the folder that you have shared. You can set the rights and permissions and can set the Read, Write and Modify permission for the users.