Documentation for WinProxy

Windows 98 IP Address Settings

Whether you're doing static or dynamic addressing, the procedure in the first few steps below are identical.

To begin, follow the path Start\Settings\Control Panel\Network to the Network screen, which will look something like this:

Figure B.15: The Network Screen.

If you'll be needing protocols not listed here, this is a good time to add them. For a first-time setup we recommend:

• TCP/IP protocol for all network connections; and,
• NetBEUI for all local, internal connections (but not for your external Internet connection).

To add a protocol:

• Highlight the network adapter
• Click Add
• Click Protocol
• Choose Microsoft
• Choose the desired protocol.

Be sure to back your way out; if you hit Cancel, the new settings will be dropped. Settings won't take effect until you reboot (Windows will ask if you want to restart when you click OK in the network box and drop back to Control Panel).

Here's an example of what your Windows 98 network setup might look like:

Figure B.16: A typical Windows 98 setup.

A couple of things you'll want to look out for when adding/removing protocols in Windows 98:

1. Windows 98 installs the TCP/IP protocol by default when you add a new network adapter.
2. If you only have one network adapter installed, the lines showing the protocols reveal only the protocol name, not the adapter name (unless you have more than one adapter).
3. Windows 98 won't install the NetBeui protocol unless you tell it to do so.
4. When you install a protocol, Windows sometimes adds it to all adapters instead of just the one specified by you. After adding a protocol, take a look to see if the protocol has been erroneously added to an adapter; if so, remove unwanted protocols by highlighting them and clicking Remove.

Now, to set the IP address, highlight the TCP/IP protocol line for the network adapter you want to set and hit the "Properties' button:

Figure B.17: Obtaining the IP address automatically is easy.

This setting has a number of advantages, and we recommend it for all of your client machines-especially if you're new to networking. This setting:

• Automatically configures IP settings via a DHCP server such as WinProxy.
• Takes care of all your network settings for this network connection-gateway, DNS, etc., with no further action on your part.

The only place you can't use this configuration is in the internal network setting on the WinProxy machine. In that case, a static assignment must be utilized.

Static IP Addressing. Let's move on now to setting a static IP address. Starting from the same screen above, click Specify an IP address. Specify it like this:

Figure B.18: Setting a static IP address.

We recommend these settings for the WinProxy machine's internal IP address. If specifying the IP addresses on any of your client machines (you can mix and match, having some specified and others obtained automatically), follow these rules for each additional IP address you specify:

1. Each machine gets the same subnet mask as the WinProxy machine.
2. Each machine gets a unique IP address. Having two machines with the 90.0.0.1 address, for instance, would really confuse matters. It's easier to remember addresses if you number them sequentially: the next machine gets 90.0.0.2, then 90.0.0.3, and so on.
3. You can use any number between 1 and 254. You cannot use 0, and you cannot use 255 or any higher number.
4. When setting unique addresses, make changes only in the IP address field corresponding to "0" in the subnet mask. IP fields that correspond to the "255" blocks in the subnet mask must be the same on all internal network connections.

You'll need to specify a few other settings here. To do so, click on the Gateway Tab:

Figure B.19: The Gateway Tab.

For each network connection in which you specify an IP address-including WinProxy's internal network connection-you must specify the gateway. The gateway address is the address of WinProxy's internal network connection; each and every network connection on the local network needs that very same gateway address.

That's all that's required for basic network communication-and if basic communication is all you need, you can stop here.

However, if you're feeling daring, it's easy to add a couple of settings that may come in handy later. You'll only need these settings if you're specifying the IP address (or if you already have a DNS server on your local network and you prefer to use it). To proceed click on the DNS Tab:

Figure B.20: The DNS Tab.

If you set the network IP address connection to "Obtain Automatically," it gets the DNS information as well (even if you've checked the "Disable DNS" box-it's not really disabled; it's merely obtaining settings from a DHCP server if one exists).

The setting for "DNS Server Search Order" is the WinProxy internal IP address. Every machine on your local network uses the WinProxy machine as its DNS server. The setting for the domain can be anything you like-as long as it's the same on all of your computers. The "Host" setting is the name of the computer you're currently configuring.

You don't need anything under the suffix search, and you don't need to add anything to any of the other tabs. However, if you're playing around with the DNS settings, keep one thing in mind. The way you get to the DNS settings (by going through the TCP/IP settings) can be misleading. While TCP/IP settings are "per network connection," DNS settings are "per host." So, while a computer (a "host") can have as many TCP/IP settings as it does network connections, it can have only one DNS configuration. If you change a DNS setting while working on one network connection, you'll see that change reflected in every place that you find DNS settings. Why? Because, in the end, there can be but one DNS configuration.