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Chapter 2

Configuring Windows and Mac Clients

IN THIS CHAPTER

Configuring network connections for Windows and Mac clients

Changing the computer name

Joining a domain

Among the most basic aspects of using a network is configuring your computer to connect to the network. In particular, you have to configure each client computer’s network interface so that it works properly, and you have to install the right protocols so that the clients can communicate with other computers on the network.

Fortunately, the task of configuring client computers for the network is child’s play in Windows. For starters, Windows automatically recognizes your network interface card when you start up your computer. All that remains is to make sure that Windows properly installed the network protocols and client software.

With each version of Windows, Microsoft has simplified the process of configuring client network support. In the first half of this chapter, I describe the steps for configuring networking for Windows 10. The procedures for previous versions of Windows are similar.

Configuring a Mac computer for networking is just as easy. The second half of this chapter shows you how to dial in networking using Apple’s latest incarnation of the macOS, known as Catalina. The procedures are similar for previous macOS versions.

Configuring Windows Network Connections

Windows usually detects the presence of a network adapter automatically; typically, you don’t have to install device drivers manually for the adapter. When Windows detects a network adapter, Windows automatically creates a network connection and configures it to support basic networking protocols. You may need to change the configuration of a network connection manually, however.

The following steps show you how to configure your network adapter on a Windows 10 system:

1 Click the Start icon (or press the Start button on the keyboard), and then tap or click Settings.The Settings page appears, as shown in Figure 2-1.FIGURE 2-1: The Settings page.

2 Click Network & Internet.The Network & Internet page appears, as shown in Figure 2-2.

3 Click Ethernet.The Ethernet settings page appears, as shown in Figure 2-3.FIGURE 2-2: The Network & Internet page.FIGURE 2-3: The Ethernet settings page.

4 Click Change Adapter Options.The Network Connections page appears, as shown in Figure 2-4. This page lists each of your network adapters. In this case, only a single wired Ethernet adapter is shown. If the device has more than one adapter, additional adapters will appear on this page.FIGURE 2-4: The Network Connections page.

5 Right-click the connection that you want to configure and then choose Properties from the contextual menu that appears.This action opens the Ethernet Properties dialog box, as shown in Figure 2-5.FIGURE 2-5: The Ethernet Properties dialog box.

6 To configure the network adapter card settings, click Configure.The Properties dialog box for your network adapter appears, as shown in Figure 2-6. This dialog box has seven tabs that let you configure the adapter:FIGURE 2-6: The Properties dialog box for a network adapter.General: Shows basic information about the adapter, such as the device type and status.Advanced: Lets you set a variety of device-specific parameters that affect the operation of the adapter.About: Displays information about the device’s patent protection.Driver: Displays information about the device driver that’s bound to the NIC and lets you update the driver to a newer version, roll back the driver to a previously working version, or uninstall the driver.Details: With this tab, you can inspect various properties of the adapter such as the date and version of the device driver. To view the setting of a particular property, select the property name from the drop-down list.Events: Lists recent events that have been logged for the device.Power Management: Lets you configure power management options for the device. When you click OK to dismiss the dialog box, the network connection’s Properties dialog box closes and you’re returned to the Network Connections page (refer to Figure 2-4). Right-click the network adapter and choose Properties again to continue the procedure.

7 Review the list of connection items listed in the Properties dialog box.The most important items you commonly see are:Client for Microsoft Networks: This item is required if you want to access a Microsoft Windows network. It should always be present.File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks: This item allows your computer to share its files or printers with other computers on the network. This option is usually used with peer-to-peer networks, but you can use it even if your network has dedicated servers. If you don’t plan to share files or printers on the client computer, however, you should disable this item.Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4): This item enables the client computer to communicate by using the version 4 standard TCP/IP protocol.Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6): This item enables version 6 of the standard TCP/IP protocol. Typically, both IP4 and IP6 are enabled, even though most networks rely primarily on IP4.

8 If a protocol that you need isn’t listed, click the Install button to add the needed protocol.A dialog box appears, asking whether you want to add a network client, protocol, or service. Click Protocol and then click Add. A list of available protocols appears. Select the one you want to add; then click OK.

9 To remove a network item that you don’t need (such as File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks), select the item, and click the Uninstall button.For security reasons, you should make it a point to remove any clients, protocols, or services that you don’t need.

10 To configure TCP/IP settings, click Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4); click Properties to display the TCP/IP Properties dialog box (shown in Figure 2-7); adjust the settings; and then click OK.The TCP/IP Properties dialog box lets you choose among these options:Obtain an IP Address Automatically: Choose this option if your network has a DHCP server that assigns IP addresses automatically. Choosing this option dramatically simplifies administering TCP/IP on your network. (See Chapter 6 for more information about DHCP.)FIGURE 2-7: Configuring TCP/IP.Use the Following IP Address: If your computer must have a specific IP address, choose this option and then type the computer’s IP address, subnet mask, and default gateway address. (For more information about these settings, see Chapter 6.)Obtain DNS Server Address Automatically: The DHCP server can also provide the address of the Domain Name System (DNS) server that the computer should use. Choose this option if your network has a DHCP server. (See Chapter 6 for more information about DNS.)Use the Following DNS Server Addresses: Choose this option if a DNS server isn’t available. Then type the IP addresses of the primary and secondary DNS servers.

Joining a Windows Computer to a Domain

When Windows first installs, it isn’t joined to a domain network. Instead, it’s available as part of a workgroup, which is an unmanaged network suitable only for the smallest of networks with just a few computers and without dedicated servers. To use a computer in a domain network, you must join the computer to the domain. Here are the steps for Windows 10:

1 Click the Start icon (or press the Start button on the keyboard), and then tap or click Settings.The Settings page appears (refer to Figure 2-1).

2 Click System.The System settings page appears.

3 Click About.The PC settings page appears, as shown in Figure 2-8.FIGURE 2-8: The PC settings page.

4 (Optional) To change the name of the computer, click Rename PC.You’re prompted to enter a new name and then reboot the computer.Before you join a domain, you should ensure that the computer’s name won’t be the same as the name of a computer that’s already a member of the domain. If it is, you should first change the name. If you do change the computer’s name, repeat the procedure from Step 1 after the reboot.

5 Click Join a Domain.The Join a Domain dialog box appears, as shown in Figure 2-9.

6 Enter the domain name and click Next.You’re prompted for the user name and password of a user who has administration privileges on the domain, as shown in Figure 2-10.

7 Click OK.FIGURE 2-9: Joining a domain.FIGURE 2-10: You must provide domain administrator credentials to join a domain.

8 Enter the username and password for an Administrator account when prompted.You’re asked to provide this information only if a computer account hasn’t already been created for the client computer.

9 When informed that you need to restart the computer, click Restart Now.The computer is restarted and added to the domain.

Configuring Mac Network Settings

Every Macintosh ever built, even an original 1984 model, includes networking support. Newer Macintosh computers have better built-in networking features than older Macintosh computers, of course. The newest Macs include built-in Gigabit Ethernet connections or 802.11ac wireless connections, or both. Support for these network connections is pretty much automatic, so all you have to do is plug your Mac into a network or connect to a wireless network, and you’re ready to go.

Most network settings on macOS are automatic. If you want, you can look at and change the default network settings by following these steps:

1 Choose ⇒ System Preferences and then click Network.The Network preferences page appears, as shown in Figure 2-11.FIGURE 2-11: Network preferences.

2 Click Advanced.The advanced network settings are displayed, as shown in Figure 2-12.

3 Click the TCP/IP tab.This brings up the TCP/IP settings, as shown in Figure 2-13. From this page, you can view the currently assigned IP address for the computer. And, if you want, you can assign a static IP address by changing the Configure IPv4 drop-down from Using DHCP to Manually. Then, you can enter your own IP address, subnet mask, and router address. (For more information about IP addresses, refer to Chapter 6.)FIGURE 2-12: Advanced network settings.FIGURE 2-13: Mac network TCP/IP settings.

4 Click the DNS tab.This brings up the DNS settings, as shown in Figure 2-14. Here, you can see the DNS servers being used, and you can add additional DNS servers if you want.FIGURE 2-14: DNS settings.

5 Click the Hardware tab.This brings up the hardware settings, as shown in Figure 2-15. The most useful bit of information on this tab is the MAC address, which is sometimes needed to set up wireless security. (For more information, refer to Chapter 8.)

6 Close the Network window.

FIGURE 2-15: Hardware settings.

Joining a Mac Computer to a Domain

If you’re using a Mac in a Windows domain environment, you can join the Mac to the domain by following these steps:

1 Choose ⇒ System Preferences and then click Users & Groups.This brings up the Users & Groups page, as shown in Figure 2-16.FIGURE 2-16: Users & Groups.

2 Select the user account you want to join to the domain and then click Login Options.The Login Options page appears, as shown in Figure 2-17.

3 If the lock icon at the lower left of the page is locked, click it and enter your password when prompted.By default, the user login options are locked to prevent unauthorized changes. This step unlocks the settings so that you can join the domain.

4 Click the Join button.You’re prompted to enter the name of the domain you want to join, as shown in Figure 2-18.FIGURE 2-17: Login Options.FIGURE 2-18: Joining a domain.

5 Enter the name of the domain you want to join.When you enter the domain name, the dialog box expands to allow you to enter domain credentials to allow you to join the domain, as shown in Figure 2-19.FIGURE 2-19: Authenticating with the domain.

6 Enter the name and password of a domain administrator account, and then click OK.You return to the Login Options page, which shows that you’ve successfully joined the domain (see Figure 2-20).

7 Close the Users & Groups window.

FIGURE 2-20: Congratulations! You have now joined the domain.