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IP Printing

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PCQ Bureau
New Update

Communication on the network and the Internet is handled through protocols, the most widely used and popular of which is TCP/IP (Transfer Control Protocol/Internet Protocol). TCP/IP works through a stack, which is built-in into your OS. Configuration needs to be done at the user’s end to ensure the communication. Let’s look at what these settings are and how they are done in different flavors of Windows.

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Though the information needed to configure TCP/IP is similar in all Windows, the only difference is that while Windows 9x needs a reboot to apply the settings, Windows NT/2000/XP do not. Right-click the Network Neighborhood icon on the desktop and select Properties. This takes you to Network or Local Area Connection Properties window. From the installed network components, highlight the TCP/IP option for your network card and click Properties. The following need to be configured (assuming you are on a small network and not running a DHCP server).

IP Address



Assign a valid IP address that is a part of the subnet you are in. A machine assigned an IP of 192.168.2.x will obviously not communicate on a 192.168.1.x subnet. Also note that IP addresses for LANs are conventionally 192. 168.x.x otherwise you might end up with a conflict with some other machine on the Internet. Best is to leave the setting to Obtain an IP address automatically and put up a DHCP server.

Gateway



Machines on a LAN are not directly connected to the Internet. They use a Gateway, which forwards their requests to the Internet and also sends back the replies to them. The Gateway entry takes in the IP address of your Internet gateway machine. If the gateway is also the DHCP server, then this entry will automatically get filled in.

DNS



DNS (Domain Name Server) keeps record of IP addresses against domain names. This is essential for resolving URLs, which are in plain English to IP addresses that refer to actual machines. ISPs provide DNS on their networks. Assign the IP of your ISPs DNS here. You can have a preferred and an alternate DNS and even add multiple DNSs through the Advanced button and then the DNS tab.

Note: Do not fiddle around with these settings if you are on a network, which is already being served by a network administrator team. Incorrect settings might cut you off the network completely and even affect the network.

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