Networking / Beginners

Client operating systems

Whereas a network operating system works behind the scenes, providing the services that make the network function, the workstation operating systems act as the window to the network. For that reason, network administrators must be aware of the operating systems that grace the front end of the network.

As stated previously, Microsoft's Windows products dominate the desktop operating systems market. The other operating systems discussed in this chapter hold single-figure percentages of the market share. However, these other systems are readily available, and their numbers are growing.

Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows Me

Perhaps the most widely used client operating systems are the Windowsbased clients-Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows Me. These clients are used in network environments of all sizes, ranging from small office and home office environments to large corporations. Their popularity can be attributed to the familiar, easy-to-navigate graphical interfaces, compatibility with most of the current popular applications, and their low cost, at least in comparison to other Windows products, such as Windows NT Workstation and Windows 2000 Professional.

Application support for Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows Me

Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows Me systems support all but a few of the major applications used today. They were designed to be used with office productivity tools such as spreadsheets and word processors. In addition, they support a range of entertainment applications. Of all the operating systems in use today, they have the greatest commercial software support.

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In this tutorial:

  1. Network Operating Systems and Clients
  2. Network operating systems
  3. Windows NT 4
  4. Domains and workgroups
  5. Windows NT 4 authentication
  6. Windows NT 4 file and print services
  7. Windows NT 4 application support
  8. Windows NT 4 security
  9. Windows NT 4 and Windows 2000 file system security
  10. Windows 2000
  11. Windows 2000 Active Directory and domains
  12. Windows 2000 authentication
  13. Windows 2000 file and print services
  14. Windows 2000 application support
  15. Novell NetWare
  16. NDS (Novell Directory Services)
  17. NetWare authentication
  18. NetWare file and print services
  19. NetWare application support
  20. NetWare security
  21. Linux
  22. Linux file and print services
  23. Linux application support
  24. Linux security
  25. Operating system interoperability
  26. Using Windows with NetWare
  27. Using Windows and Linux servers
  28. Using NetWare and Linux servers
  29. Operating system client support
  30. NetWare server client support
  31. Linux server client support
  32. Client operating systems
  33. Local security mechanisms for Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows Me
  34. Windows NT Workstation, Windows 2000 Professional, and Windows XP Professional
  35. Client connectivity for Windows NT Workstation, Windows 2000 Professional, and Windows XP Professional
  36. Applications for Linux
  37. Local security mechanisms for Linux
  38. Macintosh
  39. Application support for Macintosh
  40. Selecting a NIC and network configuration settings
  41. Connecting the PC to the network
  42. Testing and troubleshooting the NIC
  43. Configuring the NIC settings
  44. Configuring client systems for TCP/IP
  45. Configuring DNS server information
  46. Configuring WINS server information
  47. Using DHCP (Dynamic Host Control Protocol)
  48. Configuring clients to access servers
  49. Client software for Microsoft networks on Windows 95/98/Me
  50. Novell client software
  51. Unix/Linux client software