Networking / Beginners

Windows 2000 authentication

The Windows authentication process allows users logging on to the network to access all network resources to which they have permissions. This means it is necessary to log on only once to access all the resources on the network. In Windows 2000, two processes are required for a successful logon:

  • Interactive logon-This logon is used to confirm the identity of the person logging on to the domain or local system.
  • Network authentication-This logon is used to verify the user's identification for access to network resources.

A few industry-supported types of authentication are used in Windows 2000. The type of authentication used depends on what is being accessed. Table below lists some of the various authentication methods.

Authentication Methods

Authentication MethodDescription
Kerberos version 5Kerberos is an authentication mode that is used for interactive logon and the default method of network authentication for services.
NTLMNTLM is used for authentication in a mixed-mode network configuration. Mixed-mode network is a Microsoft term that describes a network that uses a combination of Windows NT and Windows 2000 systems. If a network exclusively uses one or the other, NTLM authentication is not required. An example of NTLM authentication is a Windows NT workstation authenticating to a Windows 2000 Server system.
Secure Sockets Layer/Transport Layer Security (SSL/TLS)SSL/TLS is an authentication method that is used when a user is attempting to access a secure Web server.
[Previous] [Contents] [Next]

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