Configuring Remote Network and Computer Access

Administrators support users with a variety of needs, including those who travel with their laptop computers, those who use home computers to connect remotely to a corporate network, or those who connect remotely to their own personal workstations. These needs mean that administrators have to address a whole series of issues, including:

• Configuring laptop computers with different hardware profiles, allowing the computers to adjust easily to different hardware configurations when docked or undocked
• Setting up dial-up access to the corporate network using remote access servers
• Using the Internet to set up secure virtual private connections to the corporate network
• Setting up users' corporate desktop computers so that users can remotely access their desktop from a remote location
• Setting up different TCP/IP settings to support user laptops when they are moved between different networks
• Configuring other mobile technologies such as offline file access

Each of these tasks is discussed further throughout the remainder of this tutorial.

Alternative Network Connections

Windows XP Professional provides the ability to connect to remote networks using a variety of network connections. These connections are configured using the New Connection Wizard and can include:

• Dial-up connections to corporate remote access servers or workstations
• Dial-up connections to the Internet, where a VPN connection is then established that uses the infrastructure provided by the Internet to securely connect to a corporate network
• Broadband connections to the Internet, where a VPN connection is then established that uses the infrastructure provided by the Internet to securely connect to a corporate network

The New Connection Wizard automatically manages the setup and configuration of each of these types of connection, including the configuration of necessary network client software, services, and protocols. Windows XP Professional can establish network connections over a number of network mediums, including:

• PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network). A low-speed connection established over the same network that provides local telephone service
• Cable. A high-speed connection established over the same network that provides cable TV
• DSL. A high-speed connection established over the PSTN
• ISDN. A medium-speed connection established over dedicated communications lines provided by the telephone company
• X.25. An older low-speed connection that operates on networks with unreliable communications