This document may be freely copied and distributed, provided that: this copyright notice is included, the entire body of text is included, and the textual content of this document is unchanged.

For written permission to use portions of this document in other publications, send email to bfree@graphcomp.com.

This is a work in progress.

LAN Connections

Many high tech employers and academic institutions provide free access to the internet. If you have access to a Local Area Network (LAN) that is connected to the internet, ask your network manager what kind of LAN card you need and how to configure your TCP setup.

Connecting to a LAN generally involves:

• installing a network card in your PC
• running a cable from the card to the network
• installing drivers/TSRs to interface with the card
• having the network administrator assign your machine:
  • a host name on a domain
  • a subnet mask
  • a host IP address
  • a gateway address
  • and a DNS address

Some networks support BOOTP or some other host configuration server that dynamically assigns all required IP settings; check with your network administrator.

As an alternative to using a direct, cable connection to a LAN, you should also ask your network administrator if your network supports remote serial (modem or ISDN) connections.