When you install Windows Vista Home Edition, the installation routine automatically installs and configures the network clients, network services, and network protocols normally needed for home or home-office networks. When you set up your network, Windows may install other network components needed for the type of network configuration it finds. Sometimes, however, you may need to configure networking components manually. You may also need to install networking components- although, as Windows Vista installs all those a small network usually needs, this is not so likely. You can also remove some networking components if necessary- for example, for security reasons.

Understanding Windows Vista’s Standard Networking Components

This section explains the networking components that Windows installs. The table at the end of the section shows you which networking components Windows uses for wired LAN connections, wireless connections, and dial-up connections.

Client for Microsoft Networks

The Client for Microsoft Networks enables your computer to access files and printers that other computers on the network are sharing. Normally, you won’t need to configure Client for Microsoft Networks unless you’re using Distributed Computing Environment DCE server or client kits, which is very unlikely.

QoS Packet Scheduler

The QoS Packet Scheduler organizes the sending and receiving of packets chunks of data packaged for transmission so as to maintain quality of service QoS. QoS may sound esoteric and the details are, but the principle is straightforward enough. Some data transmissions suffer more than others from a delay in the stream of packets. For example, when you transfer a data file from one computer to another, it doesn’t much matter if there’s a delay while the data is being delivered: After all the packets of data have arrived, the network card and network client software put the packets back into the correct order and reassemble them into a file that you can work with. By contrast, if you’re listening to streaming audio or watching streaming video across a network connection, a delay in the stream of packets will produce a break in the audio or video, spoiling the experience. So the QoS Packet Scheduler gives priority to data that would suffer from being interrupted over data that’s less sensitive to time lags. QoS Packet Scheduler has no configurable properties.

File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks

File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks enables your computer to share files and printers with other computers on the network. If you turn on Sharing and Discovery, other computers can then access shared files and printers on your computer. Make sure that your dial-up Internet connection isn’t using the File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks item, because this could expose your shared files and printers to everyone on the Internet. File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks has no configurable properties.

Internet Protocol Version 6 TCP/IPv6 and Internet Protocol Version 4 TCP/IPv4

TCP/IP is the protocol suite on which the Internet is based. Windows Vista uses TCP/IPv6 and TCP/ IPv4 as its default network protocols, using TCP/IPv6 the latest version with servers that support TCP/IPv6 and using TCP/IPv4 with other servers. TCP/IP has various properties that you can set in the Internet Protocol TCP/IP Properties dialog box. The section “Configuring TCP/IP Manually,” later in this article, discusses how to set these properties.

Link-Layer Topology Discovery Mapper I/O Driver and Link-Layer Topology >Discovery Responder

Link-Layer Topology Discovery LLTD is a protocol that figures out the topology of the network to which the computer is attached. Windows Vista uses LLTD to produce the network map that appears in Network and Sharing Center windows. The Mapper I/O Driver works out which computers and devices are on the network, creates a map, and estimates the network’s bandwidth. I/O is the abbreviation for input/output. The Responder listens for LLTD requests and replies to them, allowing the Mapper to find out which computers and devices are present. These two items have no configurable properties.

Understanding Windows Vista’s Extra Networking Components

Apart from the networking components discussed in the main text of this article, Windows Vista includes various networking components that are not normally needed for home or home-office networking. This sidebar briefly explains what these components are and when if ever you might need to use them. If you do need to install any of these components, take the following steps:

1.Choose Start Control Panel. Windows opens a Control Panel window.

2.In Control Panel Home view, click the Program link. Windows displays a Programs window.

3.Under the Programs and Features heading, click the Turn Windows Features On or Off link, and then authenticate yourself to User Account Control. Windows displays the Windows Features window.

4.Select the check box for each feature you want to install.

5.Click the OK button. Windows closes the Windows Features window and installs the features.

RIP Listener A tool that enables Windows to listen to Router Information Protocol RIP broadcast packets giving information about router availability and reconfigure its TCP/IP routing tables accordingly. You won’t normally need RIP Listener on a small network.

Simple TCP/IP Services A group of TCP/IP services including a Quote of the Day service and an Echo generator that you’re unlikely to need. Don’t install them unless you’re sure you need them, because they can be used in denial-of-service DoS attacks by malware that gets onto your computer. Worse yet, some personal firewall software packages don’t monitor these services.

SNMP Feature Simple Network Management Protocol SNMP is used to manage larger networks for example, remotely administering routers and switches. The WMI SNMP Provider lets Windows Management Interface WMI programs access SNMP information. You shouldn’t need to use SNMP on a home network or a home-office network.

Telnet Client Telnet Client lets you connect to a remote computer using the text-based telnet protocol. You may need to install Telnet Client if you need to log on remotely to Unix-based computers.

Installing and Removing Networking Components

Windows Vista installs all the components you’ll need to create most kinds of home networks and to connect to public networks, so you’ll seldom need to install other networking components. How ever, if you need to do so, follow these steps:

1. In the Network Connections window, right-click a connection, choose Properties from the context menu, and then authenticate yourself to User Account Control. Windows displays the Properties dialog box for the connection.

2. On the Networking page, click the Install button. Windows displays the Select Network Feature Type dialog box, as shown here.

3. In the list box, select the Client item, the Service item, or the Protocol item as appropriate.

4. Click the Add button. Windows displays the Select Network Client dialog box, the Select Network Service dialog box, or the Select Network Protocol dialog box as appropriate.

5. If the component you want to add appears in the list box, select it. If you have on disk a component that Windows doesn’t provide, click the Have Disk button and use the resulting Install from Disk dialog box to specify the location of the file containing the component, and then select the component itself.

6. Click the OK button. Windows installs the component and returns you to the Properties dialog box for the connection.

7.If the component has configurable properties that you want to configure, select it in the This Connection Uses the Following Items list box, and then click the Properties button. If the component has no configurable properties, this button will be dimmed and unavailable. Windows displays the Properties dialog box for the component. Choose properties as needed, and then click the OK button to close the Properties dialog box.

8. If Windows tells you that you need to restart your computer before the new settings will take effect, click the Yes button. Windows restarts your computer. When you log back on to Windows, the network connection will have the client, service, or protocol installed and available for use.

You’ll seldom need to remove one of the standard networking components, because Windows needs them for most network connections, and removing a component from one connection removes it from all connections. Instead, you can clear the component’s check box in the This Connection Uses the Following Items list on the Networking page of the Properties dialog box for the connection to prevent the connection from using the component. However, if you install an extra networking component, you may need to uninstall it. To do so, select the component in the This Connection Uses the Following Items list on the Networking page of the Properties dialog box for the connection, click the Uninstall button, and then click the Yes button in the Uninstall confirmation dialog box see the example shown here. Depending on the component, you may need to shut down and restart your computer after removing the component.