For best performance, all networking protocols and services in Windows NT Workstation are completely 32-bit. These include TCP/IP, support for the Internet, Dial-Up networking, NetBEUI, peer-to-peer networking, Client Services for NetWare (with support for NetWare NDS networks), and more. Organizations can enjoy the following benefits from this rich set of integrated networking support:
To provide the best network interoperability over WANs and network routers, include TCP/IP in your ideal configuration. The 32-bit TCP/IP stack included with Windows NT Workstation incorporates both SLIP and PPP. Microsoft TCP/IP, in combination with Windows NT Workstation, provides a scalable solution for enterprise networks that include a mix of system types.
When TCP/IP is used as the enterprise networking protocol, an IP addressing scheme is needed for your organization. If your servers run Windows NT Server, you can use Dynamic Host Control Protocol (DHCP) and Windows Internet Naming Service (WINS) for easy TCP/IP address management. With DHCP, administrators can centrally define global and subnet TCP/IP parameters for interconnected networks. The DHCP service dynamically configures the IP address and subnet mask of each workstation. For name resolution on TCP/IP internetworks, use WINS Servers or LMHosts files.
Windows NT Workstation allows users to run with more than a single IP address at the same time when using Remote Access Services.
When TCP/IP is used as a transport protocol with Windows NT Workstation, computers can communicate with other kinds of systems such as UNIX workstations and servers, or an IP configured printer, without additional networking software.
NetBEUI is a small, efficient, and fast protocol tuned for small LANs. It is designed to support department-sized LANs consisting of 20 to 200 workstations. NetBEUI does not support traffic across routers, but provides for both connectionless and connection-oriented traffic on a single network segment. NetBEUI is self-configuring and self-tuning. It can be installed and bound to a network card automatically when Windows NT is installed.
Windows NT includes the NWLink protocol, which is an implementation of the internetworking packet exchange (IPX) and sequenced packet exchange (SPX) transport protocols used by NetWare. NWLink NetBIOS is a Microsoft-enhanced implementation of Novell NetBIOS, and transmits Novell NetBIOS packets between a NetWare server running Novell NetBIOS and a Windows NT computer, or between two Windows NT computers.
The Microsoft implementations of the IPX, SPX, and Novell NetBIOS protocols can seamlessly coexist with other protocols on the same network adapter card.
For instructions on configuring NWLink, see Help.
The DLC protocol provided with Windows NT is used primarily to access IBM mainframe computers, rather than for general networking on Windows NT. For example, Microsoft SNA Server for Windows NT uses the DLC protocol device driver when communicating with mainframes on the token ring interface. DLC is also used to connect to printers that are connected directly to a LAN, rather than to a specific computer.
Windows NT DLC allows Windows NT computers to connect to IBM mainframes using 3270 emulators. You can also connect to IBM AS/400 computers using 5250 emulators. DLC works with either token ring or ethernet media access control (MAC) drivers.
The DLC protocol works with Windows NT-based programs and with MS-DOS-based and 16-bit Windows-based programs.
The AppleTalk protocol is used to deliver data to a network destination when a Windows NT Server computer configured with Windows NT Services for Macintosh is available on the network. This makes it possible for PCs and Apple Macintosh workstations to share files and printers.
The AppleTalk protocol is also used by software application developers who are creating cross-platform applications for Windows NT and the Macintosh. When used for transferring files across Ethernet or for remote debugging in this way, Windows NT Server Services for Macintosh is not required on the network.
If you are using another type of network, contact your network vendor regarding the availability of 32-bit, protected-mode network client software. Solutions are available for Banyan Vines networks, and several vendors distribute NFS (network file system) solutions for better integration with UNIX-based systems.