Chapter 12 - Basic TCP/IP Networking Commands

Abstract

This chapter explores ways of performing rudimentary administrative tasks on a Windows computer using the available command-line utilities and commands. The Net command provides an extremely versatile way to perform any number of tasks on a computer—from starting and stopping services, to managing access to shared resources, to sending messages to users on a domain. Net command provides a wide selection of subcommands for performing network-specific tasks as well as general administrative tasks. The chapter also describes several commands for troubleshooting potential problems with network settings and several ways of performing diagnostic tasks. It examines a number of other network administration tools, such as Ping, IPConfig, Pathping, Finger, and Address Resolution Protocol (ARP). Network administration is not only about figuring out what is wrong with your network connectivity; it is also about using commands to communicate with remote computers. Basic functions such as transferring files from one computer to another using the standard File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP), and Remote Copy Protocol (RCP) are sometimes extremely important when trying to accomplish a task. The chapter concludes with a discussion on the commands available for communicating with UNIX servers from a Windows computer, either by executing commands remotely or by printing on a UNIX box.