The following list provides best practices for implementing Network Connections:
Your operating system detects network adapters and automatically creates a local area connection in the Network Connections folder for each network adapter. If more than one network adapter is installed, you can eliminate possible confusion by immediately renaming each local area connection to reflect the network that it connects to.
You need to add or enable the network clients, services, and protocols that are required for each connection. When you do so, the client, service, or protocol is added or enabled in all other network and dial-up connections.
If your network administrator or Internet service provider (ISP) requires static settings, you may need one or more of the following:
DHCP is enabled by default. This gets your IP address and other configuration information automatically. Automated IP settings are used for all connections, and they eliminate the need to configure settings such as DNS, WINS, and so on.
For more information about enabling DHCP, see To configure TCP/IP settings.
After you create a connection, you can copy the connections, rename them and modify the connection settings. By doing so, you can easily create different connections to accommodate multiple modems, ISPs, dialing profiles, and so on.
For more information, see To copy a network or dial-up connection.
By changing the order of protocols bound to those providers, you can improve performance. For example, if your LAN connection is enabled to access NetWare and Microsoft Windows networks, which use IPX and TCP/IP, but your primary connection is to a Microsoft Windows network that uses TCP/IP, you can move Microsoft Windows Network to the top of the Network providers list on the Provider Order tab, and move Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) to the top of the File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks binding on the Adapters and Bindings tab.
For more information about modifying the order of network providers, see To modify the network provider order. For more information about modifying the order of protocol bindings, see To modify the protocol bindings order.
Limiting the number of protocols on your computer enhances its performance and reduces network traffic.
If your computer encounters a problem with a network or dial-up connection, it attempts to establish connectivity by using every network protocol that is installed and enabled. By only installing and enabling the protocols that your system can use, the operating system does not attempt to connect with protocols it cannot use, and returns status information to you more efficiently.