Connecting to the Internet
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Contents
The Internet has become both
an essential conduit for business activities and a source of
new opportunities. Today, being connected to the Internet
can make the difference between existing and thriving, which
makes Internet connectivity a requirement for many
businesses. Microsoft� Windows� 2000 Server includes the
services and technologies businesses of all sizes need to
provide complete Internet connectivity.
Connecting to the Internet
may just mean providing browser access for employees who
need to do research, or to work with a partner through
e-mail. For some, it means posting a Web site used to sell
products. And for others, it�s a way to extend company
networks to partners and customers to maximize competitive
advantage. Windows 2000 gives you all the features you need
to do any or all of these things.
Windows 2000 networking
services can help Internet-enable your business by letting
you:
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Simplify Internet
connections for individuals.
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Connect small businesses
to the Internet.
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Host Internet e-commerce
solutions.
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Link people and networks
through the Internet. |
Simplify Internet Connections for
Individuals
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The Windows 2000 Professional
operating system makes it easy for people to get connected.
Internet access means having an account and connecting
through dial-up or high-speed DSL or cable modems. Windows
2000 Professional helps make this all easier through Plug
and Play services, new device support and an easy-to-use New
Connections Wizard.
Plug and Play services
relieve users from having to be experts in configuring
hardware, interrupts, or IP addresses. Windows 2000
Professional automatically recognizes more than 700 network
interface cards and over 4,000 modems today. If it's not
recognized yet, a device with the Windows 2000 logo will
include the Plug and Play driver you need.
Because the drivers are
tested by Microsoft and digitally signed, you won�t
accidentally install a driver that "kind of works"
but fails. Only the driver intended for the device can be
used. For users connecting workstations to the network using
DSL or cable modems, USB-compatible interface devices
eliminate the need to open up the computer case to install a
network card. Regardless of the link type you use, the PC
hardware setup is easier than it�s ever been and you can
have choices from a range of suppliers.
Windows 2000 Professional
simplifies setting up an Internet link through the New
Connections Wizard. A simple dialog box guides you through
defining the connection. You can choose to establish a new
Internet account, transfer an account or manually set up an
account. You can connect through your modem, or through a
LAN connection (typically used for DSL or cable modem). Or
you can set up your Internet e-mail account and integrate
the connection with the Microsoft Outlook� messaging and
collaboration client. The only three things you have to know
are your login name, password, and the telephone number for
the Internet service provider.
Because Windows 2000 supports
standard Internet protocols, any additional network
configurations can happen automatically. And when you�re
finished, Internet Explorer knows which links are available
and remembers the browser configurations so that whatever
connection you use, Web access works like it should.
Small businesses typically
have limited networking needs, work on tight budgets, and
lack the resources of a dedicated IT staff. To accommodate
these requirements and constraints, Windows 2000 combines
the simplicity of the New Connections Wizard with
self-configuring services that securely link your small
business to the Internet. And if you want to add more
security to your network, Windows 2000 is an excellent
platform for more advanced firewall solutions.
To make small business
connections easy, Windows 2000 Professional and Windows 2000
Server include a feature called Internet Connection Sharing.
To use this, you pick one of your computers to act as the
single Internet connection. All that�s needed is to
install a modem or a second interface card (for the DSL or
cable-modem link). By editing the properties on the Internet
connection, you can check a box to share the connection.
When you�re finished, Internet Connection Sharing
configures your entire network so that anyone can access the
Internet through that system. Connection sharing
automatically sets up your network addresses, configures
itself as the �gateway� to the Internet, creates the
path to the name services on the Internet, and lets all your
systems share a single IP address to talk to Web servers and
other systems on the Internet. And, because it includes a
self-configuring Network Address Translator, your PCs are
hidden from the Internet to prevent unauthorized access. So
besides making Internet connections easy, Internet
Connection Sharing actually helps keep your internal network
secure. And for businesses that want even more security,
Windows 2000 is an exceptional platform for value-added
firewall services that inspect packets to block viruses and
access to undesirable Web sites.
For companies that want more
than basic Internet access, Windows 2000 provides an
excellent platform for building complete e-business
solutions. Whether you want a high-power scalable Web
application for e-commerce or a powerful tool to control
security across your Internet links, Windows 2000 Server
includes the services and platform features you need.
High scale Web sites need
performance and Windows 2000 networking services deliver.
With support for Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) and
gigabit Ethernet, Windows 2000 can connect in high-speed
Internet demilitarized zones (DMZs). But link speed alone is
not a complete measure of performance. In recent third-party
testing, Windows 2000 Professional turned in a blazing
sustained 2.4 gigabits per second to deliver the fastest
ever real-time applications run over a wide area network. To
maximize performance beyond what�s possible with a single
network interface, Windows 2000 lets you connect multiple
interfaces to the system and to the same network. Fail-over
technologies between network interface cards (NICs) keep the
system running even in the event of hardware NIC failures.
For sites that require the
highest level of power and fault resiliency, Windows 2000
Advanced Server scales out with Network Load Balancing
Services. With this feature, it is possible to build
enormous Web sites that load balance traffic across a
cluster of systems. This can help increase the capacity of
your site and protect it from hardware failures by
automatically distributing the load between available
systems.
Because of these powerful
features, Windows 2000 Server was the heart of some of the
Internet�s largest e-commerce sites even before it
shipped!
Link People and Networks Through
the Internet
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Today companies are looking
for ways to reduce equipment costs by using the Internet as
their wide area network. Whether connecting remote employees
or networks, companies can save money by using the Internet
to reduce management costs, modem infrastructure, long
distance telephone service, and more. Windows 2000 includes
all the services needed to capitalize on the connections
delivered by your Internet service provider.
Windows 2000 also makes it
easy for people to connect to their company networks through
the Internet using its integrated virtual private networking
(VPN) features. This can dramatically reduce costs by
letting people use local telephone access to the Internet
rather than expensive long-distance connections. These same
features can be used to connect remote networks to the
company network, eliminating the need to pay for leased
lines. Whether you are adding VPN features to an existing
remote access and routing infrastructure, replacing the
infrastructure, or creating a new infrastructure from
scratch, Windows 2000 can help make this easier and more
affordable.
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