Lesson 1:?Configuring Inbound Connections

In Windows XP Professional, all of the processes for creating network connections are consolidated in the New Connection Wizard. Inbound connections are one of the types of network connections created using the New Connection Wizard.

After this lesson, you will be able to

• Configure inbound connections in Windows XP Professional
• Configure Remote Access to allow incoming virtual private network (VPN) connections

Estimated lesson time: 30 minutes

Allowing Incoming Dial-Up Connections

To configure and administer inbound connections on a computer running Windows XP Professional, you use the New Connection Wizard. To access the New Connection Wizard, click Start, click My Computer, click My Network Places, click View Network Connections, and then click Create A New Connection. Windows XP Professional displays the Welcome To The New Connection Wizard page. Click Next to continue, and Windows XP Professional displays the Network Connection Type page. To configure an inbound connection, click Set Up An Advanced Connection and then click Next. The New Connection Wizard displays the Advanced Connection Options page (see Figure 17.1).

Figure 17.1??The Advanced Connection Options page

On the Advanced Connection Options page, click Accept Incoming Connections and then click Next to display the Devices For Incoming Connection page.

Configuring Devices for Incoming Connections

The Devices For Incoming Connections page allows you to choose one of the available devices on your computer to accept incoming calls. If the device you select is configurable, click Properties to configure it. For example, if you have selected a modem, possible options to configure in the device's Properties dialog box include port speed, error correction, use of compression, and the type flow control (see Figure 17.2). The Advanced tab contains additional configurable options, which might include the number of data bits, the parity, the number of stop bits, and the modulation type.

Figure 17.2??The General tab of the Properties dialog box for a modem

Allowing VPN Connections

When you are through configuring the device, click OK to close the Properties dialog box and then click Next in the Devices For Incoming Connection page. The New Connection Wizard displays the Incoming Virtual Private Network (VPN) Connection page. If you click Allow Virtual Private Connections, Windows XP Professional modifies the ICF so that your computer can send and receive VPN packets. Select the option either to allow or not allow VPN connections, and then click Next.

Specifying User Permissions and Callback Options

You must specify which users can use this inbound connection in the User Permissions page (see Figure 17.3).

Figure 17.3??The User Permissions page

After you select a user, click Properties. In the user-name Properties dialog box, click the Callback tab to set the callback options. You can choose Do Not Allow Callback, Allow The Caller To Set The Callback Number, or Always Use The Following Callback Number. Enabling callback causes the remote server, in this case your computer, to disconnect from the client calling in, and then to call the client computer back. By using callback, you can have the bill for the phone call charged to the office phone number rather than to the phone number of the user who called in. Callback can also be used to increase security because if you specify the callback number you don't have to worry about someone trying to break in. Even if an unauthorized user calls in, the system calls back at the number you specified, not the number of the unauthorized user.

Selecting Networking Software

After you specify the callback options, click Next. The New Connection Wizard displays the Networking Software page. You can choose the networking software you want to enable for incoming connections. You can also install additional networking software by clicking Install. For example, to install NWLink IP/SPX/NetBIOS Compatible Transport Protocol, click Install, select Protocol, and then click Add. On the Select Network Protocol page, select NWLink IP/SPX/NetBIOS Compatible Transport Protocol, insert the Windows XP Professional CD-ROM in the CD-ROM drive, and then click OK. Windows XP Professional installs the protocol. After the protocol is installed, you are returned to the Networking Components page. When you click Next, you will be prompted to type a name for the connection, and then click Finish. If you would like a shortcut to appear on your desktop, select the Add A Shortcut To My Desktop check box. Click Finish to create the connection.

Practice:?Configuring an Inbound Connection

In this practice, you use the New Connection Wizard to configure an inbound connection.

To configure an inbound connection

1. Log on as Fred or with an account that is a member of the Administrators group.
2. On the Start menu, click My Computer, click My Network Places, and then click View Network Connections.

   Windows XP Professional displays the Network Connections window.

3. Click Create A New Connection.

   Windows XP Professional starts the New Connection Wizard.

4. In the Welcome To The New Connection Wizard page, click Next.

   The New Connection Wizard displays the Network Connection Type page.

5. Select Set Up An Advanced Connection, and then click Next.

   The New Connection Wizard displays the Advanced Connection Options page.

6. Ensure that Accept Incoming Connections is selected, and then click Next.

   The New Connection Wizard displays the Devices For Incoming Connections page.

7. Select the modem device option for your computer in the Connection Devices list, and then click Next.
   If you do not have a modem, select Direct Parallel.

   The New Connection Wizard displays the Incoming Virtual Private Network (VPN) Connection page.

8. Ensure that Allow Virtual Private Connections is selected, and then click Next.

   The New Connection Wizard displays the User Permissions page.

9. Select Administrator, and then click Properties.

   The New Connection Wizard displays the Administrator Properties dialog box with the General tab selected.

10. Click the Callback tab.

    The New Connection Wizard displays the Callback tab of the Administrator Properties dialog box.

11. Review the callback options, leave the default setting of Do Not Allow Callback, and then click OK.
12. In the User Permissions page, click Next.

    The New Connection Wizard displays the Networking Software page.

13. Review the available networking components, click Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), and then click Properties.

    The New Connection Wizard displays the Incoming TCP/IP dialog box.

14. Select Specify TCP/IP Addresses.
15. In the From text box, type 192.168.1.201, and in the To text box, type 192.168.1.205, and then click OK.
    If your computer is on a network and there is a valid address that you can use to test your inbound connection, use a range that includes that address.
16. In the Networking Software page, click Next.

    The New Connection Wizard displays the Completing The New Connection Wizard page. The name assigned to the connection is Incoming Connections.

17. Click Finish.

    Notice that Incoming Connections now appears in the Network Connections window.

Lesson Review

The following questions will help you determine whether you have learned enough to move on to the next lesson. If you have difficulty answering these questions, review the material in this lesson before beginning the next lesson. The answers are in Appendix A, "Questions and Answers."

1. The Network Connection Type page of the New Connection Wizard has four selections. What are the four selections and which selection do you use to allow inbound dial-up connections?
2. Other than allowing VPN connections, what does Windows XP Professional do when you configure a new connection to allow virtual private connections?
3. What is callback and why would you enable it?

Lesson Summary

• You configure inbound connections in Windows XP Professional with the New Connection Wizard.
• You can choose which of the available devices on your computer you will allow to accept incoming calls in the Devices For Incoming Connections page of the New Connection Wizard, and if the device you select is configurable, click Properties to configure it.
• You must specify which user accounts can use the inbound connections you configure using the New Connection Wizard.
• You can specify whether or not to allow callback for each user account.
• You can specify whether the caller should indicate the callback number or whether you want to set it.