Lesson 2:?Configuring Outbound Connections

You can configure all outbound connections in Windows XP Professional with the New Connection Wizard. Much of the work of configuring protocols and services is automated when you use this process. Understanding the options found in this wizard will help you configure connections efficiently.

There are three outbound connection selections that you can configure using the New Connection Wizard:

• Connect To The Internet
• Connect To The Network At My Workplace
• Set Up An Advanced Connection

After this lesson, you will be able to

• Configure outbound connections in Windows XP Professional

Estimated lesson time: 30 minutes

Connect To The Internet

To connect to the Internet, 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. The Welcome To The New Connection Wizard appears. Click Next to continue and proceed to the Network Connection Type page (see Figure 17.4).

Figure 17.4??The Network Connection Type page

If you want to connect to the Internet, select Connect To The Internet on the Network Connection Type page and click Next. The New Connection Wizard displays the Getting Ready page, which has the following three options:

• Choose From A List Of Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
• Set Up My Connection Manually
• Use The CD I Got From An ISP

Choose From A List Of Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

If you select Choose From A List Of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) on the Getting Ready page, and then click Next, the New Connection Wizard displays the Completing The New Connection Wizard page. You can select Set Up Internet Access Using MSN Explorer (U.S. Only) or Select From A List Of Other ISPs. When you have made your selection, click Finish.

Set Up My Connection Manually

If you select Set Up My Connection Manually on the Getting Ready page, and then click Next, the New Connection Wizard displays the Internet Connection page. The following three options are available in the Internet Connection page:

• Connect Using A Dial-Up Modem.??Select this option if your connection uses a modem and a regular or Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) phone line. If you select Connect Using A Dial-Up Modem and click Next, you are prompted to enter the information in Table 17.1.

  Table 17.1??Connect Using A Dial-Up Modem

  When you have entered the information on each of the pages listed in Table 17.1, the New Connection Wizard displays the Completing The New Connection Wizard page, which displays a summary of the information you entered to manually create a connection to the Internet. If you would like a shortcut to appear on your desktop, select the Add A Shortcut To This Connection To My Desktop check box. Click Finish to create the connection.

• Connect Using A Broadband Connection That Requires A User And Password.??Select this option if your high-speed connection uses either a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) or cable modem. This type of connection is also known as Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet (PPPoE). If you select Connect Using A Broadband Connection That Requires A User And Password and click Next, you are also prompted to enter the information in Table 17.1.
• Connect Using A Broadband Connection That Is Always On.??Select this option if your high-speed connection uses a cable modem, DSL, or LAN connection. If you select Connect Using A Broadband Connection That Is Always On, the New Connection Wizard displays the Completing The New Connection Wizard page because the connection should already be configured and working.

Use The CD I Got From An ISP

If you select Use The CD I Got From An ISP on the Getting Ready page, and then click Next, the New Connection Wizard displays the Completing The New Connection Wizard page. You are instructed to click Finish and then insert the CD-ROM you received from your ISP. The setup program on the CD-ROM should start automatically to assist you in connecting to the Internet.

Connect To The Network At My Workplace

If you want to connect to a private network, select Connect To The Network At My Workplace on the Network Connection Type page and click Next. The New Connection Wizard displays the Network Connection page, which has the following two options:

• Dial-Up Connection
• Virtual Private Network Connection

Dial-Up Connection

Select this option if you want to connect to the network at your office using a modem and phone line or an ISDN phone line. If you select Dial-Up Connection and click Next, you are prompted to enter the information in Table 17.2.

Table 17.2??Dial-Up Connection Information

When you have entered the information on each of the pages listed in Table 17.2, the New Connection Wizard displays the Completing The New Connection Wizard page, which displays a summary of the information you entered to create the connection. If you would like a shortcut to appear on your desktop, select the Add A Shortcut To The Connection To My Desktop check box. Click Finish to create the connection.

Virtual Private Network Connection

Select this option if you want to connect to the network at your office using a VPN connection over the Internet. If you select Virtual Private Network Connection and click Next, you are prompted to enter the information in Table 17.3.

Table 17.3??Virtual Private Network Connection Information

When you have entered the information on each of the pages listed in Table 17.3, the New Connection Wizard displays the Completing The New Connection Wizard page, which displays a summary of the information you entered to create the connection. If you would like a shortcut to appear on your desktop, select the Add A Shortcut To The Connection To My Desktop check box. Click Finish to create the connection.

Set Up An Advanced Connection

Select this option to connect directly to another computer using a serial, parallel, or infrared port or to set up this computer so that other computers can connect to it. If you select Set Up An Advanced Connection, the New Connection Wizard displays the Advanced Connection Options page (see Figure 17.1). There are two options in the Advanced Connection Options page:

• Accept Incoming Connections.??This option allows you to configure and administer inbound connections on a computer running Windows XP Professional. For more information about this option, see Lesson 1, "Configuring Inbound Connections," earlier in this chapter.
• Connect Directly To Another Computer.??This option allows you to create a direct cable connection to another computer. If you select this option and click Next, you must provide the information in Table 17.4.

  Table 17.4??Connect Directly To Another Computer

  When you have entered the information on each of the pages listed in Table 17.4, the New Connection Wizard displays the Completing The New Connection Wizard page, which displays a summary of the information you entered to create the connection. If you would like a shortcut to appear on your desktop, select the Add A Shortcut To The Connection To My Desktop check box. Click Finish to create the connection.

Practice:?Configuring an Outbound Connection

In this practice, you use the New Connection Wizard to configure an outbound connection to a private network.

To configure an outbound 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, click View Network Connections, and then click Create A New Connection.

   Windows XP Professional starts the New Connection Wizard.

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

   The New Connection Wizard displays the Network Connection Type page.

4. Click Connect To The Network At My Workplace, and then click Next.

   The New Connection Wizard displays the Network Connection page.

5. Click Virtual Private Network Connection and then click Next.

   The New Connection Wizard displays the Connection Name page.

6. In the Company Name text box, type Work and then click Next.

   The New Connection Wizard displays the Public Network page.

7. Ensure that Do Not Dial The Initial Connection is selected, and then click Next.

   The New Connection Wizard displays the VPN Server Selection page.

8. In the Host Name Or IP Address text box, type 192.168.1.202 and then click Next.
   If your computer is on a network and there is a valid address that you can use to test your outbound connection, use that address instead of 192.168.1.202.

   The New Connection Wizard displays the Completing The New Connection Wizard page.

9. Review the information summary and then click Finish.

   Windows XP Professional displays the Connect Work dialog box.

10. In the User Name text box, type Administrator and type password for the password.
    If your computer is on a network and you entered a valid IP address in Step 8, enter a valid user name and password in Step 11.
11. Click Connect.
    If your computer is a stand-alone computer, this operation will fail. If your computer is on a network and you entered a valid address in Step 8 and a valid user name and password in Step 11, a message will be displayed indicating that a connection has been made.
12. If your connection failed, click Cancel. If you connected successfully to another computer, double-click the connection icon in the system tray, click Disconnect, and then click Yes.
13. Close all windows and log off.

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. What are the three outbound connection selections that you can configure using the New Connection Wizard, and what does each allow you to do?
2. How can you configure a direct connection to another computer?
3. Using the New Connection Wizard to create an outgoing connection to the network at your office, how can you have a shortcut appear on your desktop for easy access to the connection?

Lesson Summary

• You can configure all outbound connections in Windows XP Professional with the New Connection Wizard.
• You can choose from a list of ISPs, configure your connection to the Internet manually, or use a CD-ROM provided by your ISP when using the New Connection Wizard to connect to the Internet.
• You can manually configure a connection to the Internet using a modem and a regular or ISDN phone line by selecting Connect Using A Dial-Up Modem.
• You can configure a connection to a private network using a dial-up connection or a virtual private network (VPN) connection over the Internet.
• You can create a direct cable connection to another computer by selecting Set Up An Advanced Connection and then selecting Connect Directly To Another Computer.
• You can create a shortcut on your desktop for any connection you create using the New Connection Wizard by selecting the Add A Shortcut To The Connection To My Desktop check box in the Completing the New Connec-tion Wizard page of the New Connection Wizard.