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A network connection is created automatically if a computer has a
network adapter and is connected to a network. If a computer has
multiple network adapters and is connected to a network, a network
connection is created for each adapter. If no network connection is
available, you should connect the computer to the network or create a
different type of connection.
Computers use IP addresses to communicate over TCP/IP. Windows 8 provides the following ways to configure IP addressing:
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Manually IP addresses that are assigned manually are called static IP addresses.
Static IP addresses are fixed and don’t change unless you change them.
You usually assign static IP addresses to Windows servers. When you do
this, you need to configure additional information to help the server
navigate the network. -
Dynamically A DHCP
server (if one is installed on the network) assigns dynamic IP
addresses at startup, and the addresses might change over time. Dynamic
IP addressing is the default configuration. -
Alternatively
(IPv4 only) When a computer is configured to use DHCPv4 and no DHCPv4
server is available, Windows 8 assigns an alternate private IP address
automatically. By default, the alternate IPv4 address is in the range
169.254.0.1 to 169.254.255.254, with a subnet mask of 255.255.0.0. You
can also specify a user-configured alternate IPv4 address, which is
particularly useful for laptop users.
1. Configuring Static IP Addresses
When you assign a static IP address, you need to tell the computer
the IP address you want to use, the subnet mask for this IP address,
and, if necessary, the default gateway to use for internetwork
communications. An IP address is a numeric identifier for a computer. IP
addressing schemes vary according to how your network is configured,
but they’re normally assigned based on a particular network segment.
IPv6 addresses and IPv4 addresses are very different. In IPv6, the first 64 bits represent
the network ID, and the remaining 64 bits represent the network
interface. In IPv4, a variable number of the initial bits represent the
network ID, and the rest of the bits represent the host ID. For example,
if you’re working with IPv4 and a computer on the network segment
10.0.10.0 with a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0, the first three octets
identify the network. The network’s unique ID is 10.0.10.0. The address
range you have available for computer hosts is 10.0.10.1 to 10.0.10.254.
In this range, the address 10.0.10.255 is reserved for network
broadcasts.
If you’re on a private network that is indirectly connected to the
Internet, you should use private IPv4 addresses. Private network IPv4
addresses are summarized in Table 1.
Table 1. Private IPv4 Network Addressing
|
PRIVATE NETWORK ID |
SUBNET MASK |
USABLE IP ADDRESS RANGE |
BROADCAST ADDRESS |
|---|
|
10.0.0.0 |
255.0.0.0 |
10.0.0.0–10.255.255.254 |
10.255.255.255 | |
172.16.0.0 |
255.240.0.0 |
172.16.0.0–172.31.255.254 |
172.31.255.255 | |
192.168.0.0 |
255.255.0.0 |
192.168.0.0–192.168.255.254 |
192.168.255.255 |
All other IPv4 network addresses are public and must be leased or
purchased. If the network is connected directly to the Internet and
you’ve obtained a range of IPv4 addresses from your ISP, you can use the
IPv4 addresses you’ve been assigned.
Using the Ping Command to Check an Address
Before you assign a static
IP address, you should make sure that the address isn’t already in use
or reserved for use with DHCP. You can use the Ping command to see
whether an address is in use. Open a command prompt and type ping, followed by the IP address you want to check.
To test the IPv4 address 10.0.10.12, you would use the following command:
ping 10.0.10.12
To test the IPv6 address FEC0::02BC:FF:BECB:FE4F:961D, you would use the following command:
ping FEC0::02BC:FF:BECB:FE4F:961D
If you receive a successful reply from the ping test, the IP address
is in use and you should try another one. If the request times out for
all four ping attempts, the IP address isn’t active on the network at
this time and probably isn’t in use. However, a firewall could be
blocking your ping request. Your company’s network administrator should
also be able to confirm whether an IP address is in use.
Configuring a Static IPv4 or IPv6 Address
One local area network (LAN) connection is available for each network
adapter installed. These connections are created automatically. To
configure static IP addresses for a particular connection, complete the following steps:
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In Control Panel, tap or click Network And Internet, and then tap or click Network And Sharing Center. -
In Network And Sharing Center, under View Your Active Networks, tap or click the link for the network connection. -
In the Status dialog box for the network connection, tap or click
Properties. This displays the Properties dialog box for the network
connection. -
Double-tap or double-click Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6) or
Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4), depending on the type of IP
address you are configuring. -
For an IPv6 address, do the following:
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Tap or click Use The Following IPv6 Address, and then type the IPv6
address in the IPv6 Address text box. The IPv6 address you assign to the
computer must not be used anywhere else on the network. -
The Subnet Prefix Length ensures that the computer communicates over
the network properly. Windows 8 should insert a default value for the
subnet prefix in the Subnet Prefix Length text box. If the network
doesn’t use variable-length subnetting, the default value should
suffice. If the network does use variable-length subnets, you need to
change this value as appropriate for your network.
-
For an IPv4 address, do the following:
-
Tap or click Use The Following IP Address, and then type the IPv4
address in the IP Address text box. The IPv4 address you assign to the
computer must not be used anywhere else on the network. -
The Subnet Mask ensures that the computer communicates over the
network properly. Windows 8 should insert a default value for the subnet
mask into the Subnet Mask text box. If the network doesn’t use
variable-length subnetting, the default value should suffice, but if it
does use variable-length subnets, you need to change this value as
appropriate for your network.
-
If the computer needs to access other TCP/IP networks, the Internet,
or other subnets, you must specify a default gateway. Type the IP
address for the network’s default router in the Default Gateway text
box. -
DNS is needed for domain name resolution. Type a preferred address
and an alternate DNS server address in the text boxes provided. -
When you’ve finished, tap or click OK twice, and then tap or click
Close. Repeat this process for other network adapters and IP protocols
you want to configure. -
With IPv4 addressing, configure WINS as necessary.
2. Configuring Dynamic IP Addresses and Alternate IP Addressing
Although static IP addresses can be used with workstations, most
workstations use dynamic IP addressing, alternate IP addressing, or
both. You configure dynamic and alternate addressing by completing the
following steps:
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In Control Panel, tap or click Network And Internet, and then tap or click Network And Sharing Center. -
In Network And Sharing Center, under View Your Active Networks, tap or click the link for the network connection. -
In the Status dialog box for the network connection, tap or click
Properties. This displays the Properties dialog box for the network
connection.
Note
In the Status dialog box for the network connection, one LAN
connection is shown for each network adapter installed. These
connections are created automatically. If you don’t see a LAN connection
for an installed adapter, check the driver for the adapter. It might be
installed incorrectly.
-
Double-tap or double-click Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6) or
Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4), depending on the type of IP
address you are configuring. -
Select Obtain An IPv6 Address Automatically or Obtain An IP Address
Automatically, as appropriate for the type of IP address you are
configuring. If you want, select Obtain DNS Server Address Automatically
or Use The Following DNS Server Addresses, and then type a preferred
and alternate DNS server address in the text boxes provided. -
When you use dynamic IPv4 addressing with desktop computers, you
should configure an automatic alternate address. To use this
configuration, on the Alternate Configuration tab, be sure that
Automatic Private IP Address is selected. Tap or click OK twice, tap or
click Close, and then skip the remaining steps. -
When you use dynamic IPv4 addressing with mobile computers, you
usually want to configure the alternate address manually. To use this
configuration, on the Alternate Configuration tab, select User
Configured. Then, in the IP Address text box, type the IP address you
want to use. The IP address that you assign to the computer should be a
private IP address, as shown earlier in Table 1, and it must not be in use anywhere else when the settings are applied. -
With dynamic IPv4 addressing, complete the alternate configuration by
entering a subnet mask, default gateway, and DNS and WINS settings.
When you’ve finished, tap or click OK twice, and then tap or click
Close.
3. Configuring Multiple Gateways
To provide fault tolerance in case of a router outage, you can
configure Windows 8 computers so that they use multiple default
gateways. When multiple gateways are assigned, Windows 8 uses the
gateway metric to determine which gateway is used and at what time. The
gateway metric indicates the routing cost of using a gateway. The
gateway with the lowest routing cost, or metric, is used first. If the
computer can’t communicate with this gateway, Windows 8 tries to use the
gateway with the next lowest metric.
The best way to configure multiple gateways depends on the
configuration of your network. If computers use DHCP, you probably want
to configure the additional gateways through settings on the DHCP
server. If computers use static IP addresses, or you want to set
gateways specifically, assign them by completing the following steps:
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In Control Panel, tap or click Network And Internet, and then tap or click Network And Sharing Center. -
In Network And Sharing Center, under View Your Active Networks, tap or click the link for the network connection. -
In the Status dialog box for the network connection, tap or click
Properties. This displays the Properties dialog box for the network
connection. -
Double-tap or double-click Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6) or
Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4), depending on the type of IP
address you are configuring. -
Tap or click Advanced to open the Advanced TCP/IP Settings dialog box, as shown in Figure 1.
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The Default Gateways area shows the current gateways that have been
manually configured (if any). You can enter additional default gateways
as necessary. Tap or click Add, and then type the gateway address in the
Gateway text box. -
By default, Windows 8 automatically assigns a metric to the gateway.
You can also assign the metric manually. To do this, clear the Automatic
Metric check box, and then enter a metric in the text box provided. -
Tap or click Add, and then repeat steps 6 and 7 for each gateway you want to add. -
Tap or click OK three times, and then tap or click Close.
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