Networking All-in-One For Dummies. 9 Ed

Title Page....3

Copyright Page....4

Table of Contents....7

Introduction....27

About This Book....28

Foolish Assumptions....29

Icons Used in This Book....29

Beyond the Book....30

Where to Go from Here....30

Book 1 Getting Started with Networking....31

Chapter 1 Welcome to Networking....33

Defining a Network....34

Delving into Network Lingo....36

Seeing What You Can Do with a Network....36

Accessing the internet....37

Sharing files....37

Sharing resources....37

Sharing programs....38

Getting Acquainted with Servers and Clients....39

Weighing Your Options: Dedicated Servers versus Peer-to-Peer Networks....40

Understanding What Makes a Network Tick....41

Putting the Pieces Together....43

Considering Network Size....44

Recognizing That Your Personal Computer Isn’t Personal When It’s on a Network....45

Assigning a Network Administrator....47

Chapter 2 Network Infrastructure....49

Introducing Infrastructure....50

Understanding Network Protocols and Standards....51

Recognizing Network Topology....52

Bus topology....52

Star topology....53

Ring topology....55

Mesh topology....56

Considering Cable....56

Twisted-pair cable....56

RJ45 connectors....57

Patch panels and patch cables....57

Repeaters and hubs....58

Switches....58

Perusing Ports, Interfaces, and MAC Addresses....59

Pondering Packets....61

Contemplating Collisions....63

Dealing with Broadcast Packets....64

Examining Wireless Networks....65

Chapter 3 Switches, Routers, and VLANs....67

Understanding Switches....68

Learning....71

Forwarding....72

Flooding....73

Looking Deeper into Switches....74

Collision domains....74

Bridging....75

SFP ports and uplinks....76

Broadcast domains....77

Managed and unmanaged switches....77

Understanding Routers....78

Network address translation....80

Virtual private networks....80

Understanding VLANs....81

Chapter 4 Cybersecurity....83

But We’re a Small Business — Do We Need Security?....84

The Two Pillars of Cybersecurity....85

Prevention....85

Recovery....87

Cybersecurity Frameworks....89

The NIST Cybersecurity Framework....90

Chapter 5 Servers and Virtualization....95

Understanding Network Operating Systems....95

Network services....96

File-sharing services....96

Multitasking....97

Directory services....98

Security services....99

Knowing What’s Important in a Server....100

Scalability....100

Reliability....100

Availability....100

Service and support....100

Identifying the Components of a Server Computer....101

Motherboard....101

Processor....101

Memory....102

Hard drives....102

Network interfaces....103

Video....103

Power supply....103

Considering Server Form Factors....103

Tower cases....104

Rack-mounted servers....104

Blade servers....104

Tiny servers....105

Understanding Virtualization....105

Chapter 6 Cloud Computing....107

Introducing Cloud Computing....107

Looking at the Benefits of Cloud Computing....108

Cost....108

Scalability....109

Reliability....109

Accessibility....109

Free of hassles....110

Detailing the Drawbacks of Cloud Computing....110

Entrenched applications....110

Internet connection speed....110

Internet connection reliability....111

Security threats....111

Examining Three Basic Kinds of Cloud Services....111

Applications....112

Platforms....112

Infrastructure....113

Public Clouds versus Private Clouds....113

Introducing Some of the Major Cloud Providers....114

Amazon....114

Google....114

Microsoft....115

Getting into the Cloud....115

Book 2 Understanding Network Protocols....117

Chapter 1 Network Protocols and Standards....119

Understanding Protocols....119

Understanding Standards....120

Seeing the Seven Layers of the OSI Reference Model....121

The physical layer....122

The data link layer....124

The network layer....126

Logical addressing....126

Routing....128

The transport layer....128

The session layer....129

The presentation layer....130

The application layer....131

Following a Packet through the Layers....131

The Ethernet Protocol....132

Standard Ethernet....134

Fast Ethernet....135

Gigabit Ethernet....135

Beyond gigabit....135

The TCP/IP Protocol Suite....136

IP....137

TCP....138

UDP....138

Other Protocols Worth Knowing About....140

Chapter 2 TCP/IP and the Internet....141

What Is the Internet?....142

A Little Internet History....143

TCP/IP Standards and RFCs....144

The TCP/IP Protocol Framework....146

Network interface layer....147

Network layer....147

Transport layer....148

Application layer....148

Chapter 3 IP Addresses....149

Understanding Binary....149

Counting by ones....149

Doing the logic thing....152

Working with the binary Windows Calculator....153

Introducing IP Addresses....154

Networks and hosts....155

The dotted-decimal dance....155

Classifying IP Addresses....156

Class A addresses....159

Class B addresses....159

Class C addresses....160

Subnetting....160

Subnets....161

Subnet masks....162

Network prefix notation....163

Default subnets....163

The great subnet roundup....164

IP block parties....165

Private and public addresses....166

Pondering Ports....167

Understanding Network Address Translation....167

Chapter 4 Routing....171

Considering the Usefulness of Routers....172

Connecting to the internet....172

Connecting remote locations....174

Splitting up large networks....175

Understanding Routing Tables....176

Chapter 5 DHCP....181

Understanding DHCP....181

Configuration information provided by DHCP....182

DHCP servers....182

How DHCP actually works....183

Understanding Scopes....184

Scopes, subnets, and VLANs....185

Feeling excluded?....186

Reservations suggested....187

How long to lease?....187

Working with a DHCP Server....188

Installing a Windows Server 2025 DHCP server....188

Configuring a new scope....189

How to Configure a Windows DHCP Client....195

Automatic private IP addressing....197

Renewing and releasing leases....197

Chapter 6 DNS....199

Understanding DNS Names....199

Domains and domain names....200

Fully qualified domain names....202

Top-Level Domains....203

Generic domains....204

Country code domains....205

The Hosts File....206

Understanding DNS Servers and Zones....209

Zones....210

Primary and secondary servers....212

Root servers....213

Caching....216

Understanding DNS Queries....216

Zone Files and Resource Records....218

SOA records....220

NS records....221

A records....221

CNAME records....222

PTR records....223

MX records....223

Reverse Lookup Zones....224

Working with the Windows DNS Server....225

Creating a new zone....226

Creating a new host record....229

How to Configure a Windows DNS Client....230

Chapter 7 TCP/IP Tools and Commands....233

Using the arp Command....233

Using the hostname Command....234

Using the ipconfig Command....235

Displaying basic IP configuration....235

Displaying detailed configuration information....236

Renewing an IP lease....237

Releasing an IP lease....237

Flushing the local DNS cache....238

Using the nbtstat Command....238

Using the netstat Command....239

Displaying connections....239

Displaying interface statistics....240

Using the nslookup Command....241

Looking up an IP address....241

Using nslookup subcommands....241

Displaying DNS records....243

Locating the mail server for an email address....244

Using the pathping Command....245

Using the ping Command....247

Using the route Command....248

Displaying the routing table....248

Modifying the routing table....251

Using the tracert Command....252

Book 3 Planning a Network....257

Chapter 1 Local Area Networks....259

Making a Network Plan....259

Being Purposeful....260

Taking Stock....261

What you need to know....261

Programs that gather information for you....263

Considering Cable....264

Surmising Switches....266

Planning the Network Topology....268

Planning the TCP/IP Implementation....270

Drawing Diagrams....271

More Questions Your Network Plan Should Address....272

Chapter 2 Wide Area Networks....275

Connecting to the Internet....276

Connecting with cable or DSL....276

Connecting with T1 lines....277

Connecting with fiber....278

Connecting with a cellular network....279

Choosing a Router....279

Choosing a small office router....280

Choosing an enterprise router....281

Choosing a cellular router....281

Securing Your Connection with a Firewall....282

Providing Redundancy for Your Internet Connection....283

Securing Connections to Remote Locations and Remote Users....284

Connecting Remote Offices with an Ethernet Private Line....286

Chapter 3 Server Architecture....287

Deciding How Many Servers You Need....287

Deciding Which Servers You Need....288

Domain controllers....288

DHCP servers....289

Mail servers....289

File servers....290

Print servers....291

Web servers....292

Database servers....292

Application servers....292

Backup servers....293

Deployment servers....293

Update servers....293

Virtualization management platform....294

Connecting Your Servers....294

Chapter 4 Virtualization Architecture....297

Understanding Virtualization....298

Understanding Hypervisors....299

Understanding Virtual Disks....301

Understanding Network Virtualization....303

Considering the Benefits of Virtualization....304

Choosing Virtualization Hosts....306

Understanding Windows Server 2025 Licensing....307

Chapter 5 Storage Architecture....309

Planning Disk Capacity....309

Considering Disk Drive Types....311

Hard disk drives....311

Solid state drives....311

Considering Drive Interfaces....312

SATA....313

SAS....313

Considering RAID....314

RAID 10....314

RAID 5....315

RAID 6....317

Considering Attachment Types....317

Direct attached storage....317

Storage area networks....318

Network-attached storage....319

Chapter 6 Backup Architecture....321

Backup Basics....322

Considering Three Basic Types of Backup....323

Where to Back Up Your Data....324

Backing Up to Tape....325

Looking closer at LTO....325

Hardware for tape backup....326

A word about tape reliability....327

About cleaning the heads....328

Backing Up to NAS....329

Using a Backup Appliance....329

Understanding File-Based Backup....330

Full backups....332

Copy backups....333

Daily backups....334

Incremental backups....334

Differential backups....335

Understanding Image-Based Backups and Virtualization....336

Backup Security....336

Chapter 7 Hyperconverged Infrastructure....339

Considering the Headaches of Traditional IT Architecture....340

Defining Hyperconverged Infrastructure....341

Discerning Deduplication....343

Understanding How Deduplication Works....344

Considering Backup....346

Digging into HCI Clusters....348

Incorporating HCI Into Your Plan....349

Book 4 Implementing a Network....351

Chapter 1 Network Hardware....353

Working with Cable....353

Cable categories....353

What’s with the pairs?....354

To shield or not to shield....355

When to use plenum cable....355

Sometimes solid, sometimes stranded....356

Installation guidelines....356

Getting the tools that you need....357

Pinouts for twisted-pair cables....358

Attaching RJ-45 connectors....359

Wall jacks and patch panels....361

Server rooms and distribution frames....362

Installing Switches....363

Chapter 2 Wireless Networks....365

Installing a Wireless Access Point....365

Configuring a Wireless Access Point....366

Connecting to a Wireless Network....368

Paying Attention to Wireless Network Security....369

Understanding wireless security threats....370

Intruders....370

Freeloaders....371

Eavesdroppers....372

Spoilers....372

Rogue access points....372

Securing your wireless network....374

Changing the password....374

Securing the SSID....374

Using WPA and WPA2....375

Using MAC address filtering....376

Placing your access points outside the firewall....377

Troubleshooting a wireless network....378

Checking for obvious problems....379

Pinpointing the problem....379

Changing channels....380

Fiddling with the antennas....380

Adding another access point....380

Help! I forgot my router’s password!....381

Chapter 3 Windows Clients....383

Configuring Network Connections....383

Joining a Domain....389

Chapter 4 Mac Networking....393

Basic Mac Network Settings....394

Joining a Domain....398

Connecting to a Share....400

Chapter 5 Network Printers....403

Configuring Network Printers....403

Adding a network printer....404

Accessing a network printer using a web interface....408

Chapter 6 Virtual Private Networks....411

Understanding VPN....411

Looking at VPN Security....413

Understanding VPN Servers and Clients....414

Book 5 Implementing Virtualization....417

Chapter 1 Hyper-V....419

Understanding the Hyper-V Hypervisor....419

Understanding Hyper-V Virtual Disks....420

Enabling Hyper-V....421

Getting Familiar with Hyper-V....422

Creating a Virtual Switch....424

Creating a Virtual Disk....426

Creating a Virtual Machine....430

Installing an Operating System....435

Chapter 2 VMware....439

Looking at vSphere....440

Getting Started with VMware Workstation Pro....440

Creating a Virtual Machine....442

Installing VMware Tools....449

Chapter 3 Azure....451

Looking at Azure Services....452

Creating an Azure Account....453

Examining the Azure Portal....454

Creating a Windows Virtual Machine....455

Managing an Azure Virtual Machine....461

Connecting to an Azure Virtual Machine....464

Chapter 4 Amazon Web Services....467

Looking at What Amazon Web Services Can Do....468

Creating an Amazon Web Services Account....469

Examining the Amazon Web Services Console....470

Creating a Windows Virtual Machine....472

Managing an Amazon Web Services Virtual Machine....480

Connecting to an Amazon Web Services Virtual Machine....481

Chapter 5 Desktop Virtualization....485

Introducing Desktop Virtualization....485

Considering Two Approaches to Desktop Virtualization....487

Looking at VMware’s Horizon View....488

Looking at Citrix XenApp....489

Book 6 Implementing Windows Server 2025....493

Chapter 1 Installing Windows Server 2025....495

Planning a Windows Server Installation....495

Checking system requirements....496

Reading the release notes....496

Deciding whether to upgrade or install....496

Considering your licensing options....497

Thinking about multiboot....497

Planning your partitions....498

Deciding your TCP/IP configuration....499

Choosing workgroups or domains....499

Before You Install....500

Backing up....500

Checking the event logs....500

Applying updates....501

Disconnecting UPS devices....501

Running Setup....501

Considering Your Next Steps....507

Adding Server Roles and Features....508

Chapter 2 Configuring Windows Server 2025....513

Using the Administrator Account....513

Using Remote Desktop Connection....514

Enabling remote access....514

Connecting remotely....516

Using Microsoft Management Console....517

Working with MMC....518

Taking an overview of the MMC consoles....519

Customizing MMC....521

Chapter 3 Configuring Active Directory....523

What Active Directory Does....523

Understanding How Active Directory Is Structured....524

Objects....524

Domains....525

Organizational units....526

Trees....527

Forests....527

Creating a New Domain....528

Creating an Organizational Unit....529

Chapter 4 Configuring User Accounts....533

Understanding Windows User Accounts....533

Local accounts versus domain accounts....534

User account properties....534

Creating a New User....535

Setting User Properties....538

Changing the user’s contact information....539

Setting account options....539

Specifying logon hours....540

Restricting access to certain computers....541

Setting the user’s profile information....542

Resetting User Passwords....543

Disabling and Enabling User Accounts....544

Deleting a User....545

Working with Groups....545

Group types....546

Group scope....546

Default groups....547

Creating a group....548

Adding a member to a group....549

Working with User Profiles....551

Types of user profiles....551

Roaming profiles....552

Creating a Logon Script....554

Chapter 5 Configuring a File Server....555

Understanding Permissions....555

Understanding Shares....557

Considering Best Practices for Setting Up Shares....558

Managing Your File Server....559

Using the New Share Wizard....560

Sharing a folder without the wizard....564

Granting permissions....566

Chapter 6 Using Group Policy....569

Understanding Group Policy....569

Enabling Group Policy Management on Windows Server 2025....570

Creating Group Policy Objects....571

Filtering Group Policy Objects....578

Chapter 7 Comandeering Windows Commands....581

Using a Command Window....582

Opening and closing a command window....582

Editing commands....583

Using the Control menu....583

Special Command Tricks....584

Wildcards....584

Chaining commands....585

Redirection and piping....585

Environment variables....586

Batch files....588

The EventCreate Command....589

Net Commands....590

The Net Accounts command....591

The Net Computer command....592

The Net Config command....592

The Net Continue command....593

The Net File command....594

The Net Group command....594

The Net Help command....596

The Net Helpmsg command....596

The Net Localgroup command....597

The Net Pause command....598

The Net Session command....599

The Net Share command....600

The Net Start command....601

The Net Statistics command....601

The Net Stop command....602

The Net Time command....603

The Net Use command....603

The Net User command....605

The Net View command....606

The RunAs Command....607

Chapter 8 Using PowerShell....609

Using PowerShell....610

Understanding PowerShell Commands....612

Using Cmdlets....613

Using Parameters....613

Getting Help....615

Using Aliases....617

Using the Pipeline....619

Using Providers....623

Using Scripts....624

Book 7 Administering Microsoft 365....629

Chapter 1 Getting Started with Microsoft 365 Administration....631

Introducing Microsoft 365....632

Considering Microsoft 365 Plans....634

Understanding Tenants....636

Creating an Microsoft 365 Tenant....637

Creating a New User....641

Resetting a User’s Password....647

Disabling a User....648

Chapter 2 Configuring Exchange Online....651

Looking at Exchange Online Recipient Types....651

Examining the Exchange Admin Center....652

Managing Mailboxes....655

Creating an email alias....656

Delegating a mailbox....658

Converting a standard mailbox to a shared mailbox....660

Enabling or disabling mailbox apps....661

Creating a forwarder....662

Creating a Shared Mailbox....663

Chapter 3 Administering Teams....667

What Is Teams?....668

A Brief Look at How Teams Works....671

Microsoft 365 Group....672

SharePoint....674

OneDrive for Business....676

Using the Teams Admin Center....676

Managing Teams....678

Book 8 Implementing Linux....683

Chapter 1 Installing a Linux Server....685

Planning a Linux Server Installation....685

Checking system requirements....685

Choosing a distribution....686

Going virtual....688

Deciding on your TCP/IP configuration....688

Installing Fedora Server....689

Chapter 2 Linux Administration....699

On Again, Off Again....699

Logging in....699

Logging out....701

Shutting down....701

Wait, Where’s the Desktop?....702

Playing the Shell Game....702

Getting into Virtual Consoles....703

Using a Remote Console....704

Enabling the root User....705

Using the sudo Command....706

Understanding the file system....706

Looking at top-level directories....707

Browsing the file system....708

Using the RPM Package Manager....709

Listing packages....710

Installing packages....712

Removing packages....713

Updating packages....714

Editing Text Files with Vi....715

Starting vi....716

Saving changes and quitting Vi....718

Understanding Vi’s operating modes....718

Moving around in a file....719

Inserting text....720

Deleting text....721

Changing text....722

Copying and pasting text....722

Repeating commands....723

Other useful Vi commands....724

Using Cockpit....724

Managing User Accounts....728

Chapter 3 Basic Linux Network Configuration....731

Using Cockpit to Configure Network Interfaces....731

Working with Network Configuration Files....736

The Network file....736

The interface configuration files....737

The Hosts file....739

The resolv.conf file....740

Displaying Your Network Configuration with the ifconfig Command....740

Chapter 4 Running DHCP and DNS....743

Running a DHCP Server....743

Installing DHCP....744

Configuring DHCP....744

Starting DHCP....746

Running a DNS Server....746

Installing BIND....746

Editing BIND configuration files....747

named.conf....747

Zone files....749

Restarting BIND....750

Chapter 5 Linux Commands....751

Command Shell Basics....751

Getting to a shell....752

Editing commands....752

Wildcards....752

Redirection and piping....753

Environment variables....754

Shell scripts....754

Running a command with root-level privileges....755

Directory- and File-Handling Commands....756

The pwd command....756

The cd command....756

The mkdir command....757

The rmdir command....757

The ls command....758

The cp command....759

The rm command....760

The mv command....761

The cat command....761

Commands for Working with Packages and Services....763

The service command....763

The yum and dnf commands....764

Commands for Administering Users....765

The useradd command....765

The usermod command....767

The userdel command....767

The chage command....767

The passwd command....768

The newusers command....768

The groupadd command....769

The groupdel command....769

The gpasswd command....770

Commands for Managing Ownership and Permissions....771

The chown command....771

The chgrp command....772

The chmod command....772

Networking Commands....773

The hostname command....774

The ifconfig command....774

The netstat command....775

The ping command....776

The route command....778

The traceroute command....778

Book 9 Managing a Network....781

Chapter 1 Welcome to Network Administration....783

Knowing What Network Administrators Do....784

Choosing the Part-Time Administrator....785

Establishing Routine Chores....786

Managing Network Users....787

Patching Up Your Operating System and Software....788

Discovering Software Tools for Network Administrators....789

Building a Library....790

Getting Certified....791

CompTIA....792

Microsoft....793

Cisco....793

Gurus Need Gurus, Too....794

Helpful Bluffs and Excuses....795

Chapter 2 Managing Remotely....797

Enabling Remote Desktop Connection....798

Connecting Remotely....800

Using Keyboard Shortcuts for Remote Desktop....802

Configuring Remote Desktop Options....803

Setting the Display options....804

Setting the Local Resources options....805

Setting the Experience options....806

Setting the Advanced options....807

Using Remote Assistance....808

Enabling Remote Assistance....809

Inviting Someone to Help You via a Remote Assistance Session....810

Responding to a Remote Assistance Invitation....813

Chapter 3 Managing Network Assets....817

Introducing IT Asset Management....818

Why Bother?....819

Getting Organized....819

What to Track....820

Taking Pictures....821

Picking a Number....822

Making Labels....822

Tracking Software....824

Using Asset-Tracking Software....824

Other Sources of Asset-Tracking Information....825

Chapter 4 Solving Network Problems....827

When Bad Things Happen to Good Computers....828

Fixing Dead Computers....829

Ways to Check a Network Connection....830

A Bunch of Error Messages Just Flew By!....831

Double-Checking Your Network Settings....832

Time to Experiment....832

Who’s on First?....833

Restarting a Client Computer....834

Booting in Safe Mode....835

Using System Restore....835

Restarting Network Services....837

Restarting a Network Server....838

Looking at Event Logs....839

Documenting Your Trials and Tribulations....840

Book 10 Dealing with Cybersecurity....841

Chapter 1 Securing Your Users....843

Knowing the Difference between Authentication and Authorization....844

Following Password Best Practices....844

Securing the Administrator Account....847

Understanding Multifactor Authentication....849

Securing the Human Firewall....850

Establishing cybersecurity policies....850

Training....850

Phish testing....851

Chapter 2 Managing Firewalls and Virus Protection....853

Firewalls....854

The Many Types of Firewalls....855

Packet filtering....855

Stateful packet inspection (SPI)....857

Circuit-level gateway....858

Application gateway....858

Firewall Best Practices....859

The Built-In Windows Firewall....860

Configuring Windows Defender Firewall with Group Policy....862

Virus Protection....868

What is a virus?....869

Antivirus programs....870

Safe computing....872

Chapter 3 Dealing with Spam....873

Defining Spam....874

Sampling the Many Flavors of Spam....875

Using Antispam Software....876

Understanding Spam Filters....877

Looking at Three Types of Antispam Software....880

On-premises antispam....880

Antispam appliances....882

Cloud-based antispam services....882

Minimizing Spam....884

Chapter 4 Managing Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Planning....887

Assessing Different Types of Disasters....888

Environmental disasters....889

Deliberate disasters....889

Disruption of services....890

Equipment failure....890

Other disasters....891

Analyzing the Impact of a Disaster....891

Developing a Business Continuity Plan....892

Holding a Fire Drill....893

Chapter 5 Planning for Cybersecurity Incident Response....895

Seeing the Importance of a Cybersecurity Incident Response Plan....896

Preparing Your Cybersecurity Incident Response Plan....898

Assembling Your Response Team....899

Identifying and Reporting a Cybersecurity Incident....900

Triaging Reported Incidents....901

Containing a Cybersecurity Incident....902

Engaging the Eradication Phase....904

Restoring Lost Data and Systems....904

Considering Communication....905

Internal communication....905

Methods of communication....906

Executive leadership communication....906

External communication....907

Closing the Incident....907

Documentation....908

Lessons learned....908

Chapter 6 Penetration Testing....909

Understanding Ethical Hacking....910

Introducing the Red Team....911

Seeing How Penetration Testing Works....911

Scoping a Penetration Test....914

Establishing Boundaries....915

Examining Tools for Penetration Testing....916

How to set up Kali....916

What you’ll find on Kali....917

Looking at one of Kali’s tools....918

Knowing What to Expect from a Penetration Test....919

Index....921

EULA....1

The essentials you need to learn about networking―10 books in one !

With over 900 pages of clear and trustworthy information, Networking All-in-One For Dummies is the perfect beginner's guide AND the perfect professional reference book. Small networks, large networks, business networks, cloud networks―it's all covered. Learn how to set up a network and keep it functioning, using Windows Server, Linux, and related technologies. This book also covers best practices for security, managing mobile devices, and beyond. Maybe you're just getting started with networking, or maybe you know what you're doing and need a resource with all the knowledge in one place. Either way, you've found what you need with this Dummies All-in-One.

•  Plan a network from scratch and learn how to set up all the hardware and software you'll need.
• Find explanations and examples of important networking protocols.
• Build remote and cloud-based networks of various sizes.
• Administer networks with Windows Server and other versions.
• Secure your network with penetration testing and planning for cybersecurity incident responses.

Every network administrator needs a copy of Networking All-in-One For Dummies, the comprehensive learning resource and reliable desk reference.