TCP/IP and Data Communications Administration Guide

Preface

TCP/IP and Data Communications Administration Guide explains how to set up, maintain, and expand a network running the SolarisTM implementation of the TCP/IP protocol suite. The manual

Who Should Use This Book

TCP/IP and Data Communications Administration Guide contains information for network administrators with a wide range of experience. The text assumes that you are already familiar with the Solaris environment and have administered local machines and peripheral devices such as modems.

If you are setting up a new network, read TCP/IP and Data Communications Administration Guide before going on to the other books in the Solaris 2.5 System Administrator set. If you are administering or expanding an existing network, refer to the specific chapters related to the tasks that you want to perform.


Note -

If you need to set up a brand new network at a site that has never had a Solaris or other UNIX-based network, read Chapter 3, Planning Your Network before installing the Solaris software. This chapter provides important information that supplements the installation tasks in Solaris Advanced Installation Guide.


Reading the chapters in sequence is not required, but each chapter assumes that you are familiar with the contents of previous chapter.

Before You Read This Book

You should be familiar with the information contained in the following books before continuing with the TCP/IP and Data Communications Administration Guide:

How This Book Is Organized

TCP/IP and Data Communications Administration Guide contains the following chapters.

Chapter 1, Overview of Network Administration describes the tasks a network administrator is likely to perform and introduces basic networking concepts.

Chapter 2, TCP/IP Protocol Suite introduces the protocols composing the TCP/IP protocol suite.

Chapter 3, Planning Your Network presents the issues that you need to consider when designing a new network, such as Internet Protocol (IP) addressing, network topology, and so forth.

Chapter 4, Configuring TCP/IP on the Network contains procedures for setting up the machines on the new network.

Chapter 5, Configuring Routers explains how to expand the network through use of routers.

Chapter 6, Troubleshooting TCP/IP explains how to use the tools available for diagnosing and fixing TCP/IP-related problems.

Chapter 7, Understanding PPP introduces the PPP data link protocol that enables you to expand a network through use of modems and phone lines.

Chapter 8, Preparing Your PPP Configuration explains issues that you need to consider when designing a particular PPP configuration.

Chapter 9, Configuring PPP contains procedures for configuring two basic types of PPP links.

Chapter 10, Troubleshooting PPP explains how to diagnose and fix problems related to PPP.

Chapter 11, Tailoring Your PPP Link contains information for setting up more complex PPP links.

Chapter 12, UUCP Databases and Programs explains how to set up the UUCP database files.

Chapter 13, Configuring and Maintaining UUCP explains how to start up UUCP and troubleshoot problems on UUCP links.

Chapter 14, Understanding DHCP introduces the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol, which allows a host to get an Internet Protocol (IP) address and other Internet configuration parameters without any need for preconfiguration by the system administrator.

Chapter 15, Moving to DHCP describes the differences between DHCP and earlier protocols and how to migrate from these protocols to DHCP.

Chapter 16, Administration of DHCP explains how to set up a network running DHCP, determine a lease time policy, add BOOTP relay agents, and create macros within some of the databases used by DHCP.

Chapter 17, Troubleshooting DHCP describes how to troubleshoot problems you may have while using DHCP.

Appendix A, PCNFSpro Appendix contains troubleshooting techniques that are specific to PCNFSpro running as the Windows client.

Related Books

After you have set up the network, you probably will want to add the network services provided by the Solaris operating system. They are described in the following books that are part of your System Administration Document Set:

You can also find invaluable information for managing heterogeneous TCP/IP networks in the following books:

Ordering Sun Documents

The SunDocsSM program provides more than 250 manuals from Sun Microsystems, Inc. If you live in the United States, Canada, Europe, or Japan, you can purchase documentation sets or individual manuals using this program.

What Typographic Changes and Symbols Mean

Table P-1 describes the type changes and symbols used in this book

Table P-1 Typographic Conventions

Typeface or Symbol 

Meaning 

Example 

AaBbCc123

The names of commands, files, and directories; on-screen computer output 

Edit your .login file.

Use ls -a to list all files.

machine_name% You have mail.

 

AaBbCc123

What you type, contrasted with on-screen computer output 

machine_name% su

Password:

AaBbCc123

Command-line placeholder: 

replace with a real name or value 

To delete a file, type rm filename.

AaBbCc123

Book titles, new words or terms, or words to be emphasized 

Read Chapter 6 in User's Guide. These are called class options.

You must be root to do this.

Shell Prompts in Command Examples

Table P-2 shows the default system prompt and superuser prompt for the C shell, Bourne shell, and Korn shell.

Table P-2 Shell Prompts

Shell 

Prompt 

C shell prompt 

machine_name%

C shell superuser prompt 

machine_name#

Bourne shell and Korn shell prompt 

$

Bourne shell and Korn shell superuser prompt 

#