233.5 Network Configuration Setup3.5.1 Network Configuration Setup Overview• After you finish up the hardware and software driver setup, you will need to install and configureMicrosoft Networking components.• If you only need to access the Internet, installation of the TCP/IP networking component should besufficient.• If you want some functions to share files and printers in small LAN environment, some installations mayuse an alternative networking protocol called NetBEUI protocol.• Both TCP/IP and NetBEUI protocols can be used to share files and printers between wired and wirelesscomputers.3.5.2 Before TCP/IP Networking Configuration Setup3.5.2.1 What you should know before Configuration• TCP/IP protocol is a protocol used to connect to a Wide Area Network (WAN), such as the Internet orhard-wired Ethernet networks.• Every computer connecting to WAN has a unique number called IP address, which consists of two parts,network part and host part. For example, consider the IP address 150.205.30.9.Assuming this is part of a Class B network, the first two numbers (150.205) represent the network addressand the second two numbers (30.9) represent the host address.• Network administrator can divide the host part of IP address into two or more subnets for more effectiveuse. In that case, subnet mask is used to determine what kind of subnet the IP address belongs to.• You should consult your network administrator or Internet Service Provider (ISP) to find out your IPaddress and subnet mask.• There are two ways of obtaining an IP address. Some networks use Dynamic Host ConfigurationProtocol (DHCP) to dynamically assign an IP address every time you log on to the network. Others usestatic IP that is uniquely assigned to your computer and you use the same IP address whenever you log on tothe network.