Chapter 17. Network Connectivity

IN THIS CHAPTER

• Networking with TCP/IP

• Network Organization

• Hardware Devices for Networking

• Using Network Configuration Tools

• Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol

• Wireless Networking

• Reference

One of Linux's strongest features is its networking capabilities. Linux can emulate or share files with almost every operating system. Linux can talk to Mac OS X, Netware, BSD, all flavors of Unix, and even Windows (with the help of Samba). Linux servers can be easily and quickly deployed in heterogeneous networks and will run for weeks or even months without failures. It is that kind of flexibility and performance that can account for Linux's increased wired and wireless presence in the workplace and in homes.

This chapter introduces some basic concepts about networking with Linux and shows you how to configure, manage, and use network interface cards (NICs) and various network services with Fedora. You will see how to use command-line programs to control networking on your system, as well as how to launch and use several of Fedora's graphical network management clients. You will need to perform many of these tasks using root permission, but you'll see how easily network management can be performed when using Linux. You will also see how to protect your system on any network using Red Hat's graphical firewall configuration utility.