Part III: Remote Access Service (RAS)

Part III

So far, this book has described all the networking API functions available in Microsoft Windows that allow you to develop applications capable of communicating with other applications over a network. For the most part, our discussions have focused on the application and presentation layers of the seven-layer OSI model. We did not describe the details of a specific network protocol, and most of our discussions centered on using the functions from a protocol-independent standpoint.

The final section of this book describes an important service named Remote Access Service (RAS) that allows users to connect their computer from a remote location to a local computer network. Once connected, you can use the network functions described throughout this book as though your computer were directly connected to a remote network.