What Are Network Connections?

A network connection tells Windows how your computer is connected to another computer, whether over the phone or via a cable. Windows supports these types of network connections:

• Dial-up connection Connection using a modem and phone line, either a regular phone line or an ISDN line. Dial-up connections to the Internet are described throughout this chapter.

• LAN connection Connection over a cable or wireless LAN adapter to other computers in the same building. LAN connections are described in Chapter 30. DSL and cable Internet accounts usually appear as LAN connections, because they don't have to dial in.

• Virtual private network (VPN) connection Connection to a private LAN over the Internet. See Chapter 29 for details.

To see network- related tasks you can perform, such as creating and editing network connections, display the Network And Sharing Center window shown in Figure 24-1 by choosing Start Control Panel Network And Internet Network And Sharing Center. You also use this window to manage your LAN connections, as described in Chapter 30.

Figure 24-1: The Control Panel's Network and Sharing Center window.

To see your existing Internet and LAN connections, click the Manage Network Connections link in the Tasks pane to display the Network Connections window, shown in Figure 24-2. The Network Connections window lists every way that your computer connects to other computers: LAN, cable Internet, and DSL connections are listed in the LAN Or High-Speed Internet section and dial-up connections (including ISDN connections) are listed in the Dial-Up Connection section. You can right-click a connection in the Network Connections window and choose Properties from the menu that appears to see or change the properties for that LAN or Internet connection.

Figure 24-2: The Network Connections window shows both Internet and LAN connections.