Understanding Basic Requirements for Accessing Network Services

There are two basic requirements for accessing any network service:

• Correct client-side software for accessing the network service

• Correct configuration settings for your client-side software

Understanding that there is a direct relationship between the client side and the server side of any network service will help troubleshoot accessing that service. Just as a service is basically an application running on a network server, your client needs similar software that understands how to access that service. In some cases, such as accessing mail, the client software is an application. In other cases, such as file servers, the client software is integrated into the operating system.

A network or server administrator might have spent days, weeks, or months properly architecting, configuring, and administering the network service, such as choosing the correct options and protocols that the service will use. This process has a counterpart on the client where a user or administrator needs to make sure the client software is also configured properly. Having a simple mismatch of settings, such as which mail protocol is used or which server address to access, can easily prevent users from accessing a network service.