Windows 8 tries to make things
simple for users. When you plug a network adapter into your system,
Windows 8 will recognize it and in most instances install a driver for
it. A driver is a low-level program that communicates with the I/O
(input/output) functions of your system’s chipset. Automatic
installation is part of what is called Universal Plug and Play (UPnP).
UPnP works for networks, printers, USB, Bluetooth, and many other types
of buses and devices. Plug and Play (PnP) by contrast is when devices
connected directly to your system are recognized automatically.
When a network interface is installed,
numerous protocols attempt to automatically configure the adapter so
that it can connect to available networks. For network adapters,
Windows 8 dynamically assigns a network address and a name resolution
server using two network services: DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration
Protocol) and DNS (Domain Name Service). These services configure your
system so that your network connectivity is established without your
manual intervention.
Wireless or other radio-based networks will
also auto-negotiate from a variety of connection protocols to find the
best type of connection to send and receive on. For example, a Wi-Fi
adapter that conforms to the IEEE 802.11g standard will negotiate with
an access point running the newer, multi-band 802.11n protocol so that
the connection drops down to the lower g-standard speed.
Network settings in the Charms bar offer very simple options:
• Switch networks
• Turn sharing on and off
• Turn airplane mode on or off
Airplane mode turns off all signals
that could potentially interfere with a plane’s communications; it is
required by airline authorities.
This is all well and good when everything
works, but when it doesn’t you will need to pay a visit to the Network
and Sharing Center panel, where all the advanced networking options in
Windows 8 are found.
One common task is to manually set up your
network adapter. This is an essential skill, so we’ll take a look at
how the task is performed.
To open the Network and Sharing Center panel from the Computer Management menu
1. On the Desktop, press 
+X, or right-click, the lower-right corner of the display, and select Computer Management > Control Panel.
2. In the Network and Internet section, click the View network status and tasks link .
You can access the Network and Sharing Center panel from the Control Panel home page.
To open the Network and Sharing Center panel from the taskbar
1. Right-click the Network icon in the Notification area of the taskbar.
2. Select Open Network And Sharing Center from the pop-up menu.
The Network and Sharing Center panel appears .
The Network and Sharing Center panel provides access to advanced network configuration options.
