Lesson 3

Selecting Network/Transport Layer Protocols

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individual network. Therefore, both TCP/IP and IPX traffic can be addressed to a spe-

cific computer on a specific network anywhere in the enterprise.

The only identifier that NetBEUI uses is the computer’s NetBIOS name. This name

identifies the computer on the network, but there is no identifier for the network itself.

NetBEUI therefore cannot address traffic to a specific computer on another network.

Planning If you are designing a network that consists of a single LAN, such as for a home

or a small business, NetBEUI is a suitable choice. However, if you are designing an

internetwork, or if your computers need access to the Internet, you should not use NetBEUI.

Tip

Although it might not be a suitable full-time protocol for your network, NetBEUI also has

value as a troubleshooting tool. If you have computers on the same TCP/IP LAN that cannot

communicate, and you suspect there might be a TCP/IP configuration problem, you can

install NetBEUI on the computers as a test. If the computers can successfully communicate

using NetBEUI, you know that the networking hardware is functioning properly and the prob-

lem lies somewhere in the TCP/IP installation or configuration.

Lesson Review

The following questions are intended to reinforce key information presented in this

lesson. If you are unable to answer a question, review the lesson materials and try the

question again. You can find answers to the questions in the “Questions and Answers”

section at the end of this chapter.

1. Which of the following network/transport layer protocols can you use for Win-

dows file sharing when installed alone?

a. TCP/IP only

b. TCP/IP and NetBEUI only

c. TCP/IP and IPX only

d. TCP/IP, IPX, and NetBEUI

2. Under what conditions would a network designer be obliged to install the IPX

protocol suite on workstations using Windows operating systems?