CLICK OK TO CLOSE THE LOCAL AREA CONNECTION PROPERTIES DIALOG BOX,...

6. Click OK to close the Local Area Connection Properties dialog box, and then close

the Network And Dial-Up Connections window.

Caution IP communications can fail if duplicate IP addresses exist on a network. There-fore, you should always check with the network administrator to obtain a valid static IP address.

How to Configure TCP/IP to Obtain an IP Address Automatically

If a server running the DHCP Service is available on the network, it can automatically

assign TCP/IP configuration information to the DHCP client, as shown in Figure 13-3.

You can then configure any clients running Windows 95 and later to obtain TCP/IP

configuration information automatically from the DHCP Service. This can simplify

administration and ensure correct configuration information.

Note Windows XP Professional does not include the DHCP Service; it can act only as a DHCP client. Only the Windows 2000 Server products provide the DHCP Service.Server running the DHCP Service1 2Request IP address

F13us03

Figure 13-3 A server running the DHCP Service assigns TCP/IP addresses.