Exercise 6.1: Enabling IPX Routing

Exercise 6.1: Enabling IPX Routing

Objective: Learn to configure Windows NT Server’s NWLink properties so that your Windows NT Server system can act as an IPX router.

Time estimate: 10 minutes

To configure Windows NT Server for IPX routing, you must install the NWLink protocol and add the RIP for NWLink IPX service.

1.	Click the Start button and choose Settings/Control Panel.
2.	In the Windows NT Control Panel, double-click the Network application and select the Protocols tab (see Figure 6.14).
3.	Make sure that the NWLink IPX/SPX Compatible Transport is installed. If it isn’t, click the Add button and choose NWLink Compatible Transport from the protocols list. Windows NT asks for the Windows NT installation disk and prompts you for NWLink configuration information. (You can let it default if you’re just doing this as a test.) Don’t shut down your system yet.
4.	Select the Network application’s Services tab. Make sure that the RIP for NWLink IPX service is installed. If it isn’t, click the Add button and select RIP for NWLink IPX from the Services list. RIP enables routing on IPX/SPX (and NWLink) networks. Windows NT asks for the Windows NT installation disk.
5.	Restart your computer. Return to the Network application and select the Protocols tab.
6.	Select NWLink IPX/SPX Compatible Transport and click the Properties button.
7.	In the NWLink IPX/SPX Properties dialog box, select the Routing tab. A check box lets you enable/disable RIP routing (see Figure 6.15). (If you just installed RIP, RIP routing will be enabled by default.)

Both the TCP/IP suite and the IPX/SPX suite have protocols called RIP (refer to Chapter 5, “Transport Protocols”). These protocols have similar functions, but they are unrelated. Make sure you install the RIP for NWLink IPX service in this exercise and not the RIP for Internet Protocol service.