Remote Access Connection Manager is a program installed on all Windows Operating System versions that controls all dial-up Internet and Virtual Private Network (VPN) connections.

NetBEUI (NetBIOS Extended User Interface) is a program used for communication between applications installed on separate computers within the same LAN (Local Area Network). It is an upgraded version of NetBIOS and provides much more flexibility and functionality by rearranging the information in a data transmission.

Setting up a network of Windows computers is no longer a task that requires an Information Technology (IT) professional. A home network allows you to have a common printer for many computers, share removal drives, play multi-player games, store a single copy of files on a central server, and share a internet connection – the most common task.

Defining Subnet Masking
A subnet mask is a 32-bit number that is combined with an IP address to mask specific address bits. Hosts use the subnet masks to determine the segment of an IP address that is the network address.

An Overview on Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)
The Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol was developed by Netscape Communications, and enables secure communication over the Internet.

Routing Overview
Routing can be defined as the process and its associated technologies that convey data over the internetwork from one local area network (LAN) to another. There are numerous technologies available that can enable connectivity between remote networks. The Internet can also provide LAN-to-LAN connectivity.

A protocol is a collection of specifications or rules for data packets that enable information to be sent over the network. Network protocols are designed for network communication. In order to understand the different protocols available and their efficiencies, lets first look at the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) reference model.

NetBIOS, broadcasts names to listening nodes on the network. NetBIOS utilizes a User Datagram Protocol (UDP) query to broadcast names. NetBIOS names identified computers on the network before the introduction of Windows 2000.

The Microsoft implementation of an address translation feature is called Network Address Translation (NAT). NAT can be used to enable computers on a network such as in small offices or home offices (SOHOs) to have a common Internet connection using a single public IP address.

Understanding the Limitations of IPv4
Before moving on the to an in-depth discussion of IPv6, lets first look at the limitations of IPv4:
The IPv4 addresses are somewhat scarce, even though it allows for 4,294,967,296 possible addresses.