Select this option if you have a dedicated line to the Internet. Your machine is online permanently, so no dial-up is required. If your system is part of a local network with a central e-mail server, select this option to ensure permanent access to your e-mail messages.

This item is relevant for users who have a computer at home, are not located in a network, and occasionally connect to the Internet.

If you do not have access to the Internet and are not located in a network, you cannot send or receive e-mail.

Use this to set up a custom DHCP server in only a few steps. Chapter 43, DHCP (↑Reference) provides basic knowledge about the subject and a step-by-step description of the configuration process.

Configuring a DNS server that is responsible for name resolution is recommended for larger networks. You can use ‘DNS Server’ for this as described in Section 40.2, “Configuration with YaST” (↑Reference). Chapter 40, The Domain Name System (↑Reference) provides background information about DNS.

Use this module to configure the hostname and DNS, if these settings were not already made while configuring the network devices. Also use it to change the hostname and domain name. If the provider has been configured correctly for DSL, modem, or ISDN access, the list of name servers contains the entries that were extracted automatically from the provider data. If you are located in a local network, you might receive your hostname via DHCP, in which case you should not modify the name.

To run your own Web server, configure Apache in ‘HTTP Server’. Find more information in Chapter 46, The Apache Web Server (↑Reference).

When booting and in small networks, you can use ‘Hostnames’ for hostname resolution instead of DNS. The entries in this module reflect the data of the file /etc/hosts. For more information, read Section 38.5.1.6, “ /etc/hosts ” (↑Reference).

If using LDAP for user authentication in the network, configure the client in ‘LDAP Client’. Information about LDAP and a detailed description of the client configuration with YaST are available in Chapter 45, LDAP—A Directory Service (↑Reference).

With NFS, run a file server that all members of your network can access. This file server can be used to make certain applications, files, and storage space available to users. In ‘NFS Server’, you can configure your host as an NFS server and determine the directories to export for general use by the network users. All users with the appropriate permissions can mount these directories in their own file trees. Use ‘NFS Client’ to configure your system to access an NFS server in the network. A description of the YaST modules and background information about NFS are provided in Chapter 42, Sharing File Systems with NFS (↑Reference).

If you run more than one system, local user administration (using the files /etc/passwd and /etc/shadow) is impractical and requires a lot of maintenance. In this case, administer user data on a central server and distribute it to the clients from there. NIS is one option for this. Detailed information about NIS and the configuration with YaST is available in Chapter 41, Using NIS (↑Reference).

NTP (network time protocol) is a protocol for synchronizing hardware clocks over a network. Information about NTP and instructions for configuring it with YaST are available in Chapter 44, Time Synchronization with xntp (↑Reference).

Configure the network services (such as finger, talk, and ftp) to start when SUSE Linux boots using ‘Network Services’. These services enable external hosts to connect to your computer. Various parameters can be configured for every service. By default, the master service that manages the individual services (inetd or xinetd) is not started.

When this module starts, choose whether to start inetd or xinetd. The selected daemon can be started with a standard selection of services. Alternatively, compose your own selection of services with ‘Add’, ‘Delete’, and ‘Edit’.

	Configuring Network Services (xinetd)
The composition and adjustment of network services on a system is a complex procedure that requires a comprehensive understanding of the concept of Linux services. The default settings are usually sufficient.

Configure Internet proxy client settings in ‘Proxy’. Click ‘Enable Proxy’ then enter the desired proxy settings. You can test these settings by clicking ‘Test Proxy Settings’. A small window informs you whether your proxy settings work correctly. After your settings have been entered and tested, save them by clicking ‘Accept’.

To administer your machine remotely from another machine, use ‘Remote Administration’. To maintain your system remotely, use a VNC client, such as krdc, or a Java-enabled browser. Although remote administration using VNC is simple and fast, it is less secure than using SSH, so you should always keep this in mind when using a VNC server. Find detailed information about installing with a VNC client in Section 1.1.1, “Simple Remote Installation via VNC—Static Network Configuration” (↑Reference).

Allow remote administration by selecting ‘Allow Remote Administration’ in ‘Remote Administration Settings’. Selecting ‘Do Not Allow Remote Administration’ disables this function. Click ‘Open Port in Firewall’ to allow access to your computer. Clicking ‘Firewall Details’ displays network interfaces with open ports in the firewall. Select the desired interface and click ‘OK’ to return to the main dialog. Click ‘Accept’ to complete the configuration.

The YaST ‘Remote Administration’ module is highly recommended for configuring VNC on your machine. Although the SaX2 interface also allows you to set remote access properties, it is not a substitute for YaST. It only enables you to configure your X server as a host for VNC sessions. For more information, refer to Section 3.11.6, “Remote Access Properties”.

Use ‘Routing’ to configure the paths data takes over the network. In most cases, only enter the IP address of the system through which to send all data in ‘Default Gateway’. To create more complicated configurations, use ‘Expert Configuration’.

In a heterogeneous network consisting of Linux and Windows hosts, Samba controls the communication between the two worlds. Information about Samba and the configuration of clients and servers is provided in Chapter 48, Samba (↑Reference).

TFTP (Trivial File Transfer Protocol) is a simple form of the file transfer protocol (FTP). It is often used by servers to boot diskless workstations, X terminals, and routers. Set up a TFTP server with ‘TFTP Server’. Click ‘Enable’ to start the process. Open a port in the firewall to allow remote access to the server then specify the directory where served files are located. Click ‘Accept’ to complete setup. You are then asked if the directory specified should be created.