Network Administration Tool
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# Chapter 1. Introduction

To communicate with other computers, computers need a network connection. This is accomplished by having the operating system recognize an interface card (such as Ethernet, ISDN modem, or token ring) and configuring the interface to connect to the network.

The Network Administration Tool can be used to configure the following types of network interfaces:

- Ethernet

- ISDN

- modem

- xDSL

- token ring

- CIPE

- wireless devices

To use the Network Administration Tool, you must have root privileges. To start the application, go to the Main Menu Button (on the Panel) => System Settings => Network, or type the command `system-config-network` at a shell prompt (for example, in an XTerm or a GNOME terminal). If you type the command, the graphical version is displayed if X is running, otherwise, the text-based version is displayed. To force the text-based version to run, use the `system-config-network-tui` command.

Figure 1-1. Network Administration Tool

If you prefer modifying the configuration files directly, refer to the Red Hat Linux Reference Guide for information on their locations and contents.

| Tip
| Go to the Red Hat Hardware Compatibility List (http://hardware.redhat.com/hcl/) to determine if Red Hat Linux supports your hardware device.

# Overview

To configure a network connection with the Network Administration Tool, perform the following steps:

1. Add the physical hardware device to the hardware list.

2. Add a network device associated with the physical hardware device.

3. Configure the hostname and DNS settings.

4. Configure any hosts that cannot be looked up through DNS.

This chapter discusses each of these steps for each type of network connection.

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Network Administration Tool |  | Establishing an Ethernet Connection