Use this guide when:

• You want to create, configure, or manage a network connection to a wireless or remote network.
  
• Configure network features for your client computers in a managed network.
  

This guide can be used by organizations that have deployed Windows Vista® and Windows Server® 2008. It includes information that is relevant to different roles within an IT organization, including IT operations management and administrators. This information provides management-level knowledge of Network Center and the IT processes required to operate it.

In addition, this guide contains more detailed procedures that are designed for operators who have varied levels of expertise and experience. Although the procedures provide operator guidance from start to finish, operators must have a basic proficiency with the Microsoft Management Console (MMC) and snap-ins and know how to start administrative programs and access the command line. If operators are not familiar with Network and Sharing Center, it might be necessary for IT planners or IT managers to review the relevant operations in this guide and provide the operators with parameters or data that must be entered when the operation is performed.

The operations areas are divided into the following types of content:

• Objectives are high-level goals for managing, monitoring, optimizing and securing Network Center. Each objective consists of one or more high-level tasks that describe how the objective is accomplished. In this guide, Using Network and Sharing Center is an example of an objective.
  
• Tasks are used to group related procedures and provide general guidance for achieving the goals of an objective. In this guide, Creating and Configuring Network Connections is an example of a task.
  
• Procedures provide step-by-step instructions for completing tasks. In this guide, Display the Network Map is an example of a procedure topic.
  

If you are an IT manager who is delegating tasks to operators within your organization, you might want to:

• Read through the objectives and tasks to determine how to delegate permissions and whether you need to install tools before operators perform the procedures for each task.
  
• Before assigning tasks to individual operators, ensure that you have all the tools installed where operators can use them.
  
• When necessary, create “tear sheets” for each task that operators perform in your organization. Copy and paste the task and its related procedures into a separate document, and then either print these documents or store them online, depending on the preference of your organization.
  

Concepts