Connection Manager components and system requirements

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Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

Connection Manager components and system requirements

This section covers the system requirements for Connection Manager and its components.

Connection Manager requires at least 2 megabytes (MB) of free disk space and one of the following:

  • Windows 95

  • Windows 98

  • Windows NT Workstation 4.0

  • Windows 2000

  • Windows Millennium Edition

  • Windows XP

  • Windows Server 2003 family

  • Internet Explorer 4.01, 5.0, 5.5, or 6.0. Users do not have to have Internet Explorer set as their default browser or use the software.

Disk-space requirements for each system vary, based on the elements included in the service profile. For information on determining the size of the complete deliverable, see Planning for effective implementation.

For dial-up connections, Connection Manager also requires a 28.8 modem or faster connection. Connection Manager can automatically configure the modem. If you include Connection Manager in the service profile, the user's modem is configured as needed to support Connection Manager.

Connection Manager requires Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) (for peer connections in a network), Telephony Application Programming Interface (TAPI) (for dialing support), and Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP) or Layer Two Tunneling Protocol (L2TP) (to establish a VPN connection), but when Connection Manager installs, it automatically installs the appropriate level of software on computers with operating systems that do not have the appropriate level. There are two exceptions. On Windows NT 4.0, the user must manually set up PPTP (in Remote Access Setup). For information that you can provide to your users on how to set up PPTP on Windows NT 4.0, see Providing user documentation. On Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Millennium Edition, and Windows NT 4.0, users must install Microsoft L2TP/IPSec VPN Client in order to set up L2TP. For more information about Microsoft L2TP/IPSec VPN Client, see the Microsoft Web site .

If your service profile supports PPTP VPN connections, any users who are running Windows 95 on their computers must have the latest connection software installed on their computers to establish a VPN connection. For more information on this requirement, see Implementing VPN support. For information that you can provide to your users to update their connection software, see Providing user documentation.

Notes

  • It is recommended that your clients install the latest service pack for their operating systems before installing a Connection Manager service profile.

  • If your Connection Manager profile includes phone book downloads, your users must have a version of Internet Explorer installed on their computers, as noted above. Users do not have to have Internet Explorer set as their default browser or use the software.