Author: Joseph Moran
Let's say you have a notebook you regularly use to connect to lots of different networks. If all you need from these sundry networks is Internet access, connecting to one involves little more than getting an automatic IP address from the network's DHCP server, and voila, you're in business.
But when you need particular configuration settings maybe a static IP address, or specific DNS servers, default printers or mapped drives for a given network, changing these settings can be time-consuming. Plus, since the settings for one network may not be appropriate for other networks you frequent, they likely must be changed again and again as you move between networks.
But not if you have NetSetMan (short for Network Settings Manager), a freeware Windows utility that can take the tedium out of having to change network settings whenever you change networks. With it, you can set up profiles with custom settings for up to six different networks, but just as important, NetSetMan lets you to switch between profiles with ease.
Profiles in Networking
NetSetMan's network profiles can contain a dozen different parameters, including IP address, default gateway, DNS, PC and Workgroup names, default printer, mapped drives, and login scripts. When you install NetSetMan, you're presented with a six-tab interface for profile configuration and selection. Settings for each profile are displayed in the same window, so you can view or modify them without having to navigate through different menus. In lieu of entering settings by hand, there's a feature that lets you customize a profile by pulling in all of the system's current network settings. This is a real time saver.
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