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Net (command)

Net (command) is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Net (command) rather than just read about it. In short: In computing, net is a command in IBM OS/2 (including eComStation and ArcaOS), Microsoft Windows, and ReactOS used to manage and configure the operating system from the command-line. It is also part of the IBM PC Network Program for DOS.

Net (command) — main illustration
Net (command) — illustration

Key takeaways

  • Net (command) belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect Net (command) to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of Net (command) from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

In computing, net is a command in IBM OS/2 (including eComStation and ArcaOS), Microsoft Windows, and ReactOS used to manage and configure the operating system from the command-line. It is also part of the IBM PC Network Program for DOS.

Overview The command is primarily used to manage network resources. It is an external command implemented as net.exe. When used in a batch file, the /Y or /N switches can be used to unconditionally answer Yes or No to questions returned by the command. The net command has several sub-commands that can differ from one implementation or operating system version to another. On Windows CE .NET 4.2, Windows CE 5.0 and Windows Embedded CE 6.0, it is available as an external command stored in \Windows\net.exe. This version only supports the use and view sub-commands.

Example The net use command has several network-related functions.

Connecting network drive and printer net use can control mounting ("mapping" in Microsoft terminology) drive shares and connecting shared printers in a network environment. This command makes use of the SMB (server message block) and the NetBIOS protocol on port 139 or 445. The basic Windows XP configuration enables this functionality by default. Thus users can connect to and disconnect from shared resources such as computers, printers and drives. net use can display a list of network-connection information on shared resources.

Null session connections net use also connects to the IPC$ (interprocess communication share). This is the so-called null session connection, which allows unauthenticated users. The basic syntax for connecting anonymously is:

For example, typing at the command prompt:

attempts to connect to the share IPC$ of the network 192.168.1.101 as an anonymous user with blank password. If successfully connected to the target machine, a lot of information can be gathered such as shares, users, groups, registry keys and more. This would provide a hacker with a lot of information about a remote user. This has changed in Windows NT 4.0 SP6 already. In Windows 2000 "null session connections" could have been enabled after changes of the system-configuration.

Similar commands in other OSes Novell NetWare map for mapping volumes (network drives) to drive letters capture for capturing print queues to LPT ports

See also List of DOS commands MS-Net

References

Further reading David Moskowitz; David Kerr (1993). OS/2 2.1 Unleashed. Sams Publishing. ISBN 978-0672302404. Stanek, William R. (2008). Windows Command-Line Administrator's Pocket Consultant, 2nd Edition. Microsoft Press. ISBN 978-0735622623. John Paul Mueller (2007). Windows Administration at the Command Line for Windows Vista, Windows 2003, Windows XP, and Windows 2000. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-0470165799.

External links

Microsoft TechNet "How To Use Net Use Command In Windows Command Line?". poftut. Archived from the original on 2019-04-19.

Illustrations

Net (command) illustration
Net (command): The Windows CE 3.0 net command
The Windows CE 3.0 net command

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Net (command)

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Net (command) claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Net (command) before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Net (command) ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Net (command)

In research
Net (command) appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses Net (command) in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
Net (command) is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Microcomputer software, OS/2 commands, Windows administration, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for Net (command) outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Net (command) in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what Net (command) means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain Net (command) out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Net (command) in simple terms?

In computing, net is a command in IBM OS/2 (including eComStation and ArcaOS), Microsoft Windows, and ReactOS used to manage and configure the operating system from the command-line. It is also part of the IBM PC Network Program for DOS.

Why does Net (command) matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Net (command)?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Net (command).

Tags

  • Microcomputer software
  • OS/2 commands
  • Windows administration
  • Windows commands
  • Windows communication and services

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