Configure network settings programmatically

[Simon Caiger]

Hi,

I originally posted this in the API section, forgetting that there was a special area for networking questions.

I have an industrial application running on touch screen PCs without a CD drive but do have a network card. The network settings for this are factory set.

From time to time our service technicians need to visit customers to upgrade the software on the PCs.

The current software upgrade method is to connect an external CD drive and install the software upgrade.

I am investigating ways to make the software upgrade process easier.

Not all of our customers are happy to have a permanent network connection to their lasers so DUN in not a complete solution.

The service techs all carry a lap top which is configured to allow them to dial in to our own network.

My current idea is to have them connect their lap top (peer to peer) to the machine's PC and do the software update that way. They could also retrieve log files generated by my application.

With all respect to our service techs, we don't want them having to change the network settings on their lap tops.

I am looking to write an application which runs on their lap top and :

1. Reads their current network settings
2. Sets required settings for the peer to peer connection
3. Does the file transfers
4. Restores their original network settings

I am OK with the network connection and file transfer side of this.

I am stuck with the automatic setting of the network parameters.

I have had a good look around on the net (bit of a problem searching on this forum because "IP" is shorter than the minimun word length for the search facility).

I have found some information on the IP Helper API which looks like it might do what I need but I can't find any code samples to get me started.

Has anybody done this or got any suggestions?

As always, any help is greatly appreciated.

[SeanPMorris]

The WMI class win32_networkAdapterConfiguration has a variety of methods for configuring network settings. I don't know if that helps, but it's probably a good place to start.

[Simon Caiger]

Thanks for the reply.

I will have a look