Network Protocol Layer Support

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  Session Description Protocol (SDP). SDP enables developers to plug in third-party Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP) to support real-time transmission of digital audio and video data.
  
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  Hypertext Transport Protocol (HTTP). HTTP is used primarily to connect to a Web server on the Internet, download HTML page content to a client browser, and define how data is formatted and transmitted.
  
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  File Transfer Protocol (FTP). FTP is used primarily to transfer files between a file server and a client over the Internet and typically requires authentication before a transaction can occur.
  
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  Telnet Protocol. Telnet Protocol is a terminal emulation protocol that allows remote administration of Web servers from a personal computer over a TCP/IP network. Telnet protocol is available in both headless devices, such as gateways, and display-based devices.
  
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  Session Initiation Protocol (SIP). SIP is a signaling protocol that enables IP telephony, alerts, and instant messaging. SIP also initiates data handling, such as routing and authentication, for devices connected over a network and managed as a single domain.
  
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  Simple Network Time Protocol (SNTP). SNTP is a simplified version of the Network Time Protocol (NTP) used to synchronize clocks across a network. Windows CE provides support for both SNTP client and server functionality.
  

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  Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) Allocation. A variety of DHCP Server features are supported in Windows CE 5.0. DHCP allocation simplifies network configuration. For example, dynamically assigning IP addresses to devices on a network simplifies administration tasks and allows multiple users to access the Internet at one time.
  
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  Domain Name System (DNS) Proxy (Relay). A DNS proxy server can be used to improve gateway device performance and to set up filters, such as parental controls, for network requests.
  
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  IPv6 DNS Proxy. In Windows CE 5.0, the DNS proxy enables clients to send DNS queries over IPv6. The proxy listens for DNS queries on the well-known, site-local address, and then relays those queries to the current public network IPv4 DNS server. This functionality allows IPv6 clients to perform DNS name resolution.
  
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  Media Access Control (MAC) Address Control. A MAC address is a unique serial number burned into Ethernet and token ring network cards. The MAC layer of a series of protocols controls how a device on a network gains access to view or transmit data. A MAC identifies a device as a unique, addressable unit within a network of devices.
  
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  Virtual Servers. Virtual servers, also called virtual hosts, lower the cost of hosting a Web site by sharing resources with other Web servers. Multiple virtual servers can be managed as one server or system image for an operating system, simplifying network administration.
  
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  Port Forwarding Support. Windows CE-based gateway devices can allocate incoming data to the correct type of port (such as HTTP, audio, or video) on a networked device, or block incoming data based on the type of port for which the data is intended. For example, an enterprise can enable employees to view videos or to listen to streaming media over a corporate intranet, or the enterprise can block the usage of multimedia files.
  
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  Application Layer Gateway (ALG) Support. ALG support allows customized NAT traversal filters to be plugged into the gateway to support address and port translation for non-standard protocols such as DirectX games. ALG enables efficient through-put of PC games based on DirectX technology, increasing the performance of games and other entertainment experiences for end users.
  

The key benefit of UPnP is that it allows a device to automatically recognize other devices and their characteristics. In other words, as soon as an end user connects a new device to a network, the device automatically integrates into the network by identifying itself to other devices and is recognized in turn, allowing instant interoperability.

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  Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) Client. A set of standardized framing and authentication protocols that enable dial-up networking through any server that supports PPP.
  
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  Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet (PPPoE). A suite of control protocols that incorporates PPP into cable modem connections. Pope provides the ability to connect a network of hosts to a remote access concentrator over a simple bridging access device.
  
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  Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) Client. A protocol for assigning dynamic IP addresses to devices on a network. Dynamic addressing simplifies network administration tasks by enabling software to track, add, and remove IP addresses without manual intervention.
  
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  IP Auto-Configuration Support. If a DHCP server is unavailable at system start time, Windows CE–based clients can automatically configure an IP address and subnet mask. This feature, Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA), is useful for clients on small private networks, such as a small business office, a home office, or a remote access client.
  

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  802.3 (Ethernet). Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standard for LAN access methods.
  
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  Network Driver Interface Specification (NDIS) 5.1. Describes the standard network driver architecture for all Windows-based platforms. In a Windows CE-based device, NDIS is implemented as an intermediate driver and used for network bridging and routing. The intermediate driver appears as a miniport to the protocol layer above it, and as a protocol driver to the miniport driver to which it binds.
  
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  Home Phoneline Networking Alliance (HomePNA). Enables the creation of home communication networks using existing phone lines.
  
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  Digital Subscriber Line (DSL). Increases the digital capacity of existing telephone lines without interfering with voice bands. Windows CE 5.0 does not ship with DSL technologies, however, third-party DSL technologies can be added to Windows CE-based gateway devices.
  

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  Bluetooth. A short-range wireless technology that enables data communication between devices. It also provides the capability for using a Bluetooth-enabled cellular phone as a data modem, exchanging information with other Bluetooth devices and providing network access.
  
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  802.11. Enables gateways to function as wireless access points providing high bandwidth connectivity. Windows CE includes support for 802.11a (a maximum of 11 megabits per second [Mbps]; requires drivers), 802.11b (a maximum of 54 Mbps; requires drivers), and 802.11g. 802.11 Zero Configuration in Windows CE 5.0 simplifies setup of 802.11 networks and enables seamless roaming from one 802.11 network to another.
  
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  Native 802.11. Specifies a wireless LAN framework that provides an improved 802.11 user experience, and lower 802.11 device and infrastructure deployments costs. Native 802.11 provides enhanced wireless networking options such as security power management, roaming, load balancing, Quality of Service (QoS), and location awareness.
  
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  802.1x. Helps provide secure access to the network to support wireless LANs and Ethernet. It enables interoperable user identification, centralized authentication, and dynamic key management, and can secure both wired and wireless LAN access.