A mechanism for linking together network interface card (NIC) drivers, network protocols (such as TCP/IP), and networking services (such as Workstation service).
Microsoft Windows operating systems allow you to optimize network communication by selectively enabling, disabling, and modifying the order of the bindings between different networking components.
Windows NT supports network driver interface specification (NDIS) 4.0, which allows multiple protocols to be independently bound to multiple network interface cards, while Windows 2000 supports the newer NDIS 5.0 specification with enhanced functionality.
To configure bindings for Windows NT, Windows 95, or Windows 98, use the Network utility in Control Panel. To configure bindings in Windows 2000, choose Advanced Settings from the Advanced menu of the Network And Dial-Up Connections window, which is also accessed from Control Panel. Bindings can be easily enabled, disabled, or reordered and can also be displayed in different ways, depending on the version of Windows involved. For example, in Windows NT bindings can be displayed as
In Windows 95 and Windows 98, bindings are shown in one list and cannot be reordered. In Windows 2000, bindings are displayed as a single hierarchical list and can be reordered.
To optimize network performance, disable any unnecessary bindings on your workstations.
The Bindings tab shows connections between the network cards, protocols, and services on a particular computer.