Configuring TCP/IP is not any harder then configuring any other network protocol, such as Novell Netware's IPX, or Microsoft's Netbios. In fact, once a few essentials are understood, it may be that TCP/IP is easier to configure and, if one is experiencing any difficulty, there are many consultants or administrators available who are familiar with TCP/IP.
If you need TCP/IP software you may want to look at some of the commercial Internet Suites in the next section. Most of these suites contain all the software needed to start using the network, including e-mail, FTP, a Web browser and a Telnet package.
There are also shareware and freeware versions available on the Internet and various bulletin boards. Gathering all the networking software and clients for each protocol (Web, mail, FTP) can be time-consuming; sometimes it turns out to be less expensive to go with a commercial package.
Another nice thing about the commercial packages is the support. If you are having a problem with a public domain or shareware product, it is usually possible to get an answer from someone, but requires much more dedication and patience than with supported software. With commercial software, of course, it is much easier to get the answers.
There are two ways to add TCP/IP to a machine: either use TCP/IP as the only protocol, or use multiple protocols on the same machine. It is generally much easier to use just one protocol, but if you are already using networking software that may not be an option.
If your current networking software allows it, you may be able to encapsulate your existing network in an IP packet. This makes it easier to configure your networking software. Check the documentation to see if this is possible.
Setting up TCP/IP on a Windows machine will require a WINSOCK.DLL file to be installed and configured. If this is the only networking protocol, then that is all that is needed. If running different networks from this machine (such as Microsoft networking or NetWare), some experimenting will be necessary in order to get both protocols to work side-by-side. Your networking software documentation should "walk you" through setting up multiple protocols.
If you purchase a commercial suite of products, they will include a WINSOCK.DLL. Using a browser separately will require a Winsock package such as Trumpet Winsock or else a commercial TCP/IP stack.