How To Setup A Static Route On Windows Server

In this article, you'll learn to set up static routes on Windows Server 2003 operating system. This article is written for LAN administrators, Windows Administrators and students preparing Windows server 2003 certifications. It can be useful also for people studying for the CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate) certification exam.

Configuring static routes on Windows server 2003 operating system is easy as shown in steps below. To set up a static route correctly you need to know its outgoing interface, destination, network mask, gateway (this is optional if the outgoing interface type is demand-dial), and the metric.

Step 1: Open the Routing and Remote Access MMC.

Step 2: In the tree structure of the Routing and Remote Access MMC, click on Routing and Remote Access.

Step 3: Click on the name of your server.

Step 4: Click on IP Routing

Step 5: Click on General

Step 6: Click on IP routing protocol

Step 7: Click on Static routes

Step 8: Click on New Static Route

Step 9: In the dialog box "Static Route", enter the outgoing interface, the destination, the network mask, the gateway, and the metric of static route. If you specify a demand-dial interface, then the Gateway filed will not be available. Moreover, you can also activate the check box "Use this route to initiate demand-dial connections" in order to launch a demand-dial connection for the IP packets that are corresponding to the route.

Take into account that you should be a member of the Administrators group in order to execute the following procedure. It is suggested to right-click the Routing and Remote Access icon and then click on Run As option rather than to open a Windows session using the credentials of a member of the Administrators group.

If you opened a session with identification information of a member of the Administrators security group, you can also open the Routing and Remote Access MMC (Microsoft Management Console) by double-clicking on Routing and distant access located in the Administrative Tools folder, which you can it by clicking on Start and then click on Control panel.