Networks

Your question is very generic (not a lot of details) so it's hard to really be specific in the response.

As far as network protocols, these days TCP/IP is pretty much the answer as the protocol of choice. It is solid, routable, and works across OSes and Platforms. Even Netware and Apple have moved to be IP-centric.

For addressing, that really depends on your circumstances. If you are setting up an internal network, you can use the 10.x.x.x series of addresses or the 192.168.x.x addresses (these seem the most common, though others like 172.16.x.x are available too). If you are assigned a range from your service provider, you will likely use them, at least on the servers you want available to internet traffic. You might have a publicand private network setup using a combination of these.

For remote access, at present it seems VPN is the "flavor of the week". We use it extensively and it's encrypted nature, simple setup and solid functionality make it a solid choice.

Goodluck....hope these ideas help.