What is a network administrator account?

Applies To: Windows SBS 2008

A network administrator manages the local area network for your organization and manages and maintains network devices such as switches and routers. The tasks that a network administrator performs may include:

• Managing network security

• Installing networked applications and other software

• Distributing software updates

• Enforcing licensing agreements

• Performing routine backups

• Monitoring daily activities on the network

In Windows SBS 2008, you can assign any user account the network administrator role, which grants the required permissions to perform network administrator tasks. When a user is assigned the network administrator role, the User Access Control prompt opens for any task that requires administrator permissions. However, the User Account Control prompt does not open for the built-in Administrator account, which is disabled at the end of installation to help secure your network. It is recommended that you do not enable or use the built-in Administrator account.

Important

If you lock the server desktop during the installation (for example, you press Ctrl+Alt+Delete or Windows logo key+L), you must unlock the desktop by using the built-in Administrator account.
To unlock the desktop, press Ctrl+Alt+Delete. In the logon prompt, type Administrator as the user name, and then press ENTER. The password is set to match the new network administrator password before DCPromo runs.