Net Commands – Network Security Management
The NET Command is used to manage network security resources as follows:
View user account password and logon requirements (also displays the machine type – Server or workstation)
NET ACCOUNTS
View password and logon requirements for the network domain.
NET ACCOUNTS /DOMAIN
Set the number of minutes a user has before being forced to log off when the account expires or valid logon hours expire
NET ACCOUNTS /FORCELOGOFF:minutes /DOMAIN
Prevent forced logoff when user accounts expire
NET ACCOUNTS /FORCELOGOFF:NO /DOMAIN
Set the minimum number of characters for a password.
NET ACCOUNTS /MINPWLEN:C /DOMAIN
The range is 0-14 characters; the default is 6 characters.
Set the maximum number of days that a password is valid.
NET ACCOUNTS /MAXPWAGE:dd /DOMAIN
The range is 1-49710; the default is 90 days.
Set passwords to never expire.
NET ACCOUNTS /MAXPWAGE:UNLIMITED /DOMAIN
Set a minimum number of days that must pass before a user can change a password (default = 0)
NET ACCOUNTS /MINPWAGE:dd /DOMAIN
Require that new passwords be different from ‘x’ number of previous passwords
NET ACCOUNTS /UNIQUEPW:x /DOMAIN
The range for ‘x’ is 1-24
Synchoronise the user accounts database (PDC and BDC)
NET ACCOUNTS /SYNC /DOMAIN
View user account details
NET USER [/DOMAIN]
Add a user account.
NET USER username {password | *} /ADD [options] [/DOMAIN]
Modify a user account.
NET USER [username [password | *] [options]] [/DOMAIN]
Delete a username
NET USER username [/DELETE] [/DOMAIN]
Generate a random password:
NET USER administrator /random
Add a group
NET GROUP groupname /ADD [/COMMENT:”text”] [/DOMAIN]
Edit a group
NET GROUP [groupname [/COMMENT:”text”]] [/DOMAIN]
Delete a group
NET GROUP groupname /DELETE [/DOMAIN]
Add a user to a group
NET GROUP groupname username […] /ADD [/DOMAIN]
Delete a user from a group
NET GROUP groupname username […] /DELETE [/DOMAIN]
To View, Add or modify a local group replace GROUP in the commands above with LOCALGROUP.
Examples
Create a group
C:\> NET LOCALGROUP spud /add
Add to guests
C:\> NET LOCALGROUP guests spud /add
Then remove
C:\> NET LOCALGROUP guests spud /delete
C:\> NET LOCALGROUP spud /delete