NetWork AutoMagic, aka NWAM, is an environment that helps you switch between various network-related configurations in one go. It is primarily useful for laptops as well as for mobile computers. It might also potentially be useful for an OS image that was duplicated across many machines that would be expected to configure themselves when turned on in their final deployment location, rather than once at install time.
Most system administrators of server-class hardware will probably choose to use the manual network configuration tools detailed in Chapter 4, Networking Nuts and Bolts, rather than using NWAM.
In the age of almost ubiquitous DHCP, most folks will only need to use the automatic settings. But if you need to integrate with a secure network (or perhaps the problem is a less than secure network), you may wish to make some customizations beyond what the bare DHCP offers you.
NWAM offers a way for an individual user at the console...