Enable BranchCache on client computers

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Applies To: Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2

You can use this procedure to manually configure each BranchCache client computer for hosted cache mode by using network shell (netsh) commands.

Important

You must perform this procedure on both client computers to successfully deploy BranchCache in your test lab.

Membership in Administrators, or equivalent is the minimum required to perform this procedure.

To enable BranchCache hosted cache mode by using network shell commands

  1. On the BranchCache client computer that you want to configure, click Start, click Search programs and files, and then type command. In search results, under Programs, right-click Command Prompt, and then click Run as Administrator. The command prompt opens with the elevated privileges that are required to run netsh commands.

  2. Run the following command: netsh branchcache set service mode=hostedclient location=Hosted-01

Note

Running the netsh branchcache set service command both configures the client computer for hosted cache mode and automatically configures the client computer firewall with the following inbound exception for hosted cache mode: TCP port 80.

  1. To verify that BranchCache hosted cache mode is correctly configured on the client computer, run the following command: netsh branchcache show status. The BranchCache Service Status is displayed in the command prompt window with the following values: Service Mode: Hosted Cache Client and Current Status= Running.

  2. To set the latency allowed between the client and the server, run the following command: netsh branchcache smb set latency 0.

Note

The default BranchCache latency is 80 milliseconds (ms). For this test lab, latency is set to 0 ms because the content server, client computers, and hosted cache server are all installed on the same network, so there is no delay expected in communications between the computers during BranchCache operation.