Definition of Interactive Logon in Network Encyclopedia.
What is Interactive Logon
A logon process whereby the user gains access to the network by entering a username and password in response to a dialog box on the local console.
This is in contrast to a remote logon, which occurs when a user who is already logged on locally tries to make a network connection to a remote computer – for example, using the net use command at the command prompt or Remote Desktop Connection.
Interactive logons are supported by all versions of Microsoft Windows.
The information that the user must specify during an interactive logon depends on the network’s security model, as described in the following table. After successfully logging on interactively, the user is granted an access token that is assigned to the initial process created for him or her.
Required Logon Information for Security Models
| Security Model | What the User Must Specify |
| Workgroup | Username and password |
| Domain | Username and password |
| Domain with a trust relationship trusting other domains | Username, password, and domain |
NOTE
When trust relationships are configured between Windows 2000 and Windows NT domains, the interactive logon dialog box allows the user to select a logon domain – that is, the domain in which the user’s user account is located. In contrast, the Windows 95 and Windows 98 logon domains are hard-coded using Client for Microsoft Networks and offer only one domain to choose from at logon time.
