What is DHCP?
DHCP stands for Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol and is a way of
centrally controlling the addresses on your network. A computer (if DHCP is
enabled) will automatically obtain an address from the DHCP server and is
ready to access the network. The OfficeConnect Cable/DSL Gateway has a
built-in DHCP server to allocate IP addresses to the local network. No user
intervention is required.
What is VPN?
VPN stands for Virtual Private Network and is a means of securely
transmitting private data over a public network (like the Internet). This is
achieved by encrypting the data so that only the sender and the recipient can
decode the data. The OfficeConnect Cable/DSL Gateway allows the pass
through of VPN data so that a secure tunnel can be set-up through the
Gateway.
What are PC Privileges?
PC Privileges allow the network administrator to specify, which services are
allowed to be access by each PC or group of PCs on the local network are
allowed to access. For example, it might be necessary to block all Web and
FTP traffic from a group of PCs. This is easily achieved through the
management interface simply by clicking checkboxes.
What are Special Applications?
Some PC applications use more than one connection to communicate across
the Internet. These applications will not normally pass-through a firewall.
However, using the Special Applications feature it is possible to configure the
gateway to pass through the traffic.
A list of well-known Special Applications are pre-defined in the OfficeConnect
Cable/DSL Gateway and by selecting from a pull-down menu the selected
application is enabled. It is also possible for the user to define new Special
Applications if required.
What is a “Virtual Server”?
A Virtual Server is a computer on the local network, behind the gateway, that
has to be publicly accessible (e.g. Web Server, FTP Server etc). A Virtual
Server can be set-up simply by entering the last digit of the IP address of the
Virtual Server computer and selecting the service to be allowed through to the
computer. All traffic on the service will then be sent directly to the defined
Virtual Server. In this way, you are able to host Internet services from your
private network.
What is a Virtual DMZ?
A Virtual DMZ (De-Militarized Zone) is basically a group Virtual Server. All
traffic that has not already been directed to a specific Virtual Server can be
sent to a computer on the local network defined as the Virtual DMZ. A Virtual
DMZ might be used when an application that uses a very large number of
connections is being used, or an application where the port numbers of the
simultaneous connections are not known or are assigned dynamically.