NETGEAR FVG318 manual Security, Autosensing Ethernet Connections with Auto Uplink

Reference Manual for the ProSafe Wireless 802.11g VPN Firewall Model FVG318

The FVG318 logs security events such as blocked incoming traffic, port scans, attacks, and administrator logins. You can configure the firewall to email the log to you at specified intervals. You can also configure the firewall to send immediate alert messages to your e-mail address or email pager whenever a significant event occurs.

•With its content filtering feature, the FVG318 prevents objectionable content from reaching your PCs. The firewall allows you to control access to Internet content by screening for keywords within Web addresses. You can configure the firewall to log and report attempts to access objectionable Internet sites.

Security

The FVG318 wireless VPN firewall is equipped with several features designed to maintain security, as described in this section.

•PCs Hidden by NAT

NAT opens a temporary path to the Internet for requests originating from the local network. Requests originating from outside the LAN are discarded, preventing users outside the LAN from finding and directly accessing the PCs on the LAN.

•Port Forwarding with NAT

Although NAT prevents Internet locations from directly accessing the PCs on the LAN, the firewall allows you to direct incoming traffic to specific PCs based on the service port number of the incoming request, or to one designated “DNS” host computer. You can specify forwarding of single ports or ranges of ports.

Autosensing Ethernet Connections with Auto Uplink

With its internal eight-port 10/100 switch, the FVG318 can connect to either a 10 Mbps standard Ethernet network or a 100 Mbps Fast Ethernet network. Both the LAN and WAN interfaces are autosensing and capable of full-duplex or half-duplex operation.

The firewall incorporates Auto UplinkTM technology. Each Ethernet port automatically senses whether the Ethernet cable plugged into the port should have a normal connection such as to a PC or an uplink connection such as to a switch or hub. That port then configures itself to the correct configuration. This feature also eliminates the need to worry about crossover cables, as Auto Uplink will accommodate either type of cable to make the right connection.

Extensive Protocol Support

The FVG318 wireless VPN firewall supports the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and Routing Information Protocol (RIP). For further information about TCP/IP, refer to “Internet Networking and TCP/IP Addressing:” in Appendix A.”

Introduction 2-3

v1.0, October 2005