Firewall Server

NetWinder OfficeServer Quick Tour

14 Mar 2000

The NetWinder OfficeServer is one of the new "Server appliance" products that strives to provide the ultimate in simplicity, reliability, and ease of management in an office server. The device comes pre-loaded with a very complete and competent distribution of the Linux OS. All the typical network services are pre-configured and ready to use from the instant you connect the device to your network. This includes not only the expected DNS, web, mail, and file-sharing services, but additional services like firewalling and virtual hosting that would require significant effort to configure manually.

Installation

The NetWinder comes in two hardware forms - the desktop unit and the rack-mountable unit. Both are remarkably small and convenient. The desktop version, which is pictured above, can be easily placed on a bookshelf. It may sit horizontally or vertically and is no larger than a standard paperback manual. The rack-mountable unit is designed to fit in a standard 19-inch rack and can be configured as a single or dual NetWinder server.

Each server is equipped with two Ethernet ports to serve as the connections to your internal LAN and the Internet. Though you do not have to hook your server to the Internet, it is an excellent way to provide Internet access to your entire office with one IP address and firewall security. If you do not have a device that offers Ethernet access to the Internet, you can also connect an external modem to the NetWinder's serial port to provide for shared dial-up Internet access. The NetWinder has a built-in "Dial on Demand" service that will establish the connection to your ISP when it is required. The NetWinder will support the following methods for connecting to your ISP:

• (A)DSL modem
• Cable modem
• ISDN router
• ISDN Terminal Adapter
• Dial-up or permanent modem connection

Once you determine whether and how to connect your NetWinder to the Internet, the setup is a breeze. You will need a Windows client machine with TCP/IP networking configured. The NetWinder comes with a Quick Start diskette that you launch on this client machine after connecting the NetWinder to your LAN. Within a few seconds, a graphical configuration screen will appear in your Web browser. The NetWinder automatically discovers most of its network settings. If you agree with the automatic settings, simply click a button to store the settings to the NetWinder. You can then use your browser to access the home page on the NetWinder and start customizing the setup for your needs.

Setup

The coolest feature of the NetWinder is the slick browser-based interface. It is highly functional and provides easy access to a wealth of configuration settings. There is also a User Services browser interface from which the users can access their information. To use the interface, you are prompted to enter a password in your browser. A special administrator password provides access to all the server's setup information. Figure 1 shows the main menu for the Administrator Services.

Figure 1. NetWinder Admin Menu

Since the interface is browser-based, you can configure and control the NetWinder from any client machine on your network. If you connect to the Internet and use the NetWinder as a web server, you can control it from anywhere that you have Internet access. For this reason, you will want to choose a good password for your NetWinder that cannot be easily guessed.

Each of the services in Table 1 can be controlled (start/stop/restart) and configured using the Administrator Services web pages.

Table 1. Admin Configuration Options

Additionally, the browser interface lets you manage users and groups on the NetWinder and modify all of your network settings.

Overall, the web-based administation works well, is easy to learn, and provides all the functionality most users will ever need. However, it is important to keep in mind that the NetWinder does contain a full-fledged Linux distribution that is infinitely customizable. You can access the NetWinder directly using either a telnet session (if enabled) or by connecting a keyboard, video, and mouse to the ports on the unit. The NetWinder works with a standard SVGA monitor and PS/2 keyboard/mouse. It will run the X Windows System quite nicely and has all the tools and development packages you are accustomed to finding on a Linux system.

Hardware Description

TheNetWinder hardware is designed to be compact, reliable, low-power, and economical. The CPU is a 32-bit, 275 MHz StrongARM RISC processor. This is an Intel product, but has a much better performance per watt rating than the Pentium line. The processor delivers 262 BogoMips, which is roughly equivalent to a 300MHz Pentium II. Power consumption is extemely low at only 15 watts. Storage is provided by an internal 6.4 or 10 Gigabyte hard drive, and RAM is available in either 64 or 128 Megabyte quantities. The unit that was evaluated contained 64M RAM and the 6.4G hard drive. Performance was very good at this level.
However, if you feel you will be pushing your NetWinder up toward 100 users, you should probably spring for the 128M / 10Gig version.

A full array of ports are included on the back of each NetWinder, similar to what you would expect in a PC. Besides the dual Ethernet and keyboard/video/mouse ports, the NetWinder includes parallel and serial ports for an optional printer and external modem. Of course, the NetWinder will function as a print server for your network if a printer is attached to it.

At Home on your Network?

The NetWinder provides so many services in such a convenient and unobtrusive manner, that it is hard to imagine a networking situation where it wouldn't be a viable primary or additional server. If your current network is a simple peer-to-peer setup, or you would like to network your office for the first time and put it on the Intenet, then the NetWinder is ideal. The NetWinder will provide your organization with Internet and internal e-mail, private website, public website, file and printer sharing, Internet access from everydesk, and firewall security. This is a pretty good core set of services from a single, inexpensive device that is simple to administer!

If, on the other hand, your organization already has one or more servers, the NetWinder may prove a valuable addition to fill a gap. For example, you may have increased your user base and need to migrate some users to another firewall or proxy server to improve performance. Or, you may be running low on assigned IP addresses, and want to use the NetWinder's Network Address Translation (NAT) feature to multiply your available addresses. Another use is as an additional workgroup or departmental file server. If space is limited, you can place it on a bookshelf and have a reliable, low-maintenance, network storage device that can be easily managed by someone in the workgroup. Certainly, the possibilities are endless.

Another potential home for the NetWinder may actually be in your home. The expanding availability of cable modem and ADSL Internet access in the home will lead to more networked households. The falling price of computers and frequent upgrades will result in families having multiple computers, and the desire to network these and share an Internet connection is understandable. The NetWinder's simplicity, low cost, and small size make it a great solution for the home network.

Conclusion

The NetWinder is an early entry into the burgeoning market for network appliances. It combines a great feature set with a sensible and practical design, and you can't beat the price or ease of setup and administration. If you weren't already convinced of the value and capabilities provided by a Linux system, then the NetWinder will make you a believer. No network environment built with Windows NT Server can compare to the NetWinder's ease, cost vs. performance, or suitability for differing tasks.

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