Model FVS328 ProSafe VPN Firewall with Dial Back-up Reference Manual

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About This Manual

December 2003, M-10041-01

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Introduction

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December 2003, M-10041-01

Chapter 2

Introduction

This chapter describes the features of the NETGEAR FVS328 ProSafe VPN Firewall with Dial

Back-up. The FVS328 Firewall provides connection for multiple computers to the Internet through

an external broadband access device such as a cable modem or DSL modem, and supports

IPSec-based secure tunnels to IPSec-compatible VPN servers. The 8-port FVS328 with auto

fail-over connectivity through the serial port provides highly reliable Internet access for up to 253

users.

About the FVS328

The FVS328 is a complete security solution that protects your network from attacks and intrusions

and enables secure communications using Virtual Private Networks (VPN). Unlike simple Internet

sharing routers that rely on Network Address Translation (NAT) for security, the FVS328 uses

Stateful Packet Inspection for Denial of Service (DoS) attack protection and intrusion detection.

The 8-port FVS328 provides highly reliable Internet access for up to 253 users with up to 50

concurrent VPN tunnels.

Key Features

The FVS328 features are highlighted below.

Full Routing on Both the Broadband and Serial Ports

You can install, configure, and operate the FVS328 to take full advantage of a variety of routing

options on both the serial and broadband WAN ports, including:

•

Internet access via either the serial or broadband port.

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Auto fail-over connectivity through an analog or ISDN modem connected to the serial port

If the broadband Internet connection fails, after a waiting for an amount of time you specify,

the FVS328 can automatically establish a backup ISDN or dial-up Internet connection via the

serial port on the firewall.

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Introduction

December 2003, M-10041-01

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Remote Access Server (RAS) allows you to log in remotely through the serial port to access a

server on your LAN, other LAN resources, or the Internet based on a user name and password

you define.

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LAN-to-LAN access between two FVS328 firewalls through the serial port with the option of

enabling auto-failover Internet access across the serial LAN-to-LAN connection.

Virtual Private Networking

The FVS328 Firewall provides a secure encrypted connection between your local network and

remote networks or clients. Its VPN features include:

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Support for up to 50 simultaneous VPN connections.

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Support for industry standard VPN protocols.

The FVS328 ProSafe VPN Firewall with Dial Back-up supports standard keying methods

(Manual or IKE), standard authentication methods (MD5 and SHA-1), and standard

encryption methods (DES, 3DES). It is compatible with many other VPN products.

•

Support for up to 168 bit encryption (3DES) for maximum security.

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Support for VPN Main Mode, Aggressive mode, or Manual Keying.

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Support for Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN) configuration when the Dynamic DNS

feature is enabled with one of the supported service providers.

A Powerful, True Firewall

Unlike simple Internet sharing NAT routers, the FVS328 is a true firewall, using stateful packet

inspection to defend against hacker attacks. Its firewall features include:

•

DoS protection

Automatically detects and thwarts DoS attacks such as Ping of Death, SYN Flood, LAND

Attack and IP Spoofing.

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Blocks unwanted traffic from the Internet to your LAN.

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Blocks access from your LAN to Internet locations or services that you specify as off-limits.

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Logs security incidents

The FVS328 will log security events such as blocked incoming traffic, port scans, attacks, and

administrator logins. You can configure the firewall to e-mail the log to you at specified

intervals. You can also configure the firewall to send immediate alert messages to your e-mail

address or e-mail pager whenever a significant event occurs.

Model FVS328 ProSafe VPN Firewall with Dial Back-up Reference Manual

Introduction

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Content Filtering

With its content filtering feature, the FVS328 prevents objectionable content from reaching your

computers. 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.

Configurable Auto Uplink™ Ethernet Connection

With its internal 8-port 10/100 switch, the FVS328 can connect to either a 10 Mbps standard

Ethernet network or a 100 Mbps Fast Ethernet network. Both the local LAN and the Internet WAN

interfaces are 10/100 Mbps, autosensing, and capable of full-duplex or half-duplex operation.

The firewall incorporates Auto Uplink

TM

technology. Each local Ethernet port will automatically

sense 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 will then configure 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.

Protocol Support

The FVS328 supports the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and Routing

Information Protocol (RIP).

Appendix C, “Networks, Routing, and Firewall Basics”

provides

further information on TCP/IP. Supported protocols include:

•

The Ability to Enable or Disable IP Address Sharing by NAT

The FVS328 allows several networked computers to share an Internet account using only a

single IP address, which may be statically or dynamically assigned by your Internet service

provider (ISP). This technique, known as NAT, allows the use of an inexpensive single-user

ISP account. This feature can also be turned off completely for using the FVS328 in settings

where you want to manage the IP address scheme of your organization.

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Automatic Configuration of Attached computers by DHCP

The FVS328 dynamically assigns network configuration information, including IP, gateway,

and domain name server (DNS) addresses, to attached computers using Dynamic Host

Configuration Protocol (DHCP). This feature greatly simplifies configuration of computers on

your local network.

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Introduction

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DNS Proxy

When DHCP is enabled and no DNS addresses are specified, the firewall provides its own

address as a DNS server to the attached computers. The firewall obtains actual DNS addresses

from the ISP during connection setup and forwards DNS requests from the LAN.

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PPP over Ethernet (PPPoE)

PPPoE is a protocol for connecting remote hosts to the Internet over a DSL connection by

simulating a dial-up connection. This feature eliminates the need to run a login program such

as EnterNet or WinPOET on your computer.

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Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol PPTP login support for European ISPs and BigPond login

for Telstra cable in Australia.

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Dynamic DNS

Dynamic DNS services allow remote users to find your network using a domain name when

your IP address is not permanently assigned. The firewall contains a client that can connect to

many popular Dynamic DNS services to register your dynamic IP address. See

“Configuring

Dynamic DNS” on page 5-6

.

Easy Installation and Management

You can install, configure, and operate the FVS328 within minutes after connecting it to the

network. The following features simplify installation and management tasks:

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Browser-based management

Browser-based configuration allows you to easily configure your firewall from almost any

type of personal computer, such as Windows, Macintosh, or Linux. A user-friendly Setup

Wizard is provided and online help documentation is built into the browser-based Web

Management Interface.

•

Smart Wizard

The firewall automatically senses the type of Internet connection, asking you only for the

information required for your type of ISP account.

•

Remote management

The firewall allows you to login to the Web Management Interface from a remote location via

the Internet using secure SLL protocol. For security, you can limit remote management access

to a specified remote IP address or range of addresses, and you can choose a nonstandard port

number.