1. What is the AnexGATE Server appliance and what does it offer?
AnexGATE Server appliance is All in One Internet Appliance, a plug-and-play server appliance designed specifically for the Internet and intranet needs of branch offices, workgroups, small businesses, It is meant for SME segment, Government agencies, educational institutions and vertical applications. As a standard Package AnexGATE server offers Firewall, Web Access Control, DHCP and DNS services. Based upon Models, there are additional features like VPN, IDS, Fail over, Bandwidth monitoring
The entire services and applications are pre-installed and managed through an intuitive Web-based interface. To facilitate the integration of additional services and applications, the AnexGATE Server appliance's modular software architecture is designed to make the deployment of new Web applications and services as easy as a click of a button. We offer customers the various modules to upgrade AnexGATE server from time to time. All the updates will be at not additional cost and whereas every modular upgrade will be available at marginal cost.
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2. Who is the target customer for the AnexGATE Server appliance?
A. AnexGATE Server appliance has been designed for the Internet and intranet needs of small businesses, branch offices, workgroups, government agencies, educational institutions and vertical applications.
All models have a common feature list - Firewall, Email, Proxy, Content filter besides DNS & DHCP.
The different models are as follows:
- IA010 -10 users version, Common features List.
- IA025 - 25 users version + Common feature list + VPN
- IA050 - 50 users version + Common feature list + VPN +IDS
- IA100 - 100 users versions + Common feature list +VPN +IDS +Fail Over
- IA200 - 200 users versions + Common feature list +VPN +IDS +Fail Over
VPN allows mobile users connectivity or inter branch secure connectivity over Internet.
Fail over feature allows secondary Dial Up / ISDN connection to take over, if the primary connection fails.
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3. What kind of similar products available in market?
A. Broadband is reaching small businesses and education in the recent years. These segments are price sensitive and normally do not have dedicated engineers to manage the network. Hence there is a requirement of inexpensive product, besides being a very simple product.
Normally, for Internet connectivity Firewall, Anti Virus software and Intrusion Detection System is required for security. Proxy with cache and access control is required for productivity enhancements. In built DHCP & DNS servers are required for the essential services on a LAN. E Mail server requirement is also becoming a must. Having an internal E Mail Server has many advantages of having more users connected, as well as saves on Internet bandwidth, as internal Email remain on LAN. AnexGATE is all in one Internet appliance, which provides an option for organizations to have all internet related components on a single server. The other option is have different servers for Firewall, VPN, Anti Virus, Proxy and E mail can be very expensive option.
Many companies have entered market with products. Sun has Cobalt range servers providing similar functionality. Customers all have an option to use a Microsoft or Linux suite. There are several regional players, who have similar products. All in One Internet Appliance is now emerging a major growth area.
There are other alliances from WatchGuard, Nokia, NetScreen & Cisco etc. Most of these appliance support mainly Firewall, VPN and content filter. Many provide option of Anti Virus at Gateway.
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4. What Anti Virus AnexGATE supports as an option?
A. AnexGate supports Gateway Anti Virus from leaders like Trend Micro ( Iscan Virus wall ) and Sophos Anti virus. However, this is an optional purchase.
Having Anti Virus at Gateway provides double protection. Viruses are handled at Gateway itself. Besides being at the desktop level.
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5. What are benefits, a customer gets from AnexGATE?
A. Identity-based access control and forward proxies
- Improves user productivity
- Keeps users on-task - blocks non-work related web sites
- Improved network performance enhances user experience
- Improves network performance
- Caches content close to users
- Keeps unnecessary traffic off the private network
- Reduces load on broad links
- Improves network security
- High quality firewall keeps hackers out
- Helps keep users from accessing potentially dangerous web sites
- Sites that track user activity
- Sites that pull data from the corporate workstation via scripts, cookies, etc.
- Reduces exposure to liability
- Helps keep illegal content from the Internet off the private network
- Prevents users from hosting Internet services -seen recently at many organizations
- Provides accurate, comprehensive activity logging by user ID to support possible disciplinary action or litigation
B. VPN
- Secure, general-purpose remote access for legacy applications and protocols
- Reduces cost of remote access and connectivity
- Users can access private network from anywhere on the Internet
- Site-to-site VPN obviates the need for expensive WAN links
C. E Mail
- Allows single domain to be shared amongst multiple users as different e-mail ids.
- Can block Spam mails attack from a given account
- Option for mail virus scanner at the gateway level (world renowned Trend Micro & SOPHOS anti virus package)
- Restrict the mail size or attachments from the local LAN to outside world to ensure, one person does not choke the entire bandwidth
- All wrong mails (wrongly spelled or with mistakes or virus infected mail), administrator is informed
- Redirect mails to external id for a specific account
- Priorities the mail dispatch for faster response on link like dial up
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6. How do I buy a AnexGATE Server appliance?
A. Through AnexTEK offices, OEM and channel partners. In India & China, it is being sold through Xserve, a service, marketing and sales arm. Please refer www.anextek.com
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7. What is AnexGate architecture?
A. AnexGate is built over reliable hardware necessary for 24 hours computing. For lower end models, VIA Eden platform is used and Intel base 1U Rack mount server for 100 & 200 users.
Software architecture uses a hardened Linux Kernel. The various services run over the same. AnexGATE Server appliance comes pre-configured with a Stateful Firewall, Web Access Control, Mail server, DHCP, DNS and 128bit SSL. Please refer the data sheet for more details.
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8. What makes AnexGATE Server appliances secure?
A: ANEXGATE Server appliance uses Stateful packet inspection to determine if a data packet is allowed through the firewall to the private LAN. AnexGATE Server product support Network Address Translation (NAT), which translates multiple IP addresses on the private LAN to one public address that is sent out to the Internet. This adds a level of security since the address of a PC connected to the private LAN is never transmitted on the Internet. AnexGATE Server Internet security appliances are also pre-configured to automatically detect and thwart Denial of Service (DoS) attacks such as Ping of Death, SYN Flood, LAND Attack, IP Spoofing, etc.
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9. What network gateway services does the AnexGATE Server appliance provides?
A. AnexGATE Server appliance comes pre-configured with Web Caching, Web Access Control, Remote Access VPN, Network-to-Network VPN, Network Address Translation, Static NATing, Internet broadband support, PPPoE, Dial-up Access control and IP Firewall. Network-to-Network VPN are available on the AnexGATE Server. Please refer model datasheet for specific model feature list on www.anextek.com
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10. What management services does the AnexGATE Server appliance provide?
A. ANEXGATE Server appliance comes pre-configured with a Web-based administration interface, with SSH support. It also provides easy interface to update and upgrade the services and applications.
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11. How easy it is to install a AnexGATE Server appliance?
A. Installing AnexGATE Server is easy and takes only few minutes time to fill a few forms in the Web-based administrator interface. If the AnexGATE Server appliance is integrated into an existing network, its DHCP client will automatically configure its networking parameters.
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12. What is involved in the installation of the AnexGATE Server appliance?
A. It is as simple as connecting the power and the Ethernet port using cross Ethernet cable initially, turning it on and configuring a few setup screens. In the worst-case scenario, if you choose the manual installation procedure, you will have to manually enter the IP address, netmask and default gateway using the AnexGATE Server Web-based administrator interface. For more details refer User Manual
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13. Where are AnexGATE Server appliances installed on the network?
A : In a typical environment, the ANEXGATE Server is installed between the Internet router and the LAN. This placement ensures that the AnexGATE Server will analyze all traffic to and from the Internet. No reconfiguration is needed on the existing Internet router.
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14. How do I configure the TCP/IP parameters?
A. In the server IP address, net mask and gateway address are configured through the Web-based interface. For more details refer User Manual
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15. What do I need to set up my own local network?
A. With help of AnexGATE Server appliance you can easily create a small to medium office network. Using Ethernet cables, connect your appliance and your other computers to an Ethernet switch or hub. All you need to do now is start the AnexGATE Server appliance, enable DHCP and start the other computers on the network, making sure that they are configured to be DHCP clients. AnexGATE Server automatically allocates IP Address to you entire networked client systems. For more details refer User Manual
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16. What are the Internet connections supported by AnexGATE iAppliance?
A. With the ANEXGATE Server appliance, you have the freedom to choose the right type of Internet connectivity for your business. A single connection to the Internet using your choice of an external analog modem, a DSL router, a cable modem, an ISDN or Leased line router can be securely shared across an entire organization.
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17. Where should I connect my internal LAN?
A. AnexGATE Server consists of 2 or 3 Ethernet ports. They are as follows:
- External
- Internal
- DMZ
You will have to connect your internal LAN to Internal Ethernet Port. In case you are using Router you will connect the Router to the External Ethernet port. If you are using Analog Dialup-up modem or ISDN TA you can using Serial port provided in the AnexGATE Server. LAN connects private LAN connections. For more details refer User Manual
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18: What is a 'DMZ' and why do I need it?
A. ANEXGATE Server Appliance include a third Ethernet port, called a DMZ port ("De-Militarized Zone"). Servers placed on the DMZ, such as Web and FTP servers, are accessible to both LAN and Internet users, but are protected against DoS attacks. The servers or computers placed in the DMZ location can be highly monitored and the traffic to and from the DMZ can be customized to suite your application need.
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19. What is a VPN (Virtual Private Network) and what can I use it for?
A. A simple VPN is a "virtual" tunnel between two machines. All network traffic between these machines passes through this "virtual" tunnel. A VPN typically uses mechanisms such as authentication and encryption to ensure data integrity and confidentiality. VPN's are typically used to provide secure communication between systems across the Internet. Company to company or branch-office to head-office secured communications are common examples. VPN technology is becoming more inexpensive and high speed Internet access is also becoming both more prevalent and inexpensive. This contributes to VPN's becoming a cost-effective alternative to private networks and also an effective way to provide high-speed network access from home to the office.
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20. Can I create a VPN (Virtual Private Network) using the AnexGATE Server appliance?
A. Yes, you can create two types of VPN using AnexGATE Server.
- Client to Gateway VPN: You can provide remote users secure access to the internal LAN using the Client to Gateway VPN based on PPTP (Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol).
- Gateway-to-Gateway VPN: Gateway-to-Gateway VPN is designed to create secure network-to-network connections and uses IPSec. Gateway-to-Gateway VPN is available on the AnexGATE Server. Please refer Model datasheet at www.anextek.com
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21. Can I give external users access to internal services without using VPN?
A. Yes. SNAT allows you to forward network traffic from an arbitrary network port on one network interface of your AnexGATE Server appliance to another computer. SNAT must be used very carefully, as it does not provide any type of encryption.
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22. Can I be locked out of my AnexGATE Server appliance while configuring the firewall?
A. No. A Firewall verifies that the Web browser used by the Administrator is still able to Communicate with the appliance after the firewall settings have been applied.
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23. How do I update the software on the AnexGATE Server appliance?
A. AnexGATE Server software can be updated with the patches sent by us or by downloading the patch from the upgrade ftp site. These updates or services can come from OEM's and service providers.
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24. How can I migrate Mails from another AnexGATE Server appliance?
A. AnexGATE Server offers feature to backup the mails and configuration to another system in your network. You can specify this location and restore the mails to another AnexGATE server.
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25. How do I configure and manage the AnexGATE Server appliance?
A. AnexGATE Server appliance can be locally or remotely managed using the AnexGATE Server Web-based interface. AnexGATE Server Web-based interface takes the hassles out of configuring and managing the system and software.
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26. Can I remotely manage my AnexGATE Server appliance without security issues?
A. Yes, AnexGATE Server appliance comes standard with 128-bit SSL for secure remote management through the AnexGATE Server Web-based interface.
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27. How do I access my mailbox created on the AnexGATE Server appliance?
A. AnexGATE Server appliance allows the use of standard email clients supporting the email protocols SMTP, POP3 or IMAP4. You can configure these email clients to send and receive mails from the AnexGATE Server Mailbox.
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28. Can I restrict Web access for my internal users?
A. Yes. AnexGATE Server appliance comes with Web Access Control, a feature that allows you either to deny Web access to pre-defined Sites or to allow access only to specific Web Sites. You can even define conditional time wise user based and IP based policy to allow or deny any of the Internet services.
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29: What is the maximum number of nodes supported by AnexGATE Server Appliance?
A. IA200 can support up-to 200 nodes on the LAN. For these models, the real limitation is the available bandwidth of the Internet connection and how active the users are in their access to the Internet. In future, enterprise model will support more users and features like QOS.
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30: Will AnexGATE Server appliances work with Cable and DSL Modems?
A. Yes. The AnexGATE Server product plugs into the Cable or DSL Modem's Ethernet port. Additionally, the AnexGATE Server can be configured to get IP address from a DHCP server, which is often required by many Cable and DSL Modems.
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31. How can I limit the bandwidth usage without restricting Web access?
A. AnexGATE Server has built-in Web cache. Because it is centrally storing Web objects for all the LAN users, the Web caching proxy reduces the Internet bandwidth consumed by Web browsing while it improves the response of frequently accessed Web sites. AnexGATE Server stores provides 200MB data in the Web Caching and it is definable.
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32. Can I upgrade the firmware?
A. AnexTEK provides updates and patches to the software and system. Notifications and patches are automatically sent to you through email will be applied to AnexGATE Server Appliance.
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33. How can I back up my AnexGATE Server appliance?
A. AnexGATE Server Web-based interface provides backup/restore options that are easily configurable. You can specify the destination path for the backup and same path you can specify for the restore.
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34. How do I know if something goes wrong in my system?
A. AnexGATE Server appliance provides Diagnostic Interface that provides various diagnostic tools such as Trace root, Ping, IDS logs, system logs etc. Using the Web-based interface, the administrator can easily diagnose what went wrong in your ANEXGATE Server Appliance.
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35. What does ANEXGATE Server packaging contain?
AnexGATE Server Appliance comes with following:
Patch cords 3 nos.
Serial cable 1 nos.
Power cable / adopter 1 nos.
CD containing:
- User Manual
- Troubleshooting Guide
- FAQ
- Training Guide
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36. What about AnexGATE Server appliance's warranty and support?
The standard warranty is 1-year parts and labor. Additional warranty and support options are available. For more information on AnexGATE Server support options and packages, please visit our web site at: www.anextek.com
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