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Chapter 6
Advanced Features

This Chapter explains when and how to use the LevelOne Broadband Router's "Advanced" Features.

Overview

The following advanced features are provided.

 

Advanced Internet Screen

This screen allows configuration of all advanced features relating to Internet access.

An example screen is shown below.

Figure 34: Internet Screen

Conferencing & Telephony

Most applications are supported transparently by the LevelOne Broadband Router. But sometimes it is not clear which PC should receive an incoming connection. This problem could arise with the following Conferencing & Telephony applications:

If this problem arises, you can use this screen to set which PC should receive an incoming connection, as described below.

 

Conferencing & Telephony

Select an Application
This lists applications which may generate incoming connections, where the destination (on your local LAN) is unknown.
Send incoming calls to
This lists the PCs on your LAN.
  • If necessary, you can add PCs manually, using the "PC Database" option on the advanced menu.
  • For each application listed above, you can choose a destination PC.
  • There is no need to "Save" after each change; you can set the destination PC for each application, then click "Save".

 

Special Applications

If you use Internet applications which use non-standard connections or port numbers, you may find that they do not function correctly because they are blocked by the LevelOne Broadband Router's firewall. In this case, you can define the application as a "Special Application".

Special Applications Screen

This screen can be reached by clicking the Special Applications button on the Internet screen.

You can then define your Special Applications. You will need detailed information about the application; this is normally available from the supplier of the application.

Also, note that the terms "Incoming" and "Outgoing" on this screen refer to traffic from the client (PC) viewpoint

Figure 35: Special Applications Screen

Data - Special Applications Screen

Checkbox
Use this to Enable or Disable this Special Application as required.
Name
Enter a descriptive name to identify this Special Application.
Incoming
Ports
  • Type - Select the protocol (TCP or UDP) used when you receive data from the special application or service. (Note: Some applications use different protocols for outgoing and incoming data).
  • Start - Enter the beginning of the range of port numbers used by the application server, for data you receive. If the application uses a single port number, enter it in both the "Start" and "Finish" fields.
  • Finish - Enter the end of the range of port numbers used by the application server, for data you receive.
Outgoing
Ports
  • Type - Select the protocol (TCP or UDP) used when you send data to the remote system or service.
  • Start - Enter the beginning of the range of port numbers used by the application server, for data you send to it. If the application uses a single port number, enter it in both the "Start" and "Finish" fields.
  • Finish - Enter the end of the range of port numbers used by the application server, for data you send to it. If the application uses a single port number, enter it in both the "Start" and "Finish" fields.

 

Using a Special Application

 

If an application still cannot function correctly, try using the "DMZ" feature.

 

DMZ

This feature, if enabled, allows one (1) computer on your LAN to be exposed to all users on the Internet, allowing unrestricted 2-way communication between the "DMZ PC" and other Internet users or Servers.

 

The "DMZ PC" is effectively outside the Firewall, making it more vulnerable to attacks. For this reason, you should only enable the DMZ feature when required.

 

URL Filter

The URL Filter allows you to block access to undesirable Web site

URL Filter Screen

Click the "Configure URL Filter" button on the Internet screen to access the URL Filter screen. An example screen is shown below.

Figure 36: URL Filter Screen

Data - URL Filter Screen

Filter Strings

Current Entries
This lists any existing entries. If you have not entered any values, this list will be empty.
Add Filter String
To add an entry to the list, enter it here, and click the "Add" button.
An entry may be a Domain name (e.g. www.trash.com) or simply a string. (e.g. ads/ )
Any URL which contains ANY entry ANYWHERE in the URL will be blocked.

Buttons

Delete/Delete All
Use these buttons to delete the selected entry or all entries, as required. Multiple entries can be selected by holding down the CTRL key while selecting.(On the Macintosh, hold the SHIFT key while selecting.)
Add
Use this to add the current Filter String to the site list.

 

Virtual Servers

This feature allows you to make Servers on your LAN accessible to Internet users. Normally, Internet users would not be able to access a server on your LAN because:

The "Virtual Server" feature solves these problems and allows Internet users to connect to your servers, as illustrated below.

Figure 37: Virtual Servers

IP Address seen by Internet Users

Note that, in this illustration, both Internet users are connecting to the same IP Address, but using different protocols.

To Internet users, all virtual Servers on your LAN have the same IP Address. This IP Address is allocated by your ISP.

This address should be static, rather than dynamic, to make it easier for Internet users to connect to your Servers.

However, you can use the DDNS (Dynamic DNS) feature to allow users to connect to your Virtual Servers using a URL, instead of an IP Address.

Virtual Servers Screen

The Virtual Servers screen is reached by the Virtual Servers link on the Advanced screen. An example screen is shown below.

Figure 38: Virtual Servers Screen

This screen lists a number of pre-defined Servers, and allows you to define your own Servers. Details of the selected Server are shown in the "Properties" area.

Data - Virtual Servers Screen

Servers

Servers
This lists a number of pre-defined Servers, plus any Servers you have defined. Details of the selected Server are shown in the "Properties" area.

Properties

Enable
Use this to Enable or Disable support for this Server, as required.
  • If Enabled, any incoming connections will be forwarded to the selected PC.
  • If Disabled, any incoming connection attempts will be blocked.
PC (Server)
Select the PC for this Server. The PC must be running the appropriate Server software.
Protocol
Select the protocol (TCP or UDP) used by the Server.
Internal Port No.
Enter the port number which the Server software is configured to use.
External Port No.
The port number used by Internet users when connecting to the Server. This is normally the same as the Internal Port Number. If it is different, this device will perform a "mapping" or "translation" function, allowing the server to use one port address, while clients use a different port address.

Buttons

Defaults
This will delete any Servers you have defined, and set the pre-defined Servers to use their default port numbers.
Disable All
This will cause the "Enable" setting of all Virtual Servers to be set OFF.
Add
Add a new entry to the Virtual Server list, using the data shown in the "Properties" area on screen. The entry selected in the list is ignored, and has no effect.
Update
Update the current Virtual Server entry, using the data shown in the "Properties" area on screen.
Delete
Delete the current Virtual Server entry. Note that the pre-defined Servers can not be deleted. Only Servers you have defined yourself can be deleted.
Clear Form
Clear all data from the "Properties" area, ready for input of a new Virtual Server entry.

 

For each entry, the PC must be running the appropriate Server software.

Defining your own Virtual Servers

If the type of Server you wish to use is not listed on the Virtual Servers screen, you can define and manage your own Servers:

Create a new Server:
  1. Click "Clear Form"
  2. Enter the required data, as described above.
  3. Click "Add".
  4. The new Server will now appear in the list.
Modify (Edit) a Server:
  1. Select the desired Server from the list
  2. Make any desired changes (for example, change the Enable/Disable setting).
  3. Click "Update" to save changes to the selected Server.
Delete a Server:
  1. Select the entry from the list.
  2. Click "Delete".
Note: You can only delete Servers you have defined. Pre-defined Server cannot be deleted.

 

From the Internet, ALL Virtual Servers have the IP Address allocated by your ISP.

 

Connecting to the Virtual Servers

Once configured, anyone on the Internet can connect to your Virtual Servers. They must use the Internet IP Address (the IP Address allocated to you by your ISP).
e.g.

        http://203.70.212.52
ftp://203.70.212.52

It is more convenient if you are using a Fixed IP Address from your ISP, rather than Dynamic. However, you can use the Dynamic DNS feature, described in the following section, to allow users to connect to your Virtual Servers using a URL, rather than an IP Address.

Dynamic DNS (Domain Name Server)

This free service is very useful when combined with the Virtual Server feature. It allows Internet users to connect to your Virtual Servers using a URL, rather than an IP Address.

This also solves the problem of having a dynamic IP address. With a dynamic IP address, your IP address may change whenever you connect, which makes it difficult to connect to you.

The Service works as follows:

  1. You must register for the service at http://www.dyndns.org (Registration is free). Your password will be E-mailed to you.
  2. After registration, use the "Create New Host" option (at www.dyndns.org) to request your desired Domain name.
  3. Enter your data from www.dyndns.org in the LevelOne Broadband Router's DDNS screen.
  4. The LevelOne Broadband Router will then automatically ensure that your current IP Address is recorded at http://www.dyndns.org
  5. From the Internet, users will be able to connect to your Virtual Servers (or DMZ PC) using your Domain name, as shown on this screen.

Dynamic DNS Screen

Select Advanced on the main menu, then Dynamic DNS, to see a screen like the following:

Figure 39: DDNS Screen

Data - Dynamic DNS Screen

DDNS Service

DDNS Service
  • You must sign up first to create a new account before using the service. The service is free.
  • Click this link to connect to the www.dyndns.org Web site.
  • Your initial password will be E-mailed to you; you can change this later if you wish.
  • After registration, use the "Create New Host" link (on the www.dyndns.org Web site) to request a domain name.

DDNS Data

User Name
Enter the "User name" specified at the www.dyndns.org Web site when you registered.
Password
Enter your current password for www.dyndns.org
Domain
  • Enter your domain name, as allocated at www.dyndns.org.
  • The name should consist only of letters and the hyphen (dash). Using any other characters may cause problems..
DDNS Status
This message is returned by the DDNS Server at www.dyndns.org
  • Normally, this message should be "Update successful" (current IP address was updated on the www.dyndns.org server).
  • If the message is "No host", this indicates the host name entered was not allocated to you. You need to connect to www.dyndns.org and correct this problem.

Remote Management

This feature allows you to manage the LevelOne Broadband Router via the Internet.

Figure 40: Remote Management Screen

Data - Remote Management Screen

Remote Management

Enable Remote Management
Enable to allow management via the Internet. If Disabled, this device will ignore management connection attempts from the Internet.
Port Number
Enter a port number between 1024 and 65535 (8080 is recommended). This port number must be specified when you connect (see below).
Note: The default port number for HTTP (Web) connections is port 80, but using port 80 here will prevent the use of a Web "Virtual Server" on your LAN. (See Advanced Internet - Virtual Servers)
Current IP Address
You must use this IP Address to connect (see below).
This IP Address is allocated by your ISP. But if using a Dynamic IP Address, this value can change each time you connect to your ISP. So it is better if your ISP allocates you a Fixed IP Address.

 

To connect from a remote PC via the Internet

  1. Ensure your Internet connection is established, and start your Web Browser.
  2. In the "Address" bar, enter "HTTP://" followed by the Internet IP Address of the LevelOne Broadband Router. If the port number is not 80, the port number is also required. (After the IP Address, enter ":" followed by the port number.)
    e.g.
        HTTP://123.123.123.123:8080

This example assumes the WAN IP Address is 123.123.123.123, and the port number is 8080.



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