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Chapter 1: Introduction
Welcome
Broadband Firewall Router with 4-Port Switch/VPN Endpoint
Chapter 1: Introduction
Welcome
Thank you for choosing the Broadband Firewall Router with 4-Port Switch/VPN Endpoint. This Router provides
your network with a high-security way to share a high-speed Internet connection as well as resources, including
files and printers.
How is this done? Inside this Router you have the Internet-access sharing ability of a standard Linksys Router,
along with the network expandibility of a 4-Port 10/100 Switch, and the network security functions of VPN.
But what does all of this mean?
At the core of this Router, is a standard, Linksys Router, providing you the ability to share your broadband,
Internet access within your network. This also comes with the protection of a firewall and the easy setup and
configuration you’ve come to expect from a Linksys Router. Add to that the network expandibility of a 4-port
10/100 Switch. The four ports in the back of the Router are all auto-detecting, meaning that the Router can tell if
you’re connecting a straight-through or cross-over cable, making this easier to use than ever. Finally, adding VPN
network security to the Router allows you to secure data, not just behind the Router, but as it is transmitted over
the Internet. VPNs, or Virtual Private Networks, create virtual tunnels that connect your PC to another across the
Internet, keeping the data secure as it passes from one to another.
In this User Guide, you’ll find all you need to setup, configure, and use the Router, including appendices
describing VPNs. Welcome to secure broadband networking.
broadband:
an always-on, fast Internet connection
firewall:
a set of related programs located at a
network gateway server that protects the resources
of a network from users from other networks
network:
a series of computers or devices
connected for the purpose of data sharing,
storage, and/or transmission between users
switch:
a data switch that connects computing
devices to host computers, allowing a large number
of devices to share a limited number of ports
