Changes

Your Internet Service Provider or ISP is your connection to the Internet - it routes Internet data packets to and from your server. It also provides other essential services. This section of the user's guide reviews what ISPs offer and what the implications are in choosing among the various options available to you. While your ISP can also assist you in selecting and arranging the right Internet services for your organization, it's important to know the general range of services available, since not all ISPs offer all services.

Your Internet Service Provider or ISP is your connection to the Internet - it routes Internet data packets to and from your server. It also provides other essential services. This section of the user's guide reviews what ISPs offer and what the implications are in choosing among the various options available to you. While your ISP can also assist you in selecting and arranging the right Internet services for your organization, it's important to know the general range of services available, since not all ISPs offer all services.

{{DrawBoxWarning|content=If you are operating the product in "server-only" mode, you will need to review your gateway/firewall documentation and perhaps consult with your ISP regarding your configuration. For example, depending on your plans for the server, your ISP may need to publish DNS records associating your mail and/or web servers with your firewall IP address. You may also need to configure your firewall for port forwarding of services.<br />

{{Warning box|If you are operating the product in "server-only" mode, you will need to review your gateway/firewall documentation and perhaps consult with your ISP regarding your configuration. For example, depending on your plans for the server, your ISP may need to publish DNS records associating your mail and/or web servers with your firewall IP address. You may also need to configure your firewall for port forwarding of services.<br />

In server-only mode, the single Ethernet connection to the local network is "trusted" as being secure and packet filtering is disabled. For that reason, a server-only server must always be behind a local firewall. You should not directly connect such a system to the Internet via an Internet Service Provider.}}

In server-only mode, the single Ethernet connection to the local network is "trusted" as being secure and packet filtering is disabled. For that reason, a server-only server must always be behind a local firewall. You should not directly connect such a system to the Internet via an Internet Service Provider.}}

A static IP address never changes. It is permanently assigned to your server by your ISP.

A static IP address never changes. It is permanently assigned to your server by your ISP.

{{DrawBoxNote|content=Static IP addressing is preferable to dynamic IP addressing because it makes it easier for users on the Internet to connect to your services.}}

{{Note box|Static IP addressing is preferable to dynamic IP addressing because it makes it easier for users on the Internet to connect to your services.}}

Dynamic IP address assignment means that your IP address is assigned to you only temporarily and may be changed by your ISP. This makes it more difficult to ensure continuity of service to your network. Consider again our telephone number analogy. When your telephone number changes, you are able to place outgoing calls. However, until your new phone number is registered with Directory Services, other people are unable to look up your new number and place calls to you. Similarly, whenever your IP address changes, a record associating your server with its new IP address must be published with the equivalent of Directory Services (known as Domain Name Service or DNS) before incoming traffic can find you.

Dynamic IP address assignment means that your IP address is assigned to you only temporarily and may be changed by your ISP. This makes it more difficult to ensure continuity of service to your network. Consider again our telephone number analogy. When your telephone number changes, you are able to place outgoing calls. However, until your new phone number is registered with Directory Services, other people are unable to look up your new number and place calls to you. Similarly, whenever your IP address changes, a record associating your server with its new IP address must be published with the equivalent of Directory Services (known as Domain Name Service or DNS) before incoming traffic can find you.

[[Image:Network2.png]]

[[Image:Network2.png]]

{{DrawBoxNote|content=In the tables below, please keep the following information in mind:

{{Note box|content=In the tables below, please keep the following information in mind:

* ISPs often supply the items marked * to your server by DHCP.

* ISPs often supply the items marked * to your server by DHCP.

* Some ISPs block outgoing HTTP connections, forcing you to use their proxy server. This interferes in a few minor ways with your server (e.g., the test for Internet connectivity will fail erroneously). However, using the ISP's proxy server will normally work fine.

* Some ISPs block outgoing HTTP connections, forcing you to use their proxy server. This interferes in a few minor ways with your server (e.g., the test for Internet connectivity will fail erroneously). However, using the ISP's proxy server will normally work fine.

Your ISDN adapter will connect to the ISDN connection installed by your ISP or local telecommunications provider. The software can work with external ISDN adapters and includes support for passive ISDN cards.

Your ISDN adapter will connect to the ISDN connection installed by your ISP or local telecommunications provider. The software can work with external ISDN adapters and includes support for passive ISDN cards.

{{DrawBoxWarning|content=While the software includes experimental support for ISDN cards, we do not provide technical support for the use of these cards as they have not yet been tested in a wide enough variety of environments.}}

{{Warning box|While the software includes experimental support for ISDN cards, we do not provide technical support for the use of these cards as they have not yet been tested in a wide enough variety of environments.}}

There are two possible configurations with dialup service:

There are two possible configurations with dialup service:

* Internet news server (optional)

* Internet news server (optional)

{{DrawBoxWarning|content='''Note on Service List D (Multidrop Mail)'''<br>Service list D is applied to configurations where the publication of DNS records is not practical either because your IP address changes frequently or because it is non-routable. Because there is no published address receiving incoming network connections, this configuration does not allow you to host a web page or FTP site using your SME Server.

{{Warning box|'''Note on Service List D (Multidrop Mail)'''<br>Service list D is applied to configurations where the publication of DNS records is not practical either because your IP address changes frequently or because it is non-routable. Because there is no published address receiving incoming network connections, this configuration does not allow you to host a web page or FTP site using your SME Server.

In this case, e-mail is handled using a method called "multidrop", which involves temporarily storing all e-mail messages addressed to your domain in a POP mailbox at your ISP until your server connects and fetches them. Your POP mailbox must be large enough to hold the e-mail for your organization until it is fetched. If your primary ISP cannot supply this, you can use another ISP for your e-mail hosting.

In this case, e-mail is handled using a method called "multidrop", which involves temporarily storing all e-mail messages addressed to your domain in a POP mailbox at your ISP until your server connects and fetches them. Your POP mailbox must be large enough to hold the e-mail for your organization until it is fetched. If your primary ISP cannot supply this, you can use another ISP for your e-mail hosting.