| Chapter 1. Introduction | ||
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| Chapter 1. Introduction | ||
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Table of Contents
The FB6000 is shipped in a factory reset state. This means it has a default configuration that allows the unit to be attached directly to a computer, or into an existing network, and is accessible via a web browser on a known IP address for further configuration.
Besides allowing initial web access to the unit, the factory reset configuration provides a starting point for you to develop a bespoke configuration that meets your requirements.
A printed copy of the QuickStart Guide is included with your FB6000 and covers the basic set up required to gain access to the web based user interface. If you have already followed the steps in the QuickStart guide, and are able to access the FB6000 via a web browser, you can begin to work with the factory reset configuration by referring to Chapter 3.
Initial set up is also covered in this manual, so if you have not already followed the QuickStart Guide, please start at Chapter 2.
The FB6000's configuration can be restored to the state it was in when shipped from the factory. The procedure requires physical access to the FB6000, and can be applied if you have made configuration changes that have resulted in loss of access to the web user interface, or any other situation where it is appropriate to start from scratch - for example, commissioning an existing unit for a different role, or where you've forgotten an administrative user password. For details on the factory reset procedure please refer to Appendix A, or consult the QuickStart Guide.
The remainder of this chapter provides an overview of the FB6000's capabilities, and covers your product support options.
The latest version of the QuickStart guide for the FB6000 can be obtained from the FireBrick website at : http://www.firebrick.co.uk/pdfs/quickstart-6000.pdf
The FB6000 is an extremely versatile network appliance which you can think of as something akin to a Swiss army knife for networking.
It can :
and much more...
The FB6000 has four Ethernet network ports that can operate at 10Mb/s, 100Mb/s, or 1Gb/s. The ports implement auto-negotiation by default, but operation can be fine-tuned to suit specific circumstances. The function of these ports is very flexible, and defined by the device's configuration. The ports implement one or more interfaces, and each interface can span either a single port or a user-defined group of ports.
When a port group is defined, the ports in the group work as a conventional Layer 2 network switch, directly transferring traffic at wire-speed that is destined for a Layer 2 address that is present on one of the other ports in the group.
Conversely, multiple interfaces can be implemented on a single physical port via support for IEEE 802.1Q VLANs, ideal for using the FB6000 with VLAN-capable network switches. In this case, a single physical connection can be made between a VLAN-capable switch and the FB6000, and with the switch configured appropriately, this physical connection will carry traffic to/from multiple VLANs, and the FB6000 can do Layer 3 processing (routing/firewalling etc.) between nodes on two or more VLANs.
The main difference between the two devices in the series is that the FB2500 can route traffic at up to 100Mb/s, whilst the FB2700 is faster - typically up to 350Mb/s.
The other advantage the FB2700 offers is that you can directly attach an ordinary 3G dongle via the USB port on the front, and use a mobile data connection - this is typically used as a back up for a DSL line.
The FB6000 has a simple two level software-feature-set. Devices are either "base" model or a "fully-loaded" model. The base model lacks a few of the features such as BGP, L2TP and various bonding features.
Some of the more obscure features come in to play when you need to do something extra - such as announcing addresses to an upstream provider by BGP.
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| Preface |  | 1.2. About this Manual |