Axentra net-box User manual

Axentra™ Net-Box Getting Started Guide
Axentra™ Net-Box™ Getting Started Guide
Printed in Canada
© 2004 AxentraCorporation. All Rights Reserved.
Axentra, the Axentra logo, Net-Box and "yours. essential. simple.™", OEone and the OEone logo are trademarks or registered
trademarks of Axentra Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Other brands and product names are
trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

Axentra™ Net-Box Getting Started Guide

Axentra™ Net-Box Getting Started Guide
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Welcome to Axentra Net-Box 2
Register your Net-Box 3
Technical Support
3
4
An introduction to Net-Boxand the basics of networking 4
Area Networks–LANs / WANs 4
Getting Started Setup Wizard 6
Set up your Net-BoxServer in 5 easy steps
-Connect your devices 7
-Set up your Admin account 7
-Configure your ISP broadband connection 8
-Find and Register a Domain Name 8
-Finishsetup and test your connection 9
Axentra Administration Center 10
-Sign in to your Administration Center 11
12
Creating and Securing your Wireless Network 12
13
Creating a home / office network –s haring your Net-Box 13
-Sharing your printers13
-Sharing your hard drives 13
-Sharing your files 14
Accessing your files from anywhere on your local network
-Windows 14
-Mac OS X 15
-Linux 15
16
Accessing your files from anywhere on the Internet 16
Domain Name Basics 16
Register Your Own Domain Name
-If you do not have a registered domain name 17
-If you alreadyhave a registered domain name 18
Editing Your Domain / Subdomains 18

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Axentra Application Center 20
Sign in to your Application Center
-From a computer on your LAN 20
-From a computer on the Internet 20
Applications Overview 21
23
Control your own emailserver 23
-Convenient 23
-Secure 23
-Flexible 23
-Expandable 23
-Instant 23
24
Set up your Email (Net-Box) Account 24
Accessyour Email account 25
Working with the email application 26
27
Publish and hostyour own Web site
-Create a Photo Web Page using the Axentra photo album wizard 27
-Create and edit an HTML page using the Axentra HTML blank page wizard 27
-Create and upload an HTML page created from another HTML application 28
Publishing and sharing your digital pictures/files online
-Add Photos to your Net-Boxusing the Application Center 28
-Add Photos to your Net-Boxusing drag and drop within the Windows,
Macintoshor Linuxdesktop 29
-View your photos online automatically and dynamically 29
-Publish Static pages of your photos 30
File Sharing 30
Sharing files with the world 30
Creating a virtual private communityonlineand control who can access your files 30
-Upload your files 31
-Share your files 31
31
Centralized media storage 32
Secure sharing of your media files 32
Remote access to your media files 32

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Automatically back-up and synchronize your PC and Mac files to Net-Box 33
Set up the Synchronization Clienton your computer 33
Using Synchronization 34
Automatically backup your server data and configuration 34
36
Your Personal Firewall 36
Emailspam filtering / Antivirus 36
-Configuration and Use 37
-Customized Email Spam Settings 37
38
Access your computer from anywhere in your home / office 38
Access your files from any computer on the Internet 38
Accessing your files from any computer on the Internet using VPN
-How to set up a VPNconnection in Windows (XP) 38
-How to set up a VPNconnection for Macintosh 39
-How to set up a VPNconnection for Linux 39
Access your email from your cell phone or PDA 39
Move Anywhere, Net-Box Moves With You 39
40
Give Us Your Feedback 41
Appendix 1: Using TZODynamic DNS with your Axentra Net-BoxServer 42
Glossary 50
Index 56

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Welcome to Axentra™ Net-Box™
Congratulations on having purchased a Net-Box™ -- the world’s first all-in-one personal digital center for
home and small office.
Your Net-Box –a friendly, compact, powerful and versatile all-in-one network solution –is designed to
provide you with all the benefits of a complete home or small office network, allowing you to fully benefit
from today's digital lifestyle!
Everything you will need is already pre-installed. Setting up a Net-Box all-in-one personal digital center
literally takes minutes! Let your Net-Box take care of your digital needs while you focus on your preferred
family activities or important business tasks!
Net-Box removes the complexities and reduces the cost barriers commonly associated with home or
small office networking.
With Net-Box, you can:
-Quickly set up your home/business network in just a few minutes with Net-Box's wizard driven
setup,
-Easily manage your entire network from one integrated web-based toolbox,
-Network all your computers together (Net-Box is Windows, Macintosh and Linux compatible),
-Expand your network with built-in wireless (802.11b/g) access point features,
-Share your broadband connection among all your computers,
-Create and control your own email addresses,
-Keep hackers and spammers at bay from your network and your email,
-Host your Web siteand publishyour photos, videos and content to the world,
-Network attached storage devices (USB hard drives),
-Share your printers among all your computers,
-Backup and synchronizeyour desktop files with your Net-Box,
-Access your files from anywhere from any platform (Windows, Macintosh, Linux),
-Enjoy a fully integrated web-based productivity suite featuring email, contacts, calendar, file
management, file sharing, photo publishing, notes and more,
-Use any IMAP email clients and LDAP PIM applications such as Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft
Entourage, Netscape, EudoraMail, or Mozilla to connect to your Net-Box's email and address
book server,
… and more!
This guide is intended to help you quickly understand the basic concepts of home and small business
networkingand take you through the feature highlights of your
Net-Box.
If you’d rather get going now, please refer to the ‘Getting Started Card’, which will have you up and
running in no time.

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A copy of the ‘Getting Started Card’ can also be found on the Axentra.com Web site at
http://axentra.com/support/soho_series/getting_started/ or
http://axentra.com/support/home_series/getting_started/.
Register your Net-Box
Please take a moment to register your Axentra™ Net-Box to ensure that:
-you automatically get all software upgrades free of charge!
-you receive technical support if needed,
-you stay informed of upgrades,
-you receive new product announcements and special offers.
Youcan register in one of three easy ways, but we recommend registering online –it’s quick, immediate,
and it saves you a postage stamp!
-Register by mail: Mail the registration card contained in your Net-Box package to the address on
the back of the card.
-Register by fax: Fax the registration card to [phone] in North America and
[phone] in the UK.
-Register online:Register on Axentra’s Web site at http://www.axentra.com/register
NOTE:Your Model number and Serial number are located on a label on the Server’s back panel, or
on the side near the back.
Technical Support
There are a number of options available that should help with any problems you may be having:
-We maintain online versions of our support documents on the Axentra Web site
(http://www.axentra.com/support/) that contain the most up-to-date information. Please refer to
these documents as a first source of information. To look up any terms or technical words
mentioned in this document, please refer to the Glossary found at the end of this guide.
-Axentra also maintains online support forums / discussion groups, monitored by Axentra
employees, to help you with your problems and answer frequently asked questions. They are an
excellent source of information. Please check the discussion groups before sending us an email.
(http://www.axentra.com/support/forums/).
-Still can’t find your answer? Email our Technical Support Team with any problems at
[e-mail] with a clear description of your problem and steps to help us reproduce it.
-Telephone technical assistance is also available Monday through Friday 9:00AM to 5:00PM EST,
excluding holidays, by calling [phone] extension 6in North America or
[phone] in the UK.
For the most up-to-date contact and support information please refer to the Contact Us page of the
Axentra Web siteat http://www.axentra.com/contact_us/.

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An introduction to Net-Box and the basics of networking
We’ll begin with an overview of the modern home or small office computer network, illustrated in the
picture below:
In its simplest terms, a network is created by linking two or more computing devices together for the
purpose of sharing. Networks can be built with a mix of computer hardware including computers, printers,
hard drives, and other devices. At the heart of your network will be your Net-Box. It seamlessly integrates
Windows, Mac and Linux PCs, laptops, printers, modems, or mobile computing devices such as PDAs.
Area Networks –LANs / WANs
Networks can be categorized according to the geographic area it spans. Local area networks (LANs), for
example, typically reach inside a single home or within a single office, whereas wide area networks
(WANs), reach across cities, states, or even across the world. The Internet, for example, is the world's
largest public WAN.

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A LAN is formed by connecting your computer(s) to the LAN port of the Net-Box. You can connect a
computer directly to a Net-Box LAN port with the provided Ethernet (RJ-45 straight-thru) cable(s) provided
with your Net-Box, or you can connect several computers to a hub or switch with regular Ethernet (RJ-45
straight-thru) cable(s), and then connect the hub or switch to a Net-Box LAN port with the provided RJ-45
cross-over cable.
NOTE:The RJ-45 cross-over cable(s) supplied must be used only to connect the Server LAN(s) to the
host computers or the hub via its uplink port. All other LAN connections must use regular Ethernet patch
cords (RJ-45 straight-thru cables).
Once your LANis established, each computer on the LAN can access resources like printers and files
that the other computers on the LAN have made available. Your Net-Box is a special member of your
LAN because it’s both a print server and file server, and it makes files shared on it and printers connected
to it available to the other computers on your LAN.
You bring the Internet into the picture when you connect your broadband modem to the WAN port of your
Net-Box.

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Your broadband modem connects to your Internet Service Provider (ISP) or Internet hosting company.
Once that is done, your Net-Box is a part of the Internet.
Soon, emails from your friends and family will arrive at your Net-Box’s email server and be stored there
for you to read, and Web surfers from all over the world will browse the websites that you publish right
from your Net-Box.
NOTE: The Net-Box is designed for use with broadband Internet connections. It will work with an ADSL
modem (using PPPoE), a common broadband modem (cable modem) or a router/switch, or a hub on an
internal LAN. It does not work with a dial-up connection.
Getting Started Setup Wizard
Before you can begin using your Axentra Net-Box Server, there are just a few items that must be
configured. Our wizard-driven Internet setup takes you through each step necessary to easily setup your
always on high-speed cable or DSL Internet connection.
On each screen of the wizard you will be presented with some options. Choose the option that best fits
your usage of the Server. There is a Help button available on each screen. Click it to get additional
information about which options will work best under different conditions.

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Set up your Net-Box Server in 5 easy steps:
1. Connect your devices
Please refer to your ‘Getting Started Card’ to connect all of your devices to the Net-Box and power up
your Net-Box Server first. After your Net-Box emits tones of the scale (do re mi fa so la ti do), then power
up all connected devices (PCs, modems, printers, etc.).
2. Set up your Admin account
Use any connected host computer to administer your Net-Box. From your default Web browser, enter the
URL “https:/AxentraServer”. If your Net-Box has not yet been configured, this will bring up your Net-Box’s.
getting started wizard.If you encounter a problem, try entering the Net-Box’s default IP,
https://192.168.0.1.
The first time you accessthis secure URL, your browser will ask you if you want to accept the certificate
attached to your Net -Box. You will want to accept this certificate to continue.
At the first power up session, the Setup Wizard should appear.
The first screen of the Net-Box setup asks for your Serial Number (located on a label on the bottom or
side of your Net-Box).
Once entered, follow the on-screen instructions to set up and create the first User account (‘Admin’).
Administrator users have access to the ‘Administration Center’ where they can configure system-wide
settings, and administer both the Server and user accounts.
Your user account is the key to accessing account-based services on your Net-Box, like email. The
Admin user will set up a new user account for each user connected to your network.

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3. Configure your ISP broadband connection
This is where you will select your modem type, and any ISP specific settings. There are three different
ways to connect your Server to the Internet, each with its own settings. From this wizardscreen, choose
the option that best fits your system and ISP requirements.
Once your ISP broadband connection is set up, your Net-Box will act as a gateway allowing all computers
connected to your Net-Box on your LAN to accessthe Internet simultaneously. This means no more
waiting between users for access to the Internet. All family members or users in the office can access the
Internet simultaneously whenever they want from any connected Windows, Macintosh or Linux computer.
4. Find and Register a Domain Name
Your Net-Box comes with a pre-paid one-year domain registrationand dynamic DNS service with TZO
that allows you to make up your very own domain name: making your Net-Box your very own piece of
Internet real estate. Your Net-Box will help you search for, find, and register your own unique domain
name on the Internet, and automatically arrange for the Internet’s DNS to resolve (or map) that domain to
your Net-Box’s own numeric Internet address transparently allowing visitors to find you and your Web
site.
You do not need to worry about static or dynamic IP; Net-Box automatically takes care of it for you! Refer
to Appendix 1 for more information on the TZO domain registration process.
One step of this setup wizard will allow you to configure your Net-Box's domain nameinformation. You
will be provided with three choices; to take advantage of your complimentary domain registration with
TZO, choose the first option.

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If you have already registered or own your own domain name(e.g.: example.com) with a registrar, you
can use it by choosing Option 2.
5. Finish setup and test your connection
Once you have completed set up of your Axentra Server, the Setup Finish screen appears. Basic setup is
complete and your Server is now ready for you to begin using it. From here you can click Finish and go to
the Axentra Application Center, or choose another administration function from the Administration Center,
or start browsing the web with any installed web browser.

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Axentra Administration Center
The Administration Center is your main control console allowing you to manage your
Net-Box’s functions, including:
-Internet Settings (ISP Connections / Domain Setup)
-Local Network Settings (Wireless Network configuration / Windows Networking settings)
-Local Machine Settings (Content filtering / IP blocking)
-System and Account settings (Account creation and maintenance / system setup)
-Backup and Restore settings (Backup and restore configuration)
-System status (Monitor your Web statistics and hardware and software profile)
Because your Net-Box is now set up as a gateway, each computer on your LANcan accessthe Internet
simultaneously through your Net-Box while its firewall functions protect them. Note that your Net-Box has
pre-configured firewall functions, controllable through the Administration Center.

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Sign in to your Administration Center
-Go to https://AxentraServer/admin. This will bring up the sign in screen for your Net -Box’s
Administration user interface.
-Log inas an Administrator user. (For example, the account created in the setup wizard is an
administrator).
-Choose an option from the left side menu to administer a specific function of your Net-Box
TIP: You can also access your Net-Box’s Administration function by signing in to the Application Center
by going to https://AxentraServer/, signing in, and clicking the ‘Administer’ link on the top right corner.

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Creating and Securing your Wireless Network
Networks with Ethernet cables have predominated in businesses, schools, and homes for several
decades. Recently however, wireless local area networking alternatives (Wi-Fi, short for "wireless fidelity")
have emerged as the premier technology for building new computer networks. Your Net-Box makes it
simple to expand your digital network throughout your home or office without drilling holes and take
advantage of the Wi-Fi connectivity revolution.
Connecting any wireless device such as digital media players, hubs, desktops, laptops, PDAs and Tablet
PCs to your Net-Box is a no-brainer! Enabling your wireless network will allow your Net-Box to act as a
Wireless AccessPoint (WAP or AP for short).
Enjoy the convenience and freedom to access the Internet, your files, your email from anywhere in the
home or office without connecting to any cable. Move from room to room with your wireless PDA, laptop
or tablet PC and enjoy high-speed always-on connectivity. If your Axentra Net-Box is not wireless
enabled, then you will not see the setup options for this feature.
You can easily enable your Net-Box Wi-Fi access point functions on the Wireless Configuration page in
the Axentra Administration Center, and consult your client computer’s usage guide for instructions on how
to connect to it.
Your Net-Box uses Wired Equivalent Privacy (WAP) encryption to attempt to protect the data transmitted
wirelessly between the Net-Box and your client computer.
NOTE:Please be aware that no encryption method is completely secure. As with any other wireless
device (cordless phone, etc.) your information can be eavesdropped upon by other parties. While using
WEP makes it harder to decrypt your information, it can not prevent determined individuals from doing so.
To activate and secure your Wireless network:
-Log in your Administration Center, as an administrator user.
-Choose the Wireless Configuration page on the left menu. If your Net-Box is not equipped with
wireless hardware or it is not functioning properly you will not see the wireless setup options for
this feature.
-You first assign a Network Name, which separates different wirelessnetworks when they are
operating in the same area.
-You then assign a WEP Key. A key is a long sequence of characters used for encryption. There
are two strength values for this: 40 bits or 104 bits. 104 bit WEP Keys offer better encryption and
are harder to crack. You may choose from Hexadecimal (numbers from 0-9 and letters from A-F)
or Alphanumeric (numbers from 0-9 and letters from A-Z). Finally, you enter the WEP Encryption
key itself. Enter a hexadecimal or alphanumeric key to encrypt the data that is being transferred.
For hexadecimal keys, enter 10 characters for 40 bit encryption or 26 characters for 104 bit
encryption. For alphanumeric keys, enter 5 characters for 40 bit encryption or 13 characters for
104 bit encryption.
-Click Apply and your wireless network will be configured.

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Creating a home / office network –sharing your Net-Box
With your Axentra Net-Box as the heart of your digital world, you can connect and share all of your
devices.
Once your computers are connected to Net-Box, you can seamlessly transfer files between the
computers on your local network. To enable this feature, place a checkmark in the "Share your Axentra
Server home folders on the network" checkbox
found under the Local Network / Windows Networking page of the AxentraAdministration Center.
You can set the name of the Windows Workgroup used to connect to these files in the "Windows
Workgroup" text field. The default is "WORKGROUP".
Sharing your printer
You can plug a USB or parallel port printer into your Axentra Server and share it with the computers on
your local network. Connect the printer to the port on the back of your Server. To use the printer from
your client computer, consult your client computer's documentation for how to connect a Network Printer.
The server in this case will be your Net-Box. Follow the steps to add a Network Printer, and find your
printer listed under your Axentra Server. The driver for your printer will be installed on your client
computer (not on your Net-Box). If the driver is not available on your client computer, you will need to
install it from the CD that camewith your printer or get it from your printer manufacturer’s support Web
site.
Sharing your hard drives
External USB hard drives can also be hot-plugged into the Server. The space available will automatically
be added to your users' available space. If it was formatted on your Net-Box, each user can access only
their own files on the drive, through a folder called ‘USB drive’ in their account. If it was formatted on a
different computer, all the files will be visible by all users through Common/USB Drive.

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Sharing your files
You can store your music, photos, videos and other important files in one secure place and accessthem
from anywhere. No more wasted time and file duplication each time you look for your important and
valuable files. All your precious files can be stored safely in one central place; on your Net-Box. Then you
can access them from anywhere on your local network or from anywhere in the world via the Internet.
Accessing your files from anywhere on your local network
You can now access your files on the Net-Box like any other computer on the local network. Here's how:
Windows:
You must have the required networking drivers installed, as well as "Client for Microsoft Networks" and
"File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks". You may already have these installed; consult your
Windows manual or help file for instruction if you do not.
To view your files via Windows Networking, go to Network Neighborhood or My Network Places. This will
be either on your desktop or in your Start menu. From there, go to Entire Network, then to the name of
your local workgroup (you may need to go to "Microsoft Windows Network" first, depending on your
version of Windows). The Net-Box will appear as a computer with the name "Axentraserver", and your
files are accessible through either the homesfolder or the Your Username folder; both are the same.
When you are prompted for a username and password, enter your Net-Box loginname (Your Username)
and password. (Do not just accept the default username that appears in the dialog.)
For convenience, you can map your files to a network drive. Right-click on the homes folder or the Your
Username folder and select Map Network Drive. A dialog will appear in which you can choose the drive
letter you want to use to access your files. Ensure that "Reconnect at logon" is checked, so you won't
have to re-map the drive when you restart your computer.

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Mac OS X:
Open a new Finder window and select Network on the left. After a few moments, a computer named
"AXENTRASERVER" will appear. When you select it, you will be prompted for a usernameand
password; enter your Net-Box login name (Your Username) and password. Your files are accessible
through either the homes folder or the Your Username folder; both are the same.
For convenience, you can add the AXENTRASERVER computer to the Finder sidebar. Select it and use
File | Add to Sidebar, or Command-T.
Linux:
Your Axentra Server is acting as a Samba server. You can browse your files in an FTP-style interface
using smbclient. The command is:
$ smbclient //axentraserver/homes -U Your Username
You will be prompted for your password; enter your Net-Box password. You can optionally specify the
password on the command line, before the -U, but this is not recommended, as it will then also appear in
plain text in your shell's command history.
If you have smbmount installed, you can mount your files on the local filesystem. However, you must be
root, or install smbmount as suid root. The command to mount your files is:
# mount -t smbfs -o username=Your Username //axentraserver/homes /path/to/mount/point
You will be prompted for your password; enter your Axentra Server password. You can optionally specify
the password on the command line, by adding "password=..." to the list of options specified (above, we
only show the "username" option), but this is not recommended, as it will then also appear in plain text in
your shell's command history.
Many Linux distributions install smbmount and smbclient by default. If you do not have them installed, and
they aren't available on your distribution's install CDs, they are available at http://samba.org.