Netgear WGU624 Guide D’Exploitation

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Reference Manual for the Double 108 Mbps Wireless Firewall Router WGU624
B-10
Network, Routing, Firewall, and Basics
M-10153-01
Domain Name Server
Many of the resources on the Internet can be addressed by simple descriptive names such as 
www.NETGEAR.com
. This addressing is very helpful at the application level, but the descriptive 
name must be translated to an IP address in order for a user to actually contact the resource. Just as 
a telephone directory maps names to phone numbers, or as an ARP table maps IP addresses to 
MAC addresses, a domain name system (DNS) server maps descriptive names of network 
resources to IP addresses.
When a PC accesses a resource by its descriptive name, it first contacts a DNS server to obtain the 
IP address of the resource. The PC sends the desired message using the IP address. Many large 
organizations, such as ISPs, maintain their own DNS servers and allow their customers to use the 
servers to look up addresses.
IP Configuration by DHCP
When an IP-based local area network is installed, each PC must be configured with an IP address. 
If the PCs need to access the Internet, they should also be configured with a gateway address and 
one or more DNS server addresses. As an alternative to manual configuration, there is a method by 
which each PC on the network can automatically obtain this configuration information. A device 
on the network may act as a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server. The DHCP 
server stores a list or pool of IP addresses, along with other information (such as gateway and DNS 
addresses) that it may assign to the other devices on the network. The WGU624 wireless router has 
the capacity to act as a DHCP server.
The WGU624 wireless router also functions as a DHCP client when connecting to the ISP. The 
firewall can automatically obtain an IP address, subnet mask, DNS server addresses, and a 
gateway address if the ISP provides this information by DHCP.
Internet Security and Firewalls
When your LAN connects to the Internet through a router, an opportunity is created for outsiders 
to access or disrupt your network. A NAT router provides some protection because by the very 
nature of the process, the network behind the router is shielded from access by outsiders on the 
Internet. However, there are methods by which a determined hacker can possibly obtain 
information about your network or at the least can disrupt your Internet access. A greater degree of 
protection is provided by a firewall router.