Initial configuration of the EN 4000 is done using a broadcast install tool included on CD-ROM for Windows. I gave the EN 4000 an IP address, then configured the box through the EN 4000's intuitive Web configuration interface.

Eager to see just how well the EN 4000 would handle my LAN environment, I reconfigured the IP information on all network workstations to reflect the change in default gateway and DNS services. Although I manually configured the IP information on my clients, the EN 4000 provides DHCP services. Near the end of my testing, I made use of DHCP with a newly configured workstation. Prior to booting up the new workstation, I configured the DHCP server to give out only leases from 192.168.0.200 to 192.168.0. 250 to avoid conflicts with existing workstations.

During testing, I immediately noticed a significant performance increase over my previous home office LAN, which had used a Windows 98 machine and a software NAT product with a V.90 modem. However, numerous times during the day the EN 4000 was connecting to my ISP for no reason. Assuming that one of my workstations was prompting the EN 4000 to dial up, I enabled the EN 4000's firewall options to restrict outbound traffic. With the firewall configured to let through only HTTP, SMTP and POP traffic, the EN 4000's unprompted dialing stopped.

I frequently work from home, so I make extensive use of SSH for connecting to the lab network. Using the Web configuration interface, I added Port 22 to the allowable TCP services. I also added Port 143 (IMAP) and Port 123 (Network Time Protocol) for both TCP and UDP.

The Web services provided by the EN 4000 are designed to assist in creating and maintaining a Web presence with or without an ISP. After I configured the EN 4000 with the FTP login information and directory paths for my Web host, I used the EN 4000 to update my Web site.

The update is really an FTP session, which copies the local Web-directory structure onto the Web host. Before creating a new page, I mapped a drive to the "Webadmin" share of the EN 4000 system, where I stored and edited the new (rather modest) page. When I was done, I accessed the Web interface of the EN 4000 and updated the remote Web site.

The EN 4000 is also capable of providing mail services to the internal LAN. User mail is retrieved from the ISP in a variety of ways. Mirrored mailbox delivery requires that each user have his or her own mail account on the same ISP. Multidrop mailbox forwarding requires that the ISP deliver all user mail to one mail account. The Enhanced SMTP Turn Delivery and SMTP mailbagging options require additional support at the ISP and a static IP address.

Send your comments on this article to Gregory Yerxa at

gyerxa@nwc.com.