Covers NetProxy Version 4.0
Last Updated: 14/Feb/2002

Q1. What does NetProxy do?
NetProxy shares a single connection to the Internet (whether it's a modem, ISDN, ASDL, cable-modem, or leased-line connection) between many users at the same time. It includes features to permit password-protected access to the Internet, and can produce detailed logs of Internet usage. Access to the Internet can be limited based on the time or day of the week. NetProxy incorporates a comprehensive rules-based firewall system to protect the machines on your network from the outside world, and a web-caching system to speed up access to frequently-viewed web sites. NetProxy also acts as a local domain name (DNS) server, allowing you to allocate unique host names to each of the machines on your network and manage them from a central point.

Q2. What extra hardware do I need to use NetProxy?
To use NetProxy, all you need is a computer running Microsoft Windows that has a working connection to an Internet Service Provider. Any other computers on your network which are to have access to the Internet via NetProxy must be connected to this Internet-connected PC via a local area network. There is no special additional hardware or software required to run NetProxy.

Q3. What versions of Windows does NetProxy run on?
NetProxy can run on any version of Windows from Windows 95 onwards. This includes Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows Me, as well as Windows NT4, Windows 2000 and Windows XP.

Q4. Does NetProxy work with ISDN and ADSL?
Yes. All NetProxy needs is a standard TCP/IP connection to the Internet. It doesn't matter whether this is a dialup modem/ISDN connection, a semi-permanent connection (such as ADSL or cable-modem) or a permanent connection (such as a frame-relay or leased line connection).

Q5. Is it easy to set up?
Yes. NetProxy includes comprehensive instructions for setting up TCP/IP on your network (if you don't already have TCP/IP installed). There are simple, easy to understand instructions for setting up the NetProxy server computer and for setting up the client computers, and NetProxy includes a simple "Configuration Wizard" that sets up the most commonly-used services in a secure manner.

Q5. I already use TCP/IP on my local area network. Will I have to change my local IP addresses in order to use NetProxy?
No. NetProxy will work with any range of local IP addresses. You simply need to configure the firewall options in NetProxy to permit connections from the IP address range that you have chosen to use.

Q6. How secure is NetProxy?
This is not a simple question to answer objectively, as it relies on many external factors. However, we know of no attacks specifically against NetProxy and the product has been the subject of numerous private third-party evaluations over the years since the first version was released, none of which have found any issues. Our customers include numerous Banks and Finance Houses, many of which have chosen NetProxy after conducting their own security analysis. Each new release is rigorously tested by us for a wide-range of potential problems (such as susceptability to buffer overflow issues and IP spoofing attacks).

As with any machine that is directly connected to the Internet, it is important to ensure that the NetProxy server machine is running the latest service packs and security patches for your chosen operating system to avoid any security issues that may be present in the Operating System itself rather than in application software such as NetProxy.

Q7. How many simultaneous users can NetProxy support?
This is largely dependent upon the operating system and the hardware that NetProxy is being used with and the type of traffic and typical usage patterns (for example, chat programs such as ICQ typically use very little network bandwidth, whilst large FTP file transfers will use a lot).

For supporting large numbers of simultaneous users, we strongly advise using Windows NT4 or Windows 2000 Server rather than Win95, 98 or Me, as they will do a better job of load-balancing between users, their TCP/IP stacks are capable of buffering more incoming connections, and they offer a more stable and reliable platform than the "home" editions of Windows. However, for smaller networks of 5 - 10 users, Windows 95, 98 or Me is likely to be an adequate platform for running NetProxy.

The biggest overall limitation on performance in most circumstances is likely to be the speed of your connection to the Internet, rather than any local hardware or Operating System limitiations. On suitably powerful hardware, running Windows NT or Windows 2000 Server, NetProxy is quite capable of supporting upwards of 100 users as long as there is enough bandwith available between the NetProxy PC and the Internet.