5.9. Operation Mode
After configuring your SME Server for your local network, you will see the following screen. This is where you select your server's operation mode.
5.9.1. Option 1: Server and gateway mode
In server and gateway mode, your server provides services (such as e-mail, web services, file and print sharing) to your network and also acts as a gateway between your internal network and the outside world. The fact that it serves as a "gateway" means it has separate interfaces with each network, and provides security and routing.
If you configure your server to operate in server and gateway mode, your server will require either:
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two ethernet adapters (one to communicate with the local network and the other to communicate with the external network/Internet)
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one ethernet adapter (for the local network) and a modem for a dialup connection
With server and gateway mode, there are a number of extra parameters that will need to be configured. These will be discussed in the next section.
5.9.2. Option 2: Private server and gateway
This mode is a variation of option 1 and provides the same functionality with the following differences:
- our web server is not visible to anyone outside of the local network.
- our mail server is not accessible from outside of the local network.
- Additional firewall rules have been configured to drop packets for various services (such as 'ping' requests).
All services are available on the internal network. The differences are entirely in how your server is seen by the external world.
You would select this mode only if you wish to use the server as a gateway, but do not wish to publish any services to the external Internet.
5.9.3. Option 3: Server-only mode
Server-only mode is appropriate if you do not wish to use the gateway capabilities of your server. In this configuration, your server connects only to the local network and does not connect directly to the outside world (although it may connect indirectly through your firewall or another server).
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Warning |
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Because the server "trusts" the local network to be secure in server-only mode, it must be behind a firewall of some type. Under no conditions should it be directly connected to the Internet. |
Your network will resemble the image below:
If you have a connection to the Internet by way of another gateway or corporate firewall, you can configure your server to provide services (including e-mail, web services, file and print-sharing) to your network. In this instance, you do not need your server to provide the gateway role because that role is fulfilled by your firewall. If you select Option 3, " Server-only mode - protected network ", your server will provide your local network with web, e-mail, file and print-sharing.
On the next configuration screen, you should enter the IP address for the Internet gateway on your local network. If you do not have an Internet connection, simply leave this configuration screen blank.