Overview
Orbit Internet Sharing Solution eliminates the complexity and expense
of maintaining multiple phone lines, modems and user accounts for each
individual connection as required under conventional schemes. Combining
the advantages of the latest Internet connection sharing technology, Orbit
Internet Sharing Solution is an exceptionally easy-to-install, easy-to-use
software package. Orbit Internet Sharing Solution runs on a single Windows
95/98/NT based PC and supports virtually any local area network (LAN),
including the recent no-new-wire initiatives such as phone line and RF.
Because it is a software only solution, Orbit Internet Sharing Solution
does not require a dedicated server and can be installed on any PC on
the network (typically the one maintaining the physical TCP/IP connection
to the Internet). By installing Orbit Internet Sharing Solution, the user
designates that PC as the only PC authorized to make a physical connection
to the Internet.
Orbit Internet Sharing Solution then acts as the network's Internet gateway
by accepting authorized requests for Internet access from all other PCs
and routing the connection through Orbit Internet Sharing Solution on
behalf of the individual users, hence the term proxy. Since Internet traffic
tends to happen in "bursts," Orbit Internet Sharing Solution not only
allows multiple users to share access to a single physical connection,
but also allows them to be online simultaneously with modest declines
in traffic throughput.
Internet access through Orbit Internet Sharing Solution is virtually
transparent to the network's users. Users simply open their browser or
e-mail application and are automatically connected to the Internet as
if they had their own dedicated connection. Orbit Internet Sharing Solution
runs unattended as a service in the background, automatically establishing
connections when required and logging off when service is no longer required.
Orbit Internet Sharing Solution combines the advantages of proxy server
and Network Address Translation (NAT) technologies into one package. Called
"transparent proxy", this new technology combines the sophisticated user
controls, caching and firewall of the proxy server with the ease-of-installation
and application transparency offered by NAT. In just a few minutes, users
can install Orbit Internet Sharing Solution and be on their way to sharing
Internet access among their PCs.
Key features include:
- Ten-minute installation
on most PCs. Orbit Internet Sharing Solution's advanced architecture
provides all of the benefits of a state of the art application level
proxy without the need to individually configure Internet applications
to route through the proxy server. This technology eliminates the major
drawback to proxy servers while preserving the ability to perform valuable
and often required Internet access management functions such as user
restrictions, virus checking and site filtering.
There are NO special programs to install on the client machines; you
just point machines at the PC serving as the proxy server and go. This
lowers ongoing network administration and maintenance activities and
their associated costs.
- New transparent
proxy technology. Orbit Internet Sharing Solution combines the
simplicity of Network Address Translation (NAT) technology with the
flexibility and control of a classic proxy server. New transparent proxy
technology eliminates the need to reconfigure applications or install
special software on each client computer. Users see no difference in
accessing the Internet. Orbit Internet Sharing Solution provides a central
point for Internet access control, and the advantages of an easy installation.
- Simultaneous
and transparent access. With Orbit Internet Sharing Solution,
the client computers on your network don't require special software
and there's no need to configure individual applications. Orbit Internet
Sharing Solution works with any Internet service provider, including
AOL and MSN. Users simply open their browsers or other Internet applications
and they are automatically connected to the Internet. Orbit Internet
Sharing Solution is also compatible with email, chat, NetMeeting, and
online games. Gone are the headaches of trying to make Internet connection
sharing software work with highly interactive Web sites.
- Secure firewall and anti-virus
protection. Orbit Internet Sharing Solution's firewall protects
your network from Internet intruders and Net-borne viruses. Choose from
predefined firewall security settings or customize to your networking
needs. In this release, a free, six-month subscription to TrendMicro's
popular virus-checking software is included, providing an extra network-level
of virus protection for the PCs. This anti-virus protection guards against
malicious code in email attachments and Internet downloads. You quarantine
and disinfect files before they harm your network. Eliminate your worry
about pesky, unwelcome viruses and intruders.
- Site restrictions.
Orbit Internet Sharing Solution powerful site filtering allows you to
block access to sites containing objectionable material, an ideal feature
for controlling Internet access in a home, school or business environment:
- Site filtering. Orbit Internet
Sharing Solution offers a free six-month subscription to Secure
Computing's SmartFilter® Basic, which blocks access to objectionable
sites in five predefined categories related to hate, criminal
intent, sex, drugs, and extreme content. (You have the option
of subscribing to an additional 22 categories and/or to extend
your subscription beyond six months.) Users may also deselect
specific sites from the SmartFilter list on an exception basis.
- Site blacklisting. You can also
use Orbit Internet Sharing Solution's integrated Blacklist feature
alone or in conjunction with Site Filtering to include additional
sites in a list and make them also unavailable to users. These
features help to eliminate parental worries about their children
accessing the Internet and small business owner concerns about
employee productivity losses.
- Site whitelisting. Orbit Internet
Sharing Solution's site whitelisting feature allows you to define
the Web sites you want to be accessible to users on the network.
Users can access those sites only. For example, teachers can define
which Web sites students should visit as they research reports.
Access to all other sites is blocked. Students stay focused on
their project, not on surfing other site.
- User access control.
Internet usage may be controlled and monitored on an individual and/or
site basis, and access restricted by protocols (browsing, FTP, e-mail,
chat, etc.) or time of day. Set restrictions for your children or employees,
based on your preferences.
- Banner ad blocking.
Orbit Internet Sharing Solution 3.0 offers users the option
of blocking the majority of banner ads before they are downloaded. Each
Web page will be displayed with content only, if this option is selected.
Orbit Internet Sharing Solution even readjusts the screen to fill in
the gap left by the ad and helps avoid the delays associated with ad
downloads.
- Games compatibility.
Orbit Internet Sharing Solution supports multi-player game playing,
including playing with others in your network or others on the Web.
With Orbit Internet Sharing Solution, you and another person can even
play games on the Internet simultaneously!
- Optimized Internet
connection. Advanced network-wide caching gives every user accelerated
access to frequently visited sites. This can dramatically improve performance
as Orbit Internet Sharing Solution helps reduce the time spent waiting
for favorite sites to download.
- Technical support.
Orbit Internet Sharing Solution offers technical support via telephone,
email or an online SupportBase.
Additional Orbit Internet Sharing Solution Features
- Works with any ISP, including AOL
- Does not require a dedicated server
- Automatically loads and appears as an icon on the task bar on Windows
95/98 PCs
- Supports Mac, Unix and Linux clients
- Supports all popular email clients, including Eudora, Outlook and
multiple mail servers
- Maintains a historical log of all connections
- Supports email and Web servers located behind the firewall
- Offers proxy cascading and mapped port support
How it Works
You simply install Orbit Internet Sharing Solution on any Windows-based
network PC or server (typically the one maintaining the physical TCP/IP
connection to the Internet). Installation takes less than ten minutes
in many cases. That PC or server is designated as the only machine authorized
to make a physical connection to the Internet. A dedicated server is not
required. You point the other PCs in your network to the proxy server
via a simple adjustment in the TCP/IP network interface card (NIC) setting.
Then open your browser or e-mail application and you are automatically
connected to the Internet as if you had your own dedicated connection.
Orbit Internet Sharing Solution then acts as the network's intelligent
Internet gateway" by accepting authorized requests for Internet access
from all other PCs and routing the connection through Orbit Internet Sharing
Solution on behalf of the individual users. Since Internet traffic usually
occurs in "bursts," multiple users share access to a single physical connection,
and can be online simultaneously. Internet access through Orbit Internet
Sharing Solution is virtually transparent to the any network users. Orbit
Internet Sharing Solution runs unattended as a service in the background,
automatically establishing connections when required and logging off when
service is no longer required.
Orbit Internet Sharing Solution works with:
- Any Internet connection, including modems, cable modems, DSL, ISDN,
T1-T3, frame relay, wireless links.
- All popular protocols, including HTTP, Real Audio/Video, Mail (SMTP
and POP3), FTP, News, Telnet, Socks, Secure Sockets (SSL), DNS, IMAP4,
AOL, CompuServe and more.
- Any Internet service provider (ISP), including AOL and MSN.
Internet Connection Sharing Technology
Currently, two major technologies are being used to offer Internet
connection sharing: proxy server and network address translation (NAT).
Both popular, each technology offers distinct advantages for various networking
applications that require multiple-PC Internet access. Both also offer
drawbacks that can make installation and management more complex.
Orbit Internet Sharing Solution 3.0 offers users the choice of four preconfigured
client access methods-NAT, proxy server, transparent proxy server and
transparent proxy with Web, FTP and mail only. Each client access method
differs in its application transparency--the need to configure applications
to work with Orbit Internet Sharing Solution--and the amount of control
the Orbit Internet Sharing Solution administrator has over the advanced
features associated with users' Internet connections, such as caching,
site filtering, virus protection, logging and user access restrictions.
Orbit Internet Sharing Solution recommends using the newest and most
innovative of these technologies--transparent proxy. This new technology
combines the ease of installation and application transparency of NAT
technology with the robust features offered by proxy servers into a new
approach that makes installation and management of Internet access easier
and quicker. Orbit Internet Sharing Solution defaults to transparent proxy
client access mode. You can select the solution that's best for you under
the Advanced Settings/Client Access Method tab.
Client Access Methods
An overview of the three different technologies follows.
Network Address Translation
(NAT)
NAT technology is the simplest of all Internet connection technologies.
NAT translates all the IP addresses used on an internal network into
different return IP address for the Internet. It rewrites the addresses
in the header of each outgoing (network to Internet) packet to reflect
a new address and keep tracks of this change so it may route incoming
packets to the correct machine. To maintain data integrity, every packet
has a checking process that results in an error message if any portion
of the package has been corrupted or modified. NAT advantages include
its quick and easy installation, with no application adjustments required
on client PCs.
With Orbit Internet Sharing Solution, the NAT setting provides:
- Maximum application transparency: Nearly all applications will work
automatically without reconfiguring their settings.
- Minimum control over Internet connection rights: Site filtering,
anti-virus protection, caching, logging and user access control are
not available.
Classic Proxy Server
A proxy server works by acting as the device that acts on behalf of
other devices. A proxy server maintains two separate connections for
a Web transaction-one from the internal network and one to the Internet.
When a device in the internal network needs to connect to the Internet,
it sends a request to the proxy server. The proxy answers the request
and simultaneously initiates a connection request to the destination
via an Internet service provider. Data is copied to and from the internal
network and Internet connections until the transaction is complete.
Because the only connected machine is the proxy server, the internal
machines are protected from security invasions. The advantages of
proxy server technology are its strong firewall, improved download
times through caching and user access restriction features.
With Orbit Internet Sharing Solution, the proxy server setting provides:
- Minimum application transparency: All applications on all computers
in the network must be configured to route through the proxy.
- Maximum control over Internet connection rights: Site filtering, anti-virus
protection, caching, logging and user access control is automatically
available for all protocols.
Transparent Proxy
The Internet connection sharing software available today is based
on either proxy server or NAT technology. Each method offers its own
advantages and disadvantages. While NAT provides basic Internet connection
sharing and easy, server-only installation, it cannot match proxy
server technology in offering features such as firewalls, anti-virus
protection, user access, site filtering, banner blocking or caching
to speed the download speed of frequently accessed pages. As Internet
applications become more sophisticated, the ideal solution combines
the advantages of each method to meet the demands of the multiple-PC
network found in small businesses and homes. The advantages of transparent
proxy include the ability to take advantage of the advanced features
without configuring each computer's applications. This is the setting
recommended for most users.
With Orbit Internet Sharing Solution, the transparent proxy setting
provides:
- Maximum application transparency: Nearly all applications will work
automatically without reconfiguring their settings.
- Maximum control over Internet connection rights: Site filtering, anti-virus
protection, caching, logging and user access control are automatically
available for all protocols.
Orbit Internet Sharing Solution also offers the Transparent Proxy--Web
(HTTP & SSL), FTP and Mail Only option. This setting, recommended
for advanced users, provides:
- Medium application transparency: Most Web, FTP and mail applications
will work automatically without reconfiguring the settings. All other
connections may be routed through a NAT or proxy. Applications routed
through the proxy must be properly configured to be used.
- Medium control over Internet connection rights: Site filtering, anti-virus
protection, caching, logging and user access control are automatically
available for Web, FTP and mail protocols. All other connections must
be routed through the proxy in order for these functions to be available.
Most users will find the default transparent proxy client access
method offers the ease of installation they desire and enables them
to take full advantage of Orbit Internet Sharing Solution's security,
user access and site filtering features. However, Orbit Internet Sharing
Solution 3.0 also offers more sophisticated users the opportunity
to customize the software to fit their needs.
Enhanced Features of
Orbit Internet Sharing Solution
Orbit Internet Sharing Solution offers functionality that extends beyond
Internet connection sharing provided by simple Network Address Translation--features
that help users more easily administer and enhance Internet access. These
features enable users to tailor their Internet experience to their specific
requirements-whether it's parents or employers wanting to limit access
by time-of-day or content, children or adults who want to take advantage
of online gaming, IT administrators who want to protect their Internet
gateways from viruses or hackers, or teachers who want to offer limited
access to students. These enhanced services include:
- Built-in, pre-configured secure firewall
- Site restrictions that limit user access to objectionable Web sites,
- Centralized Anti-virus protection, Caching to accelerate Internet
downloads,
- Time-of-day restrictions that make the Internet inaccessible at certain
times of the day,
- Protocol controls that limit access to chat rooms, email and FTP downloads,
- Automatic logging feature that tracks Internet usage, including sites
accessed
- Blocking of banner ad downloads
Firewall
Orbit Internet Sharing Solution offers a built-in firewall that protects
all of the computers on the local network. The firewall ensures users
don't have unwanted intruders invading their system or bombarding them
with multiple requests that result in "denial of service" attacks. To
accommodate a wide variety of user requirements, Orbit Internet Sharing
Solution offers five levels of built-in security that can be customized
to the users' needs. It also includes preconfigured firewall settings
for accommodating applications such as NetMeeting, MSN and AOL that are
troublesome for other proxies or NATs.
New feature list
- 3,5,10,25 and Unlimited user versions
- Intelligent install wizard simplifies installation & verifies connection
set-up
- No application configuration
- NAT (Network Address Translation)
- DHCP server
- Transparent proxy
- Pre-configured client access methods
- Pre-configured firewall
- Improved games compatibility
- Centralized anti-virus checking
- DNS lookups cached to disk
- Time of day restrictions for always on connections
- Block weekend use
- Reduced client set-up
- Right mouse management of connections in view Active Connections
screen
- View services enabled on Active Connection screen
- Site Filtering (parental control) for sex, hate speech, criminal intent,
drugs and obscene/extreme
- Whitelist
- Banner blocking
- 30 day money back guarantee
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