Networking Basics:Internet connections

Applies To: Windows SBS 2008

To properly set up your network, firewall, Web site, and e-mail to connect to the Internet, run the Connect to the Internet Wizard. The wizard supports multiple types of broadband connections to the Internet.

Broadband connections

A broadband connection is a high-speed connection to the Internet that is provided by your Internet service provider (ISP).

A direct broadband connection

This broadband connection type requires a router and a network device, such as a cable modem or a DSL modem. An IP address is supplied by your ISP for the external interface of your router (the interface that connects to the Internet).

Your router is the gateway to the Internet, as shown in Figure 5. The firewall that is included with Windows SBS 2008 helps protect the server, but it cannot be used to secure your local network from unauthorized Internet access. To help secure your local network, you must use a network device that has a firewall, such as a router. The firewall on the router helps prevent unwanted access to your network from the Internet. If the firewall supports the UPnP framework, you can use the Connect to the Internet Wizard to configure firewall settings on the router. If the router does not support the UPnP framework, you must manually configure the firewall settings.