Internet connections

Published: February 24, 2011

Applies To: Windows Small Business Server 2011 Standard

To properly set up your network, firewall, website, and email 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 2011 Standard 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.

Figure 5   Direct broadband connection to the Internet

Note

If your connection to the Internet uses a router and a Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet (PPPoE) connection, you must manually configure the PPPoE settings on your router, even if the router supports the UPnP framework.