User Interface

The user interface page is used to set the host description of the system and select the behaviour of the web interface.

The current host description is displayed in the title bar of the web browser being used to configure or manage the system. The default value of this description is the hostname that was specified during the installation process.

To change the host description, enter a new value into the Description text field and click the Save button at the bottom of the page.

Easy drop-down navigation allows the drop-down navigation menu to operate automatically, without the user being required to click the adjacent Go button to move to the selected page.

To use easy drop-down navigation, select the Enable easy drop-down navigation tick-box control and click the Save button at the bottom of the page.

The user interface can report errors in two different modes:

• Popup error box - Displays error messages in pop-up message boxes.
• In-page error report - Displays error messages at the top of a configuration page.

To set the error reporting method, select the appropriate Popup error box or In-page error report radio button and click the Save button at the bottom of the page.

Time

The time page is used to manually set the system's timezone, date and time settings. System time can be synchronised with a network time server, located internally or externally on the Internet. Additionally, the system can act as a network time server itself, for use by hosts in the internal network zones.

To set the timezone, choose the correct location from the Timezone drop-down menu. To manually set the time and date, select the Set tick-box control and choose the correct time and date using the Time and Date drop-down menus. Click the Save button at the bottom of the page to save the configuration changes.

System time can be automatically synchronised using local or external network time servers. The following configuration controls are used to activate network time synchronisation:

• Enabled - Determines whether network time retrieval is currently active.
• Interval - Specifies the frequency of network time retrieval, between 1 hour and 3 days.
• Save time to RTC - Determines whether the system's hardware clock (the Real-Time Clock) is set with the retrieved time.
• Multiple random public servers - Specifies that the system time is set to the average time retrieved from five random time servers.
• Selected single public server - Specifies that the system time is set to the time retrieved from a particular time servers.
• User defined single public or local server - Specifies that the system time is set to the time retrieved from a particular local or external time servers.

To automatically retrieve network time select the Enabled button in the Network time retrieval region. Choose an appropriate synchronisation interval from the Interval drop-down menu and pick a time calculation method using the radio-button controls. If the Selected single public server radio-button was selected, choose an appropriate time server using the adjacent drop-down menu. If the User defined single public or local server radio-button was selected, enter the address of the server (hostname or IP) into the adjacent text-field. Click the Save button to record the configuration changes.

If automatic time retrieval settings have been configured, the time can be instantly retrieved at any moment by clicking the Get time now button at the bottom of the page.

To determine when the next time synchronisation process will begin, refer to the Next update in label displayed in the Network time retrieval region.

The system can act as an NTP server itself, allowing network hosts to synchronise their time to the system. NTP is enabled on a per-interface basis using the interface tick-box controls in the Network time service interfaces region. Click the Save button to activate the network time service.

Modem

The modem page is used to create up to five different modem profiles, typically used when creating external dial-up connections.

To create a modem profile, first choose an empty profile using the Profiles drop-down menu and click the Select button. Enter a name for the profile into the Profile name text-field. Next, enter the basic modem configuration values using the following controls:

• Interface - The serial port the modem is attached to.
• Computer to modem rating - The connection speed of the modem.
• Modem speaker on - Determines whether to use the speaker or not.
• Dialing mode - Determines whether to use tone or pulse dialing.

Next, specify any advanced modem settings using the following controls:

• Init - Used to specify the AT commands required to initialise the modem.
• Hangup - Used to specify the AT commands required to hangup (end) a connection.
• Speaker on - Used to specify AT commands required to turn the speaker on.
• Speaker off - Used to specify AT commands required to turn the speaker on.
• Tone dial - Used to specify AT commands required to turn tone dialing on.
• Pulse dial - Used to specify AT commands required to turn pulse dialing on.
• Connect timeout - Used to specify the amount of time in seconds to allow the modem to attempt to connect.

To configure advanced modem settings, refer to the modem's administration documentation. In most cases, no additional configuration settings of this kind are required. Click the Save button at the bottom of the page to create the modem profile.

To edit a modem profile, choose the profile to be edited from the Profiles drop-down menu and click the Select button. Make any necessary configuration changes to the Modem settings and Initialisation strings regions and click the Save button.

To restore a partially altered modem profile, click the Restore button. The profile's configuration values will be restored to those that are currently saved.

To view a modem profile, choose the profile to be viewed from the Profiles drop-down menu and click the Select button.

To delete a modem profile, choose the profile to be deleted from the Profiles drop-down menu and click the Delete button.

Remote Access

The remote access page is used to enable secure shell access to the system using SSH, and to enable referral checking.

Access to the system console can be made using a secure shell by enabling SSH. To enable SSH, select the SSH tick-box. Click the Save button at the bottom of the page.

Note - The SSH service is accessed using the non-standard port 222.

In order to be certain that the request for an admin function is being issued from the system and not some third party web page, a referral check can be performed. To enable this feature, select the Allow admin access only from valid referral URLs and click the Save button.

Once activated, the system will only process administration requests if the referral URL contains a valid IP address or the local hostname. It will not be possible to administer the system if you connect via a DNS or Dynamic DNS name.

Admin Access

The admin access page is used to create rules that determine which interfaces, services, networks and hosts can be used to administer the system.

A default rule is created during the installation, to allow administrators to access and configure the system from any source IP that can route to the system's first network interface. Administrators can use any of the available admin services (such as SSH or HTTPS) to access the system.

The following configuration controls are used to create admin access rules:

• Interface - The interface that access is permitted to.
• Source IP, or network - The source IP, IP range or subnet range of IP addresses that can access the system. If a blank value is entered, any source IP can access the system. See the IP address definitions section of this help file for information regarding IP address entry.
• Service - Determines which services are permissible for admin access, including SNMP, SSH, HTTP, HTTPS or all.
• Comment - A text-field used to assign a helpful message describing the admin access rule.
• Enabled - Determines whether the admin access rule is currently active.

To create an admin access rule, enter appropriate configuration values into each of the configuration controls and click the Add button. The Enabled tick-box must be selected to activate the rule.

To remove one or more admin access rules, locate each rule within the Current rules list and select their adjacent Mark tick-box controls. Click the Remove button.

To edit a particular admin access rule, locate it within the Current rules list and select its adjacent Mark tick-box. Click the Edit button to populate the configuration controls in the Add a new rule region with the admin access rule's current configuration values. Alter the configuration values as necessary, and click the Add button.

Note 1 - Failure to click the Add button will result in the loss of the admin access rule.

Note 2 - It is possible to be locked out of the system if there are no administrator rules configured. If this happens, use the setup utility from the system console and select the Reset admin access option.

Single or multiple IP addresses can be specified in a number of different manners:

• IP address - An identifier for a single network host, written as quartet of dotted decimal values, e.g. "192.168.10.1"
• IP address range - Two IP addresses that define an inclusive range of consecutive IP addresses, e.g. "192.168.10.1-192.168.10.40".
• IP subnet [dotted decimal] - An arbitrary IP address and network mask that specifies a subnet range of IP addresses, e.g. "192.168.10.0/255.255.255.0" defines a subnet range of IP addresses from "192.168.10.0" to "192.168.10.255".
• IP subnet [network prefix] - An arbitrary IP address and network mask in network prefix notation, e.g. "192.168.10.0/24" defines a subnet range of IP addresses from "192.168.10.0" to "192.168.10.255".

Change Passwords

The passwords page is used to set or edit the various user passwords on the system.

To set or edit a user's password, enter the new password into the user's Password and Again text-fields. Click the user's Save button to activate the changes.

The following list of users are, as standard, supported by the system:

• Administrator (admin) - Set the 'administrator' user's password.
• Log (log) - Set the 'log' user's password. This user has authority to view the system log files.
• Operator (operator) - Set the 'operator' user's password. This user has authority to shutdown or reboot the system.

Additional users may also be available.

UPS

The UPS page is used to configure the system's behaviour when it is utilising battery power from a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) device. If the UPS device is attached directly to the system, local UPS status monitoring can be configured. The system can act as a UPS 'master' and broadcast power status messages to other appropriately configured 'slave' systems or devices.

Alternatively, this page can be used to connect the system as a 'slave' to an appropriately configured 'master' UPS system or device. In this mode, the status of the UPS service will be updated whenever the UPS 'master' device broadcasts status messages.

To connect to a local device, select the Local connection radio-button in the UPS Mode region. The following controls are used to configure the UPS device:

• Select UPS type - Used to set the manufacturer, model or compatible setting for the local UPS device (refer to the UPS device's technical documentation if this is not readily known).
• Select UPS COM port - Used to set the serial or USB port that the UPS device is attached to.
• Select UPS cable type - Used to set the type of cable that connects to the UPS device (refer to the UPS device's technical documentation if this is not readily known).

Enter appropriate values into each of the configuration controls and click the Save button. After successful connection, UPS status information will be displayed in the Status region.

To connect to a network UPS device and receive its UPS status information, select the Network connection radio-button. This will enable the system to act as a UPS 'slave' in conjunction with an appropriately configured 'master' UPS system or device.

The following controls in the Network UPS configuration region are used to create a 'slave' connection:

• Master Address - Used to set the IP address of the 'master' UPS device.
• Port - Used to set the numeric port number of the 'master' UPS device's network service.

Enter appropriate values into each of the configuration controls and click the Save button. After successful connection, UPS status information will be displayed in the Status region.

The following configuration controls are used to set system behaviour when using battery power:

• Action to take when UPS on battery - Provides a combination of choices that configure different logging, shutdown and continue options.
• Force shutdown (Smart mode only) - Used to forcibly shutdown the system once battery power falls below a set level (5-30%). This feature will only work with UPS devices that support UPS 'Smart' mode (refer to the UPS device's technical documentation to determine if functionality is supported).

Enter appropriate values into each of the configuration controls and click the Save button.

The system can be configured to operate as a UPS 'master' device, allowing it to connect to appropriately configured 'slave' devices and send them UPS status updates. The following configuration controls are used to configure the system as a UPS 'master' device:

• Port - Used to set the numeric UPS status update port for the system and its 'slave' devices.
• Slave IP Address - Used to set the IP address of a slave UPS device that will receive UPS status broadcasts from the system.

Enter appropriate values into each of the configuration controls and click the Save button.

Note - UPS devices can be "daisy-chained" to propagate UPS status updates. This means that the system can operate as both a 'slave' and 'master' (I.e. the system connects as a 'slave' to a UPS system or device over a network and receives UPS status updates. Following each update, the system acts as a 'master' by sending status information to its slaves.

If UPS monitoring is enabled, then the following status information is displayed at the top of the page:

• Status - The current status of the UPS device.
• UPS monitor daemon - The current status of the system's UPS monitoring service.
• Time and date of listed status information - The time of the last update.
• Model - The model description of the UPS device.
• Serial number - The serial number of the UPS device.
• Cable type - The UPS device's cable connection type.
• Load percentage - The current load required from the UPS as a percentage of the total UPS output capacity.
• Battery charge - The amount of charge currently stored in the UPS device's battery.
• Estimated battery run time - The estimated duration that battery power can be sustained whilst being utilised.
• Time been on battery - The amount of time that the UPS device has used battery power for (if currently running on battery).
• Line supply voltage - The mains voltage.
• Line supply frequency - The mains frequency.
• UPS internal temperature - The internal temperature of the UPS device.
• Last reason for switching to battery - The last reason for switching to battery power.
• Last time was on battery - The last date and time that the UPS device's battery was utilised.
• Last time came off battery - The last date and time that the UPS device's switched from battery to mains.