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Feature	Benefits
DNS Caching	Minimize delays and timeouts experienced during Internet sessions
Local DNS Server	Facilitate access to local hosts by using host names rather than IP addresses
DNS/DHCP Integration	Enjoy the use of host names while retaining the benefits of dynamic address allocation

Feature:
DNS Caching

Benefit:
Minimize delays and timeouts experienced during Internet sessions

Description:
A web browser gets its content by making a request to a remote web server. The remote web server is contacted by the browser sending the official Internet Protocol (IP) address of the remote server. It is difficult for people to remember the long numeric IP addresses such as 195.224.81.4 so a system was devised that would allow users to enter a text name (Domain Name) that would be automatically converted to an IP address. The services required to perform this conversion are called Domain Name Services (DNS). The software that performs them is called a DNS server. When a Domain Name is entered into a browser, a designated DNS server looks into its previously saved list to see if it can match the name against an IP address. (This process is called a DNS lookup). If the DNS server is located at your Internet Provider's site or elsewhere on the Internet, the lookup and reply can sometimes be delayed due to other demands and/or bandwidth congestion. In cases where a dial-up connection must be established before the lookup can be processed, a time-out may sometimes occur.

One solution to these delays is to store a copy of domain names and their corresponding IP addresses in a computer on the LAN. This is called DNS Caching which feature is now integrated into Vicomsoft SoftRouter Plus. Responses to DNS lookups are cached, with any repeat lookups served from SoftRouter Plus rather than having to get them across the Internet. This eliminates many delays and speeds up browsing for the end user. The feature is completely transparent in operation and complies with Internet standards to ensure the integrity of cached DNS data.

Feature:
Local DNS Server

Benefit:
Facilitate access to local hosts by using host names rather than IP addresses

Description:
People often wish to access 'servers' on other computers directly connected to their own network as well as to servers across the Internet. People prefer to use a text host name rather than an IP number to access these LAN-servers as well. The SoftRouter incorporates a Local DNS Server that enables users to do this.

EXAMPLE: Fictitious company SmartCo has three computers on its LAN. Tom, using computer 1 wishes to publish data on his personal web server, Dick, using computer 2, wishes to publish data on a departmental web server and Harriett, using computer 3, maintains an FTP site.

In a typical network environment, the network administrator at SmartCo would assign a private IP address to each of these three computers. For example, Tom's computer might have the address 192.168.81.4, Dick's computer might have the address 192.168.81.6 and Harriett's computer might have the address 192.168.81.8. Because these are private IP addresses they would be unknown to DNS servers on the Internet. A user on the LAN would therefore need to remember the IP address of each of these computers in order to access any of these computers.

The integrated Local DNS Server in SoftRouter Plus allows any user on SmartCo's LAN to simply type 'http://tom.smartco.com' or 'ftp://harriett.smartco.com' into their browser and be able to access these servers. The users would not need to know any IP addresses. Their browser would send a DNS lookup request to the local DNS server in SoftRouter Plus which would return the appropriate address.

Feature:
DNS / DHCP Integration

Benefit:
Enjoy the use of host names while retaining the benefits of dynamic address allocation

Description:
In the above example users were able to access LAN servers that had been assigned a fixed IP address. Many administrators however prefer the benefits and flexibility provided by the built-in DHCP server which automatically allocates dynamic IP addresses as they are needed.

The two objectives of (a) using dynamically allocated IP addresses and (b) being able to access LAN computers by name rather than by IP Address are both achieved as a result of the unique DNS/DHCP integration in the Vicomsoft products.

Previously, a local DNS server would maintain its own list of static IP addresses. In a DHCP administered network however, a separate dynamic address list is maintained and updated by the DHCP server.

Vicomsoft's seamless DNS/DHCP integration now makes it possible for the DNS server to resolve names, such as tom.local, on the dynamic address list. With separate DHCP and DNS server products this would not be possible. The Vicomsoft Dynamic Local DNS however, allows computers to be moved, renamed or have new addresses assigned with no effect on network configuration. Both DHCP and DNS servers can be fully utilised on the same LAN, a major advantage for any network administrator. Administration is further enhanced by operating systems implementing names in their control panels (such as Windows 95/98/NT and MacOS 8.5). Such operating systems can provide their names to the DHCP server and the Dynamic Local DNS.

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