Gateway Overview
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8/27/2008
The Gateway design template is targeted at a specific network infrastructure device that provides connection-sharing services from a single Internet connection to a number of computers and other devices on an internal private network. This device typically includes a Network Address Translator for IPv4 and appropriate routing for IPv6, and a firewall to protect internal clients. Gateways are also called a number of different names, including broadband routers, base stations, and residential or SOHO gateways.
The Gateway design template includes all the technologies required to build a functioning gateway device. Although the Gateway design template implements a typical device by default, you can include or exclude Catalog items to meet your functional needs.
You can also use the Gateway design template as the basis for many network infrastructure devices, such as a file server. The OS design created by the Gateway design template can include many technologies common to these devices, including an embedded Web server for administration, a firewall, IPv6 and IPv4 routing, and file and print services.
A typical gateway target device provides a shared Internet connection and workgroup services to a networked small office or home. The target device can provide services such as file sharing, Web hosting, and Internet connection sharing to the local network of computers. A more advanced Gateway can provide VPN connections, authentication services, IPv6 routing, firewall, Telnet, and FTP.
Windows Embedded CE includes the following core technologies that support the Gateway design template:
- Internet Connection Sharing
- Gateway Logging
- Parental Controls
- 802.11 Overview
- Firewall
- Remote Configuration Framework
- Multiple Public Interface Support
- Error Reporting
For information about the required Catalog items and Sysgen variables associated with this design template, see Gateway Design Template.
Basic Gateway Configuration
A basic gateway bridges a public (external) network and a private (internal) network. The external network can be the Internet or a corporate intranet. The gateway requires two distinct network interfaces in the target device. Each interface must be configured with an IP address and other networking parameters.
You can configure the public interface IP address statically with an IP address and subnet, or you can use a DHCP client to retrieve the settings from the external network. The Internet or intranet service provider determines the process.
The private interface on the gateway is configured to allocate addresses to systems on the internal network by acting as a DHCP server to those clients. This setup allows the gateway to provide appropriate IP addresses, subnet masks, and default information to the internal clients. This setup also allows the clients to self-configure and then to navigate to the external network.
The basic gateway settings are configured in the registry. For more information, see Configuring the Gateway Registry.