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Plug-n-Play Server And Network

Posted by timothy on from the all-in-one dept.

shyster writes: "The IMASS is a server for the technophobes. Built on a Linux OS, it autodetects network segments in less than 5 minutes, and sets up DHCP, DNS, FTP, Email, file sharing, firewall, NAT, internet access, dial-up, etc. almost automagically. Pluses include a solid state drive for the OS, so the hard drive is only used for file storage and backup (seperate 120GB hard drive for backups.) seems to be just what some of my clients need to finally convince them that Linux CAN be easier to use than Windows, and they can, for the most part, manage the network themselves! Check out a review from PCMagazine."

9 of 171 comments (clear)

  1. imagine.. by sluggie · · Score: 4, Interesting

    a beowulf cluster of those!

    no, don't mod me down now! I really mean it!

    So, what do you think could happen if you put more than one of those in a network.

    do they recognize each other?
    are they able to do some basic kind of load balancing (one does mail/ftp/NAT, the other one user homes/printer/etc)?
    what if business grows bigger, so that you need more than one server?

    I like such pseudo turnkey systems, but where is the scalability?

  2. Re:Security? by ymgve · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Ok, to correct myself: it was a buffer overflow in the UPNP implementation that compromised WinXP. And the review says there is SOME configuration (five minutes or so) before it can be put to use. So it's probably not that insecure at all.

  3. No network administration skills are needed ... by FileNotFound · · Score: 3, Interesting
    No network administration skills are needed to deploy or maintain the iMass server. Simply, plug it into a power source, attach a second cable to an Internet feed and then turn the machine on. The iMass unit will automatically setup all network configuration parameters including firewall, file, print, Web, FTP, email services, DNS entries and DHCP.


    Right. So they're all set up the same? Plug it in and let everyone in?

    Sounds rather scary. I can understand Snap file servers etc..

    But firewalls etc?

    Chances are that to avoid things 'not working' everything is on, every port is open and everything works.
    --
    In Soviet Russia, the television watches YOU!
  4. Kernel 2.2.19 by CDWert · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Kernel version of this wonderbar unit is
    2.2.19

    And 128 meg ram ???

    --
    Sig went tro...aahemmm.....fishing........
  5. Re:Almost by Zocalo · · Score: 5, Interesting
    It's not Plug and (mostly) Play is it?

    I suspect it's more like this:

    Try DHCP - if OK great, configure eth0 accordingly, if not, not a problem for now

    Put eth0 into promiscuous mode

    Capture some traffic

    Look for where connections are being opened for port 53 (DNS), port 20/21 (FTP), 25 (SMTP)...

    Look at the source IPs for local IP's / subnet

    Look for where traffic off-net is being sent for the default gateway(s)

    etc.

    Fill in some blanks with the above

    Present harvested info to the user and ask them to fill in any required unknowns, make corrections and confirm the final settings This kind of thing isn't new, and there are lots of other tricks to farm data, like sending forged packets to illicit a response with useful data. Where you tend to come unstuck in what you can achieve though is when you plug the thing into a switch. It's a bit more difficult to find what you want when you can't see it...

    --
    UNIX? They're not even circumcised! Savages!
  6. Offsite by GedLandsEnd · · Score: 2, Interesting
    No tape to put in the safe?
    Not having offsite backups available is definitely a bad idea in terms of emergencies. (The building goes up in flames, taking the nifty 'integrated drive backup' with it.)

    You get what you pay for, of course. But I've worked with the intended technophobe market - they wouldn't know what they were missing until it was too late.
  7. Re:Almost by Zocalo · · Score: 5, Interesting
    and if your on a switched network ? surely you wouldn't recieve any relevant traffic ?

    You would initially just see broadcast traffic, and that gives you some IP information to get started from. You could then send a continuous stream of forged packet to the switch pretending to be from MAC addresses you can see. Depending on the switch you may be able to force it to fail and start acting as a hub, or receive packets intended for the legitimate hosts you are faking.

    It's a technique known as ARP spoofing, for which there are plenty of tools such as Dugsong's DSniff suite. Get Ethereal as well, capture some packets and see what you can derive about the network - it should be quite a lot. Add a packet generator into the mix and, well, the sky's the limit really. I should also point out that you can very easily break the law with these tools; be careful what you do and where...

    --
    UNIX? They're not even circumcised! Savages!
  8. One thing /. readers tend to forget about the user by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    >and they can, for the most part, manage the
    >network themselves!

    What does DHCP mean? What is an Address? Is FTP like HTP?

    Can I use my web browser because Yahoo is my favorite?

    Personally, I like what linux is doing and where it seems to be going, but everytime I read about its ease of use on /. I am reminded that many of you have no clue what the majority of end users are really like.

    Remember making linux as easy to use as Windows only succeeds in making it Plug & Pray.

  9. Instant marketing by Samrobb · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Anyone else notice this banner ad at the bottom of the IMASS page the article links to?

    Either someone at the company submitted the story, or they have one of the most responsive marketing teams I've ever seen...

    --
    "Great men are not always wise: neither do the aged understand judgement." Job 32:9