iWeb Communities: Blog

With the promise of constantly improving the Smart Servers features, iWeb launches a new option included in the SuperSmart package. This new feature is the activation and the administration of a Firewall directly from the Control Center.

You will now be able to operate a user-friendly Firewall on your SmartServer in a few clicks with the easy-to-use web based interface. This new feature allows you to enhance your server’s security and to ensure increased uptime on your server. This adaptable Firewall is dedicated to your server and, consequently, is not shared between various servers or clients.

The Firewall is installed on the Smart Layer and not on the Operating System, which allows better flexibility. The Firewall installation is immediate and requires no downtime on your server. In addition, the Firewall has no impact on the server performances since it uses no resources on the OS (Operating System), unlike a Software Firewall. Furthermore, if you reinstall your servers OS, your Firewall configurations will remain unchanged.

The Firewall offered in the SuperSmart package is analogous to dedicated Firewalls for Classic Servers, with the addition of the web based interface that allows the user to configure, enable and disable the Firewall rule sets without going through SSH command. You can now enable or disable your Firewall in a few clicks and the configuration updates require no manual intervention.

Three types of configurations of your rule sets will be available (two are predetermined). The first configuration is the default, and is set when your server is activated. This allows inexperienced users to efficiently manage their server’s security without advanced knowledge in system administration. The second configuration is adapted for use with cPanel. It allows you to effortlessly configure the Firewall for the specific services offered with cPanel. The last configuration is “Custom”, and is aimed at experienced users who can manage all the Firewall rule sets. These rule sets allow every type of user to configure the Firewall, from the inexperienced to the advanced administrator.

To give you a preview, here are a few screenshots of the interface:

This service is included in the SuperSmart package offered at 20$ per month.

Additional options will soon be available on the SmartServers, including Smart Groups, a private virtual LAN service for all your SmartServers. Each server will be able to easily communicate without being noticeable by the other clients’ servers connected to the same local network. You will receive further information in the upcoming weeks.