Network Programming in .NET: With C# and Visual Basic .NET
Addressing real-world issues facing professional developers, the purpose of this book is to provide tools to design and implement network-orientated applications in .NET.
TABLE OF CONTENTS Network Programming in .NET: With C# and Visual Basic .NET
Chapter 7: Securing a Network: Firewalls, Proxy Servers, and Routers
7.1 Introduction
This chapter deals with the practical issues of setting up a network and network architecture in general. Knowing how networks differ from a programmatic perspective can help fix a lot of network-application-related bugs. Furthermore, basic working knowledge of network setup is essential in the day-to-day life of many developers.
This chapter is structured in two sections. The first section explains how to create a network from autonomous, stand-alone machines. Immediately following that is a discussion of common devices that form gateways between your network and the Internet. These gateway devices can often create problems for your software by imposing their own restrictions and regulations. By being able to detect and work around these problems, your application will be more stable in a mass-market environment.
7.1.1 Building a Network from Scratch
If you are developing a point-of-sale system for a supermarket, each terminal will need to communicate with a central server to consolidate the day's takings and process stock levels. This is not easily achievable without a network. In many cases, you can't just give a shopkeeper a CD and expect him to figure out how to get every computer in his business tied to a single network.
Choosing a Topology
If you have only two computers that you want to network, and there is no need for a third, then the most economic solution is a unshielded twisted pair (UTP) crossover cable (not UTP patch cable). This can be used to link two computers directly.
There are three...
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