All you need to know is this...IF calculated automatically, it will reset anything configured manually, which may not be intended option you want. Most customers I know just manually edit them (though this is regular Gaia, not embedded), so you can confirm subnets behind that interface are indeeed 100% right. Though in SMB cluster case, as long as routing is correct, I dont see loigically why you cant leave it as automatic.
Small Office Appliance Topology
What can I do here?
In this window you can define all the interfaces on this host or gateway.
Note: This topic refers to these Small Office Appliances: CPSG 80 series, 1100 and 1200R appliances.
What background information do I need to know?
Topology is a physical or logical structure of computer-related objects. Topology defines how the network node connects to the networks inside and outside the organization. The node is connected to networks via interfaces. A gateway has two types of interfaces:
- Internal interfaces face toward the local network. The LANs and the DMZ are both internal networks.
- External interfaces face toward the Internet.
Interfaces are defined by an IP address and a netmask address. The interfaces on the gateway can be defined manually or automatically by pressing Get....
In the Gateway - Topology page, the topology is set automatically because it represents the hard coded device.
The set topology includes the following three interfaces (two internal and one external):
- DMZ represents a logical second network behind the Small Office Appliance. You must connect DMZ computers to the LAN ports. DMZ is a dedicated Ethernet port (RJ-45) used to connect a DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) computer or network. Alternatively, the DMZ can serve as a secondary WAN port.
- LAN represents the private network. LAN 1-8 local area network switch: Eight Ethernet ports (RJ-45) is used for connecting computers or other network devices.
- WAN represents the external interface to the router. A WAN interface card, is a network interface card (NIC) that allows devices to connect to a wide area network. Wide Area Network (WAN): An Ethernet port (RJ-45) used for connecting your cable or xDSL modem, or for connecting a hub when setting up more than one Internet connection
Although these three interfaces automatically appear in the Topology window, they are not associated with an IP address and a Network Mask.
If you deselect the Dynamic Address option in the General Properties window and add a static IP address, the WAN automatically receives the specified static IP address and its Network Mask is 255.255.255.255.
The Type drop-down list in the General Properties window defines the hardware type and its associated topology. Currently all hardware types share the same topology. Every hardware type has one external interface and two internal interfaces. It is possible to add only one additional external interface.