The Defend-O-Tron is designed to be a defense between the Internet and your public facing network firewall or router.
This typically is installed with a connection to your ISP and a customer edge device (CED) either a switch, DOCSIS modem, GPON-ONT or other type of media converter with an ethernet port providing your internet. IP address delivery may vary depending on your ISP.
Note: If your ISP is hiding your service behind a NAT you may appear to have a public IP, however the Defend-O-Tron can not fully inspect ingress traffic. Consult your ISP to verify.
ISP equipment that provides wireless connectivity directly on the IP's edge device will not work unless there is an option to bridge the internet to an ethernet port. The wireless connection is embedded into the device and does not allow the Defend-O-Tron to properly inspect the traffic. Ask your ISP or I.T. administrator for an ethernet capable device and wireless solution.
All common management activity for the Defend-O-Tron is done via the management interface (MGMT0). In order to manage your device you'll need to connect the management port to your LAN so it can receive an IPv4 address.
The Defend-O-Tron's management interface needs ordinary outbound network access for updates and threat intelligence. If your management network already permits typical client traffic — most do — no changes are needed.
The Defend-O-Tron does not require any inbound ports to be opened on your firewall from the internet. It works entirely with outbound connections.
The device uses NTP (via chrony) to keep its clock disciplined. Accurate time matters for two reasons:
The admin interface works in any modern desktop browser:
JavaScript must be enabled. The interface uses ES2020+ features (no IE11, no legacy mobile browsers).
Mobile browsers work for spot checks but the layout is desktop-optimized — full administration is best done from a laptop or workstation.
The Defend-O-Tron is sensitive to power loss, it is highly recommended that you connect it to an uninterruptible power supply before powering up. Never just unplug or switch off the device, always use the shutdown or reboot options in the management interface.
Your device consumes minimal power, typically 10-15 watts and will continue to provide defense in the event of a power failure when properly connected to a UPS that provides both battery power and surge suppression.