To access the IPCop GUI is as simple as starting your browser and entering the IP address (of the green IPCop interface) or hostname of your IPCop server along with a port director of either 445 (https/secure) or 81(http/insecure): https://ipcop:445 or https://192.168.10.1:445 or http://ipcop:81 or http://192.168.10.1:81.
You should now be looking at the Home Page of your IPCop server's Administration GUI. You can immediately start exploring the different options and the information available to you through this interface. Below, we have listed the Main Configuration/Administration Options available through the GUI. When you have acquainted yourself sufficiently with the system, please continue with the next section.
IPCop's Administrative web pages or AWs are available via the menu on your left.
Home - Returns you to the main screen.
Information: Displays detailed information on the status of various portions of your IPCop server.
Dialup: Used for the configuration/administration of your dial-up/PPP settings.
Remote Access: Configuration/Administration of your IPCop server's remote access settings.
Services: Configuration/Administration of your IPCop server's many Services options.
IDS: Configuration of your IPCop server's Intrusion Detection System.
VPNs: Configuration/Administration of your IPCop server's Virtual Private Network settings and options.
Logs: View all your IPCop server's logs (firewall, IDS, etc.)
System: System configuration and utility functions associated with IPCop, itself.
If all went well during the configuration of your PPP connection and PPP is the connection type being used to connect to the Internet, then you will see 3 buttons on the IPCop GUI main page.
Note
You will not see an active connection until you have finished configuring your IPCop server.
Connect - This will force a connection attempt to the Internet.
Disconnect - This will sever the connection to the Internet.
Refresh - This will refresh the information on the main screen.
In addition to the above buttons you will see the “Current Profile” being used to connect to the Internet (Set in the Dialup AW). Below the “Current Profile” line, you will see your actual connection status. This will be one of the following:
Idle - No connection to the Internet and not trying to connect.
Dialing - Attempting to connect to the Internet.
Connected - Currently connected to the Internet.
If you are currently connected to the Internet you will see a Connection status line in the following format:
Connected ( #d #h #m #s)
d=Days connected
h=Hours connected
m=Minutes connected
s=Seconds connected
Below your connection status line you will see a line similar to the following:
7:07pm up 1 day, 7:21, 0 users, load average: 0.03, 0.01, 0.00
This line is basically the output of the Linux uptime command and displays the current time, the days/hours/minutes that IPCop has been running without a reboot, number of users logged in to the IPCop server, and the load average on the IPCop server. Additionally, if there are updates available for IPCop that you have not yet installed, you will be informed via this page.
IPCop has two web users, in addition to the root and setup login users. The first is called admin. Authenticating as this user gives access to all AWs. The other user, called dial, is able only to use the Connect or Disconnect buttons. By default, the dial user is disabled; to enable it you must set a password for that user. No password is required to view the Home or Information AWs. All others require the admin password.