ISPPlanet Cache Review Series - InfoLibria DynaCache 220i

Installation and Setup
The DynaCache 220i is a 4U 19" rack-mountable enclosure with disk drives and power supplies at the front, a floppy and all ports at the rear. The 1U DynaLink sits above the DynaCache and the pair are connected back-to-back with three color-coded Ethernet cables. DynaLink Ethernet ports "NetA" and "NetB" provide transparent caching, while DynaCache ports "LAN1" and "LAN2" support proxied HTTP or management traffic. A "quick start" diagram and 60-page installation manual illustrate cabling and setup, but neglect to mention an important detail: unlike most devices, cross-over cables must be used to connect the DynaCache to a hub or switch.

Setup uses a serial connection to accept basic network parameters: hostname, DNS, at least one IP address, and gateway address. NetA and NetB share a single IP address, referred to as "cache1". It took us just 30 minutes to unpack shipping cartons and reach this point, where we remained for one day. Eventually, we found the culprit: our test network used the popular private subnet 192.168.1.x. Unfortunately, the DynaCache reserves subnets 192.168.1.x and 172.30.1.x for DynaLink communication. This is clearly documented in the command reference manual; unfortunately, we were supplied an older version.

One final step is required to complete setup: enable the cache. DynaCache ships with caching disabled so that network connectivity can be verified before it is placed into service. An "autostart" option can be set to automate cache enable after each reboot.