Manual

based operang system and a full network protocol stack. Opal is perfectly capable of working over most LANs, but there are special
consideraons outlined below for Opal to work its best.
Since there may be bandwidth, rewall, and security concerns with installing Opal on a managed LAN, it is recommended that your IT
manager be consulted in these environments. The details that follow assume a working knowledge of IT topics and network conguraon.
Opal Network Requirements
The key to Opal is simplicity for the guest caller. In order to provide this, Opal has some special requirements on the studio side regarding
its network conguraon.
Opal requires the ability to accept unsolicited data from the public Internet. The easiest way to allow this is for Opal to be connected
directly to the Internet, without any routers or rewalls in its path. All Opal funcons are password protected, and it’s highly recommended
the user change the passwords from the default.
Oen it’s not possible for Opal to reside on the public Internet, and a router or rewall must be used. In this case, forwarding of several
ports is required within the router/rewall. This is outlined in the “For IT managers” secon towards the end of this manual.
Opal requires the conguraon of a stac IP to be used correctly. This IP address must be directly addressable from the public Internet,
and not just a local LAN address. Stac IPs are usually available from your Internet Service Provider, or from your IT department in larger
facilies.
Opal Domain Name
Finally, Opal needs a domain name associated with its stac IP address. A domain name may be leased from any domain provider.
Domain names are required to enable the SSL/TSL security cercates Opal uses for connecons. Browsers require these cercates in
order to engage the underlying technology that makes Opal work. Otherwise, the guest caller will need to click through mulple security
warnings (if the browser even allows unsecured connecon at all).
Some users may want to use a domain name they already own. This will probably not work, because Opal requires several ports that
may be in use on your domain, including TCP 80, TCP 443, and TCP 8082. Alternavely, you can register a subdomain like opalcallers.
mystudio.com.
If you do not have a domain name, Comrex recommends you do a web search on “Domain Names”. There are lots of low cost registrars
out there. You’ll just need your Stac IP to give them. Of course, your chosen name must be available, and you must renew it before it
expires. There’s no need to get a “.com” domain, any sux like .info or .ninja should work.
Unless you need it for other services, there’s no need to buy SSL cercates or any other security upgrades for your Domain Name from
the registrar. Opal handles all that.
In order to use Customer-Provided SSL cercates, please refer to the following Technote: Manually Applying Cercates To Opal
Opal works via sending and clicking links, and the Domain Name will be automacally put into the links, so it’s not that important that
your name be simple or easy to remember.
Tip: Register both mystudio.com and www.mystudio.com to cover all your bases (most registrars will do this by default).
Another Tip: Make sure your domain is registered as a real DNS A Record poinng directly at your IP address and not a domain “forwarding”
service. The security cercates required will not work if your domain provider is forwarding or proxying trac from their domain.
Last Tip: Dot.tk is a free domain provider that oers DNS A Records to names within their .tk domain. There are some limitaons that may
aect long-term use, but for tesng they are recommended.
Opal Conguraon
At a minimum, you’ll need to congure Opal’s stac IP address and its domain name.
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