Cisco Asa 5505 Security Appliance 50 for VPN Networks Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The product failed after only 8 months of operation.
Called Cisco. They refuse to support the product and will not even talk to the customer because it was purchased through Amazon.
Called Amazon. They are currently giving me the run around.
Very unhappy customer!
For all the satisfaction this product will bring you, you may as well flush your $300+ down the toilet!


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Cisco ASA 5505 Security Appliance Bundle with Software 50-Users 8 Ports 3DES/AES.

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ZyXEL ZyWALL USG50 Internet Security Firewall with Dual-WAN, 4 Gigabit LAN/DMZ Ports, 5 IPSec VPN, SSL VPN, and 3G WAN Support Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I work for a large Fortune 100 company and there I maintain our firewalls. We use firewalls costing tens of thousands of dollars so I am well aware of what is current in an enterprise firewall. While this box does not have the throughput of a large commercial class box, it has all the bells & whistles you could need or want. It is not a novice class device however. You need to really need to know what you are doing and for this box if you do not, you do not want this device. It has features home users would not have a clue about. However if you want an enterprise class firewall at an affordable price, this is it. I have been using it for a week now and for the price, it's the best you can get.

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The ZyWALL USG 50 is a Unified Security Gateway, integrated with complete, enterprise-level and advanced security solutions designed for Small/Medium Business (SMB) recommended for up to 10 PC users. Its flexible configuration helps network administrators set up the network and enforce security policies more efficiently. With certified by ICSA SPI Firewall and IPSec VPN, the ZyWALL USG 50\'s security features also include IPSec VPN, SSL VPN, Firewall, Content Filter, Anti-Virus and IDP (Intrusion Detection and Prevention) for maximum network security protection. It also provides bandwidth management, for QoS of VoIP or mission critical applications, Multiple-WAN Failover and Load Balancing. Moreover, IPSec VPN and SSL VPN design for telecommuters and home workers can access data more easily and safely at home. Remote access with SSL VPN requires only a standard web browser. ZyWALL USG 50\'s excellent throughput is the key to implement features of an enterprise level to provide a full-time, non-stop and secure service.

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Netgear FVS338 ProSafe VPN Firewall 50 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I bought 2 of these for vpn tunnel between 2 offices, after updating to the june 2007 firmware everything worked like a charm. I share IP based phone system, Ip based camera system, and exchange servers between the two offices, the vpn works great between both offices. Everything works no problems. Maybe this model had problems before but it seems great to me now... Oh another thing I called up netgear support to help me setup the vpn and they practically setup my vpn on both ends by remote login. They made sure everything worked and even called me next day to make sure everything was working fine. All I did later was change the passwords and the vpn key. Overall a good buy.

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50 VPN Tunnels for Encrypted Remote Access.NETGEAR's ProSafe? VPN Firewall with Dial Back-up is a SNMP-Manageable, high-performance network solution that furnishes multidimensional security. Fully equipped and broadband-capable, this Virtual Private Network (VPN) firewall comes with connection insurance: a built-in serial port for dial-up access. This practical feature means your business can maintain operation if your broadband Internet connection fails.It lets you retain an analog modem for emergency backup and also provides a migration path from analog to broadband, making the transition effortless.High on security, this true firewall provides Denial of Service (DoS) protection and Intrusion Detection using Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI), URL keyword filtering, logging, reporting, and real-time alerts. It supports up to 50 IPSec VPN tunnels simultaneously using Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), reducing your operating costs and improving the security of your network. With 8 auto-sensing, Auto Uplink¿ switched LAN ports and Network Address Translation (NAT) routing, up to 253 users can access your broadband connection at the same time.

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Netgear FVS336G ProSafe Dual WAN GigaBit SSL VPN Firewall Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)3.0.6-29 Firmware Update
I thought this update fixed problems with NAT rules. It did fix the bug where inbound NAT rules were damaged on restart, but now newly created outbound NAT rules don't work! Packets go from LAN to WAN but the responses are lost without even triggering dropped packet logging. Netgear online support doesn't seem to have the technical knowledge to investigate.
Stay away from this router. You will never get it working.Earlier reviews follow.
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This router has suffered numerous firmware bugs that prevent it from working securely and reliably. Tech support's answer is always to hard-reset and reprogram manually. Reprogramming using a backup file only restores whatever corruption you're trying to get rid of. This is a BUSINESS class router! Manually reprogramming takes at least an hour. After fixing the bug that gave admin privileges to Telnet without a password, I've picked up a bug where an important NAT rule vanishes on each reboot. I've been told by Netgear Support to install the beta firmware update (and then manually reprogram AGIAN) but they never sent it to me and they stopped responding to the trouble ticket. Netgear has a forum that they recommend for fast support but it's staffed by illiterates. I can't tell what they're trying to say.
There's still no VPN client software for 64 bit systems.
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Firmware 3.0.5-25 may grant administrative access to everybody on the LAN through Telnet. If this happens, you can't set a password and you can't turn the feature off. The ONLY solution is to reset to factory defaults and re-configure from scratch. If Amazon let me, I'd drop to no stars until this is fixed.
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This little box is awesome. This is for anyone who has multiple internet connections, multiple static IP addresses, multiple home servers, or any other problem that a "home router" can't handle. Gigabit ports and the custom NAT rules allow a home server, a desktop computer, and a NAS can talk to each other at raw Gigabit speed.
The best feature isn't obvious until you're half way through the initial configuration - it's actually easy to set up. The web GUI is clear, full of help, responsive, and it tells you about potential conflicts. The owner's guide is all about how to create your network. It doesn't waste your time with Windows screenshots. Ping, traceroute, DNS, and packet sniffing tools are built-in for troubleshooting mistakes without yanking wires.
A test of NAT showed about 52Mbps, which isn't too bad for a small box. The only bug I've seen so far is that routing might not work immediately after setting up a custom NAT rule.

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Netgear Dual Wan Giga Firewall

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Cisco RV016 16-port 10/100 VPN Router - Multi WAN Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I use this router on our main network of about 40 permanent users and another 20 or so users (clients) that come and go. At any one time it is negotiating 50 to 65 users via DHCP through four 24 port managed switches about ten 4 to 8 port hubs and six WAP's. Clients come and go everyday, some with Mac's others with PC's and I never have to do anything to get them on the internet. In the two years it has been in service I think that I rebooted it once and I'm not positive that it was the problem since I will reboot the modem, switches and router together. Occasionally things do get turned off for maintenance, but looking at the router admin page right now it has been running 54 days straight. I have to say it is much more stable than other small routers that advertise delivering 99 DHCP address's but really can only deliver about 10 without having to use static IP's. It's powerful browser interface lets you manage port bandwidth, port function and port priority easily. Some departments need more or less speed or higher priority. Security notifications via email keep me on top of potential attacks. The effect on speed due to security features was negligible. The "Block WAN request" even keeps our own ISP from seeing us. All these things are simple to setup. As a basic router it is very powerful.
The only short coming that I see is with the load balancing. This seems to really slow the speed significantly. I think that it is just too much for the CPU to handle. My intention was to have two different ISP's for redundancy. As a fix I leave both providers connected but only activate one WAN port at a time. If one WAN goes down I can quickly activate the other WAN port without anyone really being affected. The other ISP is mainly used for FTP anyway.
On the problems with VPN's, we don't use them so I can't comment on that.
In closing, you could spend thousands to get some of the features that facilitate subnets and load balancing, for the price it works very well.
Update: I have since purchased a second RV016 (firmware 2.0.13) with the same solid performance. I've read about some of the problems that others are having and would say that compatibility with other vendors is an issue to consider. Also using switches versus hubs takes some of the load off the routers CPU.
Update 2: We now own three routers without problem. I know that some have complained about customer service and I have to agree it's lacking. But what I would tell less experienced users is that the Sitemap column on the right side of the browser interface has extensive explanations of all the settings. This combined with a little experimentation should get you where you need to be. The file sharing problems that another reviewer had has nothing to do with the router, it's all about the computer settings. Another reviewer commented on customer service asking about the color of the cables. In the early days of DSL and daisy chaining hubs, crossover cables were used and they were generally orange or yellow and will not work with most equipment.

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WAN VPN Router, formerly part of the Linksys Business Series, is designed and built for small businesses. It provides connection sharing and secure remote access at the heart of your network to allow your employees to access the resources they need to be productive. Multiple WAN ports can be used for load balancing and redundancy. Strong security features include VPN, a proven firewall, and an optional security service that helps fight spam, viruses, and other threats. The built-in switch can connect devices in the office or additional switches.

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Cisco WRV210 Wireless-G VPN Router - RangeBooster Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
My experience with the WRV210 has been excellent. This was my first time setting up a VPN. I can assure you that any first time IPSec VPN setup will be tedious. Dealing with routers, modems, firewalls, certificates, and static IP addresses, is no picnic. That said, the WRV210 with QuickVPN client makes the task a good deal easier. I can understand other reviewers, here and elsewhere, that are not as positive regarding the WRV210. But I suspect that their ratings reflect more the tedium of the setup process rather than the device itself. And, face it, no one box, or one piece of software, is going to go out there, find the exact network that you care about, configure the routers, the modems, the firewalls, etc. with the exact functionality that you desire. To credit Linksys, the WRV210 User Guide is extensive. In some 75 pages, they clearly discuss many of the issues involved. The Linksys Online Forum was also great at filling in the blanks.
I also used the great freeware application UltraVNC (rev 1.0.5.3) to add a remote desktop connection capability through my WRV210 VPN "tunnel". It works great. (A big "thank you!" to the UltraVNC developers. My contribution is on the way.) At this point I think that I could write another chapter to the Linksys User Guide or Linksys Forum documenting my experience. I really love the robust features like a maximum of ten VPN clients, and up to four wireless SSID's. My WRV210 setup is in a small commercial studio that offers free Wi-Fi to its customers. The WRV210 wireless capability allowed me to tailor the hotspot for maximum user convenience as well as system security. It even provides a wireless LAN scheduling capability, as well as wireless isolation within a SSID which is great protection for public hotspots.
My VPN setup involves both Windows Vista and Windows XP machines. The WRV210 worked flawlessly with both operating systems. To those small business owners wanting to have a VPN capability like the big guys, the WRV210 is an outstanding cost-effective solution. I highly recommend it.


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Equipped with a Cisco WRV210 Wireless-G VPN Router you can only expect excellent results for your network. This versatile device is a VPN router with an integrated wireless access point for small offices and home offices. The 10/100 Ethernet WAN interface connects directly to your broadband DSL or cable modem. The LAN interface consists of a built-in 4-port, full-duplex 10/100 Ethernet switch that can connect up to four devices. The wireless access point supports 802.11b/g and incorporates RangeBooster technology, which utilizes multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) antennas to provide increased coverage and reliability.

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Peplink Balance 30 Multi-WAN Router Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I have owned this router for almost two years. Although expensive, it is worth every penny. I have it connected to my DSL and cable modems. I get incredible download and upload speeds. Skype works like a dream. And, I have had no problems whatsoever. The router setup is relatively easy. If you need a multiwan router the Peplink 30 is worth considering.

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The PePLink Balance 30 helps protect your business continuity by seamlessly connecting your business to the Internet through multiple independent links, and intelligently managing the links to provide automatic failover and enhanced performance.

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Cisco 871 Integrated Services Router - router ( CISCO871-SEC-K9 ) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Do you know what Cisco IOS is?
If not, just stop considering this right now. This isn't for you.
If you're working on a CCNA/CCNP cert, this thing is a great (albeit expensive) way to force you to learn your way around IOS, since there is nothing that will force you to configure your network properly faster than your own home. If you're working on a CCNP, it's got a lot of the features that are hard/impossible to find on used gear, plus you get the latest IOS updates (note that you'll have to hassle Cisco to enable your SmartNet contract since Amazon doesn't have a reseller code to provide). If anything, this product is worth it just for that: the ability to get your own legal IOS images for use in emulators such as GNS3, where you can set up your own virtual lab to play with/break things.
If you want this for your house, it's overkill unless you've got a 40+ megabit WAN connection (don't consider something like an old 1700 series if you've got that kind of speed, it'll just choke once you start maxxing things out).
Note that this product has the advanced image, which has support for OSPF/BGP/EIGRP, VLANs, IDS (not the best performance though, I'd upgrade to an 1800 series if you want decent throughput on the firewall), advanced QoS and IPv6 support.
If you're getting an 871 for certification practice, get this version. If you're an office with 20-30 computers, unless you KNOW that you need the above features, get the standard version and save a few dollars.
If your office has high bandwidth usage, or has more than 40 computers, start looking at higher end versions (and probably a VAR who can guide you better).

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MODEL- CISCO871-SEC-K9VENDOR- CISCOFEATURES- Cisco 871 Secure Ethernet Router with PLUS Cisco 871 10/100 Mbps Fast Ethernet Router with PLUS feature set. Cisco 870 Series of integrated services routers are fixed-configuration routers that support multiple types of DSL technologies broadband cable and Metro Ethernet connections in small offices. They provide the performance needed to run concurrent services including firewall intrusion prevention and encryption for VPNs; optional 802.11b/g for WLAN networking; and quality of service (QoS) features for optimizing voice and video applications. In addition the Cisco Router and Security Device Manager (SDM) Web-based configuration tool simplifies setup and deployment and centralized management capabilities give network managers visibility and control of the network configurations at the remote site. Cisco 870 Series integrated services routers offer:- High performance for broadband access in small offices- Advanced security including:- Stateful Inspection Firewall- IP Security (IPSec) VPNs (Triple Data Encryption Standard [3DES] or Advanced Encryption Standard [AES]).- Intrusion prevention system (IPS)- Antivirus support through Network Admission Control (NAC) and enforcement of secure access policies.- 4-port 10/100 managed switch with VLAN support- Secure WLAN 802.11b/g option with use of multiple antennas- Easy setup deployment and remote management capabilities through Web-based tools and Cisco IOS Software.* Increased Performance to Run Concurrent Services The performance in a Cisco 870 Series router allows customers to takeadvantage of broadband network speeds while running secure concurrentdata voice and video services.* Advanced Security Integrated Stateful Ins

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D-Link DIR-330 NetDefend 802.11G Wireless VPN Firewall 8 4-Port 10/100Mbps Switch Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is the absolute worst product I ever bought. I bought it explicitly for the VPN accessibility. I never got that to work. If you have to forward a port..make sure you know what you're doing cause once you choose the port, you can't go back and change it.
Also, which was rather nice (sarcastic)....the people in support were able to establish a vpn connection to my router but I couldn't. I used 3 different machines with the trial software they recommend. Their solution was that instead of using the trial software..BUY their product and then try it.
I never write reviews but I don't want anyone getting screwed with this thing.

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D-Link DIR-330 NetDefend 802.11G Wireless VPN Firewall 8 4-Port 10/100Mbps Switch

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Failsafe Gigabit N Router for Mobile Broadband Review

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(More customer reviews)I have the MBR1200 by cradlepoint. I needed to have this particular device due to having a PCMCIA aircard. The device is extremely easy to configure. Allows for B/G/N wireless networking with 4 onboard 10/100/1000 ethernet ports. Has the ability to failover or load balance between WAN connections. I have not had a chance to try this, but will hopefully be borrowing neighbors USB airmodem to try this out. The VPN will only allow Device to Device tunneling, not software driven so that you could connect an outside single PC to a VPN connection using a PC client. I was under the assumption this would work but it is not a deal breaker. I did have a problem with one laptop connecting wirelessly. I did multiple things to troubleshoot the device but had no luck. What would happen is the laptop would connect and browse the LAN fine, but if I tried browsing the web or outside the LAN it would timeout. I finally got an external USB wifi adapter and this solved the issue. The internal card that would not work in multiple laptops was an Intel Pro 2200b/g.

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The CradlePoint MBR1200 Failsafe Mobile Broadband Gigabit N Router is a robust 802.11n router with 3G/4G failover capabilities. Built for home, small business, branch offices, temporary and remote enterprise environments seeking to implement continuous, always-on connectivity. With its failover/failback capability, the CradlePoint MBR1200 Failsafe Mobile Broadband Gigabit N Router automatically switches to a secondary connection (either wired or wireless) when your primary service is interrupted. Once your service is restored, the MBR1200 will automatically failback to the primary connection - keeping your business online with minimal interruption to users.

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Cisco RV042 4-port 10/100 VPN Router - Dual WAN Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I wanted a low-cost VPN solution and had been debating purchasing the Cisco 501 PIX firewall and Netscreen's lowest end 5GT VPN router (which costs $450 + maintenance/support contracts) before discovering this bargain model. Tom's Networking Hardware has a good review about the RV082 holding up with Netscreen's 5GT VPN router in performance tests, which pretty much convinced me to get this Linksys brand. I use the RV082 for our main office and the RV042 as a client in our remote office in mainland China, so I can't say for sure that an RV042-RV042 solution works. Note: If you intend to purchase this model and use it for an international location, however, you do need to purchase a separate 220 volt/1000 mA/12 volt adapter, since the unit only comes with a 110 volt adapter. (Linksys apparently has yet to provide a universal power adapter for this product line.)
I thought the RV042 would be exactly the same as the RV082 except with 4 ports instead of 8. However, I found that the firmware is still a bit behind the RV082 (the RV042 also does not come with an internal PPTP server, though this PPTP server is still not compatible with the Win2000/XP PPTP client). One major benefit of the RV082 is that it comes with a free VPN client called QuickVPN (downloadable in the same section where the RV082 firmware is located). Unlike other Linksys VPN routers, the RV082 using the QuickVPN client avoids the trouble of needing to follow a 16-page procedure for configuring a Win2000/XP client to access the VPN.
The RV082 firmware (v1.1.6.3) contains an "HTTP Service" option that must be enabled to provide QuickVPN support. The QuickVPN client appears to retrieve some VPN server information through https:// requests, which isn't evident unless you look closely at the wget_error.txt located inside the C:\Program Files\Linksys\Linksys VPN Client directory. The RV042 firmware (1.3.1) does not yet support this feature, but their current BETA version (v1.3.3) does (downloaded from linksysinfo.org). Linksys has yet to officially release this firmware, so be forewarned!
The RV units may also be compatible with other VPN brands. We had been using the really flaky Symantec 200 VPN units and managed to get one of the units to negotiate a IPSEC tunnel with the RV042 and RV082. You can use the VPN log feature to see if the negotiation works. Enable the keep-alive option in the Advanced features to help maintain a persistent tunnel too!
Instructions for QuickVPN and setting up the RV042:
1. Upgrade to the latest firmware version (1.3.3 beta off Linksysinfo.org. Additional note: There are reports of problems with the the 1.3.6 beta so have stayed away from using it.)
2. Inside the "Firewall" section, enable the HTTPS service. Make sure to Save Settings too.
3. Inside the "VPN" section, click on the VPN Client Users. Add a username and password that will be used for the QuickVPN Client. Make sure the user that you will be using is selected as Active.
4. Make sure that your client's NAT/firewall has IPSEC passthrough capability turned-on. If you don't, you may see that the QuickVPN client successfully connects but freezes at "Verifying Network".
5. Your client's IP subnet should not conflict with the other remote networks (i.e. Your client subnet should be 192.168.2.0 if your remote networks use 192.168.0.0 or 192.168.1.0)
6. Verify that the IPSEC services is running on your Windows machine.
7. If you are running Windows XP SP2, you need to disable the Windows Firewall. You may also see the connection established but QuickVPN get stuck at the "Verifying Network" message.
A good place to debug your problem is to look at the error logs in the wget_error.txt in the directory where the QuickVPN client is installed (i.e. C:\Program Files\Linksys). The wget program apparently tries to connect via HTTPS to the RV042/RV08 to obtain VPN server information. If the connection is successful, you can see several .conf files downloaded into the same directory.
One another note: Both the RV042 and RV082 have a second WAN port for load-balancing, but I've seen enough reports to stay away from using this feature until Linksys manages to resolves the issues in the firmware.

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Network connections are the backbone of business connections. One of the Cisco Small Business Routers, the RV042 Virtual Private Networking (VPN) Router supports up to four wired and 50 off-site connections. The latter allows users to connect into your network with secure access to your files and intranet. The RV042 comes with dual Internet ports that can serve as a failsafe system for 24/7 network uptime, or as a secondary connection to a separate Internet provider. Whether they're used for backup or speed boosting, the router's networking hardware will keep bottlenecks away from your network, period.

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D-Link DIR-130 NetDefend VPN Firewall8-Port 10/100Mbps Switch Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The DIR-130 was selected due to its support for incoming PPTP VPN tunnels that are compatible with the Microsoft VPN connector included with Windows. The upgrade to firmware version 1.10 has apparently resolved reliability issues reported by another reviewer. The DIR-130 allows me to access my home system securely and consistently. Over several weeks of regular use, it has performed reliably. Configuration is easy using the well-structured menus. The firmware upgrade changed the VPN user account management from the screens shown in the manual and permits many more users to be assigned in groups with individual passwords using different VPN settings (PPTP or L2TP/IPsec).
Performance of unencrypted data over my Bellsouth 3MBps ADSL connection seemed slightly faster than with the prior router, the Netgear WGR614. Due to the VPN encryption, the connection speed is however noticeably slower than non-VPN. Reducing the encryption level to 40 bits improves the speed compared with 128 bits.
There is a firmware bug (v1.10) that only occurs during remote management or managment over a VPN connection. Clicking on the "save" button, executes a script that tries to display the confirmation web page, but the address is invalid, resulting in an error screen, even though the action was successfully performed. Just log in again to resume remote management. This bug in firmware v1.10 has been reported to D-Link, without response. The bug does not occur when accessing the router over the LAN using a non-VPN connection.


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D-Link DIR-130 NetDefend VPN Firewall8-Port 10/100Mbps Switch

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Cisco RVL200 4-Port SSL/IPsec VPN Router Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I want to be able to view and control my IP cameras installed around my home when I am away. The IP camera I have comes with a web interface for realtime viewing from a PC in the local network. This SSL VPN router allows me to connect back to the web interface of my IP camera when I am at work. The out of the box experience is good - I have no trouble in setting it up and connect to the internet with my cable modem. After I changed my default password, created a few user accounts for my family members, and enabled the Remote Management, I put the device into test. First, I have to find the ip address that my cable company assigned to me and the ip address of my camera given by the router - all available from the router administration web interface at http://192.168.1.1. When I was at work the next day, I was able to get to the internet address of my SSL router and connect to my home network within a minute. Just want to share my success story with the community that might have the same need. The QoS feature may come to rescue when I am working from home, using my company's VPN, and my kids are playing bandwidth extensive internet games. I have to see how well it would work.

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The RVL200 features a Virtual Private Network (VPN) security engine that creates encrypted SSL tunnels through the Internet. The SSL VPN tunnels enable remote users from at home, or on the road to easily, and securely connect to the office network through a typical wired or wireless broadband connection. When used with the RV016 or other Linksys VPN router, IPSec branch-to-branch connections can be established allowing users in a remote office to connect to the corporate network. The RVL200 features a built-in 4-port full-duplex 10/100 Ethernet switch to connect four PCs directly, or additional switches. As an essential element of your business, this product provides security functions for authentication and encryption. Linksys proven SPI Firewall is integrated into the gateway providing security from outside threats. The QoS features provide consistent voice and video quality throughout your business.

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Cisco RVS4000 4-port Gigabit Security Router - VPN Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I purchased the RVS4000 primarily due to its gigabit WAN port; very few wired firewalls have a gigabit WAN port. Not having a gigabit WAN port is a reasonable design because WAN ports in many SOHO firewall applications will likely connect to T1 (1.5 Mbps) or T3 lines (45 Mbps) at most. Since these data rates are lower than that of an ordinary 100 Mbps ethernet port, a gigabit WAN port is more than what is required of a WAN interface.
However, I wanted to use a firewall/router on the network inside of my primary NAT/SPI firewall which is primarily a gigabit network. So, a gigabit WAN port was an important feature because it needs to connect to a gigabit switch (not a WAN link).
Before my purchase, I read many customer reviews that complained about slow data rates through the WAN port. These reviews were very discouraging since the Linksys had a gigabit WAN interface. This was until I found a benchmark test that explained the negative reviews. The RVS4000 (primarily due to its industrial-grade security features) has a WAN to LAN data rate of 15.9 Mbps; very slow for a gigabit interface. However, this can be improved upon by configuring (turning off) the security features of the firewall. Unless you configure the firewall as a non-gateway device, don't expect orders of magnitude improvement in speed.
Here's the good news. The benchmark clocked the RVS4000 LAN to WAN data rate at 530 Mbps. Since many disk drive interfaces do not have a sustained data rate this high; you will not see this number when transfering files. I have a couple NAS RAID boxes with gigabit interfaces that top out at around 100-150 Mbps (individually). I can get higher network utilization numbers when doing several files transfers between different network endpoints simultaneously. Network file transfers tend to be very CPU intensive, even when using SCSI hard drives. The CPU intensive part comes from having to package up the data into IP packets and managing the data transfer.
The bottom line is that I am very satisfied with this firewall and its gigabit WAN port. But understand that it needs to be configured properly to optimize its performance and functionality. You don't need to be an engineer or rocket scientist to do this; however, you will need a bit of understanding about IP networking. If you use the RVS4000 as a primary firewall (configuring all of its security features), I suspect it will do that job rather well also.


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As broadband speeds increase most 10/100 gateways do not have the power to support those higher data rates, and thus become the bottleneck in the network. The RVS4000 10/100/1000 4-Port VPN Router works at Gigabit speeds to meet the demands of todays networks. It features Linksys proven SPI Firewall with an integrated Intrusion Detection and Prevent System (IDS/IPS). Its built-in 4-port full-duplex 10/100/1000 Ethernet switch can connect up four PCs directly, or additional hubs and switches. The QoS features provide consistent voice and video quality throughout your business. In addition the RVS4000 features a Virtual Private Network (VPN) security engine that creates encrypted IPSec tunnels through the Internet. The IPSec VPN tunnels enable remote users from at home, or on the road to easily, and securely connect to the office network through a typical wired or wireless broadband connection. When used with another RVS4000 or other Linksys VPN router, branch-to-branch connections can be established allowing users in a remote office to connect to the corporate network.

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Cisco Wireless-N VPN Firewall - Router Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Ok, after waiting for this to come back in stock for a few weeks, I finally got it. I've had Linksys, D-Link, and Netgear network hardware, and wasn't satisfied by them. Yes, I know Linksys is owned by Cisco, but let's face it, if you know networking, you know they AREN'T the same.
Now before I get flack for my title, the setup being easy is relative to your savvy. If you've never heard of VPN, don't know what QOS or SPI stand for and actually mean, this probably isn't the route to take. There are TONS of decent home user level routers that do what you want, and are probably a bit easier to determine what features you want to use or don't want to use. Now, for the rest, this is a decent buy.
Not that I'm a CCNA or above, but I know when I don't get what I want out of a router. I also know that I love to tinker with my tech toys, and this gives me the freedom to giggle like a fool while I fiddle with the features. All in all, thumbs up.
Pros:
* Price. Let's face it; the Cisco Small Business line is a smashing deal. Cisco gear at a decent price? That's not to say that Linksys or Netgear doesn't make their "Professional Series" gear with the same functionality, but I trust Cisco. At ~150 bucks, you can't beat it.
* All the nitty gritty features that everyone wants, but no one wants to setup via the CLI, can be done through the web setup interface. In fact, you have no choice (that being said, don't go nuts on this point until you see Cons).
* Logging. Yes, logging. Basic, but necessary. The routers I've known didn't have logs available.
* Status reports. View how your router's doing. Things going slowly and suspect an attack? You can check your router's logs and the reports to see if things indicate an attack. How many home users can say that?!
Cons:
* No command line option. At least not that I've read about or seen. Correct me if I'm wrong. I'm not sure how viable this is for a business as this is the case.
* Setup can be a bit touchy, though overall it isn't bad. The detecting router portion of it was a bit flaky, but again, not something that was a deal breaker.
Conclusion:
This is a power users router, or an extremely small business router that doesn't have a network administrator/NOC. Not something I'd implement if you have those things and if you need completely customized configurations. It just won't have all the flexibility or power of a higher scale solution.
I'll update this after I use the router more, but thus far, it's neat. We'll see if the Cisco quality came along with the branding on the small business series.

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The Cisco RV120W Wireless-N VPN Firewall combines highly secure connectivity - to the Internet as well as from other locations and remote workers - with a high-speed, 802.11n wireless access point, a 4-port switch, an intuitive, browser-based device manager, and support for the Cisco FindIT Network Discovery Utility, all at a very affordable price. The Cisco RV120W Wireless-N VPN Firewall's combination of high performance, business-class features and top-quality user experience takes basic connectivity to a new level.

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Cisco Small Business RV042 Dual WAN VPN Router - Router - 4-port switch - desktop Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I have purchased five Linksys/Cisco VPN routers in the last five years. Two "RV042"s, Two "BEFSX41"s, and one RVL200. (Yes, I have (maybe now "had") a preference for the Linksys/Cisco brand.) But out of these five VPN routers, both of the RV042s have failed (blinking diag light) within about 16 months from the date of purchase.
When not in failure mode, the RV042 is a cost effective router and I have paired them together or have mixed and matched with the BEFSX41, RVL200 and a Sonicwall VPN router (don't know the model since I was connecting to a third-party administered site) with good results. It also has a large feature set for the price (DHCP w/ MAC mapping, 5 IPsec VPNs, VLAN support, etc...) and since the last firmware upgrade, it has not been buggy (unlike in 2006, which was two firmware upgrade versions earlier). It is, however, prone to early failure based on my experience and other user comments/reviews. One reviewer here has stated the Blinking Diag Light of Death ("BDLOD") may be due to a firmware problem although I recall during my first failure, another reviewer (you might need to google this issue) stated that these BDLODs may be due to bad capacitors. This person posted a DIY capacitor replacement guide on the web.
For now, I might just spend the $180.00 for another RV042 so I can easily load my configuration backups. My full-time profession (Patents) is not IT so there's a need to get my End Point VPNs, VoIP PBX w/ SIP phones connected using a Wireless 802.11 bridge, Real-time offsite file backups and remote desktop functionality (for all fifteen PCs and Laptops) up and running with minimal disruption. When configured correctly, having VPN end-points enables dependable offsite computing, greatly increasing my productivity. I'll then research and implement a transition plan on my own schedule to avoid unintended surprises. Note I have a 9 year old D-Link non-VPN wireless router and it is still in use!
Overall, the RV042 has a large feature set and is relatively stable. If you do purchase it, you might not be disapointed but it might be a good idea to backup your configuration settings and have a spare RV042 backup available to minimize downtime.
Cheers and Good Luck
P.S. I found the BEFSX41 to be a the "little engine that could" of VPN routers. It's fast, very inexpensive and reliable. It does have a somewhat limited feature set, e.g., it does not support MAC address DHCP mapping. The RVL200 is also an interesting product - I find the SSL VPN functionality convenient. I have used remote desktop to read my email and pull files while away via SSL VPN - easy, Web-browser (active-x only?) compatible and a no-brainer to use. Every once in while, - it has a "system busy" problem during logon but this does not occur frequently enough for me to regret my purchase.

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Router - 4 x 10/100Base-TX LAN, 1 x 10/100Base-TX WAN, 1 x 10/100Base-TX DMZ

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Cisco RV082 8-port 10/100 VPN Router - Dual WAN Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Okay, this will be brief and is being posted only as helpful hint rather than an indepth review.
If your speeds are fine when directly connected to your ISP, but are slow or unstable when running through the RV082 try the following:
Under the firewall tab, there is an MTU setting. You MUST take this off of Auto and use the manual setting. In my case the default manual setting of 1500 is what I needed. This solved the incredible slowdown problems I was having - in fact now I have the best speeds I have ever seen on my network.
Thanks to "Lone Stranger" and the Google search in which I found his post for finally providing me with this answer after hours of frustration. No thanks to linksys email support, who was of no use at all.

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The heart of your connection-redundant secure small office network The Linksys 10/100 8-Port VPN Router is an advanced Internet-sharing network solution for your small business needs. Like any router, it lets multiple computers in your office share an Internet connection. But the unique dual Internet ports on the 10/100 8-Port VPN Router let you connect a second Internet line as a backup to insure that youre never disconnected. Or, use both Internet ports at the same time, and let the router balance your offices requirements between them for maximum bandwidth efficiency. The 10/100 8-Port VPN Router also features a built-in 8-port full-duplex 10/100 Ethernet switch to connect eight PCs directly, or you can connect more hubs and switches to create as big a network as you need. The Virtual Private Network (VPN) capability creates encrypted tunnels through the Internet, allowing up to 50 remote office or traveling users to securely connect into your office network from off-site.

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