Router Recommendations if using VPN to access company sites

[Sbud]

I am trying to set up a little network (max 3 users) at home, sharing a Qwest DSL line. My company recommends that if I am going to be connecting more than 1 computer to the router, that I should get the Nortel Contivity 100 ($800) and if just one computer the Linksys BEFSR41. Because of the confidentiality of our data, we use a VPN and an Extranet to access the data. They say that the Linksys device is much less robust and has .5MB of RAM whereas the Contivity has 16MB of RAM. I have no idea about all this stuff and would like to obviously minimize costs. Please advise.

 

[Scarpozzi]

No worries about using VPN because when you try to open a connection, your PC on the inside of your network will open the ports needed about 99% of the time for such applications. So when you run VPN it should work. If not, buy the router from somewhere you can take it back. It's only if someone was trying to connect to your computer from the outside that you'd have to set it up a certain way to allow your Network Address Translation to hit the correct computer on the inside of your network with the request.

I would imagine too that if you're on Qwest VPN, most of thier software is actually from Nortel Networks so it sounds like a scam to sell you a Nortel Router....of course their gonna fill you full of lines, but I'd try getting a Linksys, Dlink or Netgear first since they'll save you about $700....if the company is going to pay for it, get a Cisco 600 or whatever their home line is....

EDIT: One more comment...I think the config on these is a little more intense, but Netgear is made and supported by Nortel Networks....

 

[Tallgeese]

Most low-end routers do not support more than a single outbound VPN session at a time.
Higher-end units can support more than a single outbound VPN session at a time.

So, if only one internal machine at a time needs to connect via a VPN, then go lower-end and save $$$
If more than one internal machine at a time needs to connect via a VPN, then go higher-end and save yourself a LOT of grief.

HTH

 

[NT4Mike]

If you do in fact need multiple, simultaneous VPN connections, Linksys has a new router out that is supposed to support up to 70 independent connections. Buy.com lists it for $149 here


I have not used this product, but I have used the Router/Switch/WAP BEFW11S4 for VPN access with the Cisco 3000 VPN client and it works well. Not to mention being quite a bit cheaper.

Mike

 

[Santa]

I have used an Asante FR3004LC with 3 clients connecting to a Checkpoint VPN-1 Server using SecureRemote software without any problems. It is based on the same type of firmware as the SMC so I would recommend that router.

It is usually around $90-$150 around the net and has not caused me any problems what-so-ever.

It is very robust and has done everything I have asked of it so far.