Motorola introduces hybrid VPN/VoIP router for remote offices
Motorola is introducing a new VPN router for small offices and home offices that are part of corporate branch or telecommuter networks.
The device, the Vanguard 340, actually does a lot more, supporting up to two analog voice ports, and a variety of wide-area connections to a service provider network.
The device converts analog voice to IP voice and enforces what it calls IP prioritization necessary to support voice by using Differentiated Services or by setting type of service bits in the voice packets to give them preference over data packets.
The IP Security VPN capabilities include hardware-based encryption to speed encryption, hashing, and negotiating IKE authentication and encryption key exchanges.
The box lacks a full firewall, but does perform packet filtering. Motorola plans to add intrusion detection capability in a future version of the software.
Vanguard 340 is a chassis that includes an autosensing 10/100 Ethernet port or a V.35, V.24 or V.36 port to connect to LANs. The chassis has two slots, one to support either a two-port basic rate interface ISDN card or a single port PRI or T-1 card for WAN connections. The other slot can support a two-port card for analog phones.
Service providers would install these devices at customer sites as part of a voice, data and VPN service. The boxes would create tunnels with Nortel Contivity VPN gear at the other end of the link, and Motorola says it will develop interoperability with other vendors.
Motorola offers a service to service providers in which it manages the gear for the service provider.
Vanguard 340 is shipping now and costs $1,500.
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