San Jose, Calif. - VPNet Technologies, Inc. last week announced a new hardware device it claims will make creating virtual private networks (VPN) across the Internet easier and faster.
VPNet's new encryption device, VSU 1010 VPN Service Unit, encrypts and compresses IP traffic at 10M bit/sec. Its previous VPN service unit operated at only 4M bit/sec, creating potential bottlenecks in Ethernet networks. The VSU 1010 also performs authentication and manages encryption keys.
The unit sits on the LAN side of a router and is connected to the LAN through two 10M bit/sec Ethernet ports. Its onboard VPN directory identifies traffic as part of a VPN by source/destination headers. Once the traffic is identified, the device compresses and encrypts the data for transport across the WAN. It also boosts security by adding packet-by-packet digital signature authentication.
The traffic is then transmitted across the wide area to a second VSU 1010 in front of the destination device, which decrypts and uncompresses the packets and passes them along to the destination device.
Depending on where the net manager places the VSU 1010, it can protect an entire site, a TCP/IP subnet or an individual device.
The state of Kansas is using VSU 1010s to guard a server that contains sensitive tax information that remote users must access. Traffic from users on a subnet in a satellite office in Wichita is compressed, encrypted and encapsulated in a packet addressed to a VSU 1010 in Topeka, where the Department of Revenue server resides, according to Dave Timpany, network planning manager for the state.
In researching other options to encrypt traffic, Timpany found that enabling encryption in the firewall would cost $21,000 per year to install and maintain firewalls at all the state's sites. Using an encryption option on the server would have cost $250,000, where VSU 1010s and management software for them cost about $20,000, he said.
The VSU 1010 also supports Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service servers, which can increase the number of authorized VPN users to thousands. The previous VSU Model 1000 supported only 400 users.
In addition to the VSU 1010, VPNet wheeled out a new version of its management software, VPNmanager, which adds tools for importing large batches of remote user data, making it easier to authorize remote users. VPNmanager works in conjunction with any Java-enabled browser.
Timpany said he would like to see the software include tools that would download new code to VSU devices to make updates quicker.
VPNet also last week introduced a new version of its client software, VPNremote, for Microsoft Corp.'s Windows 95, which adds compression to its previous client. A Windows NT version is scheduled for the fall.
VSU 1010 costs $4,995. VPNmanager costs $3,995 and VPNremote costs $99. All are shipping now.
VPNet: (408) 445-6000.
