TrustELI, maker of a multifunction security box that includes site-to-site IPSec VPN support, is adding a tool that makes setting up VPNs simpler.

Called Eli VPN, the feature lets customers configure VPN tunnels among multiple Eli boxes via a Web-based interface with a TrustELI configuration server at TrustELI's operations center.

Customers could set up these box-to-box VPNs before, but had to configure them themselves. With the tool, customers just designate what devices they want to connect to what other devices and the configuration server sends down the settings to each device.

The same tool can undo VPN tunnels just as simply. So a business could make a VPN connection with another business that is also a TrustELI customer for a particular short-term project, then tear it down when the project is over.

Initially, the configuration tool only works with Eli boxes, but the company plans to expand that to any IPSec-compliant VPN device over time. That would make establishing temporary connections a more useful option because it would enable connecting to business partners that don't happen to be TrustELI customers.

The service that includes Eli VPN is called Eli for Small Business and is designed for customers that don't have a big IT budget or much expertise in security. In addition to the VPN software on the Eli devices, they come with virus, spam, phishing and spyware filtering software included. The service includes updates for malware signatures that the devices check for at least 30 times per day.

To get the service, customers pay $250 up front for each Eli device plus $20 per month for a five-user license. A 10-user license costs $30 per month and a 25-user license costs $40 per month.

Tim Greene is senior editor at Network World.