Scorecard
| Perf- orm- ance 40% |
Man- age- abil- ity 25% |
Fea- tures 15% |
Scala- ility 10% |
In- stall- ation 5% |
Docu- men- ta- tion 5% |
T O T A L |
|
| Max 6000 | 8 x 0.40 = 3.20 | 8 x 0.25 = 2.00 | 8 x 0.15 = 1.20 | 7 x 0.10 = 0.70 | 8 x 0.05 = 0.40 | 9 x 0.05 = 0.45 | 7.95 |
| Total Control | 7 x 0.40 = 2.80 | 9 x 0.25 = 2.25 | 9 x 0.15 = 1.35 | 9 x 0.10 = 0.90 | 5 x 0.05 = 0.25 | 7 x 0.05 = 0.35 | 7.90 |
| PortMaster 4 | 7 x 0.40 = 2.80 | 6 x 0.25 = 1.50 | 8 x 0.15 = 1.20 | 9 x 0.10 = 0.90 | 7 x 0.05 = 0.35 | 7 x 0.05 = 0.35 | 7.10 |
| LanRover Access Switch DPS | 7 x 0.40 = 2.80 | 6 x 0.25 = 1.50 | 7 x 0.15 = 1.05 | 7 x 0.10 = 0.70 | 8 x 0.05 = 0.40 | 7 x 0.05 = 0.35 | 6.80 |
| Tigris 3-Slot | 7 x 0.40 = 2.80 | 5 x 0.25 = 1.25 | 7 x 0.15 = 1.05 | 7 x 0.10 = 0.70 | 7 x 0.05 = 0.35 | 8 x 0.05 = 0.40 | 6.55 |
| Cyber- Switch CSX7010 |
8 x 0.40 = 3.20 | 4 x 0.25 = 1.00 | 5 x 0.15 = 0.75 | 7 x 0.10 = 0.70 | 4 x 0.05 = 0.20 | 5 x 0.05 = 0.25 | 6.10 |
| Edge- Blaster |
5 x 0.40 = 2.00 | 7 x 0.25 = 1.75 | 6 x 0.15 = 0.90 | 5 x 0.10 = 0.50 | 9 x 0.05 = 0.45 | 8 x 0.05 = 0.40 | 6.00 |
NetResults
Max 6000Ascend
(800) 621-9578
Web site
$11,040 to $71,000
Pros: Top rated throughput; Feature rich; Small, compact design
Cons: No hot-swappable components; Chassis is limited to four WAN ports; Limited modularity; Single power supply
Total Control Multiservice Access Platform with HiPer Access System and EdgeServer Pro Module
3Com
(800) 638-3266 or (408) 326-5000
Web site
$17,610 to $179,845
Pros: Supports fully functional Windows NT Server on a board; Redundant, hot-swappable power supply; Hot-swappable cards, WAN interfaces, cooling fans; Stable download performance
Cons: Can't properly shut down integral Windows NT Server before powering down chassis
PortMaster 4
Lucent
(800) 458-9966
Web site
$64, 085 to $448,645
Pros: Redundant, hot-swappable power supply; Hot-swappable cards and cooling fans;Very scalable
Cons: Occasionally dropped calls as more clients became active
LanRover Access Switch DPS
Intel
(800) 977-4482
Web site
$13,640 to $40,800
Pros: Easy to configure;
Clearly labeled cable connection points
Cons: No hot-swappable components;
Chassis is limited to four WAN ports;
Limited modularity
Tigris 3-Slot
Ericsson Datacom Access
(800) 444-7854
Web site
$8,000 to $75,000
Pros:
Easy to configure;
Clearly labeled cable connection points;
Redundant, hot-swappable power supply;
Hot-swappable cards, WAN interfaces and cooling fans
Cons: Chassis is limited to four WAN ports;
Limited modularity;
Command line interface only
EdgeBlaster
NBase-Xyplex
(800) 338-5316
Web site
$8,200 to $25,000
Pros: Easy to install;
Front panel LCD makes configuration easy;
Small, compact design
Cons: Limited modularity;
Lacks robust feature set;
Cards are not hot-swappable;
Single power supply
CyberSwitch CSX7010
Cabletron
(603) 332-9400
Web site
$28,000 to $84,000
Pros:
Top rated throughput;
Redundant, hot-swappable power supply;
Cons:
Lacks robust feature set;
Cards are not hot-swappable;
Bulky chassis;
Single user can't establish multiple connections
Ascend's Max 6000 wins our Blue Ribbon award, although it isn't perfect. Network World, 3/29/99.
Interactive buyer's guide
Find the server that best matches your criteria, or compare two or more in several categories. Network World Fusion, 3/29/99.
Remote access: Have it your way
A look at remote-access trends. Network World, 3/29/99.
RFP Central: Remote access
With the help of the Tolly Group, we solicited vendors for detailed remote-access proposals for a large enterprise. See the RFP and the responses we got. Network World Fusion, 3/29/99.
