Routers for Revheads

[time]

I've been looking around to see what's available for networking small businesses with more than one site. In other words, which low cost routers have internal VPN endpoints.

DLink, Linksys and Netgear surprised me with their lack of real VPN support. Many of the products don't even have VPN passthrough, let alone the ability to act as a VPN server or client. I had already expected to need a separate DSL modem, but such separation didn't help much after all.

We are fortunate in Oz to have access to excellent products from a Taiwanese manufacturer called Billion Electric who specialize in feature-rich DSL/router combinations - and they did not disappoint. Billion has an enviable reputation here, but unfortunately their gear is not distributed in America (sorry guys, they went for Europe instead. )

But never fear, because you do have access to something even better: DrayTek (another Taiwanese manufacturer). This firm is bundling some serious power in routers that fill the exploding niche below Cisco: "Since its establishment in 1997, DrayTek has focused on providing comprehensive remote access solutions for small office and home users."

The DrayTek Vigor 2600 has been around for a while but firmware upgrades have expanded its feature set. There are several variants; the newer ones have 802.11g WiFi. All have a built-in DSL modem, SPI + NAT firewall and 4-port hub.

• Internet Access: Automatically detect ATM/DSL and Encapsulation; PPPoE/PPPoA login or PPPoE passthrough; Multi-PVCs.
  
• LAN Configuration: Separate NAT and router subnets; Separate DHCP server for each subnet.
  
• Port Forwarding: uPnP; DMZ; 10 port redirections; 10 groups of 10 port forward ranges!
  
• Firewall: Firewall rule sets; Content filtering by URL keyword, unresolved IPs, Java, ActiveX, .zip, and .exe
  
• Virtual Private Network: PPTP/L2TP/IPSec remote access 'dial in'; PPTP/IPSec/ L2TP LAN-to-LAN server; 8 VPN tunnels; unlimited VPN passthrough; Force VPN over wireless!

Yes folks, this little wonder can automatically create a VPN tunnel for each WiFi connection (presumably up to 8 ). It also has RADIUS server proxy support.

Here's an excellent review that compares two DrayTeks with a Billion unit (which has since been superseded by more powerful models): Billion vs DrayTek shootout. It's well worth reading just to appreciate how much is missing from other low-cost modem-routers.

So, has anyone ever seen one?

 

[Buck]

Nope.

 

[Mercutio]

No sir, I have not.

But I do have positive things to say about Sonicwall SOHO access devices. They aren't as cool as the ones you're describing but I do know that they work and that they're fairly painless to configure.

 

[Buck]

The DayTek router seems pretty cool, but after visiting there website and find this written at the bottom: "Please use IE 5.0 or above ( resolution 1024 * 768 ) for best display.", I wasn't to happy. :x

 

[time]

WooHoo! A response!

Now that I look more closely, I can only find a couple of places to buy Draytek stuff in the US, and it ain't cheap:

https://www.bestsystemsdirect.com

Of course, cheap is relative when considering Cisco ...

The newer models double the number of VPN tunnels, add VOIP (Voice Over IP), VLANs (Virtual LANs), etc, etc.

So, what do you guys use to link two or more sites?

 

[time]

... after visiting there website and find this written at the bottom: "Please use IE 5.0 or above ( resolution 1024 * 768 ) for best display.", I wasn't to happy. :x

Gimme a break, Buck - the site renders the same in Moz and Opera.

Try the UK or Australian sites if you want something more aesthetic (the link to a dot-US site is dead).

 

[Buck]

I visited the site with Moz anyway. It's just the idea of some web designer not being smart enough to program for multiple browsers.

Anyway, I was looking for a place to purchase one of those routers to give them a try -- thanks for the additional link. As far as cost is concerned, it is more expensive then the average toys from LinkSys and the like, but much cheaper then the Netopia Router I bought 5-years ago.

 

[time]

But I do have positive things to say about Sonicwall SOHO access devices.

Thanks for sharing, Merc. I note that the entry level Sonicwall device is 3 to 5 times the price and has less features, so I guess it depends on the application.

 

[Howell]

Thanks for the info time. But, I don't have to deal with this at work. I'm sure the info will come in useful later.