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To help IT managers secure mobile users, ZyXel Communications has released the ZyWall P1 Personal Internet Security Appliance, a portable firewall and VPN device.
At 5 inches long and 3 inches wide, with a weight of 4.5 ounces, the P1 is compact. The device is equipped with 10/100M-bps Ethernet WAN and LAN ports, and it can be powered by a USB port or the included AC adapter.
The P1 boasts a Stateful Packet Inspection firewall and includes ICSA-certified IPSec VPN client support. The P1—which has central management support—was easy to set up. I also liked that it is compatible with Windows-, Mac- and Linux-based computers.
But at $299 a shot, the P1 could be a steep proposition for enterprises. I dont see any IT managers replacing software-based VPN solutions with P1 appliances.
The P1 could be a better fit for home-based users with a constant broadband connection. An IT manager could configure the VPN client, mail the device to the remote user and have that user working on the corporate network in minutes.
More information is at www.ZyXel.com.
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