• PC World
• » Networking & Wireless

Worldwide Networking for Less

Using the Internet to carry your network traffic sounds like a good way to slash telecommunication costs, but are VPNs really cheaper? You bet. An Infonetics Research study comparing total costs for supporting 50 remote users found that using a VPN instead of a traditional dial-up connection cut costs by more than 70 percent.

Depending on whom you talk to, a VPN can be a service, a hardware device, software, or some combination. For a small business looking to try out a VPN without buying a lot of hardware, VPN services offer low start-up costs and short-term commitment. Such services may be offered by your ISP or an independent contractor. FirstVPN Enterprise Networks, for example, offers VPN design, implementation, and management, starting at about $15 per month per user.

Managing a VPN can be a formidable task for businesses without an IT department. You need to set up and maintain accounts, generate encryption keys, maintain certificates, and handle VPN permissions, to name but a few tasks. An ISP can lease, install, and manage equipment at your site and may also provide support. However, in such an arrangement, your network security will not be directly under your control, which is a potential drawback for some businesses.

Software or Hardware?

If you already have the necessary infrastructure--routers and an IT department, to start--all you need is Internet access and VPN software or hardware. Software-based VPNs are sold either as part of a server operating system or as add-ons. If your network plans include VPN-1 Gateway you can simply activate VPN as a free configuration option. Firewall-based VPNs such as Check Point Software Technologies' VPN-1 Accelerator Card. (starting at $3495 for up to 25 users) integrate VPN software with a firewall package.

If you don't need much bandwidth for your VPN connection, a software-only solution may be adequate. But if your server lacks the horsepower to handle a VPN's intense encryption processes, you can add a hardware encryption accelerator, such as Check Point's $3995 VPNware System 25

A hardware VPN is generally based on a stand-alone device, similar to a server, with a processor dedicated to managing VPN functions such as authentication, encapsulation, encryption, and filtering. Bundled with client software and service packages, such products come in different capacities to meet various needs. For instance, VPNet's LanRoverVPN Gateway Plus includes its VPN-10 Gateway, 25 client licenses, and management software for $3995. Larger companies could look to Intel's Virtual Private Network Consortium tunnel server, which includes routing and firewall features and the Crypto encryption accelerator. Pricing for that package starts at about $10,000.

Because of the savings and convenience, analysts predict demand for VPNs will more than double over the coming year. As a result, expect to see more products. The way things look, it's not a matter of if you will encounter a VPN, but when.

Additional resources:

• FirstVPN's Research Home
  
  
• FirstVPN's Research Home
  
  

Robert L. Hummel is a computer consultant and programmer based in New Hampshire.