Keeping it virtually private: 5 Firewall/VPN cards tested



14 South Networks IntraLock 10-1/DL

14 South Networks IntraLock 10-1/DLIn one of those bizarre rebranding incidents, the company formerly known as OmniCluster recently renamed itself 14 South Networks. Its product names were also re-jigged, and the SlotShield SSS 10 DL is know known as the IntraLock 10-1/DL. If you're wondering what happened to Omnicluster, now you know. We hope it makes sense to someone in 14 South Networks' marketing department, at least.

The IntraLock 10-1/DL is the big kahuna when it comes to VPN/firewalls on a card. It has 512MB of RAM, a Pentium III processor, and three 10/100 NICs all on board. It is a full length card, so before committing to this unit you will need to ensure that the server has enough space, particularly if it is rack mounted. It is designed primarily to secure an individual server, and depending on the model of IntraLock card that you purchase it will support between 10 and 30 concurrent VPN tunnels.

Once the card was physically inserted into the system and the server booted, the software installation went surprisingly well and the online guides and wizards were very detailed. The setup procedure creates a virtual disk image, which the Interlock actually boots itself from. The IntraLock then opens its own virtual console window on the desktop and boots its disk image from your PC's hard disk. The IntraLock runs a hardened version of Red Hat Linux. Once Linux has booted on the IntraLock you are then presented with the Network Configuration tool.

Firewall/VPN cards
Introduction
1. 14 South Networks IntraLock 10-1/DL
2. NetMaster GG-Blade
3. 3Com 3CR990-TX-97
4. 3Com 3CRFW300
5. 3Com 3CRFW102
Specifications
Scenario
Final words
About RMIT
This tool steps you through the basic configuration of the card, including the reconfiguration of the root and fwssh passwords, the addition of another user, and the configuration of the three onboard NICs. The configuration then passes to another window where you can set up further administrators and specific IP addresses that are allowed to run administration for the firewall. You can then load the Check Point SMART clients feature pack on your server, should you choose. This client software can also be loaded on any of the systems that you configured to act as administration consoles earlier.

All in all the IntraLock device is the only unit in this review with all the bells and whistles that you could wish for in a Firewall/VPN device that fits inside a system. Keep in mind that all that research, development, and production also cause it to carry the highest price tag. The decision to go for this unit or an external unit would be borderline.

Product: 14 South Networks IntraLock 10-3/DL
Price: US$2495
Vendor: 14 South Networks
Phone: +1 561 862 5100
Web: www.omnicluster.com
Interoperability:
Operates on a wide range of platforms due to onboard virtual PC hardware, also supports a wide range of security standards.
Futureproofing:
Gigabit support would have been nice, firmware is upgradeable for future features.
ROI:
Comparable to an external firewall with similar features.
Service: ½
1-year warranty is a bit limited.
Rating:
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