Networking

Nokia CC2500, Nokia CC500

Need a virtual private network? Look no further than the Nokia CC2500 and CC500. The CC2500 is ideal for medium-size to large sites, while the CC500 is intended for small branch offices. Both use dedicated hardware encryption and offer high throughput. Using Nokia's patented clustering technology, which lets multiple units share a single IP address, the CC2500 and CC500 provide excellent load balancing and failover protection. And the devices are easy to manage with Nokia's well-organized VPN Policy Manager, which lets the administrator manage and configure all of the CryptoCluster units from a single system.(CC2500: $9,995 list; CC500: $1,495. Nokia Corp., www.nokia.com. Read our reviews of the Nokia CC2500 and the Nokia CC500 as part of our Safe Passage roundupSitting at the front of a Web site's server farm, the NetScaler 3100 takes responsibility for many of the chores that servers don't handle efficiently, such as setting up and tearing down connections. To reduce the load on Web servers, the 3100 combines external requests into fewer persistent TCP connections and HTTP requests. Impressively, the 3100 can manage more than 340,000 concurrent TCP sessions with a Windows 2000 Web server while averaging from 143 to 202 HTTP gets per second. ($20,000 list. NetScaler Inc., www.netscaler.com. Read our First Looks review of NetScaler 3100.)

SMC TigerStack II SMC6624M

The SMC TigerStack II SMC6624M offers a combination rarely found in a managed switch: good virtual LAN (VLAN) support and low price. For less than $1,000, you get a 24-port managed switch that can be stacked into a configuration of up to 16 units, offering a port density of 384 ports all managed from a single IP address. Meanwhile, its nonblocking 9.6-Gbps switch fabric ensures high performance. ($699 list. SMC Networks Inc., www.smc.com. Read our review of SMC TigerStack II SMC6624M as part of our Which Switch? roundup.)

EtherPeek

No network administrator should be without a network monitoring application. This is, after all, the window into your network. EtherPeek provides the best view for under $1,000. It combines an extensive set of traffic monitoring and packet capture tools with an attractive interface. Network statistics are represented with easily digested graphics. A host of options let you simply create advanced filters and set alarms. EtherPeek even allows administrators to remotely manage multiple LAN segments. ($995 direct. WildPackets Inc., www.wildpackets.com. Read our review of EtherPeek as part of our Sniff Out Trouble roundup.)

Agere Orinoco AP-1000

Among enterprise-level wireless LAN access points, the Agere Orinoco AP-1000 offers the best combination of features and performance mix. It touts excellent site-survey and link-testing tools, as well as superior AP and client-configuration managers. The Orinoco AP Manager software makes installation and configuration remarkably easy. And thanks to the included HP OpenView plug-in, you can manage multiple Orinoco AP-1000s remotely. ($995 list. Agere Systems, www.orinocowireless.com.)

ScanMail 3 for Microsoft Exchange and ScanMail eManager

The corporate e-mail system can be a major vulnerability. A single virus can cost the company tens of thousands of dollars in lost revenue, and it can take days to recover. Trend Micro's ScanMail 3 for Microsoft Exchange and ScanMail eManager keep viruses and other undesirable content away. ScanMail is easy to install on your servers, where it scans messages in real time. Meanwhile, ScanMail eManager, which plugs into ScanMail 3, provides content filtering with extensive options. (ScanMail 3 for Microsoft Exchange: For 100 users, $1,200 direct; ScanMail eManager: For 100 users, $600. Trend Micro Inc., www.antivirus.com. Read our review of ScanMail 3 for Microsoft Exchange and ScanMail eManager as part of our "No More Letter Bombs" roundup