Wrvs4400n Security Appliance For Small Business Networks - Should You Upgrade?

By Author: Ki Grinsing
Total Articles: 82
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When you build a small business computer network, typically the main concern is having high-performance and secure network. Unlike home computer network where security is the last thing you probably concern, in small business computer network - security must be given a serious attention in protecting your valuable information business assets against any internet threats.

With lack of security expert, one of the easiest and affordable ways to protect your small business network is by implementing a wireless security appliance, or network security appliance, or UTM appliance. Cisco WRSV4400N is one of wireless security appliance available in the marketplace you can consider to deploy in your small business network.

Cisco WRSV4400N is a complete device for your small business infrastructure including wireless and wired network. It's a high-speed and secure wireless security firewall.

Wireless Networking

Cisco WRSV4400N is powered by wireless -N (draft 802.11n) technology with 3 Omni-directional 2-dBi gain external antennas with MIMO (Multiple-in Multiple-out) technology for longer distance range ...
... and better performance. The router is compatible with wireless -b/g/n devices. Wireless security connection using industrial Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) and Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) WPA2.

Not just wireless encryption, the Cisco WRSV4400N supports up to 4 SSIDs for secure guest access. With secure guest access, you can segregate different security boundaries for different groups of users. With your business partners or business visitors who might frequently come to your office, providing them wireless internet access with their laptop is safer without compromising your system.
Wired Networking

Cisco WRSV4400N wireless security firewall is embedded with four Gigabit LAN Ethernet ports for reliable high-speed data transfer. And the beauty with this router is that it supports up to 4 VLANs you can configure to meet your security policies. You know that communication between VLANs require layer-3 device which is a router. Cisco WRSV4400N supports inter-VLAN communications. Not just that, with your VLANs you can map SSID-to-VLAN with wireless client isolation.

Security Features

Both of multiple VLANs and SSIDs are important features for this wireless security router with regards to the network security. Like other ordinary wireless routers, Cisco WRSV4400N also supports security features such as ACL, MAC address control, Firewall SPI and NAT, content filtering, and Intrusion Prevention System (IPS).

Security is very expensive, regarding content filtering - you cannot just rely on the static URL or keywords blocking because un-healthy and harmful websites out there are growing rapidly each months. You need to have a way to update the black-lists automatically - you cannot do it manually and yet you don't know which ones. This is what Cisco would like to get more revenue not just once but in a yearly basis. WRSV4400N wireless security router supports the optional dynamic filtering through Cisco ProtectLink Web security service. Not all Cisco routers support this ProtectLink security solution.

Cisco also introduces new wireless security router - the RV-120N firewall router. The price between the WRSV4400N and RV-150N is nearly the same. But both security routers have some major differences as follows:

Firstly, the difference between the two is the wireless technology. WRVS4400N is still powered by the draft version of 802.11n technology, but RV-120W is powered by the final version of 802.11n. Some people might thing that this is a big different, but it is not. There are only several options updated from the draft version to the final version of 802.11n standard.

Secondly, the WRVS4400N supports Gigabit Ethernet ports but RV 120W doesn't. If you demand reliable high-speed wired connection, you should choose WRSV4400N.

Thirdly, the number of VPN tunnels the routers can support. If you require more VPN tunnels, you can choose RV 120W (10 remote clients and 10 site-to-site tunnels). WRSV4400N supports only 5 remote clients and 5 site-to-site tunnels.

And lastly is about the optional Cisco Protect-Link services support. WRVS4400N router supports Protect-Link but RV-120W doesn't. Should you require dynamic content filtering services - choose the 4400N router. But you must pay in a yearly basis for the services.
Security is expensive, but it is worth for your valuable business assets protection against any threats.

By Ki Grinsing

Ki Grinsing was graduated from ITS-Surabaya with MCSE and CCNA certifications. You can read the articles here WRVS4400N wireless security router and small business network security.