Cisco VPN
3002 Client Devices
The Cisco VPN 3002 Hardware Client was
specifically designed for those organizations with many remote users and sites
that need to operate as secure clients in a VPN environment. The 3002 combines
the ease of configuration and installation, plus the scalability of a software
VPN client, with the stability and reliability of a hardware platform.
The VPN 3002 Hardware Client eliminates the need to install and
configure VPN client software on the local workstation(s), plus it supports
workstations running any OS, including Windows, Sun Solaris UNIX, Mac, and
Linux. Each 3002 client appliance can connect one or more devices, including
workstations, servers, hubs, cash registers, printers, and IP telephones to a
company’s central network. Figure 13-1 shows the book- sized (2 × 8.6 × 6.5
inches) 3002 device.
The VPN 3002 is designed with simplicity and reliability of
installation. It has few local setup parameters that must be configured.
Additional parameters and policy are “pushed” to the device from the central
site (head-end) device with the first connection. In Chapter 15, you see how little
installation configuration must be done to connect to the corporate network.
The user simply plugs the minimally configured VPN 3002 device
into a DSL/cable connection, router, or other wide area network (WAN) access
devices at the remote site. The central site VPN concentrator takes over, using
push policy features to centrally set policy, manage, and upgrade the device.
This central control and management approach minimizes the need to rely on
remote users to deploy or maintain the unit. Tunnel setup and policy
configuration is automated, so companies needn’t dedicate IT staff to configure
individual devices manually. Troubleshooting aids and centralized monitoring
features are built into the 3002 software to ensure proper operation after the
unit is set up.
This ease of installation and because the 3002 can coexist with
other types of VPN clients on the network make it an ideal choice for the
organization that needs to set up and support dozens, or even thousands, of
remote end users who need secure network connections from geographically
dispersed branch or home office sites. Some examples that might fit this
business model include fast food outlets, grocery store-based banking
operations, retail chains, insurance or brokerage offices, employment offices,
vehicle dealerships, drugstores, and the like.
In calculating return on investment (ROI), larger enterprises
typically find the initial price of the hardware client is more than offset by
the savings from reduced or eliminated service calls common with supporting
software VPN clients. The same is true when compared to supporting expanding
LAN-to-LAN networks with their complex configuration requirements at central and
remote sites, particularly if on-site support is limited.
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