The term broadband connection refers to high speed data transmission which provides faster Internet access and download than normal dialups. It thus refers to the high bit rate compared to narrowband systems such as normal dial-up modems. It has become the most popular way for SME’s to connect to the Internet from around 2000. Several options are available including wireless and satellite. Two of the most common options are discussed below.
DrayTek as expert company in the field of remote access and security provision for SME’s has initialized and developed several excellent solutions for secure and reliable broadband connection.
Obtaining broadband connection for one computer
The DrayTek ADSL modem solutions are also suited for small businesses wanting broadband connection for one computer or want to limit access to one computer on the network. An ADSL modem is as such plugged into the USB socket of the pc, which identifies it as a modem although there is no number to be dialed. The Internet access provider gives the business a password and username to be typed in. This is the simplest form of broadband connection to cater for small businesses wanting high speed connection.
Network broadband connection
The two most common approaches for gaining network broadband connection include:
Going the ICS route
This route is a cost effective way to get all the computers in a network online. Although it does work for smaller businesses and home networks, it certainly is not suited for enterprises requiring 24 hour and reliable broadband connection. When the computer, acting as the server is down, all the other computers in the network is affected and as such don’t have online access. Another disadvantage is that excellent software is required to act as firewall and should have ISDN backup. Several intrusion attempts may succeed and the firewall places enormous load on the computer acting as server. ICS is also not easy to setup.
ADSL router firewalls
A much better option is to go for ADSL router firewalls as supplied by DrayTek. This option has the advantage that only the unit needs to be working all the time for any of the computers in the network to have online access through the Ethernet cabling or through Wi-Fi linking. The built-in security features such as an excellent firewall for protection of the hardware and VLAN features provide a secure network for the company, which cannot be accessed from outside the internal network.
These ADSL router firewalls replace the existing network routers and provide more than adequate security while providing high speed broadband connection. This type of access and security is easy to setup and maintain. No intrusions take place which is extremely important in today’s digital business environment.
DrayTek offers a number of excellent products from the three main categories:
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ADSL/2 routers
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Enterprise routers
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WAN routers
Some of the ADSL/2 routers available from DrayTek:
Vigor 2700e
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ADSL Compliance
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ATM Protocols
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VLAN
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Firewall
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Content filtering
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Router Management
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Three year warranty.
Vigor 2700V (2S 1L)
Vigor 2800
Vigor 2800VGI
The enterprise router Vigor 3300V has won the attention of the business world for its excellent features:
Some of the WAN routersavailable from DrayTek include:
Vigor 2910
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Dual-WAN
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WAN Protocols
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Firewall
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VPN 32 tunnels
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Bandwidth Management
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Content Filter
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VLAN
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Three year warranty
Vigor 2950
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Dual-WAN
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WAN Protocols
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Firewall
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VPN 200 Tunnels
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Bandwidth Management
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Network Management
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Content Filter
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Network Features
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Three year warranty
DrayTek is renowned for service and product excellence and is represented in South Africa by Network Platforms. Several retail outlets, distributors and service providers of DrayTek in South Africa make it easy to get advice on the most suitable broadband connection solutions. Contact any of the service providers or place an online order at our website. |