Intellinet Launches Low-Cost Option For Guest Access

The new GuestGate device, available now for an introductory price of $199, lets customers offer free Internet access to guest users in areas such as lobbies and conference rooms without compromising the security of their networks, said Michael Thiel, CEO of IC Intracom, a Tampa, Fla.-based PC peripherals, accessories and networking vendor that sells products under the Intellinet brand.

GuestGate also eliminates the need for IT staff to spend time setting up secure accounts for guest users or reconfiguring the network to accommodate them, he said.

For solution providers, many vertical-market accounts are prime targets for GuestGate, Thiel said. "There are a lot of vertical market applications: health care, legal, government -- wherever data protection is critical, you have visitors that need Internet access," he said.

Lyle McIntire, director of network solutions at 2-Way Communications Service, a Newington, N.H.-based solution provider, said accounts such as police departments and law firms are showing interest in GuestGate.

"Police departments often have attorneys in doing discovery. They have a lot of privileged, confidential information on their servers, and they tend to have limited IT support in-house," McIntire said. "GuestGate is a really easy plug-and-play solution."

GuestGate installs on the existing network to provide wired and wireless Internet connectivity, said Andy Schlieck, technical marketing manager for GuestGate.

"It protects the host network. If a guest decides to try to snoop around, GuestGate will detect that and block it," Schlieck said. Guest users are also protected at the IP level from each other via the vendor's Layer 3 Client Isolation technology, he added.

Solution providers stand to make a 50 percent margin on GuestGate, based on its current pricing, Thiel said. The price will increase to $249 on Jan. 1.