Product Pick: U.S. Robotics USR8200

U.S. Robotics
Schaumburg, Ill.
(847) 874-2000
www.usr.com

Price: $349
Warranty: 24 months parts and labor
Distributors/Integrators: D&H, Tech Data

U.S Robotics has rolled out the USR8200, a router that integrates an SPI firewall, VPN server and NAS capability. That combination makes the USR8200 ideal for a small, broadband-connected network.

The unit houses a four-port 10/100 Ethernet switch, a 10/100 WAN connection, two USB ports and a FireWire port. The FireWire and USB ports can be used to add external storage devices, such as USB hard drives.

The unit’s integrated VPN server supports PPTP and IP SECurity connections, allowing seamless, secure remote access to the network. The setup CD makes deployment a snap, with installation and management further eased by an intuitive browser-based console. Solution providers can also add Web filtering and content control to the unit with an optional subscription to Surfcontrol.

All things considered, the USR8200 offers the primary features needed by small workgroups, while keeping the price affordable.
—Frank J. Ohlhorst

 Published for the Week Of October 11, 2004