Zyxel Prestige 652HW gateway

The Zyxel Prestige 652HW is not designed for the inexperienced. Acting as an ADSL gateway for Soho or SME markets, it requires a certain degree of technical knowledge to configure the more advanced functions.

Wizards provide some help with installation and access to the management console is primarily through a web browser, although it is accessible via Telnet. The interface is very basic but functional.

It supports multiple public IP addresses, which are protected behind Zyxel's own ISCA-certified operating system. This runs a Stateful Inspection firewall, which also guards against Internet attacks such as Denial of Service.

The usual array of content-filtering capabilities is available with all the necessary logs and alerts easily set. For always-on environments there is automatic failover protection, switching over to an ISDN or analogue modem if your ADSL connection should fail.

At the rear, a four-port switch allows sharing with other PCs, although one port can be configured as a DMZ. Wireless connectivity is available via a PC Card slot located at the side of the unit. However, only Zyxel's own 802.11b PC Card has been certified, which is disappointing.

Security can be based on advanced protocols such as Radius and IEEE 802.1x Port-based authentication. Thereås also onboard Application Specific Integrated Circuit (Asic) DES accelerator, which caters for up to 10 IPsec VPN tunnels.

Although it provides nearly everything required of an office gateway, it is limited by the wireless restrictions, and its more advanced features shift it towards experienced users or branch offices.

Contact: Zyxel 0118 981 0600
www.zyxel.co.uk

Specifications:

• Stateful Packet Inspection firewall
• CLI, Telnet, SNMP, FTP and web management
• RJ-11 or RJ45 Wan port
• 4-port 10/100 switch
• Optional 802.11b PC Card
• Two-year warranty
• 206 x 161 x 51mm (w x d x h)