multi-NAT routers / firewalls

[cctv_down_under 0]

I go for routers with VOIP that way I get to sell "free phone calls" as a gimick, it costs like 40$ more but allowing them free calls is liek a present, they love it and always closes the deal

[DRACONiDigital 0]

When the DVR's (not PC Junk-High End Standalones) are the only items on THAT network a 50 dollar linksys will do. Try it.

 

OK, I agree this would work on a LAN, not on a WAN.

 

However, in this particular clients scenario, he wanted both LAN & WAN access of multiple video servers. Plus, there were many staff involved, who didn't know an IP address from a piece of toast, so they wouldn't be able to go into their Geovision client and plug in IP addresses and different port numbers and whatnot.

 

The point of my article was that there are ways to "add value" to existing products, even if they are very proprietary. This can often help show the client that while there are other companies in your area that can do these DVRs, your company is the one who can really make the sale worthwhile.

 

[Marcusl 0]

Does roadrunner offer additional ips? I know my cable company offers additional ips for $5 a month each. If they do, you can go about it a couple of different ways to make it easier on yourself:

 

1. This way is the cheapest, but not necessarily the best as anyone knows the more stuff you install the more points of failure you make. You can take a switch and put it inline from the cable modem to the 2 routers. Put a different static IP on each router, do your port forwarding and go from there. Cheezy, easy and quick.

 

2. I prefer this method as I have already done it several times with less mess and confusion. I took a Cisco Pix501 50 user firewall and put it in place from the cable modem and did static maping of the publics with only the ports open that are needed to the intenal ips I need them to go to. Also was able to offer them rock solid vpn connection to their main office site in another city. You can make the pix cheaper if you don't need as many users on it. This way is more expensive, but it is excellent for reliability and performance. I always look at it like, if I will spend a little more up front, then you save yourself a lot of service call time and hassles, not to mention making the customer happier.

 

Anyway, just my 2 cents.

 

-Marcus