USRobotics Offers Free Upgrade to IPSec VPN Support for Wireless MAXg Gateways

Free firmware upgrade lets remote users connect over VPN to their company networks, and maintain access to local printers & storage


USRobotics, a Platinum Equity company, announced today the addition of IPSec-based Virtual Private Network (VPN) support to the company’s Wireless MAXg ADSL2+ Gateway (USRxx9108A). This new feature is contained within a firmware upgrade for the Gateway and is available for immediate download from http://www.usr.com*.

The new firmware for the Wireless MAXg ADSL2+ Gateway enables users to connect over a VPN to a company network, while at the same time maintaining access to their local network resources. The upgrade also ensures that only authorised machines have access to the VPN tunnel to the company network. All other traffic from the remote network will follow the normal flow to the Internet.

Many VPN software clients disable access to local resources such as printers or storage devices, or route traffic from all PCs on the remote network through the company VPN tunnel. The USR firmware upgrade solves these problems.

“IT Managers do not want unauthorised computers connecting to the company network due to data confidentiality and malware issues,” says Tony Field, USRobotics EMEA Product Marketing Manager. “At the same time, users want to have access to local network resources while connected to the company network. Our new firmware meets the needs of both IT managers and users.”

The USRobotics Wireless MAXg ADSL2+ Gateway supports industry-standard IPSec VPN connections for secure data transmission:

— DES, 3DES and AES encryption techniques ensure that the Gateway can establish a secure tunnel with an industry standard-compliant device at the other end, such as the USRobotics USR8200 Firewall/VPN Router

— MD5 or SHA data hashing algorithms. As with encryption, the hashing algorithm must be the same on both ends of the tunnel

Standard security features of the USRobotics MAXg ADSL 2+ Gateway include MAC address filtering, WPA2, WPA and WEP encryption for wireless LAN users, as well as a Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI) Firewall.


* The USRobotics VPN firmware upgrade is free until June 30, 2007. Visit http://www.usr.com