[FW1] Nortel Contivity

[T.Higgins@FW1-NOSPAMeu.hns.com]

Hi All

We are using CP v4.0 SP4 on Dell NT Servers and use them for internet
access, site-to-site VPN and SecuRemote VPN across Europe.

Our mother company in the USA seem insistent that we use a Nortel solution
(I think it is the 'Contivity' box) to make a new site-to-site VPN
connection to them from each European site. The Nortel box, from their web
site info, seems to suggest they are like the Nokia boxes but with a few
extras. Now I don't have any problems with an 'appliance' approach and I
was thinking about upgrading from CP 4.0 Dell NT to CP 4.1 Nokia's anyway.

However,     I am a little uneasy on this because Nortel has not been
mentioned in any newsgroups I've used over the past couple of years and I
don't recall seeing any advertising anywhere. Also - I've just waited 7
hours (still no response) for a call back from their UK sales desk (after a
couple of chases) for more info - not a good first impression - if they
respond like this to sales enquiries what's their support desk going to be
like ? ;-)

One possible compromise is to carry on with CP stuff (which we have spent
time and money getting up and running) but get new internet router at each
European site with extra LAN port and hang Nortel box off that (i.e. run 2
VPN systems). Or maybe we could add another network card to our Firewall
and hang it off that (I would need to ensure NAT not active and have legal
IP addresses for this card - don't ask !).

I'd love to just use the CP boxes and try to get IPSec working with the
Nortel boxes in the USA so that we still have one solution for Europe and
avoid having to learn another box but this may not be possible.

Any comments out there on either the Nortel product generally or my
predicament ?


TIA

Tim Higgins




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