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IPNetRouter Comparison Guide
IPNetRouter is a great product, but how does it compare with
other solutions? This page is designed to help you answer this
question. (Last updated 24-Aug-2001)
Side-by-side Comparison of IP Routing Solutions
Product/
Feature
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IPNetRouter 1.6
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Vicom SurfDoubler
7.0.2
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Vicom SoftRouter/
Internet Gateway
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Hardware Routers
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Price
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$89.00
$49 for 68k
(1)
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$54.95
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$149.00 for 10
$299.00 for 25
$549.00 for unlimited users
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Lowest end starts at about $100
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Number of Users
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Unlimited
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2 or 3
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Typically unlimited, may cost more $
(2)
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Free Updates
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Yes
(1)
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Maintenance updates free, Feature updates chargeable.
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Maintenance updates free, Feature updates chargeable.
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Varies. Usually only free if the manufacture is at fault
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Open Transport
Native (best performance)
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Yes
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No
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No
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Only expensive hw routers can route IP as well as a Mac!
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Mac Hardware Required
for Router
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Mac 68030 through current Macs
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PPC
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PPC
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May have problems with some Macs
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RAM Useage
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2MB
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6.5MB
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6.5MB
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(Requires browser application for configuration)
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MacOS
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7.5.3 and later
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7.6.1 and later
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7.6.1and later
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(Varies. Some hw routers require a PC to do a firmware update.)
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A Full IP Router
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Yes
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No
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Yes
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Usually more $ to get it right
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DHCP Server
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Yes
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Yes
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Yes
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Usually more $ to get it right
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IP Filtering
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Yes
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Yes
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Yes
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Usually more $ to get it right
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Rollover NAT Interface
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No
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No
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Yes
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Usually more $
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Dynamic DNS
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Yes
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No
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No
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No
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PPPoE
(PPP over Ethernet)
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Yes, MSS clamp set to MTU-50 (more compatible)
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Yes, MSS clamp set to MTU -40 (adjustable)
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Yes, MSS clamp set to MTU -40 (adjustable)
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Usually more $ to get it right
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Wireless
Routing
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Install Airport card, get wireless LAN router (3)
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No
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Install Airport card, get wireless LAN router (3)
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Starts at $299+
(Most don't fully support PPPoE routing as yet)
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Gateway
dial-in server
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No
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No
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Yes
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Usually more $
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Single Ethernet port
gateway with NAT
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Yes
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No
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Yes
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not usually necessary on hw routers
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Faceless Background
Version?
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Yes
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Yes
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Yes
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n/a
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Exposed Host Feature
(4)
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Yes
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Yes
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Yes
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Several hw routers have a similar "DMZ" functionality
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Download from the
web in an emergency?
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Yes
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Yes
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Yes
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No
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Other
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Supports
1gigabit ethernet,Token Ring, MacIP, PPP, ISDN, IPSec/PPTP,
ARP configuration, one-way telcos
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Supports
1gigabit ethernet,Token Ring, MacIP, PPP, ISDN, IPSec/PPTP,
ARP configuration, one-way telcos
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Supports
1gigabit ethernet,Token Ring, MacIP, PPP, ISDN, IPSec/PPTP,
ARP configuration, one-way telcos
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More $ to get 100mb ethernet and other interfaces
(If your Mac has to be on, it might as well be the router!)
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Table Footnotes
- We offer a 30% discount on licenses
to educational institutions. An IPNetRouter $89 license is good
for both 68k and PPC machines and the PPC version continues
to receive frequent free updates; active development has ended
for the 68k version as of August 2000. The price for the 68k
only license was lowered accordingly. Sustainable Softworks
has not charged for updates to IPNetRouter 1.x since its debut
in 1997.
- Many cheaper routers are limited
to only one sublan of 254 users or even only 32 users on that
single sublan. IPNetrouter is not limited in this manner. This
limitation is caused by poor or slow performing hardware or
NAT firmware.
- Apple licensed IPNetRouter as part
of its Airport software router package. IPNetRouter permits
more sophisticated IP configuration of an Airport installed
Macs network interfaces than Apple's Airport 1.2 release. See
our Airport Guide for more
details.
- IPNetRouter 1.5 and later has an
Exposed Host Feature. The feature is similar to the "DMZ" feature
available on some hardware router. For a more detailed description,
refer to the Inbound Port
Mapping page.
Other Reviews
Brindley
Network Consulting
Our Perspective
Common sense tells us that no single internet sharing/routing solution
is best for everyone. We would like to take this opportunity to
comment on some of the strengths and weaknesses of IPNetRouter.
First, IPNetRouter is fundamentally a utility for configuring TCP/IP.
It lets you access the features Apple left hidden in Open Transport.
It tries to put a Macintosh GUI on UNIX like functionality. If you
are familiar with TCP/IP networking, IPNetRouter is powerful and
flexible. If you are new to TCP/IP networking, the lack of guidance
can be intimidating. The instructions on our website are intended
to help. We also have a web configuration
application that may help you setup basic Internet sharing with
IPNetRouter.
IPNetRouter doesn't cost more per user like some Internet sharing
solutions. We do not charge for bug fix updates every 6 months like
some of our competitors.
IPNetRouter allows you to choose which features you want. You are
not forced to use NAT (Network Address Translation) to use IP multihoming,
IP filtering, DHCP, or configure IP routing. IPNetRouter works with
Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, PPPoE (PPP over Ethernet),
Token Ring, LocalTalk, and other data link providers. There's no
need to replace your router hardware when switching among dial-up,
ISDN, Cable Modem, DSL, or AirPort Wireless. In most cases, you
can have several different types of IP transport working simultaneously
through Open Transport and IPNetRouter.
As a small Mac focused company, we know our product and try to
be responsive. IPNetRouter's DHCP
Server is tested extensively with the Mac and works with most
other DHCP clients as well. IPNetMonitor,
our Internet tool suite, works seamlessly through our NAT gateway.
IPNetRouter is updated frequently and supports QuickTime Streaming.
Although many people assume hardware routers are faster, performance
is not as obvious as it first appears. Compare a Cisco router at
$1500 with IPNR on a contemporary Mac. The Cisco box has a 68030
at 30 MHz, and perhaps .5MB of RAM. Contrast this with a 300 MHz
RISC processor, 100 MHz system bus, .5 MB backside Cache, 64 MB
RAM, 6 Gig HD, Monitor, Keyboard, and Mouse. Apple's Open Transport
(configured using IPNR) can route at or near wire speed between
100Mbps FAST Ethernets. We're not aware of any hardware routers
that can do this for under $3,000. Low cost hardware solutions simply
cannot keep up. Some can't even take full advantage of a DSL or
Cable Modem connection. The key to OT performance is to respond
to a network interrupt and pass pointers to a STREAMS message up
the stack and back down again in less time than it takes to send
a 1500 byte Ethernet packet. Since routing occurs at interrupt time,
it is not affected by other applications.
We also believe that by using your Macintosh for quick and efficient
networking, rather than purchasing an unnecessary hardware router,
you help reduce landfill and keep Macs in the limelight. Its always
nice to see the look on people's faces when you explain to them
that your Mac is saving the planet by running rings around NT or
Cisco routers and is way easier to configure than a linux machine!
Some Tradeoffs
There's no retail packaging or printed manual (we're trying to
be earth friendly). The manual can be downloaded
in PDF format for easy printing.
IPNetRouter is usually a set it and forget it solution. It can
be extremely stable on a well configured Mac (running for months
without intervention), but we also know Macs can and do crash. We
do offer a Faceless Background version which can prevent less knowledgeable
users from changing IPNetRouter parameters and eliminate the clutter
of having the router always available in the process menu.
Althought IPNetRouter offers sophisticated
IP Filtering, it does not offer detailed security logging or
remote management (SNMP). IPNetRouter is not
a PPP dial-in server although another machine on your private
LAN could be configured for such and used in conjuction with IPNetRouter.
IPNetRouter does not offer web caching or content filtering. Other
software and hardware can be used to supply this functionality if
you think you'll need it.
We do charge a modest fee for IPNetRouter licenses.
If you continue to use it after the 21 day free evaluation period
is up, please purchase a key.
.
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