Core Competence Internet @ppliance Industry Report:
A Guide to Technology,
Products, and Deployment		 David Strom

Features and Categories

Just about every appliance vendor claims to provide the complete one-box turnkey solution for all your Internet needs. This sort of statement sets expectations higher than most vendors can deliver. There are many different kinds of Internet services, including web, email, file transfer, and domain name services. Each product offers a different mixture of these and other services.

To make it easier to keep track, we have segmented the entire appliance product space into six categories, as follows:

The following table summarizes many different kinds of Internet appliance products. For each, we identify the vendor, product, price range, and services provided by that product. Services are those we identified above, grouped into our categories. Most products offer services in more than one category, and may not include all services associated with any particular category. Later in this report, we place each reviewed appliance into the category that best represents its primary purpose. We expect appliances to provide most of the services identified for its primary category.

PRODUCTS CATEGORIES
Name, Company, URL Price Range Web, eCommerce Network FileShare Internet Applications Comm Appliance Network Security
Internet Access 2000
ATronics International
www.atronics.com		 $775 Mail
Address		 Dial-Out
Route		 Firewall
StorPoint
Axis Communications
www.axisinc.com		 $999 Web Windows
Qube 2
Cobalt Networks, Inc.
www.cobaltnet.com		 $999 - $1499 Web Windows
Apple		 Mail
Discuss
Address
Naming		 Route Firewall
e.go Web Server 210
Encanto Networks
www.encanto.com		 *$1495 Electronic Commerce Mail*
Discuss
Naming
Address		 Dial-In
Dial-Out*		 Firewall
InstaGate™
eSoft
www.esoft.com		 $3995 - $5495 Web Windows Mail
Naming
Address		 Dial-in
Dial-out
Route		 Firewall
VPN
ExtendNet 4000
Extended Systems
www.extendedsystems.com		 $2399 Web Windows Mail Dial-Out
Route		 Firewall
2200 SDSL Router
Efficient Networks
www.efficient.com		 $599 Address Dial-In
Dial-Out
Route		 Firewall
VPN
OneGate 1000
FreeGate (Tut Systems)
www.freegate.com		 $3395 Web Windows Naming
Address
Mail
Discuss		 Dial-In
Dial-Out
Route		 Firewall
VPN
InBusiness eMail Station
Intel Corporation
www.intel.com/network/smallbiz		 $875 Mail
SES 1500
Internet Appliance
www.internet-appliance.com		 $1495- $3595 Web Windows Mail
Naming		 Dial-In
Dial-Out
Route		 Firewall
VPN
InterGate
Internet Products
www.InternetProducts.com		 Web Mail
Discuss
Naming
Address		 Dial-In
Dial-Out
Route		 Firewall
Internet Message Server
Mirapoint
www.mirapoint.com		 $14895 Mail
VPro 1000
Mitsuba
www.Mitsuba.com		 Web Windows
Apple		 Mail
Address
Naming		 Dial-Out
Route		 Firewall
NetLinker 100
NetLinker
www.netlinker.net		 $2595 Mail Dial-In
Dial-Out
Route		 Firewall
Netopia R2020
Netopia
www.netopia.com		 $579 Address Dial-In
Dial-Out
Route		 Firewall
Small Business Solution
Network Concierge
www.nc4u.com		 **Software only Web Windows Mail
Address
Naming		 Dial-Out
Route		 Firewall
Naming
BayStack Instant Internet 100
Nortel Networks
business.baynetworks.com		 $2495 Address Dial-Out
Route		 Firewall
VPN
GT 90
Nx Networks
www.openroute.com		 $895 Address Dial-In
Dial-Out
Route		 Firewall
VPN
SOHOLINK PSF
Protec Microsystems
www.protec.ca		 $1365 Fax
Print		 Dial-Out
Route
Snap! Server
Quantum
www.snapserver.com		 $995 - $2495 Windows
Novell
NFS
Apple
WebRamp 3xx Series
Ramp Networks
www.rampnet.com		 $399 - $899 Address
Naming		 Dial-In
Dial-Out
Route		 Firewall
VPN
NetWinder OfficeServer
Rebel.com
www.rebel.com		 $999 - $1665 Web Windows
Apple
NFS		 Mail
Address
Naming
Discuss
Print		 Route Firewall
VPN
SonicWall SOHO/10
Sonic Systems
www.sonicsys.com		 $420 Address Route Firewall
VPN
eServer.net
Technauts™
www.technauts.com		 $1895 - $1995 Web Windows Mail
Naming
Address
Print		 Dial-in
Dial-out
Route		 Firewall
UGate-Plus
UMAX
www.umax.com		 $349 Address Dial-In
Dial-Out
Route		 Firewall
SOHO 2000 Series
WatchGuard
www.beadlenet.com		 $274 - $550 Web Address Dial-Out
Route		 Firewall
WebBox
Webtronics
www.wtnx.com		 Web
InterJet II Series
Whistle Communications (IBM)
www.whistle.com		 $1995- $2995 Web Windows
Apple		 Mail
Naming
Address		 Dial-In
Dial-out
Route		 Firewall
VPN
WindDance Breeze
WindDance Networks
www.winddancenet.com/breeze		 $1995 - $3995 Web Windows
Apple		 Mail
Address
Naming
Fax
Print		 Dial-Out
Route		 Firewall

Notes:
*Encanto will deliver email and news to users attached to the e.go's hub, but is not a general purpose communications appliance. Monthly charges required for eCommerce, including credit card transaction fees.

**Network Concierge sells software that turns your PC into an appliance. Their partners sell integrated solutions ranging from $400 to $2000, based on barebone PCs, embedded, rackmount or custom reliable hardware systems.

Contact our sponsors for current pricing and features.

The following products are appliances intended for individual use as a low-cost (~$200) alternative to a general-purpose PC: TheLinuxStore (www.thelinuxstore.com) PIA Personal Internet Appliance and MicroWorkz (www.microworkz.com) iToaster.

The following products previously listed in this table are no longer sold:
Cisco Micro Webserver 200, Compact Devices TopSpin, Data General ThiinLine SiteStak, Marvel Instant Internet Plus, and Microtest WebZerver.

Previous

Copyright ©2000 Core Competence, Inc. and David Strom, Inc.
All Rights Reserved

No part of this report may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.