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Cisco VPN - supported platforms

Hi everybody,

I am researching VPN options for my company that would allow us to connect our branch office with another branch. From what I saw VPN can be configured on Cisco Routers and Cisco PIX and ASA firewalls (this does not seem to be possible on any switch platform - right?)

What are the advantages of configuring the VPN on a firewall vs a router then (or the other way around)? Would I gain anything by doing it on a firewall rather than router (or vice versa)? What is the recommended approach?

Can the VPN be configured on a firewall if the other site terminates it on a router? Does it make any difference?

Thanks, AL

Reply to
aleu
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Yes. Well, except of course you can plug firewalls into the 6500 (7600?) maybe others.

If you want a full featured firewall you should consider the Pix, If not router is OK. I don't really know much about pix really.

They interoperate. IPSEC is a Standard and interoperation, even between manufacturers, is very good.

In all cases check the encryption throughput of the platform under consideration. Additional crypto offload modules are available for the routers which increase the performance considerably. AIM-VPN modules. Even as standard most routers have significant crypto performance without the extra module.

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Reply to
bod43

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Thanks bod43. This is helpful.

Reply to
aleu

Re:- "most routers" - most is not quite correct. All of the current routers 850/70, 1800, 2800, 3800 (and presumably 880/60) include crypto offload modules with significant crypto performance.

For some reason cisco often make (or allow that) hard performance numbers quite tough to find using the search tools. They are in there - keep searching:-(

Reply to
bod43

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