For many enterprises, their large data centers and corporate sites have ample security and networking infrastructure. However, smaller regional offices and home offices have very little preexisting security in place. In this design, the gateway provides an all-in-one, remotely managed solution ideal for branch and small office/home office (SOHO) environments that need a combination of VPN, firewall, router, and DHCP services.

See Figure 3.2, “Network Deployment Using a Corente Services Gateway as a Firewall, Router, and VPN Gateway” for an example of this deployment.

Figure 3.2 Network Deployment Using a Corente Services Gateway as a Firewall, Router, and VPN Gateway

The untrusted interface on the gateway is connected to the local Internet access device (such as a WAN router, DSL, or cable modem) and the trusted interface connected is to the LAN. The gateway can be assigned a static, globally routable IP address for its untrusted interface or can receive its address dynamically as a DHCP client.

Customers can employ the gateway firewall to permit simultaneous access to the Internet and to the VPN. Alternatively, customers can restrict all traffic to the VPN and backhaul external traffic so that Internet access is only available through centralized corporate firewalls.