NETGEAR First With Affordable 100 Tunnel VPN Firewall For Growing Businesses Seeking to Maximize Network Security

NETGEAR joins Virtual Private Network Consortium assuring interoperability of network security products

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — November 11, 2002 — NETGEAR, Inc., a worldwide provider of easy-to-use, high performance networking products at prices affordable to homes and growing businesses, extends its series of ProSafe firewall routers with the announcement of the NETGEAR Cable/DSL ProSafe High-Speed VPN Firewall (FVL328), a high-performance, broadband-capable Virtual Private Network (VPN) firewall that supports up to 100 hardware-based IPSec VPN tunnels simultaneously, allowing for cost-saving secured connections to branch offices and the mobile workforce.

With the addition of the FVL328 to the NETGEAR ProSafe series, NETGEAR customers now have the flexibility of building an end-to-end NETGEAR VPN supporting a large and growing number of users. Because the FVL328 provides a more powerful processor and faster VPN processing through a built-in hardware accelerator than its highly successful sibling the NETGEAR FVS318 ProSafe VPN Firewall, it is an ideal VPN Firewall routing solution for central offices with a large number of users, while the FVS318 is a perfect complement for smaller branch office users. While both ProSafe routers utilize Network Address Translation (NAT) routing, the new FVL328 offers the added versatility of turning off NAT, so it is also useful in a central office as a firewall behind an existing enterprise class router. As with other members of the ProSafe series, the new FVL328 provides additional network security through a True Firewall that uses Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI) and intrusion detection features, Denial of Service (DoS) attack protection and VPN pass-through support. The NETGEAR ProSafe series now provides secure networking for even more different scenarios, easily and affordably.

"The launch of the FVL328 demonstrates NETGEAR’s dedication to providing a complete line of cost-effective, high-performance networking solutions for small and growing businesses," explained Patrick Lo, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors of NETGEAR. "Securing a company’s network resources and data is perhaps the most important factor to maintaining a competitive edge and controlling corporate intelligence. Compared to other competitive offerings, the FVL328 is one of the most robust, cost effective network security solutions available."

Equipped with a 150 Mhz processor, larger than many competing products available today, the FVL328 supports up to 100 IPSec VPN tunnels simultaneously and up to 253 users in a NAT environment, while employing a host of security-enhancing features including: SPI firewall, 168-bit 3DES (Triple Data Encryption Service) IPSec encryption capability, a 168-bit encryption method widely accepted as the de facto standard for secure IPSec VPN data transmissions over the Internet. The product also provides Internet Key Exchange (IKE) authentication, Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) features with certificate authority support, logging, reporting and alerts on Internet activity, and URL-based content filtering. The FVL328 supports SafeNet’s SoftRemote VPN client software and is interoperable with many other VPN clients and VPN hardware, as tested by the Virtual Private Network Consortium (VPNC). Some of these products include Adtran, Ashley Laurent Broadway, Asita, VPN, Checkpoint VPN-1, Cisco IOS, Cyberguard, E-soft Instagate, NetBSD, NetScreem 5XP OS3 and OS4, OpenBSD and SSH QuickSec, making it an easy fit into many business environments.

To ease installation and reduce setup time, the FVL328 utilizes NETGEAR’s Smart Wizard, user-friendly Web-based configuration screen and Install Assistant. Other features include: DHCP server, PPPoE login client support, web-based remote management support with secure sockets layer (SSL) encryption, import/export settings, port range forwarding, Exposed Host (DMZ), MAC address cloning/spoofing, NTP support, WAN DHCP client, DNS Proxy, diagnostic tools, port/service blocking, and battery back-up for power interruption logging. The product ships with an 8-seat anti-virus and privacy protection software bundle providing a complete solution for growing businesses.

Backed by a three-year warranty and 24/7 technical support, the NETGEAR’s Cable/DSL ProSafe High-Speed VPN Firewall (FVL328) will be available in December 2002, via value-added resellers, direct marketers and e-commerce sites at a list price of $655.

NETGEAR also announced that it joined the Virtual Private Network Consortium as an added assurance that NETGEAR networking security products are fully interoperable with security products from other member companies. The VPN Consortium issues logos to products of member companies that have passed the interoperability and conformance tests.

"The VPNC is happy to support NETGEAR's commitment to VPN conformance and interoperability, as evidenced by their early entrance into our testing programs," stated Paul Hoffman, director of the VPN Consortium. "NETGEAR’s participation in the VPNC will serve to promote the importance of VPN interoperability throughout the industry and we look forward to testing their products with those of other VPNC members."

About NETGEAR Inc.
A member of the VPN Consortium (VPNC), NETGEAR provides branded, easy-to-use, reliable and technologically advanced networking solutions for homes and small businesses. Headquartered in the heart of Silicon Valley, Santa Clara, Calif., NETGEAR designs and develops products that enable home and small business users to share Internet access, peripherals, digital content and applications among multiple personal computers and other Internet-enabled devices. NETGEAR primarily markets and sells its products through distributors based in North America, Europe and the Asia/Pacific region to a network of resellers, including more than 4,500 retail stores, mail order catalogs and online retailers. NETGEAR was recently named to Deloitte & Touche’s "Technology Fast 500" and to its "2001 Technology Fast 50" for Silicon Valley. For more information visit the company’s Web site at www.netgear.com or call (408.907.8000).

For more information:
Doug Hagan
NETGEAR Inc.
(408) 907-8053
doug.hagan@netgear.com

Ken Hagihara
Integrity Public Relations
(949) 768-4423
ken@integritypr.net