 
 
|
|
TimeStep is a sophisticated solution but with dependencies on hardware products. Hardware components are not only expensive but may also increase the number of points of failure and prevent high-end scalability.
Timestep does not scale up as high as the
AltaVista Tunnel (256 vs 512.) Additionally, AltaVista solutions are based on open protocols and standards as opposed to a proprietary operating system. Timestep also charges for management stations and for LAN users which can become extremely expensive in enterprise-to-enterprise configurations.
Basic business requirements
| | AltaVista Tunnel 97
| TimeStep Permit | Comments
|
| Remote & mobile PC support
| Yes - AltaVista Personal Tunnel
| Yes | -
|
| LAN to LAN support. |
Yes - AltaVista Group Tunnel
| Yes | -
|
| Server Platform coverage
| Windows NT (Intel), Digital UNIX, BSD and FreeBSD.
| Hardware with proprietary OS
| - |
| Client Platform coverage
| Win95, WinNT clients |
Win'95, WinNT, Win for Workgroups
| - |
Security attributes
| | AltaVista Tunnel 97
| TimeStep Permit | Comments
|
| Authentication | Mutual authentication with RSA 512-bit public key
| Mutual authentication using MD5
| - |
| Integrity | MD5 Message Digest
| MD5 | -
|
| Encryption | RSA's RC4 128-bit and 56-bit for International
| DES 56 bit, Triple DES 112 bit or DES 40bit for International
| - |
| Protocol | TCP only.
| - | -
|
| Dynamic rekeying | Yes, every 30 minutes
| Yes (1 hour) | -
|
Costs (acquisition, migration and ownership)
| | AltaVista Tunnel 97
| TimeStep Permit | Comments
|
| Price client | LAN Client: Free; Remote client: $99.
| LAN Client: $99; Remote Client: $125
| The LAN client can become very expensive in large environments.
|
| Price Server | 50 users $995; 200 users $ 1,995; 512 users $ 2,495
| Permit Security Gateway $4,500
| - |
| Other costs | none
| Yes - $5,000 | The Permit Secure Network Management System (SNMS) is required to manage the Permit Security Gateway
|
| Firewall independence |
Yes. | Yes
| - |
| Dynamic IP addressing |
Yes | Yes
| - |
Investment Protection
| | AltaVista Tunnel 97
| TimeStep Permit | Comments
|
| Scalability | Concurrent tunnels. NT: 200, BSD/OS: 200, FreeBSD: 200, Digital UNIX: 512
| 256 | The TimeStep limit seems to be related to hardware restrictions.
|
| Solution type | Software only
| Hardware and Software |
Hardware based solutions increase the number of point of failures.
|
| X.509 | No
| Yes | X.509 support is a top-priority requirement in the next AltaVista release
|
Confidence in the vendor
| | AltaVista Tunnel 97
| TimeStep Permit | Comments
|
| Charter | AltaVista offers not only best-in-class VPNs and firewalls but also a complete Intra/Internet product portfolio. More on: AltaVista Tunnels.
| TimeStep offers a sophisticated solution for the internet and intranet. It remains a very complex solution. More on: TimeStep Permit.
| AltaVista understands the overall security needs (e.g. management, directories) from the application level because of its global charter.
|
| Proven technology | Available since December 1995.
| Available since September 1995.
| - |
Back to analysis index
|
