﻿# New toy...VPN router...

<datetime class="hidden">2004-01-26T00:00</datetime>
<!-- category -- mostlylucidcouk, Imported, Security -->

I've been getting a few new toys of late, one has been a little [BEFVP41
VPN router](http://www.linksys.com/products/product.asp?grid=23&amp;prid=411)  from Linksys- this is an incredibly cool, easy to use [IPSEC](http://www.ipsec.com/) VPN
router which lets me connect to my office (where we have another one of these installed)
to access out sourcesafe, email etc... You can use little software clients like the
lovely [SSH Sentinel](http://www.ipsec.com/products/security/sentinel/) (no
longer free unfortunately, if anyone knows a free one, please let me know). I have
a feeling that these will become a lot more widely used in future as people become
more aware of security issues. This thing is a breeze to set up, has a great HTML
interface and is a pretty robust firewall to boot...all for not much more than a non-VPN
version of the same thing! If you're using a laptop from a public hotspot, I would
really recommend you use some form of VPN - it is WAY too easy to [crack
WEP](http://www.seattlewireless.net/index.cgi/WepCrack) (the most commonly used wireless encryption technology) and even if you don't
- how much do you trust your hotspot provider :-). Anyway, if you're in the UK, have
a look [here](http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?action=c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&amp;product_uid=37526), 
oh, and [Ebuyer](http://www.ebiuyer.com) is by FAR the best online computing
shop!