VPN and Sonicwall

[digiraven]

Ok I'm a bit new on this but please help me out on it.

I have two branches that are setup with DSL. One branch has all the servers and about 20 people. The other branch just has about 10 systems. I want to make the branches permantally connected via VPN. If I heard the CDW sales guy correctly he said I can have two TZ170 sonicwall firewall boxes connect to each via VPN tunnel. In that way I wouldnt have the user computers of having a vpn clinet. Each of these firewall boxes are about 400 bucks each. My boss is asking me why I need the boxes to that and not use the windows 2000 server remote access software to creat permanant connection to another server via VPN. Am I thinking this right? Can windows 2000 do the same thing as a sonicwall can? Help me explain to my boss a little better as to why I need the sonicewalls to do the trick.

Let me know the best and cheapest way in connecting the two branches seemlessly like if they were on a frame relay network. thanks

 

[karmic]

By remote access software i'm assuming that he means terminal server... or even the vpn client as you suggested.

Hardware tunnels or Vpn's are alot more secure than simply coming in across the net via a forwarded port on a router and much more stable than any software client on the market.
They are pretty much a set and forget system.

Software tunnels can be a major pain and be very flaky. $800 is money well spent.

~ K.I.S.S - Don't make it any more complex than it has to be ~