Picture this: A small start-up with two employees uses modems to access the Internet with blissful ease. The company grows to 10, and managing the modem lines and Internet Service Provider accounts subsequently becomes a significant effort. At 50 employees the situation is hopeless; instead of each employee dialing in separately, the company now needs central and seamless Internet access.

Getting connected to the Internet is imperative to stay competitive in today's business climate. But as the size of a company grows, the complexity of setting up a central Internet connection logarithmically increases. Most of the current solutions are focused on delivering power, at the unfortunate expense of ease of use.

A new category of computers called instant Internet devices offers new hope to small companies that can't afford dedicated personnel to manage the complexities of their Internet access. These products get companies up and running on the Internet with easy-to-use wizards and step-by-step instructions. But as you might expect, the devices lack the flexibility of higher-end solutions, making them an inappropriate choice for larger organizations with the technical expertise and resources to build and maintain their own solutions.

Here are three products that provide quick and easy access to the Internet, while attempting to be an all-in-one solution for a small company's connectivity needs: IPS-168 from i-Planet, InterJet 100 from Whistle Communications, and Team Internet from Apexx. All three provide easy set up, automatic Internet connectivity, a mail server, Internet applications, and security. In addition, the IPS-168 and InterJet both include a Web server; Team Internet does not.

Heavy Artillery

Let's start by considering the more traditional Web server solution, which would involve purchasing each piece of the system individually and setting them up yourself. Prices vary, but a dedicated server, Web server software, router, and/or firewall can run upward of $10,000, starting at $2,500 for a low-end system. Administering the network operating system (NOS) and the firewall are not simple tasks. You'll need full-time, experienced personnel to make sure everything runs smoothly and that all the security holes are plugged.

Here's an example: You have your server loaded with NT, which comes with a proxy server for your basic firewall needs and IIS as your Web server. Simply add a hub for your network and a connection to the Internet, and you have a complete, relatively inexpensive solution with the full power of a NOS. This solution is scalable and powerful, but you must have staff on hand that can administer the NOS and the Web server.

Instant Internet devices, on the other hand, run on their own.

The instant Internet devices all provide a variety of means for connecting to the Internet, ranging from a 28.8Kbps modem to T1 support. It is interesting to note that even though a 28.8Kbps modem may seem slow for a single user, it is a fact that multiple users accessing the Internet through a modem do not really affect the connection speed unless one of the clients is downloading a file. For general usage with a small number of users, a modem should work adequately. Only when many users (over 15 concurrent, for example) access the Internet or heavy downloads occur does the connection speed decrease significantly. That's when ISDN, 56K frame relay and possibly T1 support are a must. This in turn increases external costs.

Another feature to consider in purchasing one of these devices is that the larger your connection needs, the smaller the relevance of the cost for an instant Internet device becomes. For instance, a dedicated T1 line runs about $25,000 for initial setup and then $20,000 for each year after that in leasing. The one-time $2,000 or even $10,000 for a server and software isn't as relevant as it is when connecting your organization through a modem or an ISDN line. We recommend one of these devices only if you don't need a huge pipeline for your Internet connection.

Source: ZD Internet Magazine