NO SPECIAL CLIENT SOFTWARE REQUIRED
Remote users don't have to worry about installing and configuring special client software. They just launch their browser, and gain access to a customized portal that shows the resources they are authorized to access. From that portal, the remote user can gain access to e-mail, files, applications, and internal Web sites.
IPSEC AND SSL
The two major types of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) are IPSec and SSL. IPSec VPNs can be useful if you have a small and tightly controlled group of remote users, but enterprises today are a lot more spread out. It is difficult to have that kind of access with an IPSec VPN, and the remote mountaintop scenario is possible only with an SSL VPN. The simple reason is "clientless connectivity." The IPSec VPN requires a fat client to be installed on each remote workstation, something that is only doable when remote workers connect from the same workstation every time, and that workstation can be physically accessed by your IT staff.
CAN MY COMPUTER CONNECT TO THE SSL VPN APPLIANCE?
Virtually any computer with Internet access and a Web browser can connect to the SonicWALL SSL VPN appliance. Your computer must be running Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.5 or newer, Firefox 1.0 or newer, Opera 7.0 or newer, or Safari 1.2 or newer. In some usage cases, your browser must be configured to enable Java and ActiveX for the connection to take place.
WHAT DOES "CLIENTLESS" MEAN?
The "clientless" nature of the SonicWALL SSL VPN appliance means that there is no need for the administrator to manually install a fat client component to a computer that will be used for remote access. This removes a tremendous burden, and thereby greatly expands the concept of remote access. It means that since there is no pre-installation or pre-configuration required, an authorized remote worker can sit down at any computer, anywhere in the world, and securely access their corporate resources.
In its purest form, SSL VPN remote access is strictly browser based. This is true, for example, for proxied Web applications. In other cases, a "virtual" client is automatically pushed through the Web browser in the form of tiny Java applets or ActiveX controls. The difference between these thin clients and the IPSec fat client is that the SSL VPN clients are stateless, do not have to be manually installed or configured, and can be delivered transparently through the Web browser to any computer on demand.
STAY IN CONTROL
Just because it's easy to connect from anywhere in the world, doesn't mean that you give up control over your environment. Each user has a personalized portal that displays only the resources that each individual user is authorized to access, depending on policy
