A network appliance is a device you add to the network to provide additional functionality and extensibility
Load Balancer
- Distributes work load across several devices.
- DNS Round Robin
- HTTP Round Robin
- Load balancers transparent to the end users if working properly
- Algorithms to distribute
- Round robin,
- Least response time,
- Weighted round robin
- Load balancers may also do:
- DoS attack protection
- Caching
Etc
Proxy Server
- Acts as an intermediary between our computer and the internet. Usually sits behind the router. Can also be a third party VPN on the other side of the router
- Adds a layer of privacy and disguises our true endpoint
- Content filtering
- Caching
Content Filter
- Blocks certain traffic and access to websites based on rules.
- Traffic must flow through a content filter, it cannot sit on the edge of a network for it to work.
- Can evaluate traffic based on:
- URL
- keywords
- website categories
- ports/protocols
- Can be used as parental control/productivity devices/security
- Hardware/software/cloud based
VPN Concentrator
Allows for a connection to our internal network through a VPN. Essential an intranet services over the internet
- End users initiate VPN client.
- Connect to public Internet,
- Encrypted tunnel to concentrator.
- Concentrator authenticates
Provides encryption so that all data that traverses the internet is now private
Prevents exposing remote access server to the internet. When data enters our office, it hits the router first. IF we just let public traffic come in to connect to the remote access server, anyone can attempt to break into it. A concentrator creates a demilitarized zone.
You can also use the concentrator to surf the web through an encrypted channel.
