AvaLAN Wireless AW-HSNetAppliance - Manual (Page 3)

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User’s Manual AW-HSNetAppliance
This diagram illustrates a typical application for a secure tunnel. The Main Network might be
a corporate LAN and the Linked Network might be a public LAN in a hotel. When the two Net
Appliances are configured and linked, a virtual private network (VPN) is created that behaves
as though the two networks are connected with a simple Ethernet cable.
What makes this different from other VPNs?
The AW-HSNetAppliance is unique in its simplicity, allowing the formation of a network-to-
network connection that only requires a fixed IP address and port forwarding at one of the two
gateway locations. The second gateway can be dynamically addressed without port forward-
ing and the remote Net Appliance can use DHCP for its address. This allows for an exception-
ally simple user experience at the second location because the Net Appliance can be placed on
any remote network and it will immediately create a VPN tunnel to the other side.
How is the AW-HSNetAppliance used and installed?
Two Net Appliances work as a matched pair using the same encryption key to encrypt and de-
crypt the traffic between the devices. The first Net Appliance is typically installed on a trusted
network with MAC address restrictions allowing access only to approved network resources.
Physical installation requires simply attaching each Net Appliance to an open socket on a
switch that is part of each local network.
How does the AW-HSNetAppliance work?
For simplicity let us consider data flow in just one direction. The Net Appliance’s tunnel oper-
ates by encrypting packets received on its Ethernet port. Once encrypted, the packets are
then encapsulated within a new packet structure that has the IP address destination set to
that of the remote gateway. The packet is then sent out from the NetAppliance’s Ethernet
port through the local network gateway and onto the unsafe network (often the Internet or
AvaLAN
Net Appliance
Server
Gateway
Main Network
WAN
Unsecured Public
Network
AvaLAN
Net Appliance
Client
Gateway
Linked Network
WAN
Data Source or
Destination
Data Source or
Destination
How the Net Appliance Works