Customer Reviews

NETGEAR ProSafe SSL312 SSL VPN Concentrator 25 - VPN Gateway ( SSL312-100NAS)

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

This is a good product and works as advertised - with one small flaw. If you're an Apple Mac user, you'll only be able to use it if you're running a PowerPC Mac. Due to a compilation problem in the VPN client Java library by Netgear, the SSL VPN client will not run on an Intel based Mac (even through Rosetta).

If you're planning to use this with an Intel Mac - wait for a firmware upgrade from Netgear otherwise you'll just be staring at a useless blue box with a flashing green light!

My work currently uses this product for our VPN and we are currently looking for a replacement device because of Netgear's incredibly slow response and support. Windows 7 has been the most tested operating system and has been in release candidate form for a long time. Netgear still doesn't have a firmware upgrade that works with the operating system. This device uses an Active X plug-in on a web browser interface. The plug-in does a check to see what operating system is installed and won't let you run the device because it doesn't recognize the OS as Vista or XP. It appears that supporting Windows 7 should be easy, they just need to let their Active X plug-in recognize Windows 7 as a valid OS since Windows 7 and Vista are very similar. I could be wrong and it can be more difficult than that, but we will never know because Netgear has been silent on the issue. I have called their support and all they can tell me is that they are working on a firmware to work with Windows 7. They can't give me any time frame when it will be available. I work at a software development company that needs to support Windows 7 so we need a firmware upgrade asap. Just be aware of this devices limitations. It works under limited situations with limited configurations.

As of 11/2009 this product does not support SSL keys bigger than 1024 bits. This is a HUGE problem if you are trying to get a third party SSL certificate from somebody like GoDaddy. You will be unable to get a signed certificate. This is a cool product at a very competitive price, unfortunately this limitation makes it impossible for a business to deploy in a new install. I contacted Netgear support and they confirmed this limitation and had no solution. Do NOT buy this product unless you really understand this serious limitation!! Hopefully Netgear will make a firmware fix or something soon.

Since they first came out, I have set up several of these for customers. This one happened to be for my office. Once set up, they are great. The biggest problem is the tech support people. Slow to respond, foreign accent, and bad attitudes. Figure on 4 to 6 hours between hold time and the time necessary to work through any issues with the tech support people. The documentation is useless. I have never been able to get some of the features to work such as remotely running Word or Excel. I might be able to figure it out if I had the time, but I really don't.

They have also been somewhat unreliable. I suggest that you immediately register the product before installing it. Then when you do have to call tech support to set it up, it will be somewhat easier. When you register you are offered an extended service plan. BUY IT! If your device fails, you get overnight delivery of a replacement. It also provides access to better tech support, and you get tech support for several years instead of 90 days.

I've used the SSL-312 for several years - since it was new, and it does work similarly to most SSL/Browser-based VPN solutions. However, as other reviewers have noted, support is difficult to come by. My experience is that it takes so long for support to reply that you will have worked around your problems before they answer with what for me was inevitably a wrong solution - i.e. one I'd already tried and knew wasn't going to work.

Also, they basically don't respond to actual bugs. Firmware updates a far too few for a device that is a crucial to operations as a VPN is. The price is good, but hold on... It simply doesn't work on under Windows 7. And its support for Firefox has been missing or extremely faulty at best. But you can use IE to establish the VPN, and then use any other browser for your general browsing - but you do have to keep the IE browser open to keep the connection established.

So Here's the gist: If you're using XP or Vista, and plan to stay with that for a good while, then this is a very workable and effective solution. Otherwise, absolutely not going to work for you.

I can only echo what others have written here about how badly Netgear have let down their customers with this. I run a small business that was quite happily using this for our VPN but as more of our contractors have started using Windows 7 laptops remotely this has become more of a headache and is now of no use at all. Considering all other Netgear products now support Windows 7 (and will fully support SSL too by Q2 2010) it seems very odd that Netgear choose not to do this for the SSL 312 - indeed at the start of the year they were quoting Q1 for SSL 312 Windows 7 compatibility on their support page, this has now changed to "will not be supported"

The one additional downside of buying this from Netgear is the appalling, colloquial forum system. You have to fully register multiple times with a plethora of information to even be allowed to read anything in the "Prosafe" forums, which is completely unnecessary and obstructive, and emails to tech support just go unanswered. Cannot recommend avoiding this strongly enough, and given Netgear's attitude I would apply that to the rest of their products too.

I bought this in 2008 with the hopes it would solve my network shortcomings. The reality is NetGear abandoned the product and it does not support some versions of XP, it does not work with Vista and certainly not with 7. Do not waste your money. This piece of hardware is all hype and no delivery.

Very easy to setup. Not a entrprise class vpn solution but works great for a small office.