Networking

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Radware LinkProof 3.61
Radware
Fair (4.7)
Cost: $27,000, including $4,000 SynApps module sold as add-on; installation, $1,995
Bottom Line: Radware LinkProof WLAN link manager plugs in to existing networks effortlessly, but setup trouble, poor reporting, and weak support hurt the product.

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Ranch Networks RN20
Ranch Networks,
Good (5.6)
Cost: $19,995
Bottom Line: Ranch Networks defines a market niche with a product that packs many functions into a single unit, including switch, load-balancing, and traffic capabilities. There's room for improvement, however, especially in configuration and compatibility. The RN20 shows promise but doesn't quite deliver.

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Network Analysis
Addamark Omnisight 2.5
Addamark Technologies
Very Good (8.3)
Cost: Start at $124,000
Bottom Line: Omnisight provides a powerful clustering and querying framework to store and analyze massive log files on the Red Hat Linux platform. It has a high cost of entry and requires significant time and skill to implement.

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Ipsum Networks Route Dynamics 1.2
Ipsum Networks
Very Good (8.3)
Cost: $35,500, 50-router network; $65,000, 250-router network
Bottom Line: With a clean, intuitive interface, Ipsum's excellent network-monitoring package provides volumes of network information to administrators, and the distributed approach gives it more strength at the network edges. The lack of what-if analysis features and alerts does give pause, though.

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Network Instruments Observer 8.3
Network Instruments
Very Good (8.3)
Cost: $1,000
Bottom Line: This WLAN network analyzer is feature-rich, very easy to use, and simple to set up, provided you have approved WLAN hardware. After it's up and running, it does a great job that’s made better by the fact that it can do both wired and wireless analysis without reconfiguring.

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Packet Design Route Explorer 1.5
Packet Design
Very Good (8.5)
Cost: $35,000, 50-router network; $75,000, networks with 250 routers or more
Bottom Line: Route Explorer is a very good network-monitoring product, although the user interface isn't particularly intuitive. It does, however, easily integrate into any network with support for many different platforms and standard routing protocols. Support for admin alerts and what-if analysis are a real boon.

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Switches and Routers
Cisco Catalyst 2955
Cisco Systems
Excellent (8.7)
Cost: Catalyst 2955T-12, $2,100; Catalyst 2955C-12, $2,900; Catalyst 2955S-12, $3,600
Bottom Line: With the Catalyst 2955 switch, industrial or military arenas can use standard Ethernet — instead of special hardware or protocols — to run heavy automation equipment and manage it safely and securely, all at a price point only slightly higher than that of a typical wiring-closet inhabitant.