Courier™ Case Studies

Security, Accessibility and Reliability for Custom Sign Services

Organization:

Milt’s Sign Service

Location:

South San Francisco, CA

Type of Business:

Commercial Sign Shop

Products Used:

USR8200 Firewall/VPN + Storage Router

The Challenge

For Lou Lazarus, owner of Milt’s Sign Service, an increase in business meant having to get additional design work done at a remote office 50 miles away from the main production site. Milt’s Sign Service needed a business solution that would allow them to reliably and securely send detailed artwork—files far too large for e-mail—quickly and easily from one facility to another on demand. Tall on work, but short on solutions, Mr. Lazarus turned to USRobotics for help in meeting his business needs.

The Solution

Mr. Lazarus worked with his local USRobotics VAR to find a solution that would provide the means to access the large data files containing their customers’detailed artwork, but would also fit within their existing infrastructure without the need for a dedicated network guru. And because business was still growing, a solution was needed that would have the flexibility to add capacity and handle even greater amounts of business traffic at a moment’s notice. Milt’s Sign Service needed the USR8200 Firewall/VPN + Storage Router.

The Benefits

Having remote access to detailed artwork files was a snap with built-in VPN end-point support and integrated FTP file server capability. VPN end-point support provides a secure, reliable, and inexpensive way to seamlessly extend existing network infrastructure from the main production site to the remote design facility 50 miles away. And because the USR8200 is loaded with features, each office requires minimal hardware investment for maximum results: a PC, cable modem, and USR8200 Firewall/VPN + Storage Router are all that each office requires.

The FTP file server capability gives the main production facility quick and easy access to the designs produced by the remote office for immediate download on demand. Built-in expandability supports IPSec server/client modes (as will as PPTP) and up to 253 IPSec tunnels. The integrated file server and IEEE 1394 FireWire (1) and USB 2.0 (2) ports allow for the easy addition network storage.

And to ensure that important data and confidential client information remain safe, the USR8200 was designed with maximum security in mind. Advanced firewall features include Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI), DMZ Host support, Application Level Gateways (ALGs), protection against Denial of Service (DoS) attacks, and even an onboard encryption engine that’s faster and more efficient than software-based encryption technologies.

By partnering with USRobotics, Mr. Lazarus was able to get the ideal business solution he needed now, and a solution that would also expand to support his future business needs. Now, Milt’s Sign Service has a reliable and secure networking solution that’s both simple to use and robust enough to manage their business needs and their client list as both continue to grow.