NTI PIX Comparison

This is a comparison of the Network Safety NetNAT product with the Personal Internet Exchange of Network Translation Inc. All information on the PIX was obtained from the NTI web pages.

Conservation of Internet Address

NTI will allow you to connect "over 1000 hosts...via a single Class C." The NetNAT will allow you to do the same with a single IP Address. If you're an Internet Service Provider, you may use our NetNATs to connect over a quarter million hosts via the same Class C that NTI would use for a single site.

If you build large private Intranets, you can use a single network model for each site or business unit, even using exactly the same network addresses at each site, and let them communicate with each other and with the Internet through our NetNATs. You may wind up with just one IP Address visible to the Internet! Even if you have a handful of addresses this will greatly simplify your public DNS administration job!


Internal Gateway Hosts

NTI permits you to enable access to particular hosts on the inside of your network so that they may be used as email gateways or other services. With their method, that costs you an external IP Address. With our NetNAT's Server Port Mapping feature, we can map inbound requests to email or other gateways without setting aside a dedicated IP Address. In fact, you may have dozens of inbound services distributed across dozens of internal servers, and still share a single IP Address with your internal clients!

Fixed Mapping of IP Addresses

Sometimes you really need fixed mapping of internal "actual" IP Addresses to external "apparent" IP Addresses. We provide this simple function just like NTI does.

Dynamic Mapping of IP Addresses

NTI assigns apparent IP Addresses to internal clients on an as-needed basis, but maintains a one-to-one mapping between internal and external IP Addresses. We reuse the external IP Address and re-map the external port number. We provide individualized support for the few client/server protocols that are sensitive to port number, to permit transparent use of these by your users.

The NTI pricing is based on the number of simultaneous users you expect, with prices reaching to beyond $20,000 in some cases. We don't consider making you use more external IP Addresses a feature that you should pay for. Actually, we see that as a lack of imagination. So, why should you pay more for it?

NTI's base price for a 32-IP Address unit is $8995. Their prices can reach $300,000 when more addresses are needed. Ours for a 2-ethernet unit without the address limit is $2995. We have lots of other models, with different interfaces and WAN capability. If you build the unit yourself, we'll sell you the software for $1000 (US and Canada only, International pricing is available on request). Check the build it yourself page for hardware requirements. Contact us if you wish to resell our products. We have a much better reseller program than you will find on the PIX.


NetNAT Unique Standard Features

Multiple Private Networks

If you have two networks that need to communicate, but that also need to be concealed from each other, the NetNAT may be told that each is "private" so that no network topology or addressing information is exchanged. In this case, all inter-network communication uses translated addresses.

If you have two private networks and a public one, a 3-ethernet NetNAT may be used to interconnect them, possibly eliminating an expensive multi-LAN router. The two private networks may be hidden from each other or not, as you wish.


Logging of Deflected
and Permitted Accesses

If desired, the NetNAT will log via syslog any attempted access from the outside that is denied by its firewall features. You will see the attempts that fail, as well as those that you permit, plus the bandwidth used for the authorized services. If you're providing Web services for hire, this gives you the numbers you need for billing.

Internet Access Control

This upcoming NetNAT feature allows your internal hosts to be placed into groups by function, and then given default access rights for appropriate services. When you wish to permit more access, you may do so from your Web browser through the NetNAT's builtin Web server. This gives you control over when the Web may be explored, and by whom. When you give them enhanced access rights, you also specify a timeout, after which the access reverts to the group's default rights. This is perfect for the school or small company.

Integral Frame Relay Support

With our optional RFC 1490 Frame Relay Adaptor, your NetNAT can be your complete solution to Internet connection, address translation, security and access control. We're compatible with most makers of routers, including Cisco and Wellfleet.

Demand Dial PPP

For the truly small site, our smaller DialNAT gives you all of these functions with dial-on-demand connectivity via PPP. The link establishes itself when any of your users try for an offsite service, and stays up as long as accesses continue. Your Internet Service Provider sees your DialNAT and its IP Address, and has no idea that all of your users are sharing the link.

Online Documentation

All NetNAT and DialNAT documentation is online on the device's builtin Web server. In addition, the configuration file is just another Web page for you to view.

Check Out The Specs

Check out the NetNAT functional specification for all the details on all the features. See how flexible our products are. See how we can help you.
This page was last modified on November 16, 1995.

This information is proprietary to Network Safety. Network Safety, WebElite, DialNAT and NetNAT are trademarks of Network Safety. For information on our products and services, please contact our sales department.

This page was prepared using WebElite, our professional editor for the Web.