RouteFinder RF500S
broadband router
link
Score: 3 out of 3  Review Type: Hands On
Date: May 7, 2001
The MultiTech RouteFinder
is a broadband router with a built in 4 port 10/100 Ethernet switch. In
addition, the RouteFinder includes an async serial port for connecting an
analog modem or ISDN line. The serial port can be used as a backup
Internet connection or it can be used to dial into your home network –
that’s right, the RouteFinder is a real RAS server! The RouteFinder’s
setup wizard provides easy path to configuration for the novice and the
rich feature set will be a hit with the networking
enthusiast.
 Like other broadband routers, the RouteFinder
allows all of the computers on your LAN access to the internet through a
single IP address using a network sharing technology called NAT ( NAT
details
).
The RouteFinder has both telnet and Windows based
administration utilities. The Windows configuration software includes a
fairly easy to use wizard that walks first timers through the basic setup.
The wizard does a pretty good job with the basics of setup but gets a
little complex for the average home user when configuring the dial-in
services – an unavoidable consequence of being so feature rich. Mac and
Linux users must use the telnet interface to configure the router.
 An activity monitor program is also included for Windows
users. This monitor displays information about attacks on the router,
startup/shutdown logs, DHCP logs, etc. The logs can be saved automatically
in a Microsoft Access database (mdb) or saved into standard text files.
MultiTech also includes a TUCOWS archive CD with the
router. TUCOWS (The Ultimate Collection of Winsock Software) is
HomeNetHelp’s favorite place for networking and internet tools so we were
quite pleased with this CD.
Security
What good is a router without a good security for
your LAN. The Routefinder scored a 0 (zero is perfect) in our tests. See
the test results here. In addition to port filtering the RouteFinder
provides protection against Denial of Service (DoS) attacks such as LAND,
Ping of Death, SMTP, Smurf and SYN floods.
Advanced Features
As a basic broadband router, the RouteFinder does a
good job and performs well – but the RouteFinder is more than a basic
router. This router is chuck full of advanced features, many not for the
faint of heart.
A quick look around the MultiTech web site tells you
these guys are serious network professionals. Multitech manufacturers VPN,
RAS, VOIP equipment and more. The experience MultiTech has gained from
their other product lines obviously makes it’s way into the RouteFinder.
RAS Server
 The RAS Server is relatively easy to configure and
offers loads of features. It has standard PPP/SLIP client support,
optional RADIUS authentication, dynamic or static IP address assignments,
multi-protocol support, etc! Routing, filtering, port mapping and more are
all supported through the serial interface. Port Forwarding (virtual server)
 The RouteFinder supports and advanced form of port
forwarding that allows you to take advantage of multiple static Internet
IP address (if you have more than one). This allows you to run multiple
domains, each with unique IP address’. This feature is normally not seen
in a router in this price range but shows how MultiTech’s professional
product line features have seeped into their consumer level
products. Port Forwarding is supported from both the WAN
Ethernet port and the async serial port. The only thing missing is port
range forwarding.
Access Control
 Access to the Internet along various ports can be
filtered from client to client. If there’s a computer that needs web
access (or any other port) restricted, this router can do it. Since the
router uses both a block AND a pass model, configuration is fairly simple.
Other Notable Features
 support for mIRC pass-thru
support for Netmeeting 3.x and other H.323 products
support for IPsec pass-thru Multiple WAN IP address’
support for PPTP pass-thru
remote management using a telnet client
See the on-line manual at
View the RouteFinder README file for their
FlashRom updates for a list of the latest features.
Notes on use
The wizard only accepts a
single DNS server address. After the wizard is finished, go back in and
set your secondary DNS Server. @Home users and other cable modem users need to change the
routers name to their ISP provided machine name / host name. Do this in
the configuration program. If your ISP provided you with a domain name,
there’s a spot for that too. DMZ features are available but not apparent. Use port ZERO
(0) to forward all ports. This method can be used in conjunction with
multiple external internet IP address (you can run multiple DMZ’s if your
ISP gives you more than one static IP) | 
RouteFinder
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