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If your business is big enough to benefit from the remote access features of a VPN, then it's big enough to care about protecting, too. ZyXEL's new ZyWALL Unified Security Gateway 300 packs hybrid VPN features and enterprise-grade security into a small, simple package that's both affordable and easy to manage.

With support for both IPSec VPN and SSL VPN technologies, the USG 300 offers user-aware access control and quality of service features that give you detailed control over user activity and bandwidth management, so your network resources don't go to waste. It also includes anti-virus protection from Kaspersky Labs to stop malware from reaching your network through infected remote machines. And because the security is managed by a built-in security coprocessor, scanning for viruses doesn't have to slow down your data traffic.

While the ZyWALL USG 300 is priced at $2,000, we found it online for a budget-friendly $1,300 online, which makes it a lot more palatable to medium-sized companies than other enterprise class VPN gateways, which can cost thousands more for the same set of features. While not robust enough for large remote workforces, this small rack-mountable gateway is perfect for smaller offices with a handful of telecommuters.