Networking Research Library

Many network managers are interested in NAC for controlling network access and activity, but a full-blown NAC deployment a la Cisco or Microsoft requires both long-term commitment and considerable cost. To fill the gap between consumer interest and investment, several vendors offer appliances that deliver many of NAC's promised network access benefits, with far less fuss. Our research shows that while the majority of networking pros are still "considering" or "undecided" about the three major NAC platforms, 25 percent of them already have third-party access control or endpoint products installed, and 29 percent are evaluating them. This Podcast discusses why NAC appliances are quickly becoming so popular in the networking realm, how they fit into the network architecture, and how they compare to full-blown NAC for managing access to network resources.