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“Plug-n-click network access management” is the title of Roger Grimes’s August 1, 2005, InfoWorld review of StillSecure Safe Access 3.0 and Vernier Networks EdgeWall Express 7000. The review’s network access management (NAM) systems checked endpoint security compliance and controlled access for computers that failed policy checks. Its comparison is useful as a historical account of two approaches—not as current product-buying advice.
What network access management meant in this review
Grimes described NAM as a way to enforce security requirements before a computer connects to a protected network, or while it is connected. As the review put it, “NAM solutions attempt to ensure that critical security policies are enforced before a computer connects to a protected network.” Checks could look for current antivirus software, installed patches, or known vulnerabilities. A system could then monitor for threats, quarantine a noncompliant endpoint, or initiate remediation.
The two products approached that job differently. Safe Access was software that could enforce access through a gateway or DHCP and check endpoints using an agent, an ActiveX control, or an agentless method. EdgeWall Express was an always-on appliance that combined vulnerability scanning and network inspection with access controls. Those are descriptions of products in 2005, not a current taxonomy of network access control.
How the two products enforced access
| Product | Enforcement approach reported in 2005 | Key qualification |
|---|---|---|
| StillSecure Safe Access 3.0 | Gateway mode placed clients in a restricted VLAN until they passed checks. DHCP mode could withhold a valid lease until compliance was met. | Grimes noted that a client using a valid static IP address could bypass the DHCP-mode check. He characterized gateway mode as harder to bypass because noncompliant clients remained in a restricted VLAN. |
| Vernier Networks EdgeWall Express 7000 | An always-on appliance used vulnerability scanning and network inspection to identify risks and could restrict access or block, quarantine, or remove malicious traffic. | The review discusses the Express 7000 within a product family whose models varied in features, throughput, port count, and redundancy; it does not establish current availability or support. |
Endpoint checks: method and visibility
Safe Access 3.0
The review says Safe Access could check endpoints through a Windows agent, an ActiveX control, or an agentless process using authenticated RPC. It offered predefined checks, three monitoring policies named Low, Medium, and High Security, custom policies, configurable rechecks, and administrator-selected quarantine actions. Grimes praised its flexibility and setup, but criticized the lack of visibility into default scripts. He also reported that its default patch checks relied on registry entries.
#1 Best Overall
- FAST, STABLE CONNECTION: Simply plug in and keep the smart outlet connected to your stable 2.4GHz network. Enhanced WiFi + Bluetooth connection is faster and more stable. Note: Don't support 5G WiFi.
- HAND-FREE VOICE CONTROL: Smart plugs that work with Alexa & Google Home Assistant. Just use simple voice commands to control your devices. Tips: please connect smart plug to the GHome app first—cannot link directly to Alexa/Google Home.
- SCHEDULES & AUTO-OFF TIMER: Easy to set timers and add schedules to connected devices circularly or randomly, making them work as scheduled like auto-off and auto-on.
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- CERTIFIED SAFETY & COMPACT DESIGN: This wifi outlet plug combines assured reliability and a small size. It is ETL and FCC certified, rated at 10A, 1200W, and 120V, and its space-saving compact design fits perfectly into any corner of your home.
EdgeWall Express 7000
EdgeWall’s checks were tied to its scanning and network-inspection approach. Grimes identified shortcomings in host checks and noted that file-version checks required the optional Patch Management Integration module. His review praised the appliance’s intrusion-prevention functions and scalability while treating gaps in endpoint checks as a concern.
Network controls and administration
EdgeWall’s reviewed feature set extended beyond endpoint compliance. The article lists VPN termination, VLAN tagging, MAC and LDAP authentication, quality of service (QoS), bandwidth throttling, SNMP management, and wireless access. It also describes a browser-based administrative interface with configurable connection profiles and access policies.
Rank #2
- WIDE APPLICATION-- The board can be widely used for controlling industry equipment and electrical appliances, such as lights, air-conditioning or refrigerator at your home.
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- RJ45 INTERFACE-- This module is equipped with RJ45 interface, via RJ45 telecommunications connection for network control. It features high stability and high precision, easy to install and operate.
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Safe Access was a software server based on a hardened Red Hat Linux version. The review lists minimum requirements of a Pentium 4 1.2 GHz or faster processor, 1 GB of RAM, and two network cards. These are historical requirements for that release, not guidance for deploying a current access-control system.
What the review’s scores do—and do not—say
| Product reviewed | InfoWorld overall score | Publication date |
|---|---|---|
| StillSecure Safe Access 3.0 | 8.2 | August 1, 2005 |
| Vernier Networks EdgeWall Express 7000 | 7.6 | August 1, 2005 |
These are InfoWorld’s historical review scores, not current ratings or measured security outcomes. The scorecard covered setup, reporting, value, policy enforcement, policy management, and security. Its results reflect Grimes’s evaluation at publication and should not be used to rank products available today.
Rank #3
- ✅ The main feature of this kit is that it allows you to open the door simply by pressing the wireless RF remote instead of moving to the door physically when someone visits. The remote communicates with the wireless receiver, which can program up to 40 remotes, and it has a range of 160 feet.
- ✅ EASY USE: Transmits data to a cloud platform through the Wi-Fi Router, which enables you to remotely control the connected appliances via free Tuya Smart App. You can download the iOS version in App Store and the Android version in Google Play.
- ✅ SHARE CONTROL: Share control with your family and friends. Also you can DIY set this by yourself easy handling and can be activated immediately and stably.
- ✅ TIMING FUNCTION: Another feature available if to set timing schedules for the appliances, which can include countdown, scheduled on/off. It’s simple, giving you one less thing to worry about in your busy life.
- ✅ Attention: Specialized for the electric access control lock
How to read this comparison today
- It illustrates a lasting design trade-off: how access is enforced matters as much as what an endpoint check can detect. The review specifically flagged the static-IP bypass risk in Safe Access DHCP mode.
- It shows why check transparency matters. The reviewer could not inspect Safe Access’s default scripts, while EdgeWall’s file-version checks depended on an optional module.
- It does not establish whether either product is currently sold or supported, identify successor products, or document present-day network access control practices.
The source is Roger Grimes, “Plug-n-click network access management,” InfoWorld, published August 1, 2005.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- HARDWARE PLUS SECURITY SERVICES: FortiGate-60F Firewall Appliance bundled with 1 year of FortiCare Premium and FortiGuard Unified Threat Protection.
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Rank #4
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- Ideal for multi-story homes, basements, attics, and garages.
- 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐛𝐮𝐲 - Adapters must be plugged directly into wall outlets on the same electrical circuit. Does not work with power strips, surge protectors, or extension cords. Place away from large appliances, such as washing machines, refrigerators, and air conditioners.
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
