LateralAccessDevice

LAD for Advanced Users and Network Professionals

LateralAccessDevice is commercial-grade software designed to be used by anyone, from someone with little or no knowledge about setting up networks to software developers and professionals who need robust solutions to help them in their daily professional life. LAD is a purpose-built, multi-dimensional tool for network management and control. It combines the features and functions of a firewall, switch, router, packet capture appliance and DNS server with network monitoring and visualization and incorporates Lateral Firewall, LateralDNS and LateralTime technologies, with an emphasis on providing visibility and controlling access. In simpler terms, it is an all-in-one networking system that you run on your own hardware.

Installation

LAD runs on a separate computer, your own hardware, in fact, so that it runs externally from all the computers and other networked devices that it manages and monitors. To install LAD on your designated computer, which may be any compatible computer, whether new, a decommissioned desktop or a minicomputer with multiple ports, simply create a bootable USB stick and boot up the computer from that USB stick. The software initilizes the hardware and installs itself automatically. All you have to do is sit back and wait a few minutes.

Deployment

You may use LAD as a drop-in replacement for or in addition to a router, firewall and other networking equipment. In some cases, for example, where you have specifically configured networking equipment that you do not wish to change out, LAD operates seamlessly and transparently right along side it. In other circumstances, it could replace the old router or firewall entirely. Since you run it on your own hardware, you have control over how many ports you have for connecting equipment to it, as well as how much storage it has.

LAD may be placed anywhere on the network where you want more monitoring and control over your computers' communications, whether it be with their conversations with Internet or with each other.

In the above sample deployment, LAD takes the place of both the router and the firewall, standing between the network and the Internet. The network computers and equipment each connect individually to LAD, meaning LAD also stands between each device as well. With this topology, all network and Internet communicatios pass through LAD before reaching their intended destination, meaning LAD can monitor and control all of the network communications.

In this example, the original firewall remains at the network edge and connects only to LAD. As in the first example at left, LAD takes the place of the old router and all network devices connect directly to LAD, so LAD can monitor and control all intra-network communications as well as all Internet traffic from the firewall.

LAD may also be deployed to complement and enhance the functionality of a large switch with dozens of ports. In this example, two LAD devices connect to a managed switch. Traffic from any of the switch's other ports could be mirrored to the ports to which the LAD devices are connected, making full line-rate packet capture, comprehensive monitoring and reporting available on any of the switch's links, either on-demand or on a permanent basis for troubleshooting, debugging and investigation.

Operation

Once you have LAD up and running, log in to see all the active devices and computers, automated reports on Internet and network activity and the websites, URLs and IP addresses your computers have accessed, then take control. LAD's controls are intuitive and easy-to-use, with no need to learn any special programming language to tell it what you want it to do. For some tips, see Getting Started with LAD.