D-Link on Monday shipped a security appliance for small business and home networks that bundles firewall, intrusion detection, content filtering, and anti-virus tools in a four-inch-square device.

SecureSpot sits between the computer and the network router -- in most small networks the DSL or cable modem -- and offloads security chores from the machine so that the PC or Mac performance isn't affected by processor- and memory-hungry tools.

The 4-by-4-by-1-inch box includes spyware and popup blockers, spam filtering, identity protection, and parental controls in addition to the basic security features of firewall and anti-virus.

D-Link pitched the new product as a multi-layer defensive system that costs less than separate security software products. The SecureSpot's firmware-based tools are provided by Bsecure Technologies, a Fort Walton Beach, Fla.-based enterprise security vendor venturing into the consumer space for the first time with D-Link.

SecureSpot retails for $99.99, a price that includes a one-year license for up to four computers. Extensions beyond the first year will cost $79.99 annually. The device works with both Windows- (Windows 98 and later) and Mac OS X-based machines (10.3.x and 10.4.x).