Do all SSL virtual private networks require to have ssl VPN hardware appliance?

No it doesn't...

If you have a VPN Hardware Appliance its just a Better VPN Server... or Dedicated VPN Server.

Your Computer has SSL installed and thats how the connection is made.

You have Software VPN and you have Hardware VPN

Same goes with:

Firewall

Antivirus

Malware

Trunks

Even a PlayStation can be emulated on a PC (software)... and you also have PlayStation Consoles (hardware)

Also SSL (Secure Socket Layer) is very old... the actual tunnel layer is TLS (Transport Layer Socket)... Its just called SSL because its backwards compatible... especially for Andriod, IOS a lot of devices which only supports SSL... and not the newer TLS.

No you don't need HardWare appliance only the SSL/TLS protocol installed and running on your system... without it you cannot create Tunnel.

And DeMoNsLaYeR575 was right...

Not sure how someone who mananges... VPN doesn't know this.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transport_Layer_Secur...

In your system registry (WINDOWS) you can enable/disable these Security Sockets... and if you disable all versions SSL you will notice you can still make Secure Sockets... as TLS is the one of choice... if your all version of TLS was disable... Then SSL version will be used... But if you disable both.. your system will not be able to make a tunnel

Yes, you must have hardware at at least one end of the tunnel.

no SSL is all virtual