The best firewall is ....

Symantec SGS 5420

Contents
Introduction
 Cyberguard SG710
 Fortinet FortiGate 200A
 Juniper ISG1000
 Lucent Brick 150
 Netgear FVX538
 Network Box RM-300
 SonicWALL PRO 5060c
 Symantec SGS 5420
 WatchGuard X1000
 Specifications
 How we tested
 Editor's choice
 About RMIT

The faceplate of the device sports a small LCD along with six small recessed buttons and five status LEDs showing power, temperature, network, and disk status/activity.

The rear of the device is where all the ports are located, including a serial/console port, two USB ports, and six copper network ports. There is a standard IEC power connector and a small power switch.

Once the machine has been booted and the initial addresses, (IP, subnet, gateway) and password set via the LCD, the system reboots and the administrator can then access it via a browser using HTTPS and port 2456. Then a preliminary configuration wizard runs. Some of the systems features in addition to firewalling are; VPN, content filtering, antivirus scanning, intrusion detection, and prevention, as well as hardware encryption.

Symantec developers have certainly exercised a prodigious amount of Java coding to create this management interface. Reports can be generated directly from the interface, and saved in either PDF or HTML format â€" there are even options for page sizes. There are also 38 different types of report that are available to be generated at the click of a button.

Overall this is a well-designed device with plenty of scalability. The management and administration interface may take a little time to get used to.

Product SGS 5420
Price AU$6,600 - $11,000
Vendor Symantec
Phone 02 8879 1041
Web www.symantec.com
 
Interoperability ½
Good range of features and management options.
Futureproofing
Good level of logging/reporting available as well as a decent range of options.
ROI ½
Good pricing considering available options and features.
Service
3 years warranty is also excellent.
Rating ½
Symantec SGS 5420

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Talkback 22 comments

  1. Checkpoint Anonymous -- 09/08/05

    How can you test all firewalls and leave the marketleader out ? All these are toys ! :)checkpoint rules

  2. Hardware firewalls Craig Ringer -- 10/08/05

    This review appears limited to dedicated hardware firewalls.

    That's not the extent of the offerings available. In particular, *BSD and Linux have very useful built-in firewalls that can be used to protect a network. You spend more time setting it up, but get more control and pay less for the hardware.

    1. There are NO such things as Hardware Firewalls Craig S Wright -- 05/09/05

      There are NO such things as Hardware Firewalls

      Just pre-packaged boxes. Even the PIX is just an Intel based host with an OS

    2. Rubbish... Anonymous -- 15/10/05

      The Juniper range contain dedicated purpose built chips.

    3. Hardware Firewalls Donovan Marsden -- 21/05/07

      There are such things as hardware firewalls This prepackaged boxes contain firmware (hardware) not software so hardware firewalls refers to media. Not to mention that all it's electronics are dedicated to the firewall job!

  3. ISA Firewall? Anonymous -- 15/08/05

    Excuse me, but where was the ISA firewall in your test? Was there a reason for leaving the ISA firewall out?

  4. ISA Firewall? Anonymous -- 15/08/05

    Excuse me, but where was the ISA firewall in your test? Was there a reason for leaving the ISA firewall out?

    1. Talk is only about Hardware firewall. Vijay -- 18/05/07

      here the talk is only about the hardware firewall not about the software firewall...

      ISA 2000 till 2006 plays good role in application layer firewalls, when u talk about the hardware level, packet filtering and ip spoofing etc we need to go for hardware based firewall...

    2. ISA Appliances Gladys I. Rodriguez -- 03/08/07

      I think everyone forgets that ISA is also is also sold as an appliance: http://www.microsoft.com/isaserver/howtobuy/hardwaresolutions.mspx, because people say well in runs on top of Windows OS. But Cisco runs on top of their IOS, Juniper has DX OS, WatchGuard has Firebox X, etc. Microsoft just provides the extra control for what type of box the users choose to run their Firewall.

  5. Why didn't you guys include the Check Point offering in your comparison of Firewall products? They have a very good end to end security offering and they play very hard in the enterprise space (and have also brought the same technology down to the mid tie Anonymous -- 22/08/05

    Why didn't you guys include the Check Point offering in your comparison of Firewall products? They have a very good end to end security offering and they play very hard in the enterprise space (and have also brought the same technology down to the mid tier and SMB products as well)

  6. Astaro Firewall not listed?! Anonymous -- 29/08/05

    I can't believe you would do a round up with out including Astaro Firewalls in the mix. They are by far the most powerful and flexible for business.

    www.astaro.com

  7. Cisco Anonymous -- 29/08/05

    WHAT ABOUT CISCO'S PIX???

  8. No Kickbacks from the Big Guns! Anonymous -- 08/09/05

    noice, no checkpoint, pix nor isa. What creditability does this mag have?

  9. Derek Jolowisz Anonymous -- 29/09/05

    :-)

  10. Software firewall packages Anonymous -- 25/11/05

    would have been nice to see products like smoothwall, included.

  11. Checkpoint Anonymous -- 09/07/07

    I'm glad some of you are getting Checkpoint to work. I can't get onto the net, firmware upgrades have now prevented me from talking to the firewall. I using a $10 hub, seems to work better. Asking for an RMA right now.

  12. Sonic What, Watchguard!?!?! Anonymous -- 04/09/07

    Can't believe watchguard was even mentioned this cannot even be compared to the likes of Juniper ISG, Checkpoint and ASA/PIX in a corporate environment.

    AS
    Sell my house
    www.cheshiremoves.com

  13. Symantec Anonymous -- 11/10/07

    Has anyone ever tried to contact Symantec about the Symantec SGS 5420?

    I've tried many times and no one there knows anything about it - they just transfer me to some guy in an Indian call centre trying to sell me antivirus!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    anyone got a real number to call?

    Cheers

    Justin

    1. Symantec support Anonymous -- 18/02/08

      Dont waste your time, they are dropping firewall support in 2009.

    2. Symantec SGS - What to do with old box? Anonymous -- 27/09/08

      We have SGS v3.x appliance which will be retired next year. Is it possible to install some thing like 'Astaro' into the box since Symantec only believes in 'end-point' security?

  14. no Cisco? Anonymous -- 29/05/08

    there are probably more Cisco firewalls installed in the world than all other brands combined. Not to say Cisco firewalls are the best, but to ignore the biggest player?
    btw, I have ASA 5505 at home, loving it.

  15. Cisco ASA 5505 Anonymous -- 25/06/08

    Most of us can't afford a $600+ firewall at home.

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