Price : Too low to display
WatchGuard XTM 22-W VPN Appliance WG022551 231
This review is from : Trade Up To Xtm 22-W 1-YR Ls
device is paranoid but dissatisfied with radio . I know a little bit about computers, but not a lot about IT security. I believe this device should only be purchased by home users with an incredible amount of patience, or IT professionals, and in either case you may want to look at the non-wireless model.
I bought this device at the end of May to replace a decrepit Sonicwall SOHO and a Linksys E3000. I tried to configure it to drop-in and replace the E3000, but ran into difficulties getting the configuration right, so I unplugged it and it sat on the shelf for two months. I just dedicated a morning to set-up, got it working, and did the drop-in.
To get it working, it involved a couple of hours of typing and retyping. In particular, because I have several reserved IP addresses, I had to enter friendly names, ip addresses and MAC addresses. After entering all of them, I clicked to save, and was informed that the IP range was already in use. Well, yes it was, but I was going to change that next. It didn't matter, all that typing was lost and gone. From time to time, I'd get "read errors" or "write errors" which I eventually learned I needed to treat as alerts my admin login credentials were about to timeout. There are other configuration screens where you enter information, but you have to "go back a menu" to get a button to save, and if you don't, you lost what you just typed. I eventually got to reserve my IP addresses by setting the active IP range above the reserved ones, and then entering the reserved ones one at a time, with a two level menu pop-out each time to make sure I had saved my work. My experience was that the admin credentials timeout seemed to be be checked only when trying to commit a configuration change. So, if I stayed logged in, but left my computer for a few minutes, I was at risk of losing the next configuration change I tried to commit. Also, if you don't logout (from admin), the system prohibits you from an admin login at another computer. This was an issue when I was switching between a laptop and a desktop to work on the wireless configuration.
So, when I say the device is paranoid, I'm indicating that as a positive quality. For instance, it feels to me like it's more secure behavior not to permit a second admin unless the first is logged out. But, it can be inconvenient when the laptop is upstairs and you are at the desktop downstairs. ("Why are you leaving a computer logged in as admin?")
The device has a lot of security features, and particularly that is what I was hoping to explore. But, the wireless in this device falls behind the wireless in the E3000 in two respects.
The first is signal strength. I tried a number of orientations for this box and the antenna and could not get it to match the E3000 in range, and no matter what, I would have some deadspots in the house where the E3000 used to work.
The second is that the E3000 can run a 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz radio at the same time, and this box makes you choose one or the other. I have some legacy devices that require 2.4Ghz. Obviously, one solution is to disable wireless and put the E3000 (or get another WAP) on a network inside this box, but that just seems to me to be more trouble than it's worth.
So, I'm still deciding what to do with it. I like having a security approach that layers on top of whatever security precautions the devices (and people) either do or not do. I think this device has a lot of capability, and I like the Live Security updates. But, I think the wireless capabilities of this device are behind the curve right now.
device is paranoid but dissatisfied with radio . I know a little bit about computers, but not a lot about IT security. I believe this device should only be purchased by home users with an incredible amount of patience, or IT professionals, and in either case you may want to look at the non-wireless model.
I bought this device at the end of May to replace a decrepit Sonicwall SOHO and a Linksys E3000. I tried to configure it to drop-in and replace the E3000, but ran into difficulties getting the configuration right, so I unplugged it and it sat on the shelf for two months. I just dedicated a morning to set-up, got it working, and did the drop-in.
To get it working, it involved a couple of hours of typing and retyping. In particular, because I have several reserved IP addresses, I had to enter friendly names, ip addresses and MAC addresses. After entering all of them, I clicked to save, and was informed that the IP range was already in use. Well, yes it was, but I was going to change that next. It didn't matter, all that typing was lost and gone. From time to time, I'd get "read errors" or "write errors" which I eventually learned I needed to treat as alerts my admin login credentials were about to timeout. There are other configuration screens where you enter information, but you have to "go back a menu" to get a button to save, and if you don't, you lost what you just typed. I eventually got to reserve my IP addresses by setting the active IP range above the reserved ones, and then entering the reserved ones one at a time, with a two level menu pop-out each time to make sure I had saved my work. My experience was that the admin credentials timeout seemed to be be checked only when trying to commit a configuration change. So, if I stayed logged in, but left my computer for a few minutes, I was at risk of losing the next configuration change I tried to commit. Also, if you don't logout (from admin), the system prohibits you from an admin login at another computer. This was an issue when I was switching between a laptop and a desktop to work on the wireless configuration.
So, when I say the device is paranoid, I'm indicating that as a positive quality. For instance, it feels to me like it's more secure behavior not to permit a second admin unless the first is logged out. But, it can be inconvenient when the laptop is upstairs and you are at the desktop downstairs. ("Why are you leaving a computer logged in as admin?")
The device has a lot of security features, and particularly that is what I was hoping to explore. But, the wireless in this device falls behind the wireless in the E3000 in two respects.
The first is signal strength. I tried a number of orientations for this box and the antenna and could not get it to match the E3000 in range, and no matter what, I would have some deadspots in the house where the E3000 used to work.
The second is that the E3000 can run a 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz radio at the same time, and this box makes you choose one or the other. I have some legacy devices that require 2.4Ghz. Obviously, one solution is to disable wireless and put the E3000 (or get another WAP) on a network inside this box, but that just seems to me to be more trouble than it's worth.
So, I'm still deciding what to do with it. I like having a security approach that layers on top of whatever security precautions the devices (and people) either do or not do. I think this device has a lot of capability, and I like the Live Security updates. But, I think the wireless capabilities of this device are behind the curve right now.
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Product Details
EAN : 0654522225511UPC : 654522225511
MPN : 0654522225511
Brand : WatchGuard
Weight : 4 pounds
Height : 4 inches
Length : 14 inches
Width : 11 inches
Binding : Personal Computers
Format : CD-ROM
Manufacturer : Watchguard Technologies
Model : WG022551
Operating System : N/A
Publisher : Watchguard Technologies
SKU : D5S@DHWG022551T
Studio : Watchguard Technologies
Where To Buy
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