The device can be managed using a remote browser interface and it is also possible to administer it using the console link provided.
Although most administrators will use the browser interface, the console link offers a nice surprise. Instead of a command line interface with cryptic parameters and idiosyncratic syntax, it offers a full graphical interface using X-Windows. It is possible to perform all administration tasks for the firewall and the device using it, and online help is provided.
If not for the inconvenience of leaving a keyboard, mouse and display unit attached to the appliance, the only reason to use the browser interface would be to make use of its remote administration facilities. Sites that use KVM switches will be particularly interested in using the console interface as an alternative to using remote browser access.
The browser interface uses SSL encryption to ensure security on the connection. Real-time monitoring and reports are available for the system. There is a packet sniffer that can monitor several protocols including TCP, UDP and IPsec according to source, destination or port number as required.
The system reveals its Unix heritage in its firewall editing system, which displays the configuration file as part of its interface. It is easy to create new rules by pointing and clicking and selecting options as needed from the graphical editor interface, which makes a range of editing features available.
The system provides an IDS in the "NetProwler" application. This can be configured from the main interface. NetProwler can be set to send suspicious packets to the firewall for processing and can close the connection. The VPN management system provides help on all aspects of creating and maintaining VPN connections. The system is hardened and did not respond to our port scanning attempts.
