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SonicWall Pro 3060

SonicWall's Pro 3060 firewall offers antivirus and content filtering services as optional extras in this 1U height, rack-mountable chassis.

The device is unusual because it offers two distinct antivirus services. The first, called Gateway Antivirus, provides antivirus scanning services for internet traffic. This is designed to ensure that viruses do not enter the network from the internet.

It offers inspection not only of incoming traffic such as http and ftp, but also outbound traffic using the smtp protocol. It is possible to exclude ranges of ip addresses from the Gateway scanning process.

The second antivirus feature, called Network Anti-Virus, distributes scanning software to the individual workstations on the LAN. The Network antivirus software is unsuitable for servers and should not be installed on them. It would be advisable to configure the software to exclude these machines, and any non-Windows machines that might be in use, since the system would otherwise prevent them from accessing the internet.

This software, from McAfee, can be used on systems running Microsoft Windows 95 or above with a spare 7Mb of hard disk space available for storage.

You will need Internet Explorer 5.0 or above, but other browsers can be used once the initial installation has been completed.

The 3060 functions as a management system in this case, organizing the distribution and updating of software and virus signatures and collating and producing reports on the activities of the antivirus software.

These reports are password-protected to restrict access, since some of the information relating to the network and the system is considered to be confidential.

SonicWall's Network antivirus client supports Mcafee's "rumor-based" signature file distribution to source updates from other local clients whenever possible, which reduces the load on the servers.

By providing both the Gateway and Network anti-virus features, SonicWall has managed to produce a very comprehensive antivirus package in one device.

Product title
SonicWall Pro 3060
Product info
Name: SonicWall Pro 3060 (Group Test: AV management) Description: Price: Pro 3060 $3,760; gateway AV $3,300; network AV $17,200 for 500 users
Strength
It is unusual in providing both types of antivirus software in one installation.
Weakness
The maximum limit of 500 users makes it less attractive to larger installations.
Verdict
The additional antivirus features add value to what is already a highly effective firewall.

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