TippingPoint Unity One-200

Of all of the products we tested, TippingPoint Unity One-200 was the fastest and easiest to install. However, while the console is well organized, some features – such as help functions – are not intuitive unless the operator is familiar with Cisco-style help menus. In performance tests the device received top ratings in speed and latency. We found that the product's ease of use and installation complemented its performance achievements.

The TippingPoint product is a slick, well-packaged appliance with a small configuration screen on the front panel. However, we recommend that the operator connect a laptop or other PC to the serial port on the device and access the IPS using HyperTerm as would be expected when configuring many types of routers and switches.

During configuration we tried to compromise the underlying operating system by breaking out of the command prompt. We were unable to do so. Unlike other devices we tested that allowed us to compromise the underlying operating environment by bypassing embedded security, the Unity One resisted all of our attempts to compromise it internally.

When we contacted technical support we found the support engineers to be knowledgeable and helpful. This, along with first-rate documentation, made the device easy to set up and configure.

This product was the only one we tested that came with a quick-start card. This allowed us to unpack the device, read the card and configure the IPS in under 30 minutes. Actualconfiguration, surprisingly, took only five minutes.

The Unity One was neither the most nor least expensive product we tested. Pricing, which includes the entire appliance, therefore, is attractive and makes the product a good value.