Cisco or anyone else for firewalls
So I throwing this out there looking for advice. I have a Cisco Router 2921 with the Advanced Security License as well as all cisco switches. We have a few vLans and a good CIDER block of IP's. But it seem to me there are no reporting tools or at least anything that won't cost you an arm or leg. We are a mid sized business with 70 employees and trying to find any kind of GUI reporting stuff for traffic shaping, Access Rules, application monitoring etc... this stuff is really expensive and for companies with multiple sites and lots of equipment. So do we make the switch to pfsense, watchguard, sonicwall or barracuda? They seem to be the whole package and does everything cisco does but with the tools built in. Any input or discussion out there?
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Carl Dula
I recommend Sonicwall. They have new reporting software that is easy to use and should give you the entire picture you are looking for. Sonicwall's are relatively easy to manage, with a browser based interface for most everything. From the 70 employees you mention, I suggest you look at NSA3600 or higher, depending upon what you are doing.
A sonicwall is still not as flexible as a Cisco, you honestly get what you pay for in this world.
You can get most if what you want if you roll your own Linux box and integrate a number of different freeware software.
The sonicwall, barracuda, etc reporting is also fairly underwhelming.
You can get most if what you want if you roll your own Linux box and integrate a number of different freeware software.
The sonicwall, barracuda, etc reporting is also fairly underwhelming.
ASKER
So what freeware software? I've looked. I mean MRTG is ok but really doesn't give you everything. I like cisco but again looking for decent reporting software to go with it that isn't really expensive.
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I am looking at doing traffic shaping and QOS. We also use our router for VPN and would like to monitor that as well. I would also like to blocking at the application level for such things like spotify and pandora. I would also like to be able to monitor my uses bandwidth and see if possible what applications and being bandwidth hogs. I know watchguard will do that and your right Id be out about 4k up front.
Im testing LiveAction right now. It's nice but I think they want 10k. Tried PRTG I didn't but had a hard time with the config and getting everything I wanted out of it.
Ill check out netflow analyzer.
Thanks
Im testing LiveAction right now. It's nice but I think they want 10k. Tried PRTG I didn't but had a hard time with the config and getting everything I wanted out of it.
Ill check out netflow analyzer.
Thanks
The cisco can do Traffic Shaping, QoS, VPN. It can block applications with NBAR and a good Zone-Based Firewall. You may need IPS for the signatures to block some of the more P2P protocols, however if it uses a static port, it can be blocked with relative ease.
Don't kid yourself, Sonicwall and Watchguard will require the same amount of configuration as a Cisco, however the Watchguard and Sonicwall may not be as flexible as the Cisco in some respects. You are constrained to a GUI with the SonicOS, not sure about the Watchguard but last I checked the main config was in a GUI.
Try out ManageEngine, I have never heard of LiveAction. The interface looks interesting and I will leave it at that. ;)
Don't kid yourself, Sonicwall and Watchguard will require the same amount of configuration as a Cisco, however the Watchguard and Sonicwall may not be as flexible as the Cisco in some respects. You are constrained to a GUI with the SonicOS, not sure about the Watchguard but last I checked the main config was in a GUI.
Try out ManageEngine, I have never heard of LiveAction. The interface looks interesting and I will leave it at that. ;)