Review: Cyberoam CR1000i v9.5

For: Easy-to-deploy and integrate device with many features
Against: Firewall configuration and rules are tricky to set up
Verdict: Solid UTM with some extra features to create user-based policy

It also packs a more serious punch with a full-scale internet access and filter policy engine. With this engine an administrator can restrict or open internet use by bandwidth usage, surf time and data transfer.

A specific URL filter policy can also be set up and the device comes with a spam-filter engine that can tie directly into the existing mail system. Anti-virus, anti-spam, content and application filtering, plus IDP modules are available as subscription services.

This product is simple to operate straight out of the box. Once we unpacked the appliance and placed it into our test network, we accessed a short setup wizard from the web GUI and the CR1000i was up and running in minutes with an almost complete configuration and default policy. The web GUI itself is simple to use and intuitive to navigate.

We found creating policies easy and most were already created by default. The only problem we did run into was that the firewall rules were tricky to configure and it took us some time to get it working properly.

The device performed very well under test. The IPS and firewall worked wonderfully together to thwart even our most brutal attacks. We also found the Active Directory integration to create user- and group-based policy on our existing structure useful.

Documentation in PDF format can be found on the website. The quick-start guide, although only a few pages long, nicely describes the initial deployment and setup. The user manual is quite detailed and provides many screenshots and configuration examples of the inner workings of the appliance.

Cyberoam offers many levels of support from basic, which includes updates, email and phone support during office hours, to premium, which adds 24/7 support and much faster problem response times. Also available on the website support area is a knowledge base and technical documentation.

For the device and one year of basic support this box is just about US$10,700, which puts it toward the upper tier of the price scale. However, we find this appliance to be a good value for the money based on its large feature set and ease of use.

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