Review: Firebox SOHO 6tc

Putting a firewall in the home office should be a natural thing to do. After all, you are not only protecting your user but also the data that they will be working on, and probably holding, on their machine. This security is just as important as the security in the main office, as liability on data and business-critical information could otherwise be breached with ease. This is where a small but powerful appliance from a developer with experience in both the enterprise and SOHO markets is going to come in very handy.

In its distinctive red livery, the Firebox SOHO 6tc looks like a miniature of the enterprise solution WatchGuard has build its reputation on. The box takes up very little room and is ideal for the teleworker or small office. It supports up to ten users but can be upgraded online to handle 25 or even 50 users. This makes it a good buy for the growing business or where the teleworker uses more than one computer to deliver work from the home office environment.

Without the correct licensing only the permitted number of users can dial out, but incoming communications will not be affected. This is because it is not IP address dependent.

The Firebox SOHO 6tc is very flexible when it comes to the practicalities of operating system interoperability. As a plug-and-play device, you can be working on Windows 95, 98, 2000 or NT, Linux, Unix or Mac, and the ease of installation will be the same. It is also extremely versatile on the modem compatibility front as it can be utilized with DSL, cable, ISDN or leased lines, making it workable in most home offices.

Once registered online you can benefit from the most recent improvements on offer, so that all security enhancements are available from day one. Even virus protection is included free for one year with McAfee VirusScan ASaP.

Other features and benefits include the Remote Management Client and 90 days of the LiveSecurity Service free, which extends to upgrades and add-ons, threat alerts and of course technical support - an important consideration for the teleworker. With a throughput of 75Mbps you should find this a reliable and secure device to put behind any teleworker.

For:

This little red box can be scaled up to 50 users; great for the growing SOHO market, but maybe not as significant to the true teleworker.

The unit we received stated documentation was enclosed, but we were disappointed to find none on opening the box. Suffice to say it was not that necessary, but it would have been nice to have had an option.

A great little device to sit behind the worker, providing security and ease of use all