Managed SOHO security still lacks polish

Computerworld - The idea of bundling a managed security service with a firewall/router/gateway offering for small and midsize businesses isn't new, and the idea of an all-in-one box is appealing for sysadmins hoping to standardize installations for remote workers. Two current products have extended the idea with the addition of built-in DSL modems to the package. Both SofaWare Technologies Ltd.'s SafeOffice 500 and TrustEli Inc.'s Eli Security Appliance espouse the kitchen-sink approach to security for smaller businesses.

The idea is to set and forget such devices, easing troubleshooting and patch management while giving workers secure remote access. Adding DSL to the mix means that a single box can support all the user's connection needs. It's a great theory, but one for which reality has yet to come. When these two products are compared to leading unmanaged products for smaller businesses from networking vendors like Netgear Inc. and D-Link Corp., they both come up short in terms of usability, ease of setup and features. However, both offer plenty of additional security measures, such as very granular firewall rule sets, integrated virus scanning, intrusion detection and control over port forwarding.

The appliance from SofaWare, a division of Check Point Software Technologies Ltd., comes in four versions: with and without a DSL modem, and with and without wireless support. (We tested the DSL wired configuration.) The Eli Security Appliance comes with both a DSL modem and a built-in wireless access point.

Setup

Configuring the Eli took four calls to tech support and about three hours. Most of the time spent came down to our service provider, AT&T; the Eli included no explicit preset configuration for our AT&T DSL line, and it wasn't easy to get the parameters needed out of the company, which twice sent incorrect information. Eventually, the Eli folks figured out what was needed. It's hard to fault Eli for AT&T's inability to provide good information, but the fact remains that AT&T's not the most obscure DSL provider around, and an explicit (and accurate) preset configuration would certainly smooth the process.

Additionally, the diagnostics on the Eli box itself (which is embossed with a portrait of "Eli," their mascot) could have been more helpful during the setup process. For instance, it would be nice if the "DSL" light on the front of the box would go green when you properly authenticate your DSL log-in, rather than just when it detects the digital signal coming over the phone line.

In contrast, we were up and running on the SafeOffice box within minutes, although we had to suffer through a series of four or five update-and-reboot cycles until the box had been brought up to the appropriate firmware level, and we needed to talk to SofaWare's support staff as well for connecting our Vonage VoIP line.