D-Link SecureSpot

Reviews: Networking

D-Link SecureSpot

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Richard Poelling
Kurtis
D-Link
Dec. 3, 2006

Specifications

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Setup

I began setup of the SecureSpot by inserting the included CD. Following the onscreen menus I went through the process of unhooking the incoming internet, powering off the router and then inserting the SecureSpot between the two. Once the physical installation is accomplished, it is just a matter of configuring the SecureSpot through the web interface. The first time you attempt to connect to the internet, you should be presented with an activation screen. I did run into a bit of a hitch at this point. No matter which browser I used, the window just seemed to hang without giving me the needed activation screen. Running this on both a Windows 2000 and Windows XP box yielded similar results.

While I was able to get access to Bsecure's interface with lots of nice advertising on it, the screen I needed was nowhere to be found. Shutting down all the machines and giving it a few minutes apparently fixed the problem because when I tried to access the internet again, I got the screen I was looking for. This type of sit-and-wait functionality is apparently prevalent with this device (more on that later). Once an account was created I was able to gain access to the full functionality of the device.

The SecureSpot is obviously a security device, but what does it do? After initial login, you are presented with a welcome page which shows the currently installed list of thin clients as well as your name and account information.

The menu list on the left contains the following: Account Info, Parental control, Firewall, Identity Protection, Reporting, Popup Blocker, Antivirus/Spyware and finally Spam Blocker. Each of these particular areas contains everything that you need to seriously lockdown your network, or at least that is what the literature says. I will explain each and its results as I see for myself just how well this device performs.

Besides the physical device, each machine can install what is referred to as a thin client. Using the device for the bulk of the load, the thin client performs the tasks normally associated with much larger software packages. Such items as antivirus scanning are performed by the thin client as well as authentication with the SecureSpot to allow for internet access. I will discuss the restrictions of the thin client later in this review.

Price Analysis

The SecureSpot, although it differs from standard antivirus products, does operate on the basis of a subscription service. You get a 1 year subscription when purchasing the box and then you must renew it yearly. This type of pricing is in line with the industry as a whole for antivirus products. Unlike many other products though, a single purchase does cover more than one machine. You get 4 licenses with the purchase of the SecureSpot. If you need more, they can be purchased and added on the main menu screen. A total of 20 can be installed. Each installed system can be tracked on the main menu page. If you have multiple machines to cover, then this type of pricing can be very attractive.

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Page 1: Introduction & First Looks
Page 2: Setup & Price Analysis
Page 3: Testing & Screenshots
Page 4: Conclusion

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1 User Comment

1 - Posted by Kurtis on December 5, 2006 - 7:29 pm

Digg this article:
http://digg.com/security/Network_Security_in_a_Lit...

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