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D-Link SecureSpot
Conclusion
The internet contains a wealth of information. Unfortunately, the information you want isn't necessarily what you get. Firewalls and antivirus programs all work to stop the influx of evil which oozes from the information superhighway. Managing a single computer can be a chore, but what if you have 3 or 4 different machines. Most people don't have the time or patience to manage each machine effectively. This type of situation was what the SecureSpot was designed for. Use one device, service multiple machines, protect multiple entry points. I like the idea of the SecureSpot a lot. To be able to secure a small network with a single device is very tempting. Most large networks do the same thing, only they pay a lot more money. Why slow down all of your systems with a bunch of software when you can get a small hardware box to do the job for you. The business case is definitely there, it is too bad the execution was poor. I did like many of the SecureSpot's features. The ability to block specific items and to have granular control over machines, network, and even down to the user level was well received. The parental control filter list was quite thorough, and did block most of what it says it should. The firewall functionality was good as well as the antivirus and reporting. Unfortunately, the failure points of the antispyware, spam blocker and the identity protection really detract from the device's usefulness. I wish I could recommend this product, but putting my own machines at risk, I can not. I think that D-link has great potential here, but the execution is sorely lacking. Advertising to parents who may not be as savvy with the setup and configuration can lead to a lot of confusion and frustration. One of my complaints is that changes seem to take so long to take effect. Usually after changing a setting and hitting save, I thought I was done. Only after hitting the OK button did it reveal I needed to reboot the device. The firewall and parental control are actually reliant on each other but their setup is entirely separated. Blocking an item in one may not block it at all. In the end, the SecureSpot makes good financial sense, and it isn't totally useless, but if you want to really configure it to do what you want, this little black box will drive you mad. Pros Cost effective for multiple machines Firewall and webfilter functionality Profiles provide granularity to policies Easily manage licenses Large set of Web filters Cons What antispyware? Spam blocker is a joke Software needs some work Identity protection
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... Add Comment To add a comment without being a member, you may omit the password field, but you must enter your name (or nickname) along with your comment. * Denotes required fields. |
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